Midi hiccup cure?

K

ksmcdonogm

New Member
Hi Ron and Crew,
I've been using an Amp Gizmo with my rigs for awhile now. The two units I use to switch together with my Roland FC-200 are a TC G-Force and a EVH 5150III.
I either run the G-Force in the loop of the amp or I run a 3-way wet/dry set up.
My question: is there any way to NOT have that momentary "hiccup", drop out that happens when using midi to switch patches?
This is particularly the case when running the G-Force in the loop of the amp. The drop out is so noticeable, it makes running anything being switched in the loop almost unusable because the "holes" in the sonic landscape totally distract from a performance.
Do people "in the know" just not use amp effects loops? Is it my G-Force that causes the hiccup? Is it the actual midi signal that causes the hiccup? Does the Amp Gizmo have anything to do with the hiccup?
Any tips or advice would be appreciated.
Kerry
 
it is not a midi issue nor a hiccup, its the time it takes for multifx units to load the current preset into memory that causes the dropout so yes it is the G force causing the issue

Pre select the patch in advance of engaging the amp fx loop
 
Agreed, the G-Force is known for having excessively long patch change delays (almost as bad as the Eventide Eclipse before the v4 firmware). It's an old unit, and it has complex routing architecture - neither of which bode well for speed. Running it in parallel with a line mixer of some kind would make it less noticeable. From what I remember, keeping the effects block routing the same between patches does speed things up a little as well.

In answer to your "do people use loops" question, yes, I think many people do (I do, certainly) but they often run effects processors in parallel arrangements... even with a faster changing processor like the G Major II. As well as the sonic benefits (your dry signal stays analogue), you don't get this annoying interruption of signal when changing patches.
 
Thank you, gentlemen from the UK,

So, if I hear both of you correctly,...
1. The G-Force's older technology lends itself to be slower switching. This may be why the people that still load them in their racks, like Alex Lifeson, only use them for a specific delay or reverb.
2. To lessen the drop out in switching, use a wet/dry parallel set up that keeps a dry signal in the mix continuously.

Do either of you or anyone else recommend a more up to date, faster processor that might work well, such as the GMajor II?

Thanks again!
 
I avoid patch switching mid song with any MFX therefore any dropout that occurs goes totally un-noticed
some units are faster than others but they all do it to some extent, so if I need to alter fx mid song I do it on the fly via midi in the same patch
 
The G Major II is pretty quick at changing patches. In a band context, you wouldn't notice a very slight delay in changing, even if you hear it when you're playing on your own. But avoiding changing the preset, and instead just turning blocks on and off within the processor, using IA commands, is much quicker and you won't get signal interruption. That said, I do change patches in the middle of songs all the time, but because I run in parallel (and I tend to pick my moments when I change), any slight lag goes unnoticed.
 
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