Harnessing the power of the GT-8

Giblet

After a few hours tinkering I finally got my perfect tone from this.

The reason?

The 4-Cable Method.

*requires effects loop

For all GT-8 owners, you should do this without hesitation. Especially if you have a decent amp!

Firstly, you want to plug a cable from your guitar, into the GT-8
Then, plug the output of the GT-8, into the return on your amps effects loop
Now, run a cable from the send on the GT-8, into the front of your amp.
Finally, run a cable from the send on your amp, into the return on your GT-8

Now you have split the preamp from the poweramp by way of the GT-8.

YOU MUST NOW ENABLE THE LOOP BUTTON ON YOUR GT-8 AND SET IT TO NORMAL! YOU SHOULD TURN DOWN ANY VOLUMES BEFORE THIS!

If there is a volume or a mix for your amps effects loop, it should be on full or you will only hear the effects before the effects loop :S

You can then send which ever effect you want into the front of the amp, and whatever effect you want after the preamp using the FX-Chain button. LP is the loop in the effects chain, so make sure you set the effects you want before the preamp to a position to the left of the LP label. It is recommended you put your distortion effects, wah, compression and FX-2 here (fx-2 has pitch shifting effects which sound weird through the amps effects loop).

All modulation, delay and reverb effects can go after the LP label, which will put them in the amps effects loop. It's probably a good idea to turn off the GT-8 inbuilt preamp as it will sound kind of crap. Use the EQ effect to further enhance the sound.

This method keeps all the tone you would have from the preamp, while giving you more control and clairty on the effects while the distortions can work normally, like a normal stomp pedal!




This was tested on an ENGL Thunder 50, should work on any amp that has an effects loop

jcoote

i did it with a gt-6 and a line 6 flextone and it does a tremendous job..tbh i never used the preamp or distortion on the GT with the 4 cable method only maybe to boost the amp.

Giblet

You shouldn't use the preamp, it detracts too much from the sound, but the distortion is grand. The Tubescreamer sounds great through the front of the ENGL. The seperation really helps define the sound better than just running everything through the front.

jcoote

in front of the ENGL meaning amp channel on OD or clean???

Giblet

Well have your distortions set before the effects loop on the GT-8, which puts them into the front of the amp. Whatever you have your amp set at is your own choice. Why you'd use the amp overdrive channel with the GT-8 overdrives, I have no idea. You just have the distortions running into the front of the amp, like any other stomp pedals, then you have the amps preamp. The rest of the effects are in the loop So it's like having an effects pedal in the effects loop and having some stomp pedals going to the amp input.

You can still use the amp overdrive as normal aswell with this method without having any effects messing with it until the effects loop, just turn off the overdrive on the GT-8

jcoote

yeah u have it sussed there gib

but surely the ENGL OD would be far superior to the gt-8's modelling?????

i was saying use an OD on the gt-8 as a booster pedal rather than your main OD...

you dig???

Giblet

Well yeah, but you have a lot more distortions to choose from with the GT-8 so you can just choose what you want. The distortions sound pretty good with this setup, far better than running it straight in anyway.

Doc_Savage

kinda makes me want a gt8!

nice thinking.. did you come up with it yourself?:p

Doubt it but anyway thanks for bringing it to my attention!:D

jcoote

nah its a well known method used by most gt users but giblet does have it sussed and understands it well..

yeah i know what u mean about the distortions sounding better 4 cabled but for my main distortion (ie the one i use most) i would use the ENGL if i was in your shoes cos u can get almost any style from that little fecker...great amp

Giblet

I'm after figuring out loads more stuff. How to change the Tremolo rate using the expression pedal (actually you can change any setting of any effect using just the expression pedal, don't have to keep bending down now how to use the CTL pedal to mess with the range of the pitch shifter.

Giblet

Another handy thing which I'm embarressed I didn't figure out (hey I lost the manual ok). Controlling all the modulation effects with a master BPM...niceee!

feylya

http://www.bossgtcentral.com/

The Boarder Man

Anyone who is interested in or has a GT8 should definately check out the forums in feylya's link. It's a libraries worth of knowledge fed to you through nice helpful people.

jcoote

just press the exp/sw button and scroll to ctl and assign whatever parameter u need to chnge..i personally like the one where u press down on the ctl pedal and it increses the delay/reverb feedback time to infinity...lift your foot up and the delay fades out...sweet as a nut

jcoote

also u can use the button under the expression pedal (normally set as a wah toggle switch) to turn on and of various effects again to save bendownery and sore backs