Gcx and stereo rig sound issues

Q & A for building and interfacing your rack gear with Ground Control Pro and GCX-based systems.
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Panos
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2019 8:58 am

Gcx and stereo rig sound issues

Post by Panos »

Hi Team,

I currently try to make my rig to run stereo. I am facing issues with the sound and I would prefer if you could help me with a diagram.
I would like to have both amps work simultaneously as a stereo but if it’s possible through the gcx to use them some times separately.
My current rig is:

Dunlop wah pedal
Ibanez ts9
Voodoo lad GCX
Voodoo lab ground control
Voodoo lab control switch for both amplifiers
Tc electronics GMajor 2 (kill dry switch on )
Dbx 1074 noise gate
Mesa boogie Rectifier Reborn 50/100W
Mesa Boogie Mark V 35W
2x ( 1x12 mesa boogie rectifier cabs)
Palmer y-box (active splitter)
RJM mini line mixer

Thank you!

nyteowl
Posts: 1389
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 8:53 am

Re: Gcx and stereo rig sound issues

Post by nyteowl »


I'm guessing you want the Wah and TS9 first in your signal chain, before your signal hits the amps, yes?
...and the Control Switcher is being used to change channels on your amps, correct?

Unfortunately, I cannot create a diagram right now, but based on my guesses, here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Your guitar will plug into the GCX front panel Guitar In.
Connect the rear panel Guitar Out to your Dunlop Wah In, and the Wah Out to your TS9 In.
Connect the TS9 Out to the Palmer Y-Box In, and the 2 Y-Box outs to any two Loops on your GCX. You can then program the presets on your GCPro so that either one, or both, of your amps are active depending on the preset.

After making the necessary MIDI connection to your Control Switcher, and from there the cable connections to your amps, you will also have to program your GCPro presets so they change to the desired channel.

This leaves the G-Major 2, DBX 1074, and RJM Mini Mixer, but not knowing how you've been using them thus far, I'm hesitant to suggest anything.

Hope this helps somewhat.


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Panos
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2019 8:58 am

Re: Gcx and stereo rig sound issues

Post by Panos »

I run it exacty like this but I have only one pedal ( ts9 Ibanez ) in the loop one and then next loop are the amps.
I run it exacty like this but I have only one pedal ( ts9 Ibanez ) in the loop one and then next loop are the amps.
BF24C934-9E82-49CD-86C2-878D7E9317FE.jpeg (79.12 KiB) Viewed 9192 times
Hi nyteowl,

Thanks for the info, but the connection you mentioned is not stereo exactly but just will make the both amplifiers play together. As for stereo things are more complicated I followed a diagram from someone that wanted to play stereo both amplifiers but his set up was A/B switch only. Now the think is how to make it work by combining both at the same time. Kindly have a look the following diagram below which i folowed as well.

nyteowl
Posts: 1389
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 8:53 am

Re: Gcx and stereo rig sound issues

Post by nyteowl »

My apologies. I completely overlooked the issue of converting your signal from Mono to Stereo after the TS-9, and as already mentioned, the Palmer Y-Box is not the right tool for that job. Instead, you'll need to run the last device of your Mono signal chain into a Stereo device of some sort to convert your signal from Mono to Stereo. Easiest way to do this with your existing gear is to let your G-Major do the converting:

Place any Mono Effects you want in your signal chain ahead of your amps in Loops 1 thru 4.
Connect the Loop 4 Out to the Palmer Y-Box, and the Palmer Outs to the Input jacks of Loops 6 and 7.
Connect the Loops 6 and 7 Send Jacks to your two amps Input jacks, as per the diagram on Page 9 of your GCX User Manual.

Connect the FX Send from Amp1 and Amp2 respectively to the In jacks of Loops 7 and 8 respectfully.
Connect the Out Jacks to their respective FX Returns. Do take care NOT to cross these signals.

Connect the Send/Return jacks of Loops 7 and 8 to the Left and Right Inputs/Outputs of the G-Major, and again, take care to NOT cross these signals.

Program your presets accordingly so Loop 5 is active and 6 inactive when you want to use Amp 1 alone, Loop 6 is active and 5 inactive when you want to use Amp 2 alone, or both Loops active when you want to run the amps simultaneously. Further program your presets so Loops 7 and 8 are active when you wish to add G-Major Stereo processing to your signal chain.

A more elegant solution would be to simply connect the G-Major's In and Out jacks directly to the FX Loops in your amplifiers and program an "empty" preset into your G-Major so you could leave it active in your signal chain at all times, calling up that "zero effect" preset whenever you want just the unaltered Mono signal. If you were to do this, you wouldn't need the GCX as you'd be controlling the G-Major via MIDI from your GCPro. This would free up Loops 7 and 8, so you could shift Loops 5 and 6 over, and free them up for additional Mono Effects.
For Sale: Original DMC GCX in Excellent Condition ($275) and a far more versatile SoundSculpture GL also in Excellent Condition ($1750). Free CONUS Shipping.

Panos
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2019 8:58 am

Re: Gcx and stereo rig sound issues

Post by Panos »

Hi nyteowl,
Thank you for the info,I will give it a try. But I guess now there is not dry signal going to the line mixer after the splitter. as per the previous diagram to create wet /dry signal.

JohnClark
Posts: 7494
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: The Lab

Re: Gcx and stereo rig sound issues

Post by JohnClark »

The diagram shown upthread should work as a great guideline for this setup. In that diagram Loop 4 is selecting the preamp sections via the FX Sends in order to A/B switch between them. The pedals are feeding to both preamp sections but they are not ever used at the same time, it is just easier, and better, to A/B switch only the preamp output. The chosen preamp then hits a splitter to drive the G-Major and provide a dry feed for the mixer.
The stereo image is created by the G-Major so everything in front of it needs only to be wired mono, including the input to the G-Major. In the mixer, the dry would probably be panned to the Center, while the G-Major Left and Right outputs would be panned Hard Left and Heard Right respectively.
The power amp sections in the heads via the FX returns are simply being used as left and right power amps.

Anyway, I am also not sure now what is being asked here :oops: that diagram looks to be exactly what you want apart from some device names being different.
I will offer that once connected as shown in the diagram, it isnt as simple to go back to Mono by just not bringing one of the amps... The G-Major will still attempt to output a stereo signal unless you create specific mono presets for when you only want to use one amp.
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Panos
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2019 8:58 am

Re: Gcx and stereo rig sound issues

Post by Panos »

Hi John,

Thank you for your response. Actually I m very satisfied with this set up as A/b switch but also what I want to do is to make both preamps run together as well. I was thinking while I have a Suhr mini mixII without using it,if with the following idea I could use it to make both preamps run simultaneously while using more loops from the gcx and to make them switch preamps as well .
Kindly see below this diagram and let me know your thoughts.
7AF41961-AFBC-43FD-919A-7E0B9DE55319.jpeg
7AF41961-AFBC-43FD-919A-7E0B9DE55319.jpeg (40.25 KiB) Viewed 9130 times

JohnClark
Posts: 7494
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: The Lab

Re: Gcx and stereo rig sound issues

Post by JohnClark »

I am not 100% sure about using the MiniMixII this way, but I can offer that you would only need Loops 2 & 3 to be able to A/B/Y/Mute the two preamp sections. Also, you may want to use the Loop Sends rather than the Outs so you keep the Loop Status LEDs indicating ON for "Live"...

1. FX Send Amp #1 to GCX Loop 2 In.
2. GCX Loop 2 Send to Mix Channel 1 (MiniMixII FX Return per your drawing).
3. FX Send Amp #2 to GCX Loop 3 In.
4. GCX Loop 3 Send to Mix Channel 2 (MiniMixII In per your drawing.)
5. Mixer Output directly to Splitter Input.

Loop 2 will turn the Preamp #1 On/Off and Loop 3 will turn Preamp #2 On/Off. This gives you the ability to have either preamp section or both as well as a full mute by turning both loops off.

You may want to check with the people at Shur about the best way to mix two preamp sections with the MiniMixII.
------------------====Cheers!====------------------
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---------==Voodoo Lab Magician & Tech==---------

Panos
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2019 8:58 am

Re: Gcx and stereo rig sound issues

Post by Panos »

Hi John,

Thank you for your prompt response. I appreciate a lot your support.

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