Proper use of digital multi-FX in front of amp

[Yngve]

I have a Matchless DC30 and have some questions about how to best use digital FX.

What is the proper use of a digital FX processor (TC Electronic G-Major) with the DC30? I realize that by putting it in the FX-loop on the amp is probably the best way, but since the DC30 has an individual FX-loop for each of the two channels I can only use the G-major on one channel. However I use both channels on the DC30 by switching by a AB-box and I want effects on both channels.

Is there a way to make the G-major run on both FX-loops on the DC30?

I've been experimenting with running the G-major in front of the preamp (guitar -> g-major -> ab-box -> DC30), but this doesn't sound good. I guess that's because the G-major was designed to work with line level signals.

How do you suggest I can best use it in front of the amp? Would it be wise to run the G-major in the FX-loop of a preamp (like the Focusrite Tonefactory) in front of the amp, or can it be buffered in another way? I thinking: guitar -> preamp/buffer with g-major in loop -> ab-box -> DC30

Will the problem be solved by using a guitar signal buffer (like the one in GCX guitar loop switcher) to convert the guitar signal to low impendance and then run it through G-major and into the amp?

Thanks for all help! :)

[morty]

Has the AC30 only fx on one channel? I use a G-Force on my Koch Multitone and run it trough the serial loop. It also has a paralell loop. I dont hear much change in soun when place it in front of the amp, but I think the signals are more balanced when using the loop

[Yngve]

Vox AC30 doesn't have a FX-loop at all (at least not the early models, don't know about the new ones), so there you'd have to run it in front.

Because of the design between the preamps and the poweramp in Matchless DC30, it has one FX-loop for the triode channel and one FX-loop for the pentode channel. So you'd have to choose one of them, or you'd have to use two multi-fx processors and connect them to each channel. Perhaps using the left channel for the triode channel and right channel for the pentode channel is a solution, but I don't think it would be optimal.

[jimmieb]

You could use a Digital Music Corp GCX and the Ground Control to patch the two channels of the AC 30 into individual loops on the GCX and use their Ground control to switch them. In fact you can use it to switch all your pedals and FX boxes by putting them in the GCX loop. You can actually use multiple GCX's to expand the amount of loops available. The GCX has 4 stereo loops and 4 mono loops for stereo FX like your rack stuff or stereo pedals.

Jimmie B

[LonestarGtr]

Which effects are you using the G-Major for the most? I wouldn't recommend running the comps and/or gain effects through the effects loops. If you're using it for the mods and delays and verbs, it should sound fine, but since the loops are mono, you could just use the ch 1 fx loop send into the left side of the G-Major and ch 2 send into the right side. You'll just have to make sure your delays aren't set to pan or you'll get different subdivisions depending on which channel of the Matchless you're using. btw, isn't that a great amp?!

Mike

[Yngve]

You could use a Digital Music Corp GCX and the Ground Control to patch the two channels of the AC 30 into individual loops on the GCX and use their Ground control to switch them. In fact you can use it to switch all your pedals and FX boxes by putting them in the GCX loop. You can actually use multiple GCX's to expand the amount of loops available. The GCX has 4 stereo loops and 4 mono loops for stereo FX like your rack stuff or stereo pedals.

Jimmie B
That's exactly the way I use it, but mine has 8 mono loops I think.

[Yngve]

Which effects are you using the G-Major for the most? I wouldn't recommend running the comps and/or gain effects through the effects loops. If you're using it for the mods and delays and verbs, it should sound fine, but since the loops are mono, you could just use the ch 1 fx loop send into the left side of the G-Major and ch 2 send into the right side. You'll just have to make sure your delays aren't set to pan or you'll get different subdivisions depending on which channel of the Matchless you're using. btw, isn't that a great amp?!

Mike
I use chorus, delay and reverb on the G-major and I've tried putting channel one on the left channel and channel two on the right channel. It actually works, but the G-major wasn't designed to do this. For comp and gain I use pedals. In my opinion effects like chorus, delay and reverb sounds best in front of the Matchless and not in the fx-loop. I feel that once I put anything in the fx-loop, it draws tone. This is for the Matchless only, not in general for other amps. Usually I always run G-major in the FX-loop on amps like Marshall, Mesa etc.

And yes, the Matchless is a great amp. The best I've ever tried for my use. It has so great dynamics and tone. That's an impressive rig you got there Michael :) I guess you also run all FX in front of you Matchless?

[LonestarGtr]

I've actually never had much luck running effects through amp effects loops. I always run into some sort of gain structure problem and internal feedback, blah blah blah, so I just run practically everything in the front of the amp. For my big rig, I run everything before the amp head except delays. I add delays to the dry signal by splitting the signal after the amp head and sending a line level dry to a mixer and activating the delay unit through the ground control gcx and sending the wet to the mixer also. It basically just adds the delay to the dry. You can get a similar effect if you can find a system mix or system mix plus from digital music corp. You'd need a separate power amp afterwards, as well. OR you could run everything in front of the amp, but if that's the case, the multi-effect processors don't work as well as pedals do. Just experiment and see what sounds the best without robbing tone.

Mike

[Tremendo]

I use a GT-6 and have my Mesa Boogie Mark III pre-amp in the effects loop of the GT-6, then the Boogie power amp afterwards. This allows for individual effects placements before or after the pre-amp and the boogie's distortion, depending where I want them. Some before, some after.

Guitar - GT6 input
GT6 effects loop out - Boogie Input
Boogie Pre out - GT6 effect loop in
GT6 out - Boogie power amp in

[Yngve]

Mike, what brand of tubes do you use in your Matchless? I find mine to be extremly picky about the EF86. I've tried several Phillips NOS, Mullard NOS, Ediswan, Svetlana and Sovtek, and so far I've had best results on that channel with a regular Sovtek EF86. I now use GT 12AX7, Sovtek EL84M and one Ruby 5AR4 and will experiment with different brands.

[LonestarGtr]

I've tried a lot of different tubes for the Matchless and I'm still not sure I've found the magic set. The Sovtek el84m's are very dependable and I do use those a lot. I think the ei's are mullard copies and I like them a little better. As far as the ef86, the Sovtek's are ok, but I think I have a "winged c" svetlana in there now and I like it a lot. I don't use the first channel very much, but I think I have Sovtek's in it.

Mike