Need Help On How to Connect My Axe-fx II to some loops on my

Q & A for building and interfacing your rack gear with Ground Control Pro and GCX-based systems.
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VeeVeeVee
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Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2012 8:58 am

Need Help On How to Connect My Axe-fx II to some loops on my

Post by VeeVeeVee »

I have two separate guitars I use live. One through the GCX into the EVH mini front end and effects loop. I have a second guitar I use trough a Fractal Axe-fx II. The Axe-fx II have a dedicated effect loop (see question mark in the diagram) for hooking up external effects processors, but in addition to the GMajor2 - I want to use the other stomp boxes shown in the diagram that go through the effects loop of EVH. This seems like it would be easy, but I'm just not seeing enough open jacks on the GCX to make this work.

Thanks!

Steve G.

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JohnClark
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Re: Need Help On How to Connect My Axe-fx II to some loops o

Post by JohnClark »

It looks like Loops 3 and 4 are free, just you have programmed Ground Control Pro Instant Access buttons to control G-Major effects blocks rather than GCX Loops. You can still use these GCX Loops, but you will just need to program the desired state with your presets.

In order to share the effects between the two effects loops, you will need two free GCX Loops. One will perform as an A/B switch for the two Effects Send jacks, and the other will perform as an A/B switch for the two Effects Return jacks.

Because I am unsure which loops you will actually use for these two A/B functions I will label them as Loop X and Loop Y.

1. Connect the Decimator Ch.2 Output to the In of GCX Loop X.
2. Connect the Axe FX II Effects Send to the Return of GCX Loop X.
3. Connect the Out of GCX Loop X to the In of the first GCX loop in your FX Loop effects chain (Loop 5 in your diagram)
4. Connect the Out of the last GCX loop in your FX Loop effects chain (Loop 8 in your diagram) to the In of GCX Loop Y.
5. Connect the Send of GCX Loop Y to the Effects Return of the Axe FX II.
6. Connect the Out of GCX Loop Y to the Effects Return of the EVH 5150 Mini.

-Loop X switches between the Effects Send jacks.
-Loop Y sitches between the Effects Return jacks.
With both loops Off, you will hear the effects through the 5150 Mini.
With both loops On, you will hear the effects through the Axe FX II.

Personally, I would move the effects in loops 5,6,7, and 8, down one loop to loops 4,5,6, and 7. This would have Loop 3 as "Loop X", go through the effects in 4,5,6,and 7, then have GCX Loop 8 as "Loop Y". However, if you already have your effects states all programmed within the Ground Control Pro, then leave it as per the diagram and use GCX Loop 3 as "Loop X" and GCX Loop 4 as "Loop Y".

I hope that helps!
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VeeVeeVee
Posts: 27
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2012 8:58 am

Re: Need Help On How to Connect My Axe-fx II to some loops o

Post by VeeVeeVee »

Thanks for speedy and detailed response. I think I understand your suggestion and have implemented it on paper in the revised diagram below. I had forgotten that GCP IA Buttons and GCX loops are only loosely "coupled". So that indeed frees up the two GCX loops you say I need. So now as you state the two free GCX will be programmed at part of a song preset.

If I want to send the Pitchfactor/MX200/GMajor2/POGII through the EVH Effects Loop(Loop X) I program the preset to turn on GCX Loop #3.
If I want to send the Pitchfactor/MX200/GMajor2/POGII through the Fractal Effect Loop(Loop Y) I program the preset to turn on GCX Loop #8.

GCX Loop #1/GCP-IA#1 = Satchurator (on/off)
GCX Loop #2/GCP-IA #2 = MXR Distortion II (on/off)
GCX Loop #3 (Reserved for EVH Effects Loop Bypass) "Loop X" Must always be ON for all songs played through the EVH 5150.
GCP-IA #3 = Sends CC to GMajor2 for Wah Effect + preset must activate GCX Loop #6 as well to bring the GMajor2 into the signal path).
GCP-IA #4 = Sends CC to GMajor2 for Whammy Effect + preset must activate GCX Loop #6 as well to bring the GMajor2 into the signal path).
GCX Loop #4/GCP-IA#5 = Eventide Pitchfactor (on/off)
GCX Loop #5/GCP-IA#6 = Lexicon MX200 (stomp box mode) (on/off)
GCX Loop #6/GCP-IA#7 = GMajor2 (stompbox mode) (on/off)
GCX Loop #7/GCP-IA#8 = POGII (on/off)
GCX Loop #8 (Reserved for Fractal Effects Loop Bypass) "Loop Y" Must always be ON for all songs played through the Fractal.

Does this look right?

One thing I did notice is that I could really get two IA buttons back for two more stomp box-mode effects instead using those buttons just to bring the Lexicon and/or the GMajor2 into the signal path since it would probably be better to just turn on or off those GCX loops through the preset function.... Make sense?

Thanks again for your help!!!!!!!!!


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JohnClark
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Re: Need Help On How to Connect My Axe-fx II to some loops o

Post by JohnClark »

The diagram is correct!

The description of Loop 3 is backwards, and you may have missed that Loop 3 and 8 have to work together...
-In order to use the 5150, both Loop 3 and Loop 8 have to be OFF.
-In order to use the AxeFX II, both Loop 3 and Loop 8 have to be ON.

Now start rocking! That is an order!
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VeeVeeVee
Posts: 27
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2012 8:58 am

Re: Need Help On How to Connect My Axe-fx II to some loops o

Post by VeeVeeVee »

Thanks. I did notice the description was wrong AND I figured out that Loop #3 and Loop #8 work together.

I also realize I needed to use IA button #8 instead of #4 for the Whammy since I wanted to bring the Pitchfactor in and out of either Loop X or Loop Y..

THanks again for your help. I would have never figured this out on my own.

Now if Voodoo Labs would make a PC-based utility that would let me shift around the order of my presets from the computer that would be great!!!

Steve G.
Red Ruckus....

tchopper
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Re: Need Help On How to Connect My Axe-fx II to some loops o

Post by tchopper »

VeeVeeVee wrote:
Mon Jun 24, 2013 10:42 am

Now if Voodoo Labs would make a PC-based utility that would let me shift around the order of my presets from the computer that would be great!!!

Steve G.
Red Ruckus....
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but I second this request!!!!!!

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