Help Noob set up Effect Gizmo

Jarowskij

Member
Howdy! I've always just used your regular old pedal board with a bunch of stomp boxes on a pedaltrain. I've decided to get me a switcher and a midi controller to help with the tap dancing. The Effect Gizmo looks real cool but the problem is I have no experience in setting up anything other than maybe 4 cable method with my pedals so I have no idea where to start with a switcher like this. So before ordering the Gizmo can maybe someone help me how to set my stuff? :D

My setup would 4 pedals in front of the amp, 4 pedal in the effects loop and using a loop to switch my Boogie Mark IV between the clean channel and the lead channel. I'm guessing this should be a simple thing but I just don't know how to do it on my own.

Thanks for your help!
 
The best starting point is the diagrams in the manual. There's a diagram that should pretty much be exactly what you need. Start with that, and if you run into trouble, you can certainly ask questions here or through our help desk on the web site.
 
Ok, checked out the manual and this is what I THINK I should do:

For the 4 pedals in front of the amp I would just connect them to loops 1 through 4 and maybe use the click stopper after that?
Then I'd use loops 5 through 8 for the 4 pedals in the effects loop, the output 5-8 jack would connect to the return of the amps effects loop and the input 5-8 jack to the send of the effects loop? After that I'd use one of the 9-12 loops for the amps channel switching?
 
Great, thanks!

One more thing, since I'm in Europe do I need to get me a some sort of step down transformer? There's only an american (120V) ac adapter option on the webshop page.
 
I recommend buying without an adapter and finding a 9VAC 1000mA adapter locally. Alternately, the 12VDC power supply we sell for the Mastermind GT will work with the Effect Gizmo and is available on our website. That one has an EU option.
 
One more question since I'm almost ready to start setting up my rig with the effect gizmo. This is really obvious stuff but I just don't get it :D

I have trouble wrapping my head around the normalled loops. If I don't plan on using the front input, where the hell do I plug in? lol
The front input is normalled to the rear input and that is normalled to the buffer input...so do I plug into the buffer output then or into the input 1-4?

Apologies for such a dummy question!
 
Plug into Buffer In, that will send your signal through the buffer and on into loop 1.
 
@rjmmusic
Hey! I figured I'd piggyback on this thread since I'm still figuring out my EG and Mastermind GT/22. I'm hoping to do all the routing today, but no worries if these questions aren't answered today. Here are my questions:

1. Buffer: already have a buffer (Empress Buffer +). It sounds like the EG has a built in buffer and I see the "Buffer in" and "Buffer Out" connections. I'm assuming I can insert the Buffer + into these inputs, or is there already a buffer installed, and these connections are simply to take advantage of those inputs? The diagram on page 12 indicates that the signal passes through the buffer, but no buffer pedal is connected. My guess is that the "Buffer In" and "Buffer Out" connections are for pedals you want to place before the buffer (e.g.: fuzz or wah). So, if this is true, then this is where I should place my wah and I don't need to use my Buffer +. Sound about right?

2. Effect loop send and return: I'm playing through a Two Rock TS1 (2020), which has a buffered effects loop (finally, a TS with a usable loop). Basically all of my delay and reverb will be sent to the amp effects loop. For my purposes, I'm planning on using EG loops 9-12 for my delay and reverb effects; 9 is guitar input/from effects loop, 10 is a tremolo, 11 is an H9, and 12 is a Lexicon PCM 96. In the past when I'm using the four-cable method, I would need to a dedicatetd send and return connection to connect to the amp's effects loop (connection 9 in this case). Is this routing correct?

3. Click stopper: I've spent a fair amount of time searching online for info on "click stoppers" and can't find much, so I hope you don't mind me asking. I think I understand its purpose – it mitigates or removes the popping noise when switching channels on the amp, right? I plan on keeping my amp footswitch connected to the amp. Would I still beneft from using the CS? I think I'm misunderstanding some of the other benefits the CS provides. The only things I'll be stomping on are my TS footswitch and Mastermind GT/22, though there will be some expression pedals connected to the GT.

4. How to use the "Input 1-4,"Output 1-4," and the other corresponding inputs and out. As mentioned above, I'm using the amp effects loop and plan on sending that signal in connection 9, but there are four connections dedicated to 9 (In 9, Send 9/NC, Out 9/NO, Return 9). The effect loop routing is what confuses me the most. My pedals for 1-8 are pretty straightforward so I probabaly don't need to know how to use the "Input 1-4," ect., but it would be nice to know how some musicians are using those connections features.

Thanks again for all the help you've provided!
 
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1. The Effect Gizmo has a buffer built in, and Buffer In and Buffer Out are connections to it. In your case, you could connect guitar to wah, wah to Buffer In. Then, the signal will internally flow from Buffer Out to In 1-4.

2. There's a diagram in the Effect Gizmo manual that shows this kind of connection, but you basically have it correct. Loop send goes to In 9, your effects are in loops 9-12, and Out 12 goes to the loop return.

3. The Click Stopper reduces click from the effects switching on and off. Any relay based switcher will generate a little click in the audio signal when a loop turns on or off. If the loop is after the amp's preamp, the click won't really be audible, but any loops before the preamp and/or drive pedals will have more of an audible click because of all the gain. The Click Stopper mutes the signal for a few milliseconds so the click doesn't come through.

4. The insert points are there in case you need to put things in between loops (for example, a volume pedal), or if you need to split up the loops into three groups instead of two. In most cases, you wouldn't use them.
 
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