Anyone using the Boss GT-100 with 4-Cable Method?

[PowerTube]

I have a Boss ME-80 and it's awesome. But..... it doesn't have its own effects loop so I can't use the 4-cable method. Therefore, I have to pick between running it in the loop or inline. I have it in the loop, of course.

But on those occasions when I might want to kick on one of the distortion modelers, I don't want that in the loop; I want it before the preamp.

So what should I be looking at? GT-100? GT-10? Something else?

Also, do the Line 6 floor processors have effects loops, like the HD500 or the Firehawk?

Any experiences/advice is appreciated.

[mantis]

I have owned every Boss GT unit since the GT8. The GT 100 is what I currently have and I have it wired in the 4 cable method. I believe Boss made a huge mistake not including an effect loop on the ME models. I also think they should have been straight effects only processors with a Loop so you can put your effect where you want them. No one wants to run all the effects out front of your amp or just in the loop. You need flexibility which is why I would never buy a ME series processor.
I strongly suggest you pickup the GT100. Learn how to use it and un lock it's power. It's powerful in all you can do with it even if you do very little, you can program each pedal to setup exactly how you want it for example.

Your Signal chain
GUITAR - INTO THE GT100 - OD pedals can be placed along side of a Wah WAh in front of your amps preamp - then the GT100 goes to the front of your amp - then the SEND of your effects loop goes into the GT100 so you can put Chorus , Delay , or what have you in your effects loop- Then out of the GT100 to your Amps RETURN of the effects loop so Your amp is the power and everything is in front of it with your preamp inserted right where you want it to.
ALSO The GT100 will control your amps channel switching. So if you want to use your CLEAN CHANNEL with Reverb in the Loop, DONE. IF you want to use your GAIN channel with a OD or Boost Pedal out front of the preamp with Delay in the Loop - ALLDAY. See how powerful the GT100 is over the ME series? Sell that thing to someone who can use it for what it is as it sounds damn good just can't do what the GT series can.

Line 6 is not my cup of tea. I find their effects to sound fake. If you like them then go check them out as well but Boss is where it's at man.

[PowerTube]

I have owned every Boss GT unit since the GT8. The GT 100 is what I currently have and I have it wired in the 4 cable method. I believe Boss made a huge mistake not including an effect loop on the ME models. I also think they should have been straight effects only processors with a Loop so you can put your effect where you want them. No one wants to run all the effects out front of your amp or just in the loop. You need flexibility which is why I would never buy a ME series processor.
I strongly suggest you pickup the GT100. Learn how to use it and un lock it's power. It's powerful in all you can do with it even if you do very little, you can program each pedal to setup exactly how you want it for example.

Your Signal chain
GUITAR - INTO THE GT100 - OD pedals can be placed along side of a Wah WAh in front of your amps preamp - then the GT100 goes to the front of your amp - then the SEND of your effects loop goes into the GT100 so you can put Chorus , Delay , or what have you in your effects loop- Then out of the GT100 to your Amps RETURN of the effects loop so Your amp is the power and everything is in front of it with your preamp inserted right where you want it to.
ALSO The GT100 will control your amps channel switching. So if you want to use your CLEAN CHANNEL with Reverb in the Loop, DONE. IF you want to use your GAIN channel with a OD or Boost Pedal out front of the preamp with Delay in the Loop - ALLDAY. See how powerful the GT100 is over the ME series? Sell that thing to someone who can use it for what it is as it sounds damn good just can't do what the GT series can.

Line 6 is not my cup of tea. I find their effects to sound fake. If you like them then go check them out as well but Boss is where it's at man.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to try to test out the GT-100 this weekend and see how it goes. My clean channel sounds awesome straight up (Carvin X100B), but I want more versatility on the overdrive.

EDIT: I forgot this part. I agree that they dropped the ball by not including an effects (send/return) loop on the ME-80. The effects are great but you're limited to the choice of loop or inline for everything.

[Catharpin]

4 cable works on GT-8 GT-10 and GT-100, they all do channel switching and accommodate extra external switch and expression pedals. Very powerful and versatile units but there is a learning curve.

[mantis]

4 cable works on GT-8 GT-10 and GT-100, they all do channel switching and accommodate extra external switch and expression pedals. Very powerful and versatile units but there is a learning curve.

Anything that can do what the GT100 can do will require a learning curve. I can't see anyone expecting to just pick one up and run with it unless you already owned a few of the GT series or something like it in the past. Even then there is still a learning curve.
I owned all 3 Processors you listed there and each time I got a new one, I had to re learn it basically as Boss changed it enough where I had to figure the damn thing out. But I'll say this each model was well worth the time invested in learning them as they are very powerful tools that make life as a guitarist that uses effects life so much better. You can become creative with your writing and not be limited by how good your pedal tab dance is LOL.
I'm assuming you use or have used all 3 models as well?

[Catharpin]

Anything that can do what the GT100 can do will require a learning curve. I can't see anyone expecting to just pick one up and run with it unless you already owned a few of the GT series or something like it in the past. Even then there is still a learning curve.
I owned all 3 Processors you listed there and each time I got a new one, I had to re learn it basically as Boss changed it enough where I had to figure the damn thing out. But I'll say this each model was well worth the time invested in learning them as they are very powerful tools that make life as a guitarist that uses effects life so much better. You can become creative with your writing and not be limited by how good your pedal tab dance is LOL.
I'm assuming you use or have used all 3 models as well?

I currently have GT-8 and GT-10, been looking to move up to the GT-100 at some point. I am currently using the GT-10 and while I like the expanded feature set, looper, USB, etc. I am still not convinced that I can let my GT-8 go, it's that good.
Everything you said about the learning curve is true. It's rather steep but the rewards are commensurate with the effort. The GT-8 was actually the first gizmo, musical or not, where I actually had to sit down and read the manual. I still use it for reference now and then.

[jgcable]

I have a Boss ME-80 and it's awesome. But..... it doesn't have its own effects loop so I can't use the 4-cable method. Therefore, I have to pick between running it in the loop or inline. I have it in the loop, of course.

But on those occasions when I might want to kick on one of the distortion modelers, I don't want that in the loop; I want it before the preamp.

So what should I be looking at? GT-100? GT-10? Something else?

Also, do the Line 6 floor processors have effects loops, like the HD500 or the Firehawk?

Any experiences/advice is appreciated.

Jackpot for you bro!! I have both the GT10 and the GT100 and I run them with the 4 cable method in several tube amps.

My set up on the GT10 and the GT100 is this...

4 cable method.
Wah and distortion box is before my amp
Gates, effects, intelligent harmonizer, EQ boost and volume pedal is in the loop.
I also use the amp control feature to switch channels on the amps that I own that are tip/ring 1/4" footswitch.

Basically.. my GT10 or GT100 control everything.

Works perfectly with no coloration that I can hear. Flawless execution every gig.

The GT8, 10 or 100 all work great. I prefer the 10.

[BenoA]

Another GT-8 4 cable method user here. Been using it since the GT8 was release. Use it to switch amp channel and also uses the OD (tube screamer) for boost.

I can't decide yet to replace it.

[PowerTube]

Jackpot for you bro!! I have both the GT10 and the GT100 and I run them with the 4 cable method in several tube amps.

My set up on the GT10 and the GT100 is this...

4 cable method.
Wah and distortion box is before my amp
Gates, effects, intelligent harmonizer, EQ boost and volume pedal is in the loop.
I also use the amp control feature to switch channels on the amps that I own that are tip/ring 1/4" footswitch.

Basically.. my GT10 or GT100 control everything.

Works perfectly with no coloration that I can hear. Flawless execution every gig.

The GT8, 10 or 100 all work great. I prefer the 10.

Thanks. What amp are you running it through?

The reason I ask is because I plan on running through my Carvin X100B. The cleans are killer "as-is" and the distortions are about 85% what I'm after when using a distortion or overdrive/boost box in front (and I've tried several).

This may sound like a crazy statement, but that's never stopped me before.... I instinctively feel that with the right "processing" in front, this X100B could be the most insanely awesome amp I've ever had. It's also the most organic sounding, very throaty with tons of headroom. I still have the Marshall JVM410H half stack, but frankly, the loop sucks on it. The X100B's loop is fantastic.

So now I'm thinking that one of these above-mentioned units might be just the ticket. I really love the ME-80, but again, it's pointless if trying to use both effects and amp/preamp processing because it can only go all in the loop or all out front.

[PowerTube]

Another GT-8 4 cable method user here. Been using it since the GT8 was release. Use it to switch amp channel and also uses the OD (tube screamer) for boost.

I can't decide yet to replace it.

Isn't that one discontinued? I still have two old Line 6 Flextone combos, a II and an XL (one is basically a "spare"). This is what I play in the living room while watching TV.

IMHO, Line 6 destroyed both the POD and Flextone series when they brought out the Flextone III and POD XT. I think they nailed it for overdrive tones on the earlier stuff.

[PowerTube]

I've been hearing that the factory presets on the GT-100 are unusable. That's no problem for me because back when I had my Vetta II HD, the presets sucked donkey balls. They probably would have sold a lot more if they had gotten the presets done by a guitarist instead of a drunken chimp.

[jgcable]

Thanks. What amp are you running it through?

The reason I ask is because I plan on running through my Carvin X100B. The cleans are killer "as-is" and the distortions are about 85% what I'm after when using a distortion or overdrive/boost box in front (and I've tried several).

This may sound like a crazy statement, but that's never stopped me before.... I instinctively feel that with the right "processing" in front, this X100B could be the most insanely awesome amp I've ever had. It's also the most organic sounding, very throaty with tons of headroom. I still have the Marshall JVM410H half stack, but frankly, the loop sucks on it. The X100B's loop is fantastic.

So now I'm thinking that one of these above-mentioned units might be just the ticket. I really love the ME-80, but again, it's pointless if trying to use both effects and amp/preamp processing because it can only go all in the loop or all out front.

Mesa Single Rectifier, Metaltronix M-1000, Peavey 6505+, Marshall DSL100H. Here is the big thing I forgot to mention!!!! The GT8, 10 or 100 will not magically make a crappy sounding amp sound good. You have to start off with a good amp. The stomp boxes in the GT's are great but they won't correct bad tone.

[jgcable]

I've been hearing that the factory presets on the GT-100 are unusable. That's no problem for me because back when I had my Vetta II HD, the presets sucked donkey balls. They probably would have sold a lot more if they had gotten the presets done by a guitarist instead of a drunken chimp.

I don't use the preamps (modeling) in any of my GT's. The preamps (that includes the cabinet simulation) are not on. I set my GT's to manual mode, I use the 4 cable method and I use them as a all in one "pedal board". Volume pedal, wah pedal and overdrives or distortions out in front, everything else is set in the loop.

[jgcable]

Isn't that one discontinued? I still have two old Line 6 Flextone combos, a II and an XL (one is basically a "spare"). This is what I play in the living room while watching TV.

IMHO, Line 6 destroyed both the POD and Flextone series when they brought out the Flextone III and POD XT. I think they nailed it for overdrive tones on the earlier stuff.

The GT8 and the GT10 are both discontinued. The GT100 is the newest one. I think the GT10 is the best choice. I don't use the modeling on my GT's. I use it in manual mode as stomp boxes.

[PowerTube]

That sounds similar to what I have in mind; not so much using the amp modeling but instead using the preamps as different flavors of boost. I like the boosted tone of the X100B and wouldn't want to get away from that too much.

I didn't realize that the GT-10 was also discontinued. I guess that's just part of the evolution.