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Boss GT-10B

#141
Let's start keeping a master list of changes that need to be made available as a firmware update to the GT-10B. So far I can think of five:

Make that six:

1. Bass players need the good synthesizer, the one available in the GT-6B as well as the GT-10 guitar version, the one that generates a tone based on pitch and note-on info.

2. Bass players need the availability of two preamps per patch (one per channel) just like the guitar players get in the GT-10.

3. We need a brightness control for the Effects Select Lights.

4. I for one would also like to be able to adjust the main display brightness because the contrast control is practically useless and I find the display difficult to focus on. And I have very good vision.

5. It might be nice to be able to assign parameters to ALL of the foot switches on the GT-10B including the Number Pedals, the way I could with the GT-6B, although personally I don't think I'll miss that feature.

6. What about an option for more than one Tuner display? The current one is good, but some people seem to prefer a digital needle. We already have a "Display Mode" button and I don't think it's currently doing anything when the Tuner is engaged...


I've already e-mailed RolandUS Support about the possibility of a firmware update. I was told that general support is just for operation issues and I should send suggestions about product design and enhancement to [email protected]. So that's what I'm going to do. Who's with me???
 
#144
Well I tried one out in the local music shop at lunchtime, and I've gotta say, I'm only semi impressed.

The essential sounds I didn't like on my GT6B (compression and drive/amp models) are vastly improved. The compression models don't sound as harsh and have less artifacts. The drives are less fizzy sounding and a more natural. I also like the fact that amp modeling and OD/dist are in separate modules unlike almost every other multi.

However, something about it just doesn't sound quite right. It's hard to put my finger on it. I've tried and owned a few multi's in the past, and the boss ones seem to have a certain tone or colour to them that I don't like. It sounds processed and not natural, there's a distinct lack of warmth. But maybe it's because most of the effects in the unit are boss effects, (and digital models of them too!), and I'm not a lover of the tone of their stompboxes. (Oh, and the synth is a lot worse than it used to be.) I'm also not completely sold on the UI either. I prefered the GT6B mix of digital and analog controls, a lot easier to tweak on the fly.

So I think the way forward for me is to look at brands that don't model their own products, that have a more analog sound. I've thought about the Rocktron Utopia series, but there's scant infomation about them, and no-one seems to stock them to try them out. I may well look more into the Zoom B9.1ut, this looks easier and more straight forward to use, models a wider variety of fx and has a tube to alter the character and inject a bit of warmth, even if I would have to sacrifice some of the flexibility of the Boss.

If TC Electronix came out with a bass version of the Nova system, I reckon that would be the answer to my prayers, and I would prob buy one withoiut even trying it!
 
#145
I don´t like it when effects units alter my tone, and the first thing I do is check if the "direct level" is at 100, mostly it´s not, most of the time it´s set to 70 or 80, that helps a lot in keeping your original tone, I don´t think anyone in the audience hears the difference between being plugged in directly into my amp or if I´m going through the Boss, and as far as studio recording is concerned, after the engineer has mixed the whole band together the average listener will not be aware that my bass sounds different, because it´s going through the Boss.
If the Boss would have had a tube that altered my sound I don´t think I would´ve bought it, because that would be far more obvious to hear as far as colouring of my basstone is concerned. :)

ps. if anyone is wondering, I´m not getting payed by Boss or any other company to endorse this unit, and I did pay for my GT-10B :)
 
#146
I think colouration isn't my issue. A little tube like colouration and warmth can greatly improve almost any sound.

After thinking about it my issue is that the unit sounds very cold and sterile. There's none of the gooey, syrupy tones and general fatness you get from good analog circuits. This is where I think the TC and Zoom units may fair favourably. The Nova system has analog OD/dist combined with digital effects. With the Zoom you can dial in however much tube and solid state signal you want, much like the tube/SS controls on some Hartke amp (I guess with Zoom and Hartke both under the Samson umbrella, this is where this idea stems from).

Maybe an audience won't notice, but I will, and I shouldn't have to settle on being less than 100% happy with my sound. If we all worked to the mentality that the audience won't really notice the difference between X & Y, we wouldn't all be spending obscene amounts of money on gear and own more basses than we actually use, we'd all just settle for good enough. Hey, I bet Joe Bloggs wouldn't even notice if the guitarist used a Les Paul instead of a Strat for Sultans Of Swing, and they wouldn't much care either. But we would.

I've got to be happy with the sound I make, and I just don't believe the GT10B can supply that. Problem is, I don't want to cart around a huge pedalboard of boutique stompboxes either!

Back to the drawing board I suppose!
 
#147
In the next few days I'm going to post a bunch of sound samples, and then you can tell me if the GT-10B sounds fat enough and warm enough. If you felt like your tone was negatively affected, consider that if you're playing with the floor model in the store there's no telling what weirdness has been dialed in by everyone else who has played with it before you. You need to read the manual before you go to the store so you can initialize a patch and build it from the ground up. An initialized patch sounds just like Bypass, which sounds just like my bass plugged into my amp. Personally I don't think I'll be using Bypass in the GT-10B anyway - I'll just be using a wonderful clean sound on Channel A with a wonderful dirty sound on Channel B, or two different wonderful clean sounds or two dirty sounds... Or twenty clean and twenty dirty. Sky's the limit.


P.S.
For anyone who is wondering, on the GT-10B you get to Bypass mode by setting the Tuner to Bypass as opposed to Mute, and then just switching the tuner on and off with your preferred tuner switching method.
 
#148
Reland said:
In the next few days I'm going to post a bunch of sound samples, and then you can tell me if the GT-10B sounds fat enough and warm enough. If you felt like your tone was negatively affected, consider that if you're playing with the floor model in the store there's no telling what weirdness has been dialed in by everyone else who has played with it before you. You need to read the manual before you go to the store so you can initialize a patch and build it from the ground up. An initialized patch sounds just like Bypass, which sounds just like my bass plugged into my amp. Personally I don't think I'll be using Bypass in the GT-10B anyway - I'll just be using a wonderful clean sound on Channel A with a wonderful dirty sound on Channel B, or two different wonderful clean sounds or two dirty sounds... Or twenty clean and twenty dirty. Sky's the limit.
Click to expand...

Actually I did look at the manual before I went to the store. The unit was fresh out of the box, untouched by grubby mits of wanna be popstars.

I set the amp flat, used a bass almost identical to my own, set the GT10B to bypass to make sure I was happy with the tone before even started fiddling. I'm not a complete moron who judges an fx unit by the quality of its presets, and so I turned off all of the effects in the first patch. I then started by trying out the compression models, which as I stated before I think are much better than the GT6B, then progressed to the amps then drive section.

I'm sorry if you feel that I have insulted you in some way because I didn't like the effected tone, but it is just my opinion, I don't think the general tone is quite there, there is definitely something lacking to my ears (there's nothing wrong with my hearing either).

As I also mentioned, the synth is really, really bad. Much worse than the GT6B in fact, and I need one for a few disco tunes!

Yes an initialized patch does sound very clean, just like bypass, I have no qualms with that, it's the effected tones I'm not in love with. It has that certain boss sound all over it, and I guess I'm just not a boss lover. I believe part of the problem is that a lot of the stomp models are of boss pedals, and everyone knows that many stock boss pedals aren't that great. That's why there's an increasing market for mods, mainly boss mods to make them sound better.

But for what it's worth I'm also incredibly fussy! I don't think there is a multifx out there that I'll be perfectly happy with, they all have their downsides that doesn't fit in with what I want.

For instance, the new Zoom B9.1ut looks quite good on paper, but is not as flexible or has the same level of deep editing as the Boss, but it does have a mixable valve gain stage to juice things up a bit. The Rocktron Utopia's only have 4 channels for drive, AFAIK they aren't blendable with clean, but I've yet to see a manual for one online. The Line 6 offerings focus very heavily on modelling, perhaps too much, ie almost all of the stomp od models don't have a blend control to dial in unaffected signal as far as I can tell from the manual, and again I believe the syth isn't up to scratch either. But I do like the X3's dual inputs, that would work fab with the Yamaha Attitude I have on order. The TC Nova System sounds wonderful, proper analog drive section, but I've heard that it doesn't really play ball with bass that well, I think a new version would have to be created with bassists in mind. There's also the Korg AX3000B. I actually quite like the drives on this, but the compression isn't quite there and lacks a lot of flexibity of the other units.

If the boss had an analog drive module, or hell, an actual valve in there, just for the amp and drive stages, I'd probably be very happy with it. I suppose you could add one in the effects loop. Possibly worth some consideration!

My quest continues.
 
#151
Well,

I finally got one myself and I am pretty satisfied with the seemingly endless possibilities of this unit. I was really glad to see that they took a lot of the concept out of the V-Bass, though I don't know if some of it already existed in the GT-6B.

It will take some time, but I think I will post a review someday. Thus far I can only say that the GT-10B is only for guys that really are into using effects, having an idea or vision of what they want to reach with it and spend time to tweak them their own special way.
If you only want to use some little chorus or driver, why buy such an heavy and expensiv thing like the GT-10B?

I can't understand why so many of you are allways complaining!
 
#153
Eddy Flycatcher said:
I programmed it so when I turn the volume down with the expression pedal the tuner automatically engages, that way I can program both CTL-pedals to do something else :)
Click to expand...

i use the EXP pedal switch (toe down hard) for switching on the tuner, i have set it to do this globally over all patches, the tuner is also set to mute. I can use the tuner as a master mute function too.
 
#159
No news is good news? :cool:
I don´t think there´s much to add, we´re waiting for Boss to release some new firmware, but I don´t think it will come...
Anyway, I love the GT-10B, it does exactly what I want it to do (except for the minor issues that have been posted in this thread) so I´m happy.
I can´t think of what you want the users to add in this thread? Perhaps we´re all busy playing with it? :D
 
#160
I've had mine for a few months new and have given it a good going over. I love it for recording. I sounds great in stereo through my monitors but I can't say the same about using it in a band situation. I just doesn't sound as good through my amp. I sounds kinda flat and lifeless compared to my pedal board and its also far too much information than I need to be dealing with at a gig. I think this thing is gonna be staying hooked up to my studio where it excels IMO. For gigging I'll stick with my pedal board.
 

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