Not sure that link worked, sorry for the long post! Not my words.
GT1000: MYTHS BUSTED.
There seems to be a lot of myths constantly going around on this page and elsewhere. So I thought I would do some mythbusting. Some of you are beginners to the world of gear and tone-chasing and post on hear looking for recommendations based on bad advice. I’ve been obsessing over gear and pedals and guitar tone for years now and thought I’d share some insight.
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Myth 1: GT1000 is better with IRs.
It’s not. I’d actually argue that 3rd party IR’s are a waste of your money and sacrificing the realism of your tone when you own a GT1000.
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First off, what is an IR? Because I think a lot of people don’t understand this.An “Impulse Response” is basically a little sound bite that can be used in a convolution program to apply two things to your audio: a complex EQ curve and decay(reverb/echo/reflection sounds). They are used primarily for simulating miked speakers and adding realistic reverb.
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How they are made:
For speaker simulation IR’s, you mic a speaker in a room. You run a clean (flat as possible) power amp to the speaker. You play a tone sweep (signal running through every frequency from 20hz to 20khz) through that power amp at the speaker’s “sweet-spot” volume while recording it from the mic. You take the original tone sweep file and the final recorded file and run them through deconvolution software and it gives you an IR.
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What does this capture?
This process captures linear information only. No nonlinear information. That means it captures EQ and decay over time. No saturation or distortion. No dynamic response. Just the frequency response and reverb. Which is affected by the tone sweep resolution, D/A converter, Power Amp, Cables, Speaker, Room resonance, The air between the speaker and the mic, the mic placement, the mic choice, and D/A conversion. If done properly, the main thing you capture is the frequency response of the speaker, the mic, the mic placement, and the tiny latency caused by the time it takes for the sound to push out of the speaker and into the microphone.
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The benefits of this:
Placed on top of audio, it can make it sound like your audio is taking the place of the tone sweep in that recording. So if you have audio of a guitar going through a preamp, the IR will make it sound like that premp is plugged into the power amp and speaker used in creating the IR, and recorded with the mic/placement used in creating the IR. And it’s pretty convincing – especially for a studio recording in a mix.
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The faults:
The biggest thing is that this does not simulate a speaker live. It simulates a speaker being recorded. So if you play live with an IR, it basically sounds like your amp is sitting in a studio somewhere being recorded by a microphone, and that microphone is playing through the speaker in your room.
And beyond that, on an analog amp, your speaker and amplifier will actually interact with each other in a push/pull relationship. But an IR is a static thing, so it will apply the same exact sound, no matter what you throw at it. In that regard it’s not completely realistic. It won’t compress or distort when you hit it hard, the way the real speaker would. Your preamp won’t respond dynamically with how the speaker is behaving.
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So when do you need an IR?
With the GT1000 you don’t need one at all, and I’ll explain why. But as far as speaker simulation in general, you basically need it whenever you do not have a guitar cabinet. For instance if you are recording directly, or playing through an FRFR (music speaker or PA system). You need a preamp (possibly a real one in an Amp head, or a modeled one like those in the GT1000) and then speaker simulation to mimic that preamp going through a speaker. Guitar cabinets are not Full Range, Flat Response (FRFR). They are typically very mid-focussed so that you only hear the frequencies unique to a guitar – and this is important because preamps will generate a lot of ugly frequencies outside of that range. The guitar speaker cuts out those ugly frequencies.
But keep in mind, if you are playing live, it won’t sound like a live amp, it will sound like an amp miked in a studio.
And an IR isn't the only way to do it. If you have an older or cheaper amp with a headphone jack, or a pedal like the JOYO American or Tech21 SansAmp, those accomplish speaker simulation by means of a simple analog EQ curve rather than an IR, because that is mostly all an IR is doing. It's cutting out those ugly tones and ever so slightly shaping the sound the way a real speaker does.
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Why do I say you do NOT need an IR with the GT1000, then?
First, The GT1000 has speaker simulation built in. Boss invented an alternative to an IR called AIRD that solves all of the faults I described above. Boss is not going to reveal their secret to making AIRD, but it’s probably similar to the way a Kemper profiles an amp, but more complicated as it is designed to work with their amp models in an intelligent, dynamic way. Basically AIRD speaker simulation captures the way a speaker will respond at varying volumes. It captures the way it compresses and distorts based on your playing and effects placed before the speaker. When you hit it hard, the AIRD amps will also have a realistic Push/Pull relationship with the GT1000’s amp models so that the actual amp models will change with the speaker in a dynamic and realistic way. I’m sure their algorithm for this is far from perfect, but they really put some serious effort into making it pretty darn realistic and better than any IR you will find. This simply is not possible with IR convolution.
Second, Impulse Responses, while completely necessary in certain situations, DO NOT make or break your tone. IR’s are extremely subtle. A speaker shapes your tone in a subtle way. That’s why your guitar amp has a preamp section before the power amp. The preamp is where you get your tone. If you buy a third party IR and it changes your tone significantly, it is a gimmick. They made an IR that shapes your tone significantly in order to trick you into thinking it’s better. Or they could have just recorded it badly (for instance, the speaker rumbles the floor, shakes the mic stand and captures more low end than it should). A truly good IR is extremely subtle because that is what is most realistic. So it’s not worth spending money on a ton of them.
So you are better off using what is built into the GT1000 and if you don’t like the sound, save your money and use an EQ. Because that is all a third party IR is doing for you. Third party IR’s are meant for everyone who doesn’t own a GT1000 or a Kemper.
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Myth 2: Gt1000 is best with an FRFR.
If you read my explanation about IR’s you’ll know that when using an FRFR, you need speaker simulation because an FRFR is not a guitar speaker.
With speaker simulation comes with the simulation of the Mic/placement and room/placement. Your amp does not sound live, it sounds like it is being recorded in a closet and you are monitoring it on your FRFR. And personally I find this really unsatisfying. A miked amp sounds really lifeless compared to a live amp, and I want that live, dynamic sound. It’s also better for your practicing and learning to use your fingers properly when you use a live amplifier.
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But why DO people like FRFRs? There is a major benefit to them.
A guitar amp colors your tone a lot. So generally you don’t want to use an amp model in front of it (of course you can if you like the sound, but most people don’t). And you definitely don’t use speaker simulation in front of it.
So let’s say you have a Line6 Helix. and You want to model a Fender Twin. It has a fender twin model. But you have a Vox Ac30. So it is going to sound like you are running a Fender Twin preamp through the front of an AC30 preamp and out of the AC30 speaker. Which is a pretty weird setup.
What if you use the speaker simulation? This is like miking a Fender Twin in a closet and then running the mic cable to the front of your AC30 in your room. This is even weirder. And it sounds weird.
This is why people with a Helix or headrush or whatever else, love FRFRs. If you use you Fender Twin model with a fender twin IR, it will give you a result that sounds like a Fender Twin is miked in a closet and the mic is plugged into your FRFR/PA system. Which isn’t as weird because this is what people hear all the time.
If you listen to Jimi Hendrix’s first album in your car, this is exactly what you are hearing: a Fender Twin miked in a studio and playing through your car’s speakers which are FRFR’s. And when you see a big band in a stadium nowadays, it’s actually pretty common to either put the amps backstage where the Guitar tech can control them, or on stage in a position where the only person that really hears it is the musician. Then in the audience you hear that amp miked and playing out of the FRFR PA system.
While an FRFR doesn’t sound live, it does sound the way it should sound. It’s a realistic setup. Audiences enjoy the sound and it’s easy for a live mix engineer to control.
I also love going lightweight to gigs where they have a PA system. I just bring the GT1000. No amp. Plug right into their system and go.
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Why is my example about a helix or headrush?
Because the problems I listed above are also solved by the GT1000.
You may have noticed something called “Output Select.” You use this to tell the GT1000 what it is plugged into. But you may not be aware of what it is/doing.
The first option, Line/Phones, does exactly what all of the other modellers do, except instead of IR’s it uses AIRD.
The second option, Recording, allows you to either mess with the settings of the AIRD speaker simulation or use third party IRs.
The other options are where the magic happens. Rather than speaker “simulation”, these settings use AIRD speaker/preamp “compensation”.
So let’s go back to what I was saying before. You want to model a fender twin, but all you have is a VoxAC30, no FRFR.�You set your GT1000 to model a fender a twin preamp. Then you set your output select to the input of an AC30.
Rather than simulating the speaker of a Fender twin, it will reshape your preamp so that it compensates for the tone, saturation, and dynamic response of the AC30 and its speaker. So it will make your AC30 sound like a Fender Twin LIVE, in the room. Not Miked in a closet somewhere. And it won’t sound like you are stacking two Preamps in a weird way.
THAT is why you DO NOT need an FRFR to take advantage of the amp models on the GT1000.
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Now there are a few Caveats with the Output Select.
First, it is not perfect. In the specific example I described, an AC30 is actually an Amp that has a LOT of it’s own color and character and it’s basically impossible to make it sound completely like a Fender Twin which actually covers a different frequency range than the AC30 is capable of covering. It is passable. It sounds good. But it’s not 100% there, nor is it possible to be. However, if you get a really clean amp, output select can be perfect. If you use Output select on the GT1000 with something like a Boss Katana, it will be perfect. Probably also with a Roland JC120. Because those are very clean, very flat amps. I personally had a ton of success with a vox MV50 clean on a Vox BC112 cab. Also if you plug straight into the "effects in" of the effects loop, it will be pretty dang good.
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So yes, there are benefits to an FRFR. But it’s not necessary with the GT1000. Not at all.
And if you don’t own a speaker marketed as an FRFR, just know that EVERY music speaker is a sort of FRFR. So if you have bluetooth speakers with an Aux input, computer speakers, studio monitors, bookshelf speakers, or even a soundbar for your tv, You can plug your GT1000 into that and get the full benefit (but perhaps not the full volume) of practicing with an FRFR at home. The Headphone output is stereo, so if you get a 1/4in-1/8in converter you can just use an aux cable.
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Here’s what I do:
I have a Fender Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb. Like a Vox AC amp, this one has a lot of individual color and character. So I actually do not love it with amp models running through it. I bought a fender deluxe because I wanted the sound of a fender deluxe. So I use it. I use the GT1000 for effects only. BUT if I go to open-mics or I go visit family or friends, I will often bring my GT1000 and leave the amp home. I keep a Fender Deluxe preamp in my chain on the GT1000. So I plug the GT1k into any sort of music speaker, change the output select to Line/Phones and turn on that Fender Deluxe preamp model and I’m good to go.
Sure I like the sound and subtle touch sensitivities of a live amp better in all situations. But Audiences don’t know the difference. And Live mix engineers will prefer the Miked Amp, be it real or simulated.
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Myth 3: GT1000 is best in 4 cable method.
4 cable method is for a very specific purpose and a majority of the people who buy a GT1000 are not using it for this purpose.
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What does 4 cable method do?
You know how when you play through an FRFR with your amp models, you may put some effects BEFORE the preamp (compressor, distortion) and some AFTER (reverb, delay)? Well this allows you to do it with a real amp.
The “effects loop” on your amplifier exists AFTER the preamp section of your amplifier but before the power amp section.
So you use 4 cables so that you can connect to the front of your amp and USE THE SOUND OF YOUR AMP. So you are using the GT1000 for EFFECTS ONLY. Not amp modeling. You are taking advantage of the real preamp that is in your real amp.
Maybe your real preamp is adding distortion. Like maybe you are going 4 cable method with a high-gain Marshall head.
You don’t want your reverb and delay being distorted. so you put it in the effects loop by using 4 cable method.
You ONLY need 4 cable method if you want to put some effects before and after your real preamp and are using the GT1000 for effects only.
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What if I want to use the GT1000 amp models?
DON’T use 4 cable method.
In fact, if your amp offers an effects loop, you are in luck. GT1000 Output select THRIVES on the effects loop.
Because you don’t use the front input of your amp at all. Just go straight from the GT1000 to the “Effects in” of the effects loop.
When you do this, you are just bypassing the preamp of your amplifier completely. So it is not coloring your tone. You are just using your amp’s Power amp, which is designed to amplify the speaker while coloring the tone as little as possible.
Just make sure you go in you Output select setting and choose the proper options. You’ll see that every option includes an option for going to the effects input. That basically makes it so that the AIRD tech compensates for the speaker, but does not need to compensate for the preamp - because you are skipping the preamp.
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So if I’m using GT1000 for effects only, I should use 4 cable method?
Not necessarily. It only matters if your amp has a lot of gain.
For instance, I mentioned I have a Fender Deluxe Tonemaster, which doesn’t even have an effects loop.
It doesn’t need one because it’s a pretty clean amp. So if I stick a reverb and delay in front of it, my reverb and delay are not being distorted into ugliness.
But if you are using a high-gain marshall, your tone will sound like crap if you have a reverb or delay in front of the preamp. You’ll want to use 4 cable method so that you can put those types of things in the effects loop, AFTER the amp's distortion.
That way your guitar is being distorted by the preamp, but the reverbs and such are nice and clean.
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Overall, whether you need 4 cable method depends on what you are doing. But truly, most people who buy a GT1000 over other options are buying it for the Amp modeling and direct recording capabilities. Not to use it for effects only with a high-gain analog tube amp. So I don’t think this method is even necessary for most people.
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Myth 4: Stereo is Key. It is the Best. Stereo fatter. It’s wider. It’s fuller.
No. No to all of that. In fact, unless you are doing super ambient stuff with ping pong delays and dual reverb, it’s really just unnecessary. It can also severely weaken your tone.
First off, if you send a signal to a speaker on the left and right, that’s not stereo. Thats just twice the mono.
It’s not wider. It’s not fuller. It may be louder. OR if your speakers are badly positioned or your tone is not carefully designed, it could decrease your volume.
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Why?
Because Stereo is only stereo if what is on the left is DIFFERENT than what is on the right. The more different, the more stereo it is. The more similar, the more mono it is.
And if your signal is too similar, but not PERFECTLY similar from the moment the signal hits the speaker to the moment the sound hit’s your ear, then you are at risk of phase cancellation. You can google that. But basically it’s when one sound wave is out of time with another, so one wave is going down while the other is going up and they cancel each other out. This is actually how active noise cancelling headphones work.
So if you are not careful with how you design your stereo tone, you can have phase cancellation. It can sound wobbly and weird or it can simply make your tone sound quieter.
And when you are in a live venue and your tone is bouncing around the walls, various amounts of phase cancellation can happen.
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When does stereo work?
With some delay, different amp on left and right and different EQ settings, you can make it sound like double tracked guitars.
If you listen to a lot of that heavier 2000s emo music, like MCR, they have really wide sounding guitars on the left and right. That way they can have an extremely dense mix, but the vocals are crystal clear because they sit in the center.
They do that by recording the track once and then recording it again – usually with something different; like a different pickup setting, different guitar, different amp or something. Then the mixer is careful to make sure they are properly phase aligned so that if the mix is played in mono, the guitars don’t disappear completely.
But that is difficult to do live with only one guitar, so you need to be careful.
Other than that, the best use of stereo is stereo reverb, delay, chorus, or tremelo. So essentially your guitar sounds are playing in the left and right at completely different times, so there is a little less risk of phase cancellation granted your speakers are also well positioned and the tone is designed well. For ambient, synth-ish tones, this can be really cool.
I just finished an album where I used Ping Pong delay on a lot of different parts to add some stereo ear-candy to the guitar parts.
But you still need to be careful in a live setting because in a bar or club, people aren’t always standing in ideal locations. They may be closer to one speaker or the other. You don’t want your mix to sound like garbage for all the people who happen to be on the left side of the stage.
Basically it is a lot more complicated and there really is very little benefit.
Because…
Live: it doesn’t make a difference to your audience when your sound is bouncing around the whole venue and no one is standing in a perfect listening position.
Studio: You should either double track with 2 separate mono guitar parts, or apply the stereo effects separately so that the mixer can keep things properly separated and in phase.
