Voodoo Lab

so i have 2 gcx's. #1 changes amps....works fine. gcx 2 changes pedal loops. when powered on, all lights flash, counts down 8-1.everything looks great. i'll hook up my master and slave controllers....everythings fine.


gcx #2 will recieve midi changes, midi light flashes to show its recieving data, BUT NOT A SINGLE CHANNEL WILL LIGHT UP NOR SWITCH!!!!

now get this.....i ripped open the chasis, pulled the main processor chip(the one labeled ver 2.0.2) and placed back in......then it worked. now ive had to do this every show since....3 so far. yesterday it worked, then stopped, then worked again all on its own. i'm in australia on tour and need to get this fixed.

could the issue possible be the difference in cycles in the power. are they 50/60 hz compatible? i'm still running 120v thru it via a transformer. i had this same rig in europe for 6 weeks and had not one problem.

anyone got some advice? i'm leaning towards a defective unit. not to be rude but the gcx switchers and controllers are not very road friendly. if this keeps happening were going to switch to bradshaw. the pile of 9 defective switchers in my storage is really begining to * me off.

Wow! 9 defective switchers!? All GCXs? ...and this is the first time we get contacted about it!? These are actually quite road worthy and are in many touring rigs that travel the world over. Not to mention that they have been doing so for the last 15 years or more. so let us look at this one step at a time first.

Judging by the version number of the GCX chip, and that it sometimes works, I assume you are using a Ground Control or Ground Control Pro to control this?

When you turn on your rack you will need to be sure to power up GCX#2 before powering up the Ground Control Pro, which I assume is phantom powered by GCX #1. When you first power up the Ground Control Pro you will see the splash screen scroll. At the end of this it will send out a MIDI sysex message that will configure any GCXs that are connected and enabled within the Ground Control Pro. If upon system power up, either GCX does not have the Active light lit up solid then the likely problem is that the GCX simply did not get this sysex message, either from an improper power sequence or a bad MIDI cable. I have never once heard of a GCX that needed the prom chip re-seated every time it was used. In fact, continually removing and replacing that chip would likely cause more problems than it would solve.

For power, yes, the adapter is 50/60Hz, but you can also get an adapter that is appropriate for your region rather than using a step down transformer before a U.S. adapter. Our Australian distributor, EGM, could probably help you find these locally. Let us know what you find.

well the chip..... after the monsoon show in taipei, taiwan. the gear then traveled for 2 days where the chip decided to grow some corrosion,everything did.after a wire brush/de-ox-it bath, it worked again. as you can see, this turned into a major overhaul on everything we have. ive spent 3 days off cleaning and testing everything i have in my world.and yes, everything is patched correctly in their proper inputs.

yeah the pile of gcx's has been accrued over the last 5 years. i've been here since april and this is what i was handed and explained. my other tech on stg left has had to replace 2 since ive been here. these are my 1st issues since starting here.hey if we can fix em, i will gladly send them up for repair, were based in la.


i have done the proper power up sequence, swapped midi cables, yelled at it, nothings changed. then it magically worked again and stopped again. obviously theres something wrong with it. i'm tracking down the aussie people now to get ahold of a new one. todays our last day in sydney. if you have any contact info , that would much appreciated. thanks for the help john.

So the chip problem was really an entire rig problem... glad you could share that bit.

We can inspect and repair any GCX switchers you may have. I think you will find that if you approach us calmly and rationally, we will be a great asset for you to have while out on the road. PM sent your way.

Only in extremely rare circumstances have issues like this been the fault of the GCX. Admittedly we have little experience with monsoons.