Topic: BOSS GT6 - Patches

[marcb]

I became the proud owner of a Boss GT6 just yesterday.
after one day of experimenting and testing with my Yamaha EV205, I became aware of the uncountable number of possibilities and of the fact that it will take me some time to master this piece of equipment.
To be able to start up a little faster I just have a few questions to those that are already familiar with the unit :

1. to be able to clearly evaluate a set of effects, I would like to play them against 'no effect at all' : is there a quick function to shut down all effects while playing, or do I have to create myself a patch that does not contain any effects at all ?

2. do you have - and are you willing to share - own made patches that have specifically been prepared to enhance the violin sound (in all its aspects and styles) ?

In the mean time, I'll keep on practicing and exploring my new gear.

Marc B 

[Alan Kroeger]

Great enjoy I don't have a GT but, I do have a VF-1 so, later on I will put up a base patch I use and maybe you can convert it to a GT patch (there similar but, not an exact match) I use a TC Electronics FireworX for most of my ambient effects and the VF-1 for my base sound so, I actaully do it differently then you can at the moment. The patch could be useful to you but you will have to make that determination for yourself.

Later

[Alan Kroeger]

Let See here is a Violin Specific Patch I assembled

Basic Chain of effects

Input-> Comp/Limiter->Amp Model->Wah (set to off)->EQ->NS (Noise Suppressor)->Mod (set off)->Delay->Chorus (set to off)->Reverb-> output

I set the Comp/Limiter to Limiter with the following settings
Type = Limiter
Threshold = 18
Release = 20
Tone = -11
Level = 29

Amp Model Settings
Type = Match Drive
Volume = 63
Bass =  100
Middle = 100
Treble = 90
Presence = 0
Master = 100

Preamp/Sp. Sim settings
Gain = Low
Mic Setting = 1cm
Mic Level = 100
Direct Level =  15

EQ Settings
Type = 4Band EQ
Low EQ = +4db
High EQ = +3db
Level = 0db
Lo-Mid Frequency = 400 HZ
Low-Mid Q = 4.0
Low-Mid EQ = +4db
Hi-Mid Freq = 800
Hi-Mid Q = 4.0
Hi-Mid EQ = +1db

NS. Suppressor Settings
Threshold = 9
Release = 30

Delay Setting (play around with your own preferences)
Type = Tap
Delay Time = 40ms
Fine Time = 10ms
Tap Time = 50%
Feedback = 27
High Cut = Flat
FX Level = 33

Reverb Setting (Like above adjust to your preference and per tune)
Type = Room1
Reverb Time = 1.4s
Pre Delay = 0ms
Low Cut = 110HZ
High Cut = 4khz
Density = 5
FX Level = 10

[marcb]

WOOOOOW !!

I'll have to dive into the GT-manuals to check out how to set this up - I'm not fully used yet to the machines interface.  But I'm sure that some way or another I'll manage.

up to now, I've been playing around with the presets and some modifications to those ones I like.  I knew it in advance, but now I am sure that there is still a lot to learn.  But it's really fun, and that's what is most important to me.

Really appreciate your help and advice.

byby
Marc B

[Alan Kroeger]

Yes Marc these devices are pretty in depth and do indeed require some study to understand what all the parameters mean. Worse yet the process of exchanging patches is made more difficult by both of us having a different device that are related but, have some differences. So, do dive into the manual and the GT and feel free to ask questions pertaining to the differences between a GT-6 and a VF-1 it should prove useful to other readers of this thread on the topic of exchanging effect ideas.

Later Al

PS: I should add that I use a 31 band Equalizer so, this might need to be modified to work for you sorry if this causes more confussion.

Current Equalizer settings for use with PZT Piezo Pickup (what the SV has) Violin :

20HZ = -12db
31.5HZ = -12db
40HZ = -12db
50HZ = -12db
63HZ = -12db
80HZ = -12db
100HZ = -12db
125HZ = -6db
160HZ = 0db
200HZ = +6db
250HZ = +1db
315HZ = +1db
400HZ = +6db
500HZ = +2db
630HZ = +2db
800HZ = +6db
1KHZ = +2db
1.25KHZ = +5db
1.6KHZ = +1db
2KHZ = +1db
2.5KHZ = -5.5db
3.15KHZ =  -1db
4KHZ =  +1db
5KHZ =  0db
6.3KHZ =  -1db
8KHZ =  -1db
10KHZ =  -2db
12.5KHZ = -12db
16KHZ = -12db
20KHZ = -12db


31 Band EQ Template:
20HZ =
31.5HZ =
40HZ =
50HZ =
63HZ =
80HZ =
100HZ =
125HZ =
160HZ =
200HZ =
250HZ =
315HZ =
400HZ =
500HZ =
630HZ =
800HZ =
1KHZ =
1.25KHZ =
1.6KHZ =
2KHZ =
2.5KHZ =
3.15KHZ =
4KHZ =
5KHZ =
6.3KHZ =
8KHZ =
10KHZ =
12.5KHZ =
16KHZ =
20KHZ =

[marcb]

Thanks again Alan.

I think it may turn out to become not as difficult as I was afraid of.
I just ordered a version of GT-manager, a soft that allows to prepare patches and settings on PC and transmit them as sysX over a MIDI connection.
The demo version looks very promising, but just won't let me save and send towards the GT6.  Once I've got my personal key, I will be able to use its full functionality.

In the mean time, I'll keep on reading manuals and adjusting parameters manually.

I'll keep you posted of my haps and mishaps,

Marc B

[marcb]

hi Alan,

figured out how to manually set up patches and effects
gave it a try with your settings and it worked !  I did not like the amp presettings, but it helped me a lot in getting the feel and touch of the GT6 - THX !
And apparently, your settings do very well match the setting mechanism of the GT6.  95% of the items even were proposed in the same order as yours !  I don't know if the resulting sound differs, but just give me some more time, if all works out well, I might be able to provide you with a small MP3 sample, just for comparison.

In the mean time I also got the key to work GT-manager.  This really is a very nice, handy and usefull tool !  Although I really appreciate Boss for providing a reasonable way to setup and change patches just on the machine itself - I do not all the time carry a PC along with violin and other stuff - this software manager makes it a lot more comfortable to change items and transmit them to the GT6.  Really worth the money !

I've also been testing a little further with other preset patches, mainly distortion, and sending through my little acoustic amp (AER60).  My family thinks I've gone mad, but it was real fun.
I'll need to contact AER to check whether I can use the GT6 on this acoustic AMP without harm : it is a really marvelous sounding amp on itself and I do like to keep it in perfect shape.  Personally I don't think it will be a problem, but I do prefer to tackel this on the safe side.

Many thanks again, really appreciate it.

Marc B

[Alan Kroeger]

Essentially I figured the VF-1 & GT-6 were pretty much the same. The big differences between your setup and mine (excluding the amp) are 1) I use a 31 band EQ, 2) The Bridge Instruments Aquila (Elec Violin) is really a Semi Acoustic so, the end result sound could be quite different. Alter the EQ and see if it improves things like tonal quality but, get your base sound satisfactory to your configuration. I use the limiter to reduce the Piezo Scratch/Bump this way with only a little bit of effort in the bowing department you get a nice smooth bowing quality. Next change the amp model another model might also be more suitable to your configuration. When I change to a different instrument that configuration doesn't work that well so, I modify the imput stage again to match the different instrument. When I plug in a guitar everything changes once again.

I would venture a guess that you could use the GT into the AER without much difficulty there is also a setting on the GT that lets you select output between Line Level and Amp? I would figure that it won't hurt the amp but, one setting might sound better then the other. Plug it in and try both settings the one that sounds best is likely the right one to use.

[soundboot]

I found that the preset 'early 60's UK' was a good starting point. I took that preset and tweaked it in different ways (took treble down, boosted middle and bass). You may want to play around with the amp simulation. The Vox and Tweed is pretty good (try the type variations and speaker size too). You can also try changing the output select. I found on some PA's that 'small amp' worked quite well.

[marcb]

I found that the preset 'early 60's UK' was a good starting point. I

currently I am kind of 'playing' with the different isolated effects.  that way i get a good feeling of the effects and the way of setting them up.  next step will be to start combining two and more effects, play with the efffects order and start looking for some nice sounds.

beside that, i'll surely have a 'hear' at your proposed preset and try if i can tweak it into an acceptable sound for me. 
i'm learning every minute, but still some way to go before mastering the violin and the GT6

many thanks for the advice ! really appreciate it

Marc B

[Alan Kroeger]

Thats the best approch no, matter how many patch ideas you collect you get more out of it if you explore the device for yourself then if someone tells you how to use it. You will find as time goes on your older patches don't appeal to you as your skills and tastes change. There are some cool things though that are fun Echo is always a blast to play with.

[marcb]

PS: I should add that I use a 31 band Equalizer so, this might need to be modified to work for you sorry if this causes more confussion.

Hi Alan,

Just got my EV205 back after a 12 weeks repair due to a broken tailpiece.  Yamaha has gentle people, but they are real slow in getting spare pieces - in the end they just took a tailpiece of an unsold new violin to fit it on mine (repair was still under waranty).
And I bought myself a cheap 31-band equaliser ! YEAH ! (Behringer FBQ6200)
Using your settings seems to work fine, i just have one peculiar thing :

when setting in

EV205 - EQ - GT6 - AMP I get a humming noise

I tried using
EV205 - EQ - AMP : no noise
EV205 - GT6- EQ - AMP no noise
EV205-AMP : no noise
EV205-GT6-AMP : no noise
 
I've tested all my cablework, and they all look fine and completely shielded

any idea what is going wrong ?
would setting the EQ before or after the GT6 make a huge difference ?

To pay you all credit you deserve, the current EQ-settings practically filter out my bow noise completely (the kind of hicking noise when changing bow direction) - so i'm starting to sound like if I were a real violin player ;-))

Thx,
Marc

[madfiddler]

Very strange. Are you using 1/4" cables between everything? - I guess you are. Is the humming at around 50-60hz? Could be some wierd earth loop, but I dunno why it would only occur with one particular setup.

[marcb]

Hi Mark,

Yes I only use 1/4' cables - no mixup with other cablework.
I'd need to try the Hz thing out - I guess that I could try to role out the 50-60 Hz by using the EQ function on the GT6 - i'll try that tomorrow evening

what i also found out in the mean time is that when pushing buttons on the EQ the noise temporarily gets louder - gets me the idea that the noise must come from the FBQ6200

but also strikes me that i only get that noise in this particular setup - will keep me thinking for a while ....  and trying .....
but again, that's part of the fun - as long as i don't have to use this gear for a real audience

thanks for the quick reply !
Marc B

[Alan Kroeger]

Yeah if you touch something inline and the noise goes up it is very likely to be the culprit or source. The bad earth loops are the hardest thing to resolve. I had to give up on my EQ after it started causing problems and was getting unpleasant 50-60 cycle hum.

I tried a few things that worked to some degree the one that helped the most was to put a ground connection to my skin (pesky thing to do) and that got me an almost perfectly hum free setup. One possibility to try and you can do this in a temporary way to verify it's functionality is to do this.
Take a small piece of shielded copper wire and wrap a stripped portion around the ouput jack of you violin and then push the jack into place (naturally you want the wire to be thin so the jack seats) then take the other end of the cable and place the exposed end so, your chin make contact with it. I bet the hum will go away but, I worry that becoming part of the ground circuit exposes ones self to potential for electrical shock?

[madfiddler]

Behringer equipment isn't going to have the best quality of components, they are built to a price. My 31 band eq is also rather noisy, from a hiss point of view.. especially when cutting down the top frequencies.

[marcb]

I'll do some testing tonight and report back

thx already !

[marcb]

had unexpected visitors last night, so had to cut down on testing
but I already found out that the problem is related to distortion : if I set high levels of distortion, the whole thing starts humming, if I lower the level of distortion, the noise disappears
but it will take some more hours of testing to exactly pinpoint the route cause

[FingerstyleFunk]

That's it, then. Distortion means upping the signal gain (or at least simulating that) at some point in the signal path. The Behringer eq is almost definitely introducing noise into the signal chain, and having that noise introduced pre-distortion means that it gets amplified just like the rest of your signal.

Generally, as far as signal chain goes, most people put eqs toward the end, though if you're interested, there are a whole range of sounds that you can experiment with depending on whether you use pre- or post-distortion eq. That's a whole 'nother barrel o' monkeys, though.

Basically, just leave your noisy eq last in your signal chain.

[madfiddler]

Ah, yes that makes complete sense then. If it is really just with distortion that you're getting a really noticable increase in noise, then what Mr Funk says is totally right...

[marcb]

THANKS guys !

I did some more testing yesterday evening and indeed, if I put the EQ just before my amp, I get an ameliorated sound, no humming and most of the bow noise cut out : this is something i can live with
now I'll just have to keep on practising to get the remaining bowing noise down

Marc B