Digitech GNX4

Satriani · 2008-08-26T14:44:32+00:00

So...this pedal is all I expected and MORE. The sounds it has are mind blowing, it's recording capabilities are incredible. However, I can hardly understand...

Digitech GNX4

AlanRatcliffe

Ah. Manual Japinglish - I know it well. Cut my teeth on the Roland manuals of the 90's which were the worst. My favourite "manual" was the single sheet that came with my Shin-ei Companion Fuzz box, filled with gems such as: "When sound, she become small, replace battery".

Or is it a case of it's too technical, crammed with terms and concepts that you can't follow? I'm downloading the manual now to have a look.

I usually find the best way to learn how to use a unit is to turn everything off and then start building patches from scratch. Start with amp and speaker sims then start adding in FX from there.

Satriani

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: My favourite "manual" was the single sheet that came with my Shin-ei Companion Fuzz box, filled with gems such as: "When sound, she become small, replace battery".

hahahah priceless. Alan, you would probably figure this pedal out in no time. Wanna move up to JHB for a week or so ? ?

AlanRatcliffe

OK. Send the pedal down here first, I'll learn how to use it then bring it back to you at my earliest possible convenience.

Satriani

lol...I'm still in my honeymoon period, u gotta be kidding ?
I've found a site http://www.digitech.com/soundcomm/guitar_product_start2.asp?productid=199
which I think may help me just download patches made by people and see how they sound. There is some new thing they've made called the Supermodels Pack. Dunno if it's free to download yet or not, but looks very interesting...

Renesongs

Cut my teeth on the Roland manuals of the 90's

Luxury, luxury, my first Roland manual was the D110 - After about 2 years I even began to understand how to set the RPC's and the NRPC's in midi and sysex.

The best way to master an effects unit is to treat it like you would a musical instrument practice practice practice - ie play with it a lot read the manual at least three times find support groups on the net, set yourself objectives like how can I get an infinite sustain. Guitarists I jammed with said that my GT-6 pedal had the best tones they had heard and a couple of them went and bought the same unit but were disappointed when it didn't sound like mine - I had clocked up a few hundred hours experimenting to get my sounds.

Satriani

EUREKA! I have found what I was looking for! I didn't bother installing the software it came with (Pro Tracks Plus Recording Suite, BIAS Deck 3.5 SE Recording Suite, X-Edit Editor Librarian and Pantheon Integrated Reverb Plug-In)

VERY VERY easy to change and tweak anything I want from the X-Edit, but I still wanna figure out how to do it on the actual pedal itself.

Loving this thing more and more everytime I touch it. Another thing, I was a complete n00b when ti comes to setting the pedal up with another pedal (ie - which should go first) and after hearing the ghastly sounds of the Satchurator going into it, I realised the other way around was correct. Live n learn....

AlanRatcliffe

Renesongs wrote: Luxury, luxury, my first Roland manual was the D110 - After about 2 years I even began to understand how to set the RPC's and the NRPC's in midi and sysex.

Lol - same as me, mine was just an old one so I only got to use it in the 'early 90's . The GM-70 Guitar to MIDI converter too.

Vintage-Vibe

Hi Satch

Give it a few weeks - for a 1st-time multi-effects purchse u went large ! ?

The GNX4 is literally 2 things in 1 - multieffect & recording interface - so ur taking on a lot -
persevere !
Unlike BOSS etc the Digitech multi-units tend to edit effects in a vertical/horizontal cross grid pattern.
This is the way you need to approach it (up & down 4 the effect, left & right for the parameter)
Do you already know how the parameters (depth,rate eg) on a single effects (eg chorus) effect your sound ?
If you don't understand those smaller concepts you'll have to learn a whole lot of concepts over and above the programming/editing method of the unit !

Good luck though !
I think Guitar World Mag were using the unit as their "tone reference" on their TABS a while back, so u might find some nice "song preset" tones on their site ?

VV

Satriani

Yeah I'm slowly battling away working stuff out and have ALOT to learn still. I reckon it's about time I started worrying not only about my playing but also the quality of recording and using the REDICULOUS amount of features this pedal has!

Satriani

So, I'm getting to grips with this monster of a pedal. It REALLY is a monster. The things it can do I am only starting to comprehend, tho I could add they coulda made it slightly more user friendly for certain things. I have downloaded patches made by other GNX4 users around the world, and tweaked them a bit to my taste, and I'm getting some pretty convincing sounds out of it. However, it is advised that you are supposed to use a set of power speakers (seeing as it already serves as a preamp) and therefore the tone will change dramatically apparently. Anybody on here ever used one/played with one?

Renesongs

My experience is from BOSS GT and Guitar Rig is that multi effects pedals with amp simulation always sound much better in a) stereo b) though neutral amplification stage ie powered monitors, stereo PA or even your common home and garden hi-fi system.