Boss GT-8 Digital Effects Processor

[HoboMan]

I've never used effects before but I have been wanting to get some to try out. I was thinking Delay, Chorus etc.

I was at Guitar Center yesterday and they had the Boss GT-8 Digital Effects Processor on sale for $198. It was the last one.
I went back this morning and bought it. Not having much experience with effects I'm probably in over my head but I figured I'd give it a try.

Anybody here use one of these?

I watched a couple of youtube videos and it looks pretty cool. Last time I was in Vegas I watched a Top 40 lounge band. The guitarist didn't have an amp on stage. I was wondering how he did this but now I think I know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sXlXtWC050

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4H0IW973OI&feature=related

http://www.tonymckenzie.com/images/gt-8.jpg

[mister-e]

I have the GT6, best way to approach this is too forget about all the presets, have fun with them of course. But start a few blank presets and make your own as if they were pedals in front of you. Also the manual mode is great becasue you can make it just like a row of stomp boxes. You can get good sounds out of this. OD and Dist are not brill but useable, the rest are pretty good. You'll be tweaking and playing for hours with this :-)

[peridot1]

I have the GT-8. Yes the presets are not impressive. Very flexible floor stomp especially with the effects loop and FX chain feature. I can use my favorite dirt pedal, put it in the loop and assign the loop sequence anywhere I want (usually before the amp models).

I don't care for the COSM gain so I turn it off. Other than that a very useable unit.

[Caribou]

I have one. Takes a LOT of tweaking; the presets suck. Spend some time over at bossgtcentral and you'll be much better off than you would be by going it alone.

http://www.bossgtcentral.com (http://www.bossgtcentral.com/)

[Wesman61]

I had one. I found it sounded best for Me if I turned off the cab sims and plugged into the F/X return on My HRDx. There are some good OD/Dist sounds in there with a bit of tweaking.

[HoboMan]

I have the GT6, best way to approach this is too forget about all the presets, have fun with them of course. But start a few blank presets and make your own as if they were pedals in front of you. Also the manual mode is great becasue you can make it just like a row of stomp boxes. You can get good sounds out of this. OD and Dist are not brill but useable, the rest are pretty good. You'll be tweaking and playing for hours with this :-)

Manual mode sounds like the way to go to start with.
What I'm looking for is a good chorus, delay, lead boost, wah and maybe volume pedal. Having a tuner is also nice (I think it has a tuner in it).
I really like the fact that I will have all these effects in one unit instead of a bunch of different stomp boxes.

Given the effects I've listed do you guys think that this is a good unit for would I be better off buying separate stomp boxes?

[impactblue]

Value wise yup....you'll have all the delay and reverb you'll ever want.

You can create your own custom overdrive pedals and tweak every part of it....I used to use a GT8 in manual mode but switched over to just a simple pedal board in stead.

Costs more but more authentic...but the GT8 is great none the less :AOK

[Tone_Terrific]

The value of the versatility of this sort of device is often lost on traditionalists, but, typically you can have it all, with a couple of outboard pedals added.
What one NEEDS is another question.

[peridot1]

Also it's important to understand your global EQ and output settings. Can make quite the difference between a nice tone or muddied up mess.

It's a unit that demands tweaking/sculpturing tone. Got your work cut out for you. It's not rocket science but no plug & play.

[HoboMan]

Also it's important to understand your global EQ and output settings. Can make quite the difference between a nice tone or muddied up mess.

It's a unit that demands tweaking/sculpturing tone. Got your work cut out for you. It's not rocket science but no plug & play.

On the topic of EQ, does this thing have a graphic EQ built in?
I know, I should read the manual but I haven't even taken it out of the box yet.

[peridot1]

It's more of a parametric type but yes.. it's that EQ button next to the jog wheel and patch level knob.

[Waxhead]

Hoboman
the Gt-8 is still in the top 3 MFX's available IMHO and you got a great price. It's major downfall is that it's not user friendly and requires a long learning curve.

Strongly recommend you join this forum

http://www.bossgtcentral.com/forum/

which is by far the best source of info and freebies you'll find on everything Boss GT. There's mountains of info there - alternate Manuals like "GT Brilliance", patches, editor programs, info stickies and a very helpful group of musos who are the worlds leading experts on these units.

[bluesdoc]

I used one for years. With lots of tweaking, it can deliver and has a great layout, once you get familiar with it. The price point you got is excellent. Mine's now gathering dust since I got my AxeFx, but that's a whole other animal entirely...... :)

jon