TC Electronic G System...your opinon

[LP Freak]

Just was looking for some opinions on the G System from guys who have ownen or played one. I've been considering one to eliminate the stomp box tap dancing that drives me nuts when preforming live. I see that it'll also switch channels which is very cool. I run a dry signal for probably 80% of the night and want to make sure that the tone is not affected at all. Let me know what you guys think.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Just was looking for some opinions on the G System from guys who have ownen or played one. I've been considering one to eliminate the stomp box tap dancing that drives me nuts when preforming live. I see that it'll also switch channels which is very cool. I run a dry signal for probably 80% of the night and want to make sure that the tone is not affected at all. Let me know what you guys think.

Look elsewhere.

 

[sittinidol]

Depends what you need. Go to the tc forum and read up on it there; there is definitely a learning curve and many people find the need to use hum eliminators and buffers before the input.
I have mine set up to the point where the tone loss is negligible, but there is a bit of noise added in the front end. If you only use a few effects I would say stick with stompboxes. If you need lots of different patches and want one unit to control everything, I think it's a good option minus a few flaws that for the money, should really be better.

 

[LP Freak]

Depends what you need. Go to the tc forum and read up on it there; there is definitely a learning curve and many people find the need to use hum eliminators and buffers before the input.
I have mine set up to the point where the tone loss is negligible, but there is a bit of noise added in the front end. If you only use a few effects I would say stick with stompboxes. If you need lots of different patches and want one unit to control everything, I think it's a good option minus a few flaws that for the money, should really be better.

What I'm trying to avoid is have to turn on multiple pedals and turn them off again...say for a solo...MV2/TS/delay. Then in reverse when solo is over. That's a PITA. Another problem is I run some fx through the loop and others through the front of the amp. I also need something that will switch channels via TRS cable for channel/MV2 switching. The G system seemed to do all of this but if it's a tone suck or a noise generator I don't want it.

 

[lame guitarist]

I was thinking the same thing at one point. Tried the G system and wished I hadn't. Took a bit of setting up and work to eliminate the noise. In the end I went down the GCX route with my single pedals. Happier that way. It is a good unit though but I just think it wasn't for me and for that price why should you have the hassle of buffers, hum eliminators, signal loss etc

 

['63-Strat]

I know lots of people on here have complained about them, but my experience has been great. I use mine for exactly what you're describing, to switch channels/boosts etc. on my amp and switch effects patches at the same time to eliminate tap-dancing (I sing lead in my main band and usually at least backup in the others as well as playing lead so that can be a real pain in the ass getting in and out of things with pedals). When I was using my strat primarily, I ran an OD808 in one of the loops up front and then the other FX in the fx loop. Though there is some tone loss (any time I use a loop at all I hear some honestly, but the xtc classic loop is very good).

These days I've been leaving the strat at home mostly and using primarily my 335 though will be trying to work the charvels in there too as they're a lot more stable tuning-wise and when I'm singing lead I don't want to stop and tune at all if I can avoid it. But as a result I haven't been using the od808 at all and so I'm just running the g-system in the loop. There is something I prefer about plugging straight into my amp and then having the FX loop but that negates using the loops for pedals out front (which isn't an issue as I'm not using any, but if I wanted to, would use the loops).

A lot of it was just setting up the input/output levels by A/B'ing with the g system out of the signal chain entirely, and then comparing it to just the amp with a 1/4" cable in the loop and nothing else. In my case that small little thing I don't like is there with just the loop so the effect the g-system has is negligible and at gig levels in the mix, not noticeable for me. Balanced cables for some of the conncections per laird's white paper made a huge difference too. My setup is *quiet*.

A good friend of mine who is successful in his own right and tours with several heavy bands bought his g system after seeing me with mine at gigs etc. and I helped him get his going and he loves his too. So yeah, it does exactly what I want and I think the FX themselves sound phenomenal but definitely YMMV. It's not a quick plug n play solution but it does a great job of eliminating tap dancing and letting me switch to any combination of channels/boosts/fx I want with one stomp. I also like that the floorboard is powered with the cat5 cable so setup is quick and neat on stage.

 

[jlbaxe]

I had one for a while. Great unit but a pain to tweak especially on the fly. In the end I went with a gcp/gcx that I had at the same time. Shortly after selling the TC G, I changes over to the RJM RG-16/GCP and liked that 110% better. Sold my RG-16 a few yrs ago and bought one again a few months ago,ver2 upgraded a couple things. They can be had for about $400 and work great with a Ground Control Pro or RJM Mastermind. You will still have 8 loops and if you get a RJM cable for your amp can channel switch easily.

Even with the Axe II I prefer the RG-16 with pedals. Pedals are just so easy to tweak or swap out. The TC G has Ad/da conversion and I felt it colored the tone of my amps also.

 

[clark81]

if you plug into the TC from you guitar, it is a tone sucker...
If not its less, but you loose all the effects in front like boost or wah

Better look for something else

 

[sittinidol]

I find it has a lot to do with impedance, EMGs I didn't think much changed between straighr into amp vs into the g-system. With vintage guitars I noticed it more. For sure plugging into a buffer first helps, I use the MXR CAE line driver.

 

[LP Freak]

I also see there are iB modified G systems...... What's the deal with that? I see they were black at first and now the new one's supposedly have the mod but aren't black. If you're buying used how do you know if it's the modified version or not?

 

[jlbaxe]

From what I remember the red ones where suppose to have a improved buffer. Not sure after that. Read some still did not like the red ones and would bypass the buffer but add a buffer pedal in front.

 

[lame guitarist]

Yeah the IB modified was a newly designed input system or something for it. A modder who was doing this to them in italy I think, TC took him on board to redo and release the IB. At least I think thats what the story was. Apologies if I am wrong. Not sure if there were huge differences between the versions.