GCX or RJM for my rig? HELP!

[nyteowl]

Your Triple Rec has 3 channels plus a solo boost, and each of those will require a dedicated GCX Loop. That leaves 4 loops open for your pedals and whatever else you have in your rack. I see a tuner in there, plus what looks to be a Furman power supply, but can't make out what else you have in there. In any event, I see five pedals on the floor, so it doesn't look like one GCX is going to do the trick.

[sitnonair]

In my rack I have Furman Power Conditioner, Korg Tuner, Rocktron Intellifix, and a Xwire guitar wireless system. Pedals I have 4 Boss Effects Pedals, MT-2, SYB-3, PH-2, OC-2 Pictured, 1 DOD Effects Pedal FX25B Pictured, and 1 Dunlop Cry Baby Wah Wah. Does this change your answer any? I'll probably need help hooking all of this gear up. Lol!

[nyteowl]

Nope. As I said, if you want to use the GCX to control switching on your Triple Rec you'll need 4 dedicated loops for that. That only leaves 4 loops open for your remaining 7 devices.

You could, however, continue using the Mesa foot switch to control the Triple Rec, which would open up the GCX for your pedals, etc., until such time as you acquired a second GCX. If rack space is at a premium, you might consider using a Control Switcher for the Mesa.

[sitnonair]

OK, I appreciate all your advice and time. In your honest opinion could I have done everything I wanted with just one RJM RG-16 or a new Rack Gizmo?

[nyteowl]

OK, I appreciate all your advice and time. In your honest opinion could I have done everything I wanted with just one RJM RG-16 or a new Rack Gizmo?

Well, if my opinion was anything other than honest I doubt it would be worth much, ya know..?

Seriously, and this is just my opinion, I believe using either an RJM RG-16 or Rack Gizmo would offer you absolutely no advantage whatsoever over using one, or a pair, of GCX units. Both RJM products have their first four loops hard-wired in Series, which I believe is a disadvantage when putting a complicated rig together.

Don't get me wrong. I am not knocking RJM products, and if you really want to try an RG-16 I just happen to have one for sale, but unless one is ALWAYS going to be running four or more effects in Series, i would advise against buying one. I mean, if one wanted to one could run up to 8 loops in Series with a GCX, but a GCX also gives one the option of running zero loops in series if their rig requires it which, by a strange coincidence, mine does.

[sitnonair]

You made very good valid points. GCX it is.... I'll be hitting you up if I can't get it all working.

[sitnonair]

OK my new friend! What in your best opinion would be the best way to wire this setup minus the 5150 head? And thanks in advance! Lol!

[nyteowl]

OK my new friend! What in your best opinion would be the best way to wire this setup minus the 5150 head? And thanks in advance! Lol!

I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but even without the 5150 you still need to address the fact you want to use more devices than you have loops open to accommodate them.

That being said, let's leave the Triple Rec out of the picture for a moment and work under the assumption you're going to use the Mesa foot switch to control it until you get your second GCX. That will give you all 8 GCX loops to work with while connecting your outboard effects.

First, run the wireless output to the Guitar Out jack on the rear panel of the GCX, then run a jumper cable from the rear panel Feed Thru jack to the Loop 1 Input.

Run a cable from the Loop 1 Send to the Korg Tuner Input, but do NOT run a cable from the tuner back to the GCX. This will give you silent tuning when you activate Loop 1.

Run a cable from the Loop 1 Out to the Loop 2 In and run jumper cables from the Loop 2 Out to the Loop 3 In, the Loop 3 Out to the Loop 4 In, and the the Loop 4 Out to the Loop 5 In. Put your CryBaby in Loop 2 and your MT-2, SYB-3 and OC-2 in Loops 3, 4, and 5 in whatever order sounds best to you. Run a cable from the Loop 5 Out to the Triple Rec Input.

Run a cable from the Triple Rec's FX Send to the Loop 6 In. Run Jumper cables from the Loop 6 Out to the Loop 7 In and the Loop 7 Out to the Loop 8 In. Put your FX25B, PH-2 and Intellifex in Loops 6, 7, and 8 in whatever order sounds best to you. Run a cable from the Loop 8 Out back to the Triple Rec's FX Return.

This should serve as a starting point, from which you can start experimenting with effect placement to see what sounds best where.

Let me know how you make out...

[sitnonair]

OK, so if I take the wireless out of the equation and just use a cable how would I wire everything up then? Thanks!

[nyteowl]

OK, so if I take the wireless out of the equation and just use a cable how would I wire everything up then? Thanks!

On the off chance that you are not just messing with my head...

...plug one end of the cable into your guitar and plug the other end into the GCX front panel Guitar In.

Everything else stays the same, except now you don't need to buy batteries for your wireless transmitter.