Questions about GCX and delay (and Whammy)

Q & A for building and interfacing your rack gear with Ground Control Pro and GCX-based systems.
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dawesy1986
Posts: 72
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 8:26 am
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Questions about GCX and delay (and Whammy)

Post by dawesy1986 »

Hey all.
Pretty new, don't own a GCX but should have one by the end of the year along with GCPro. I've read the user manual but wanted to clarify something that's on my mind.

Say I have my delay in loop 8 of the GCX. I'd activate loop 8 for a solo or clean passage.
But when I DE-activate loop 8 at the end of this solo or clean passage, is the delay (are the repeats) still audible?

In tech terms is only the SEND bypassed, or is the whole thing silent (meaning the send AND RETURN are bypassed) ?


Also is anyone remotely controlling a WH-4 through the Exp port/s on the GCPro? How's it handle -- what expression pedal are you using?

Cheers!
Dawesy

jonjon
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:31 am

Re: Questions about GCX and delay (and Whammy)

Post by jonjon »

Hi Dawesy,

The repeats won't be heard after you've deactivated the loop - the signal chain goes thus;

loop off
loop 8 input > loop 8 output

loop on
loop 8 input > loop 8 send > [pedal] > loop 8 return > Loop 8 output

Therefore when the loop is turned off, the output from the pedal is disconnected.

HOWEVER, you could make a Y-lead (1 mono jack to 2 mono jacks - not to be confused wih an insert lead 1 stereo jack to 2 mono jacks) which combines 2 signals so that the output of the delay pedal and the output of that loop is summed and fed into the next loop. Then, when you toggle on/off the loop, you are effectively un-muting / muting the send to the delay pedal.

Yes, I am using a Whammy with my GCP, it works well. The only thing is that my manual for the Whammy is wrong - the program change numbers are incorrect, but this doesn't matter since the lights will change on the whammy as you are programming the GCP anyway. I am using a cheap Bespeco expression pedal (£15 from eBay).

dawesy1986
Posts: 72
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 8:26 am
Contact:

Re: Questions about GCX and delay (and Whammy)

Post by dawesy1986 »

Cheers for the reply dude!
I figured that would be the case and a Y-cable was needed.
You heard of anyone opening up the unit and modifying it so the Return in that loop is always active? I wonder if that could work..

Checked out the Bespeco, pretty nice but some reviews said it was a little clunky.. How are you finding it for use with the whammy effect?

Depends on what sorta stuff you're playing I spose. I'll need something ultra smooth and fast that can take a beating!
I was using a passive Boss FV-100 for a while on a DigiTech rack unit but it was too sluggish -- a great pedal for what it's meant to be used for but I felt like I was kinda fighting it to get it back and forth as fast as I needed it.

What sorta stuff you playing mate, got any mad rig pic's ?

Peace
Dawesy

jonjon
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:31 am

Re: Questions about GCX and delay (and Whammy)

Post by jonjon »

Hi Dawesy,

No worries - glad I can be of help!

Not sure on anyone doing mods - obviously that would invalidate your warraty, so be careful... ;)

Bespeco is very plastic - feels pretty lightweight. I don't think it could stand much abuse. The action is light, and therefore it can move very fast. The travel is short, which can be a good thing if you need to quickly snap between octaves, but less good for gradual sweeps. Like you say, depends on what you're playing.

I play mainly melodic stuff, jangly chords and delay etc, with pretty heavy riffs too. Hows about you?

No pics yet, I am hoping to get some good ones at my next session and put them on the rig pictures part of this forum - i'll keep you posted.

Jon

dawesy1986
Posts: 72
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 8:26 am
Contact:

Re: Questions about GCX and delay (and Whammy)

Post by dawesy1986 »

Hey mate,
mostly playing fast metal stuff. Trying to play stuff that's technical to play but not hard to listen to..

Most of what I'd be using the expression pedal for would be either quick 2 octave up and back noises on my Whammy (think Pantera) and also a few features on my Digitech IPS-33B (fx blend, harmony settings, etc)

Really love the Detunes on the whammy too so i'd use it for swells on that effect..

I'd also really like to try out the Rocktron Hex to see how it tracks, i figure i'd be able to get better use from it since it's like a wah...?

Cant afford any new pedals at the moment though cause i just paid off a seven-string!


EDIT:
Also mate, is it possible to set up the GCP instant access switches to maybe something like this:

I.A. switch 1: program 001 on whammy channel (shallow detune)
I.A. switch 2: program 002 on whammy channel (deep detune)
I.A. switch 3: program 003 on whammy channel (2 octaves up)

i thought it was possible but some recent reading has made me doubtful -- the i.a. switches can only send CC# messages not program changes, correct?

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