Mailist to discuss all issues regarding the Digitech GSP-2101 Guitar FX Processor

So I need new preamp tubes.  Sounds a little fizzy and kind of messed 
up. ANy recommendations?  I haven't changed the tubes in 10 years +.  
I actually use the bypassed cleans, I kind of like a sterile, non-
warm, colder sounding clean channel.  

But I want sizzling distortion.  Like Steve Vai, ultra harmonic gain. 
Any ideas?

Just for fun, I got a JMP-1.  You know the preamp everyone says is the 
best or whatever.  Dude, maybe it's my ears or my bias, but I have to 
say the 2101 sounds just as good.  

People bash me for playing a digitech.  [Well ignorant types].  But 
this unit always stands on it's own two feet against any head, amp, 
rackmount there is out there.  I am the type to sit in Guitar Center 
and play for an hour or two.  I play hard rock, instrumental rock, and 
some classic rock.  And I love Marshalls, and I play the Mesas, and Im 
not into it.  Everytime I come home to my 2101 run through a Marshall 
9100 power amp and am always happy to be home.  

I got the JMP-1, and I intend on getting an eventide harmonizer to add 
the effects to it.  Then I'll compare again.  

But let me know of your tube adventures!

Hear my 2101 in action here:

- www.ymusik.blog.com (Portuguese and English)
- www.pmvfguitar.pt.vu (Portuguese only)

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I agree, the 2101 has yet to be beaten. That's why I just bought a 2nd
identical unit as a backup. Everything else I play is just. lame. I tried an
ADA MP1 into a TSR24S but it sounded harsh and the MP1 popped on program
changes. Just horrible. Guess I'm addicted to that EQ and compressor.
:::Hugs his 2101:::

 

2101 Junkie

-----Original Message-----
From: gsp-2101@yahoogroups.com [mailto:gsp-2101@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Brian Kou
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 12:17 AM
To: gsp-2101@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [gsp-2101] Tube Replacement for my 2101 Artist - oh yeah 2101's
kick ass

 

So I need new preamp tubes.  Sounds a little fizzy and kind of messed 
up. ANy recommendations?  I haven't changed the tubes in 10 years +.  
I actually use the bypassed cleans, I kind of like a sterile, non-
warm, colder sounding clean channel.  

But I want sizzling distortion.  Like Steve Vai, ultra harmonic gain. 
Any ideas?

Just for fun, I got a JMP-1.  You know the preamp everyone says is the 
best or whatever.  Dude, maybe it's my ears or my bias, but I have to 
say the 2101 sounds just as good.  

People bash me for playing a digitech.  [Well ignorant types].  But 
this unit always stands on it's own two feet against any head, amp, 
rackmount there is out there.  I am the type to sit in Guitar Center 
and play for an hour or two.  I play hard rock, instrumental rock, and 
some classic rock.  And I love Marshalls, and I play the Mesas, and Im 
not into it.  Everytime I come home to my 2101 run through a Marshall 
9100 power amp and am always happy to be home.  

I got the JMP-1, and I intend on getting an eventide harmonizer to add 
the effects to it.  Then I'll compare again.  

But let me know of your tube adventures!





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Brian, see below.

--- In gsp-2101@yahoogroups.com, "Brian Kou" <jeffgeorgebomb@y...> 
wrote:
> So I need new preamp tubes.  Sounds a little fizzy and kind of 
messed 
> up. ANy recommendations?  I haven't changed the tubes in 10 years 
+.  
> I actually use the bypassed cleans, I kind of like a sterile, non-
> warm, colder sounding clean channel.  
> 
> But I want sizzling distortion.  Like Steve Vai, ultra harmonic 
gain. 
> Any ideas?

I have tried quite a few pre-amps and in my experience, the 2101 IS 
NOT, by far, the best thing out there for distortion... anyway, more 
below.

With regard to tubes, if you were to cash out $200 on a pair of new 
old stock 12AX7 Mullards, I truly doubt you'd here much (if any) 
difference at all with most others. My recommendation, buy something 
unexpensive but reliable and with decent sound. My few suggestions:
- Electro-Harmonix 12AX7, russians, decent, solid design.
- JJ-Tesla, a lot of people like them, I'd say comparable to the EH.
- Ei Elites, I like them a lot, some people used to complain about 
microphonics, I don't.
- ECC83 NOS Tesla, RFT or Tungsram, great sound, more mids and good 
gain, way more expensive
- Mullards, Telefunken, Amperex NOS... all great, but not worth the 
money to me.
- Sovtek, chineses, etc... stay away from them, too harsh sounding.


> Just for fun, I got a JMP-1.  You know the preamp everyone says is 
the 
> best or whatever.  

Who is everyone??? I had one for about two years and managed to get 
a great tone coupled to my ART multiFX. But I felt limited tone-
wise. Till I tried a Triaxis. Bought it and sold the JMP-1 next day. 
ADAs are probably a bit more flexible than the JMP-1 but not as good 
as the Triaxis.

On such a unit, where you have a totally different circuit design 
including 5-6 tubes, of which you can certainly and proudly say you 
have a real tube pre-amp, tube make DOES play a role. Still, the 
differences are very subtle, but you can definitely say when it is 
tubed with Sovteks or when it's got Teslas. But on the 2101, my 
suggestion is don't waste money on expensive tubes 'cause you won't 
notice. Replace your worn-out guitar strings for new ones and I 
assure you'll hear greater difference.
 


> I got the JMP-1, and I intend on getting an eventide harmonizer to 
add 
> the effects to it.  Then I'll compare again.  
> 

That'd be great. I'm sure the pitch shifting and harmonizer FXs are 
500% better, but I wonder whether those Eventide's reverbs, delays, 
chorus, etc are really that different to Digitech's. I mean I'm sure 
they somehow are, but does a guitar player really need such fancy 
FXs as Eventide has always been known for having? It's curious that 
they've released just one pure guitar mFX (the GTR4000), that is now 
long discontinued. The rest is mostly indicated to be studio 
processors. I myself use very limited FXs on my sound as reverb and 
some other FX are added post-recording, whem mixing down. That way 
you have more control. But I'm not into Vai-ish extravaganzas, I 
guess if you are, then you probably need them.

I was exited about the new Boss GT-PRO, but after reading the manual 
I got a bit disappointed. Still intend to try it out one of these 
days at a GC store. But I still believe my 2101LE is, and will 
continue being, the "King of the Mountain" for some time.

my suggestion is to use NOS tubes.. look for Mullard 12AX7s, or
Telefunkens.. 

i don't like newer tubes.. except for the Ei 12AX7s, and some of the
chinese tubes for clean..

i have a  NOS 1958 Amperex 12AX7 in V1 and a NOS 1960's GE 7025 in V2
and it fits what i'm doing..

Sovteks and JJs are pretty much crap, IMO.. compared to NOS tubes.. 
the GEs have a decent gain, but it's not the Mesa-Type gain, it's more
like a JCM-800 type gain..

the V1 is for the cleans and the V2 is for the distortion..

your going to have to play around and switch out tubes until you get
the tones that you are searching for..





Here is the truth: this line, at which we must stand until we are allowed to walk across and give our papers to be examined by an officer who is entitled to ask us more or less anything. At the frontier, our liberty is stripped away -we hope temporarily- and we enter the universe of control. Even the freest of free societies is unfree at the edge, where things and people go out and other people and things come in; where only the right things and people must go in and out. Here at the edge, we submit to scrutiny, to inspection, to judgment. We must be passive, docile. To be otherwise is to be suspect.

- Salman Rushdie, Step Across This Line


		
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I'd like to give a triaxis a whirl but damn thems expensive.

-----Original Message-----
From: gsp-2101@yahoogroups.com [mailto:gsp-2101@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of gusfmm
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 11:04 AM
To: gsp-2101@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [gsp-2101] Re: Tube Replacement for my 2101 Artist - oh yeah 2101's
kick ass

 

Brian, see below.

--- In gsp-2101@yahoogroups.com, "Brian Kou" <jeffgeorgebomb@y...> 
wrote:
> So I need new preamp tubes.  Sounds a little fizzy and kind of 
messed 
> up. ANy recommendations?  I haven't changed the tubes in 10 years 
+.  
> I actually use the bypassed cleans, I kind of like a sterile, non-
> warm, colder sounding clean channel.  
> 
> But I want sizzling distortion.  Like Steve Vai, ultra harmonic 
gain. 
> Any ideas?

I have tried quite a few pre-amps and in my experience, the 2101 IS 
NOT, by far, the best thing out there for distortion... anyway, more 
below.

With regard to tubes, if you were to cash out $200 on a pair of new 
old stock 12AX7 Mullards, I truly doubt you'd here much (if any) 
difference at all with most others. My recommendation, buy something 
unexpensive but reliable and with decent sound. My few suggestions:
- Electro-Harmonix 12AX7, russians, decent, solid design.
- JJ-Tesla, a lot of people like them, I'd say comparable to the EH.
- Ei Elites, I like them a lot, some people used to complain about 
microphonics, I don't.
- ECC83 NOS Tesla, RFT or Tungsram, great sound, more mids and good 
gain, way more expensive
- Mullards, Telefunken, Amperex NOS... all great, but not worth the 
money to me.
- Sovtek, chineses, etc... stay away from them, too harsh sounding.


> Just for fun, I got a JMP-1.  You know the preamp everyone says is 
the 
> best or whatever.  

Who is everyone??? I had one for about two years and managed to get 
a great tone coupled to my ART multiFX. But I felt limited tone-
wise. Till I tried a Triaxis. Bought it and sold the JMP-1 next day. 
ADAs are probably a bit more flexible than the JMP-1 but not as good 
as the Triaxis.

On such a unit, where you have a totally different circuit design 
including 5-6 tubes, of which you can certainly and proudly say you 
have a real tube pre-amp, tube make DOES play a role. Still, the 
differences are very subtle, but you can definitely say when it is 
tubed with Sovteks or when it's got Teslas. But on the 2101, my 
suggestion is don't waste money on expensive tubes 'cause you won't 
notice. Replace your worn-out guitar strings for new ones and I 
assure you'll hear greater difference.



> I got the JMP-1, and I intend on getting an eventide harmonizer to 
add 
> the effects to it.  Then I'll compare again.  
> 

That'd be great. I'm sure the pitch shifting and harmonizer FXs are 
500% better, but I wonder whether those Eventide's reverbs, delays, 
chorus, etc are really that different to Digitech's. I mean I'm sure 
they somehow are, but does a guitar player really need such fancy 
FXs as Eventide has always been known for having? It's curious that 
they've released just one pure guitar mFX (the GTR4000), that is now 
long discontinued. The rest is mostly indicated to be studio 
processors. I myself use very limited FXs on my sound as reverb and 
some other FX are added post-recording, whem mixing down. That way 
you have more control. But I'm not into Vai-ish extravaganzas, I 
guess if you are, then you probably need them.

I was exited about the new Boss GT-PRO, but after reading the manual 
I got a bit disappointed. Still intend to try it out one of these 
days at a GC store. But I still believe my 2101LE is, and will 
continue being, the "King of the Mountain" for some time.





  _____  

YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS 

 

*          Visit your group "gsp-2101
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gsp-2101> " on the web.
  

*          To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
 gsp-2101-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:gsp-2101-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> 
  

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<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>  Terms of Service. 

 

  _____

hey, whats up brian, i just read your email to the
group, i play my 2101 thru an A.D.A. 200 watt power, i
get way better tones than a marshal or mesa...they
don't have the gain like my 2101..i bought a new laney
100 watt head, they said it kicked ass at the music
store, but in reality it sucked ass, my 2101 sounds
way better, blows that piece a crap away, oh yeah, i
play mainly instrumentals and i'm also lookin for a
used eventide ultra harmonizer...shred lives on
!!...andy

--- Brian Kou <jeffgeorgebomb@...> wrote:

> So I need new preamp tubes.  Sounds a little fizzy
> and kind of messed 
> up. ANy recommendations?  I haven't changed the
> tubes in 10 years +.  
> I actually use the bypassed cleans, I kind of like a
> sterile, non-
> warm, colder sounding clean channel.  
> 
> But I want sizzling distortion.  Like Steve Vai,
> ultra harmonic gain. 
> Any ideas?
> 
> Just for fun, I got a JMP-1.  You know the preamp
> everyone says is the 
> best or whatever.  Dude, maybe it's my ears or my
> bias, but I have to 
> say the 2101 sounds just as good.  
> 
> People bash me for playing a digitech.  [Well
> ignorant types].  But 
> this unit always stands on it's own two feet against
> any head, amp, 
> rackmount there is out there.  I am the type to sit
> in Guitar Center 
> and play for an hour or two.  I play hard rock,
> instrumental rock, and 
> some classic rock.  And I love Marshalls, and I play
> the Mesas, and Im 
> not into it.  Everytime I come home to my 2101 run
> through a Marshall 
> 9100 power amp and am always happy to be home.  
> 
> I got the JMP-1, and I intend on getting an eventide
> harmonizer to add 
> the effects to it.  Then I'll compare again.  
> 
> But let me know of your tube adventures!
> 
> 
> 


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Actually, V1 is for "Clean Tube", and V1 and V2 are cascaded 
for "Distorted Tube" and "Saturated Tube" settings. 

--- In gsp-2101@yahoogroups.com, "James E. Simons" <newtlink@y...> 
wrote:

> the V1 is for the cleans and the V2 is for the distortion..
> 
> your going to have to play around and switch out tubes until you get
> the tones that you are searching for..

i understand that the tubes are cascaded.. stages of gain, etc...

if you use a lower gain tube in V1, and a high gain tube in V2, the
first stage of gain isn't as high as if you used a high gain tube in
both V1 and V2.. if high gain tubes are used in BOTH V1 and V2, the
clean settings will suffer.. you will have distortion in the clean
settings, and if you reduce the gain in the clean settings with a high
gain tube, you will lose the coloring of the tube in the cleans.. i
know this from using Sovtek 12AX7WXTs in both V1 and V2.. it has gobs
of gain.. but that's about all it had.. 

the repeat complaint that i've listened to over the years is that the
tube distortions and the solid state distortions sound very similar in
the 2101.. that's true, to a point.. you really have to find a set of
distinct 12AX7/ECC83s that will make the tube saturation/distortions
become clearly tube sounding.. and depending on what you want, it takes
alot of trying out different tubes to find EXACTLY what you want.. some
people have used 12AU7s and 12AT7s for a much lower gain in V1, for
glassy sounding cleans.. and have a very high gain tube in V2.. yes
it's cascaded, but it works for what they are doing.. you are only
going to get so much gain from TWO 12AX7s..

i don't think that you are going to be able to make the 2101 sound like
a Dual Rectifier.. much less a TriAxis.. but, you can find a decent
parity if you sift through a bunch of preamp tubes to find a good
tone..

he should get in good with a local mom & pop shop and bring his 2101 in
and try out different tubes until he gets a set that comes close to the
tone that he wants.. or find out what the return is with online tube
shops..

try it out, if you like it.. use it..

if you really want to sound like Vai/Satriani.. get an Eventide to go
with your 2101.. ;)


> Message: 2         
>    Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 17:47:26 -0700 
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: saber540ltd 
>   To: gsp-2101@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 2:24 PM
>   Subject: [gsp-2101] Re: Tube Replacement for my 2101 Artist - oh
> yeah 2101's kick ass
> 
> 
>   Actually, V1 is for "Clean Tube", and V1 and V2 are cascaded 
>   for "Distorted Tube" and "Saturated Tube" settings. 
> 
>   --- In gsp-2101@yahoogroups.com, "James E. Simons" <newtlink@y...> 
>   wrote:
>   > the V1 is for the cleans and the V2 is for the distortion..
>   > 
>   > your going to have to play around and switch out tubes until you
> get
>   > the tones that you are searching for..


Here is the truth: this line, at which we must stand until we are allowed to walk across and give our papers to be examined by an officer who is entitled to ask us more or less anything. At the frontier, our liberty is stripped away -we hope temporarily- and we enter the universe of control. Even the freest of free societies is unfree at the edge, where things and people go out and other people and things come in; where only the right things and people must go in and out. Here at the edge, we submit to scrutiny, to inspection, to judgment. We must be passive, docile. To be otherwise is to be suspect.

- Salman Rushdie, Step Across This Line

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