I've come up with a nice way to achieve MIDI switchable patch changes on my IIC+, and I thought I'd share it with everybody, and maybe get some ideas about what others are doing. This is a little long winded... but here goes.
I play in a cover band doing a wide variety of material, funk to hard rock to 80s hair metal, so I needed a way to get a variety of sounds without tap dancing. I've got a IIC+, 100/60 with EQ. I have the clean channel set with volume1 and treble around 7.5, which on mine is where it's just about to start breaking up, but is still quite clean... that's my clean tone. For a crunch rhythm (moderate distortion, say a la the Black Crowes "Hard to Handle"), I really like the sound of the clean channel pushed with a good OD pedal (I'm using a Menatone Red Snapper, gain low, level high). For a dirtier rhythm, I use the lead channel, lead drive around 5, which takes the gain into 80s hair metal territory for rhythm (e.g. Crue), without getting too compressed so that the attack of the chords isn't totally lost. I also use that tone for some leads, but I also like to push the lead channel with the OD pedal when I really want a saturated, violin like tone.
So basicially I use four tones, clean channel alone, clean plus OD, lead channel alone, lead plus OD. The problem is that switching amp channels and the OD pedal at the same time is a pain, especially when I also need to turn effects or boost on and off at the same time. The second problem is that the clean+OD sound is around 6 dB louder than the clean alone, because there's still some clean headroom in that channel, so adding the OD to boost the signal not only gives the dirt I want but unfortunately gives me an unwanted volume boost.
To solve the problem I'm using an Axess Electronics GRX4 switcher, which is a little midi controllable box that has three midi switchable audio loops, and also a separate fourth loop that can be used as a channel switching relay. I'm using this with a TC Electronic Nova System floor processor in the amp's loop. I have the OD pedal in one of the audio loops, and I have the channel switching relay hooked up the the footswitch jack on the IIC+. The signal goes from my guitar into a tuner and wah, then into the GRX4 and then into the amp input. What's cool is that now I can set a patch on the Nova System to have the GRX4 turn the OD on/off as needed, and to switch amp channels as needed. I can also adjust the patch level volume with the Nova, so patches using the clean+OD aren't too loud. I add whatever boost or effects I need to the patch. The whole thing fits on my pedal board, which is great. This is kind of like a "poor man's" G System setup.
I'm really happy with all of these sounds... I know there's no need to gush to you guys about the amp, but I'll just say that after going through a lot of amps in the last several years (see my sig), I am REALLY happy... I think I've found my sound. Cheers!
(p.s., axess electronics recently went out of business, but the GRX4 comes up on eBay, and there are other companies making somewhat similar stuff)
I play in a cover band doing a wide variety of material, funk to hard rock to 80s hair metal, so I needed a way to get a variety of sounds without tap dancing. I've got a IIC+, 100/60 with EQ. I have the clean channel set with volume1 and treble around 7.5, which on mine is where it's just about to start breaking up, but is still quite clean... that's my clean tone. For a crunch rhythm (moderate distortion, say a la the Black Crowes "Hard to Handle"), I really like the sound of the clean channel pushed with a good OD pedal (I'm using a Menatone Red Snapper, gain low, level high). For a dirtier rhythm, I use the lead channel, lead drive around 5, which takes the gain into 80s hair metal territory for rhythm (e.g. Crue), without getting too compressed so that the attack of the chords isn't totally lost. I also use that tone for some leads, but I also like to push the lead channel with the OD pedal when I really want a saturated, violin like tone.
So basicially I use four tones, clean channel alone, clean plus OD, lead channel alone, lead plus OD. The problem is that switching amp channels and the OD pedal at the same time is a pain, especially when I also need to turn effects or boost on and off at the same time. The second problem is that the clean+OD sound is around 6 dB louder than the clean alone, because there's still some clean headroom in that channel, so adding the OD to boost the signal not only gives the dirt I want but unfortunately gives me an unwanted volume boost.
To solve the problem I'm using an Axess Electronics GRX4 switcher, which is a little midi controllable box that has three midi switchable audio loops, and also a separate fourth loop that can be used as a channel switching relay. I'm using this with a TC Electronic Nova System floor processor in the amp's loop. I have the OD pedal in one of the audio loops, and I have the channel switching relay hooked up the the footswitch jack on the IIC+. The signal goes from my guitar into a tuner and wah, then into the GRX4 and then into the amp input. What's cool is that now I can set a patch on the Nova System to have the GRX4 turn the OD on/off as needed, and to switch amp channels as needed. I can also adjust the patch level volume with the Nova, so patches using the clean+OD aren't too loud. I add whatever boost or effects I need to the patch. The whole thing fits on my pedal board, which is great. This is kind of like a "poor man's" G System setup.
I'm really happy with all of these sounds... I know there's no need to gush to you guys about the amp, but I'll just say that after going through a lot of amps in the last several years (see my sig), I am REALLY happy... I think I've found my sound. Cheers!
(p.s., axess electronics recently went out of business, but the GRX4 comes up on eBay, and there are other companies making somewhat similar stuff)
