dyllels
Hi all,
I'm seriously considering purchasing a BOSS GT-PRO pretty soon. Did a lot of research and haven't really found much that it cant do properly. Plan to buy it to replace my BOSS BR-864 Digital Studio and my BOSS ME-50 (the latter which i really don't like). Am really happy about the BOSS GT-PRO's USB ability to record straight to PC and the fact that, combined with the ROLAND FC-300 MIDI foot controller, I can use it on stage to switch amp channels and apply subtle effects. I was wondering if anyone has experience with this product and what they think or if they have any alternate suggestions.
Thanks ?
AlanRatcliffe
AlanRatcliffe
BTW - I used one for a couple of years before getting rid of it (and a POD Pro) in favour of Guitar Rig. If I had to go hardware again, I'd probably still go with the GT-PRO (unless there was a rack version of the GT-10 by then).
dyllels
Nice Article, Thanks Alan. Really like the ease of being able to tweak parameters on the PC. ? Just a quick question. For some reason I'm not a fan of the GT-10 at all. To me it just seems more of a fancy overboard toy than a guitar effects processor. Maybe thats because its not rack mounted, i dunno. But between the GT-Pro and the GT-10 would you still choose the GT-Pro?
AlanRatcliffe
Thanks Dylan. I'd struggle to decide - I'd have to play a GT-10 first (I haven't yet). The GT-PRO is a rackmount, which I prefer, but the GT-10 is a more capable unit - the ability to have two separate effects chains is an important one for me.
To be honest, it would be a huge step backwards for me to use either - I'd need at least two and still wouldn't approach the capabilities I'm now used to having.
dyllels
What are you using at the moment? You said Guitar Rig.. but isn't that Software only? i heard you can get a pedal board but then you still need a laptop to play shows? What would you you choose as your live FX and amp switching?
Sorry to bombard you with questions but i dont wanna make a wrong decision ☹
and it seems you're the only one on the forum who knows stuff about the GT-PRO ?
AlanRatcliffe
I am using Guitar Rig - even live. I have a laptop dedicated to it and a Behringer FCB1010 floor controller. I don't play out much anymore other than jamming with friends (last gig was over a year ago - and that was a workshop). I'd be happy gigging in a band situation like this too, but that's me and most wouldn't. For me, while more powerful, this setup actually counts as a simple one compared to how complex things have been in the past, so mine is an unusual situation. It's not a route I would recommend for anyone who was not 100% comfortable with using a computer.
So for most people, the GT-Pro (or a GT-8) makes more sense than a laptop. It's a piece of kit that can take the rigours of gigging well and keep on working, it has plenty of connection options, is more than powerful enough for most people's needs, has a great PC-based editor and is pretty good sounding.
But at the end of the day, you have to decide what suits your application best.
dyllels
Awesome. Thanks a lot Alan. Gonna Try it out before i buy it next week and i'll let you know how it goes ?
Thanks for the help
dyllels
So, i tried out the GT-PRO and must say that i was really impressed with the sound and well actually eveything about it. Its basically like a big chunk of guitar in a box. If that makes sense. The manual is thicker than a danielle steel novel which shows that i probably didnt even find half the features that it is capable of. Definately going to buy it as soon as i have cash.
Only one issue i found was with the recording via the usb port into cubase. Alan, I wonder if you (or maybe someone else) could help me out. Cubase only has the ability to handle one ASIO driver at a time, so you can record into the computer. But then you arent able to hear anything else because you have to select your GT-PRO as the ASIO driver and therefore no sound out the speakers.
I Heard you could record into the PC with the Digital out but im pretty sure that would require more money being spent on computer hardware? So im keen on using the USB port. Any way of getting around this?
Sorry if i didnt make sense.. dont know that much about recording.. Thanks ?
AlanRatcliffe
Cubase only has the ability to handle one ASIO driver at a time, so you can record into the computer. But then you arent able to hear anything else because you have to select your GT-PRO as the ASIO driver and therefore no sound out the speakers.
That's not just Cubase - AFAIK, that's a limitation of ASIO.
I Heard you could record into the PC with the Digital out but im pretty sure that would require more money being spent on computer hardware?
Most decent sound cards have the ability to input and output digital signals (SPDIF or optical), and it's not just the more expensive ones - my Edirol and ESI cards all have it. What soundcard are you using?
dyllels
Well i have a very very old computer. Dunno what the sound card is, but i wasn't aware that the soundcards came with SPDIF inputs seeing as mine didnt. Getting a PC upgrade soon, the newer soundcards will have one? Cos then that wont be that bad.. I thought you'd have to buy a whole extra piece of hardware.
I really need to get clued up on stuff like this ?
Thanks for all the help Alan ?
AlanRatcliffe
If you are getting a PC with a built in sound card, they may have SPDIF in too - it's becoming increasingly common. I would say that if you want to use any PC properly as an audio machine, you do need to get a decent soundcard though - better quality sound all-round and a lot less hassles.
Renesongs
Well i have a very very old computer. Dunno what the sound card is, but i wasn't aware that the soundcards came with SPDIF
AFAIK SPDIF (Sony Phillips Data Interface) are on all sound cards or main boards that have built in sound. They used to use a little cable inside the the computer to connect your CD Reader to the sound card in the 95/98 versions of Windoze the cable connections were SPDIF
Gareth
I Heard you could record into the PC with the Digital out but im pretty sure that would require more money being spent on computer hardware? So im keen on using the USB port. Any way of getting around this?
Quick 'n dirty, if the GT-Pro is in amp-sim mode and pluged into your monitoring system, as opposed to in-line into your guitar amp, then it's easy enough just to use the GT-Pro asio drivers in Cubase etc. and it all comes out the GT-Pros outputs and has nothing to do with your soundcard as such... think of it as a single purpose USB soundcard ?
HTH
deanBailey
My experience with the GT-PRO is that the cab sim was not present when recording direct. So it sounds like the effects send out of an amp "a digital fart".
Either I just couldn't figure out how to connect it (which took me an hour of trial and error) or you need to use an external cab Sim when recording direct.
I just wasn't able to test the SPDIF as I didn't really have the GT-PRO for that long. But I don't think it would have made that much of a difference.
Also there was a horrible "click" when you change certain patches and use the ampctrl to change your amp channels from OD to clean with effects but it dissapears slightly when turning the amp up. Other than that I found the effects pretty usable and pleasant. Even the rectifier and 5150 Amp sims ?
GT-PRO > mono(L) out > amp > Cab > mic
is probably the only way to get it to sound good as result from my short "tests".
Other than that I would love to have tried stereo outs into two amps and a MIDI controller to switch patches easily.
AlanRatcliffe
deanBailey wrote
My experience with the GT-PRO is that the cab sim was not present when recording direct.
It is, unless you have it turned off specifically. You might have turned it off globally to use your amp for monitoring, instead of just on the analog outputs.
I just wasn't able to test the SPDIF as I didn't really have the GT-PRO for that long. But I don't think it would have made that much of a difference.
The converters in the PRO were good, but there was a subtle difference in running digital - it is an extra stage of D/A and A/D you're skipping after all.
GT-PRO > mono(L) out > amp > Cab > mic
is probably the only way to get it to sound good as result from my short "tests".
The only situation where I found the PRO fell down was when I tried to use the loop, which degraded the sound quality noticeably for some reason.
Shredder3211
What about the podx3 pro? Is the boss gt pro better?
Shredder3211
The sound quality?
AlanRatcliffe
I haven't tried the X3 yet, but I far preferred the GT-PRO to the PodXTs (hell, I preferred my old POD Pro to the PodXTs). The Pods tend to limit me - decent amp tones, but not tweakable enough.
deanBailey
@ Alan: Aah I might have overlooked that, I did every possible step even after referring to the manual and I still just couldn't get it to work.
I also just assumed you could just use the USB like the POD bean but with one mono out to the desk. Perhaps I just needed more time to mess with it.
@ Quinus: The Pods and BOSS multi's both have their ups and downs. I found the effects on the BOSS sounded better and so do the little amp sims they have.
The POD took me a while to get the settings to sound awesome but they did sound sweet.
