Rack processor or stomps? (Triaxis)

[bluestometal]

Right now my main live and studio rig is Triaxis based and uses as main Fx source a T.C. Electronic G-Major. It works fine but my first need has been an audio switcher (GCX) to switch it out when not needed (basically I've it ever engaged for noise gate or compression... but I prefer to be able to switch it out). In the last days while playing with various effects I started to think if I would prefer to use single stomp boxes instead of a rack unit to avoid the A/D/D/A thing. I know maybe (or for sure) it's just that insensate need to buy expensive and useless stuff and complicate our own life but I'm gonna ask you: What do you use in your Triaxis rig? A rack processor or stomps? Why?

 

[tedsticle]

Both......I keep my rack gear stuff in parallel to avoid the ad/da conversion, and try to use mostly analog pedals. All within a switcher. In my opinion, flangers, phasers, and compression sound better in pedals. To use these with the G-Major you have to be in series, therefore going the ad/da route. I would use your G-Major for delays, reverbs, choruses in parallel...and then just add pedals to your arsenal. This doesn't mean delay, choruses, and reverbs can't be pedals before the amp. An analog delay pedal before the amp is a tone you may want at some times, compared to a rack delay in parallel. So, why not have the best of both worlds!

 

[elvis]

I use both (Gsystem and stomps) because some stomps are really cool and can't be effectively emulated, or because I want them somewhere in the chain that the FX box won't let me. Or just because.

I run my loop series and put almost everything there. I have never had a problem with A/D conversion once I matched the impedances properly.

I like to run OD, dist and fuzz in front of the preamp, phase and flange both pre-and post preamp, and everything else in the loop.

 

[mrcomputer]

Both.

I use a G Major 2 in my FX Loop, I have a dunlop rack wah and GCX-controlled stomp boxes (od, phase - on a rack shelf) between the guitar and the triaxis. It keeps the signal runs short - guitar->cable->GCX Guitar IN - my pedalboard is composed of midi controllers. You can use a MIDI controller pedal to manipulate the G Major Output level to act as a master volume before the power amp.

jbw

 

[bluestometal]

I use a G Major 2 in my FX Loop

In the loop of the Triaxis?

You can use a MIDI controller pedal to manipulate the G Major Output level to act as a master volume before the power amp.

Yes, I know, but how could it be of any help regarding the tone quality?

 

[elvis]

I think that the suggestion to use the volume function is about convenience.

For tone quality, you have to decide what sounds good to you. I find that the high-quality digital FX boxes like the G system, G major, etc have sounds that you cannot get from stomps, and have a much higher quality sound for things like chorus, delay and reverb than you could get from a stomp. For effects you CAN get from a stomp, it is just convenient to be able to use the multi-FX to do it all. You also get a nice feature on your pedalboard where you don't have to have signal wires running back and forth across the stage. With rack FX, you can often have just one MIDI or ethernet cable on the floor, and everything else in a rack. That makes setup and teardown easier, makes your setup more reliable, and shorter cables = better tone.

For stomps you really like, just add them to the multi-FX. A switcher like the Gsystem or GCX allows those to stay in the rack and you still don't have to have long signal cables on the floor.

 

[bluestometal]

Maybe I've been not clear enough about some point in my topic, I'm sorry about that: I already use an audio switcher (GCX) and have everything in rack and have just the midi controller on the stage floor. My main question was more adressed to if keep using digital Fx like the G-Major along with the very few pedals I already have on the rack-shelf or swap the Fx unit and put in the rest of the stops to replace it (delay, chorus, reverb, pitch shifter, eq...). If you guys, Triaxis users, have experienced a better tone (transparency) using stomps only or if you're ok with digital fx (G-Major in this case) and have no reasons to put it out.

As I said:

I know maybe (or for sure) it's just that insensate need to buy expensive and useless stuff and complicate our own life

And I'm quite sure I was right about this last point

 

[elvis]

The Gmaj is pretty well-regarded in guitar land. I'd use it if I had it.

I will say that I abandoned my G system last year for a grand stomp-experiment. I found a lot of new stomps I really liked, and I also found that I felt more free to change stuff on the fly with the stomps. It's really nice to turn a knob rather than to scroll thru menus and save new patches.

I have thrown the G system back into the mix, but now it is tethered to a BUNCH of stomps via a GCX. Best of both worlds, and ultimate flexibility. And ultimate complication... :roll:

 

[bluestometal]

I have thrown the G system back into the mix, but now it is tethered to a BUNCH of stomps via a GCX. Best of both worlds, and ultimate flexibility.

I'll probably go for that.

And ultimate complication... :roll:

That's our real hidden need