ground control

[tonebully]

I have a ground control and two gcx switchers.
I have a combination of rack mount efx and pedals which
have now been mounted on a sliding drawer in the rack.

I plan on running 3 modeling heads along with
4 preamps. that takes 7 spaces up on a gcx unless
I were to pair one head and one preamp up per channel.
using y cords.

I use a combination of heads and preamps,
The preamps are single spaced rack units modified
to not need batteries ever to maintain settings.
They will run two vintage tube amps just fine in stereo
and control them both via midi. The stereo outputs are
line level so it wont bother the front end of a vintage tube amp.

My idea is to pair up vintage tube amps behind each pre amp.
maybe a twin and a frenzel paired up in stereo for a dual tone sound
on cleans and another twin and apollo amp for another dual sound.
Or two plexi amps or a plexi and a twin you could split the twin side
yet one more time mono y cord and go into both dry and reverb side
of the twin. so depending on which side gets hit with boost I might have
both a twin and a plexi getting hit with boost pedal either or or both
at same time.

I am thinking that pairing up amps which are slightly different
than each other sound wise might give me dual tones which
id not have heard before.

James santiago runs into a twin on both channels
well when I heard the sounds I said uh hello
I want those two.

That gave me some good ideas.
It allowed me to see I could have my cake and eat it all too,
I think this idea will allow me to run up to 8 amps
I have 3 heads and 4 pre amps.
I also have pairs of vintage tube amps to place behind
each pre amp.
They are line level out so they wont hurt the amps
plus I have an output knob to ensure the vintage amps dont
get blasted with too much. Even though its line level I can still
crank that and drive the front end a bit more.

No need to do that..
I just want to set those vintage tube amps flat eq wise
maybe one dark and one with the bright switch on.
And with the plexis ran that way have one super bass and one super lead.
contrasting sounds yet stereo.

The fourth space id have left would be all lead sounds.
So id have any lead type amps paired there in stereo.
Perhaps an apollo and a plexi lead head.
the apollo is more aggressive sounding with solid
state rectifier but the plexi is more bell like and chimey
they both can get mighty clean yet the ss rectified amp
can really bark when driven. brighter sounding amp
best for bark and bite the super tremelo plexi id pair this
with is best for tube driven leads.
My idea is to have a studio setup for my amps
where I can run all my amps and utilize every efx
I have on any amp.

If I needed to gig the same rules would apply.
I could easily just carry 3 heads and 3 cabs
and a rack and small board.

I wish to be able to have all my amps where I could ab them
at home and then try to duplicate each amp for what it does
by ab' the vintage tube vs the modern modeling amp.

See if i cant match those sounds eq wise and save that.
If I can get everything without using my old tube amps
then id consider selling them off.

Because I could have 3 or 4 heads and do
every sound I just compared them all too vintage wise.
If I could duplicate those sounds every night consistently
then id not need the vintage tube amps or to lug them about.

I could roll with 3 or 4 heads and the same number of cabs
stereo and get both mono and stereo efx from those 4 heads.

I want to use my ground control like a stompbox setup.
where 1-8 are efx. then 1234 across the bottom
of the ground controller is your 4 main amp sounds.
clean clean boosted dirty dirty boosted lead full bore lead.

My question is how to use multiple gcx units and
then to make the buttons work for say gcx #2 or #3
I understand how gcx 1 works but
controlling other efx or preamps located on another gcx
is confusing.

I simplified this down to 7 amps
3 heads 4 pre amps.
some vintage tube amps will be paired behind
the heads and some behind the profex 2 units.
Just for midi control and stereo efx by pairing them
behind the profex 2 and splitting them apart for large
separation.

Each are midi controlled the heads and pre amps.
I am curious if this system will run 7 different
amp heads and pre amps together midi wise.
If so and I can set each head to a different sound
and its assigned by midi # and everyone or all 7
are different suddenly you have many many many sounds.
If the ground control can handle that much going on at one time
and pull those sounds up my search has ended.


I am quite tired but I hope this makes sense
if someone can help me with y cord placement
and where I can control the second gcx switcher
or from what buttons do I bank up start over
on next 4 settings ?
keep going ???

stuck if james or anyone can pm me I am close
to switching this entire thing over to my rack
and gcx switchers I need final wiring path
and I can set all this up.

Btw each head and preamp are all midi and run off the same ram cards.
The heads will hold more efx per patch than the pre amps will.
so I might run vintage amps behind those heads and the preamps,.

depends I would have more cake and icing too if I could
set things up where I can hear everything and decide what
does not sound good paired.

I want it all for the studio and damn near that if I ever
played out I could roll with 3 heads and 3 stereo cabs.
If I want every amp I own at my feet in the studio
then I can add in the pre amps or heads or both.

[JohnClark]

The Ground Control Pro can control up to 8 MIDI devices and up to 4 GCX switchers. The 8 Instant Access buttons buttons can be programmed to be any 8 of the 32 total possible loops. All the loops can be programmed to a Ground Control Pro preset, you just pick the 8 things you must have direct "instant" access to turn on or off at your whim.

I hope the above helps... I'm having trouble finding all your questions in all of this, so let us know if you still have any specific questions on the Voodoo Lab gear.

By far, my favorite quote on this forum to date: "I simplified this down to 7 amps" -Tonebully

[tonebully]

I have sound from 3 heads 1234 slots across the ground control are working.
I put the guitar input into gcx 2 and got sound from every amp.

No sound from any efx on gcx 1.
the ground control is controlling the lights
they come on and off but no sound.

I have midi cables hooked between the two
but no jumpers ie 1/4 jacks.

also I put guitar through into in on back of each
gcx unit I wonder if the problem might be there
or the main cord hooking the first gcx is just
shorted.

I cant get any efx or sound through gcx 1.
but the midi controller is working each light.

I think it must be in the guitar efx cables
or the jumpers on gcx 1.

I am very close just not getting any of my efx sounds to make
sounds along with the amps.

got to be in gcx 1 or the cables or midi cable.

I have yet to hook up all 4 amps midi cable wise.
So I cant save midi settings per button yet
but I am close.

I guess one midi head should be on one gcx
and the other midi head should be on gcx 2
and then pre amp midi cables into those.
Select them as device 1234?
then select the amp heads and preamps to
those channels 1234.

I am not so concerned about midi as I need
some more midi cables it seems possibly
2 or 4 to patch it all together.
When those are done then any midi #
I select on any amp and then save that as
should recall with one button push.

I am about to declare victory over this monster
If i can get sound from gcx 1 through all my efx
and they come out when i select out front
then I am a happy camper.

I could then work on booking gigs here as well.
I just have some things to organize first.
They are all there now in the rack and drawers
and pedal board ..

I bet its a cable problem now either guitar patch or midi.

i am at macster6@mac.com
If anyone can think of the issue keeping me from
hearing gcx 1 efx.

Should I be plugged into gcx 1 guitar in ?
does it matter if my amps are all on gcx 2 ?
do i need to jump gcx units with guitar patch cable if so
where do i do that at ?
also what about midi ? plug amp 1 into gcx 1 amp 2 into gcx 2
and daisy the rest of the midi devices into the back of those heads ?

soon I will be out of questions believe me Ill be celebrating more
than you all will on that day.