Dual amp rig with Mk V and GSP 1101

Hi, just a little background...

i added the Digitech GSP 1101 to my rig about 6 months ago. Needed a few effects for my covers band and wanted an all-in-one solution rather than the expense of individual stomp boxes. Had the Boss GT-8, didn't like it. Have played through various Line 6 stuff, didn't like them either. Defo can't afford the Axefx and the like. Read a lot of reviews of the GSP 1101 that all seemed to agree about it's transparency, that was my main request from a unit, reasonable effects but above all, transparency. And boy is it transparent.

Back to the point...

Although it's not really designed to work this way, if you set the send parameters in a certain way whilst using the external preamp option you can run the GSP's internal amp modelling alongside the external preamp your using. Pretty cool. Obviously not as flexible as a more modern unit specifically designed to do this but for the price I paid for it, a very cool feature.

This is also one instance where the Mk V's 5BEQ being pre loop is an advantage. Using the GSP's IR loaded line out to PA negates the need to mic up the cab, giving a much cleaner live sound and no need for an external EQ. Using the Mk V and cab just for monitoring on stage.

Overall, I now can dial the gain back a little on the Mk V, improving note definition, and add the GSP modelling mixed just a little behind the Mk V to bring back the thickness and crunch lost from dropping the gain. Psuedo double tracked guitars for my bands live sound and a cleaner tone to the PA.

Happy days...

Found your post interesting, didn't know the GSP could do that, another plus for looking into those more. I currently have the RP1000; but do not integrate it into my play out rig with the Mark V , and cannot do it in the same manner as you (the floor model RP1000 lacks some of the features the GSP has). So, how do you control it all? Are you using MIDI? Separate controls for the amp and GSP?

I really wish Digitech would have continued developing the 1101. It is really an amazing piece of gear.

Ytsejammer777 said:

I really wish Digitech would have continued developing the 1101. It is really an amazing piece of gear.

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I agree

royslead said:

Ytsejammer777 said:

I really wish Digitech would have continued developing the 1101. It is really an amazing piece of gear.

Click to expand...

I agree

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Absolutely wish they had too.

Mustbebeta guys did a great job of developing it without Digitech support. Can only imagine how good it could have been with proper backing. Sad. Think Digitech is non existent now?

Don't think the RP unit is capable of this, but I've never used one so don't quote me on that.

My setup is as follows;

Guitar to 1101, in 4cm, so overdives and wah first, then using the 1101's send level controls signal gets split to both the 1101 send to the Mk V input and the 1101's internal amp modelling. Then Mk V FX loop send to 1101 return which sums the external and internal signals back together. The Mk V's inaccurate to the iiC+ placement of the 5BEQ before the loop rather than after it is a bonus here. Then from 1101 1/4" output, no cabinet IR here, back to the Mk V loop return to use my Mk V and Cab for stage monitoring (gotta have my trousers flapping on stage haha) and the 1101 xlr outputs with cabinet IR to the Front of house PA. No mics needed, no spill from other instruments so nice clean and clear tone with the 5BEQ in the signal for front of house too!

For stage control I have the Control 2 floor board which is built like a tank, just a single Cat5 cable to the 1101, no power wall warts or anything. This controls everything, nice big screen and good tuner too. Then midi from the 1101 to voodoo labs control switcher hooked up to the switching jacks on the back of the Mk V. Works flawlessly, no lag or pops at all.

So far I have set up the following patches and they sound great, well, to me anyway.

Nice clean,
Just a fender blackface 1101 model
Not set in stone yet, requires tweaking, not a priority though if I'm honest

Mild break up/early Free type tone,
Mk V Ch1 Tweed mixed with 1101 Marshall Jtm 45 model, either 1101 modded TS9 for boost or 1101 Fuzz Face model
Loves 60's, 70's rock and surprisingly good with the fuzz for indie stuff and Queens of the stone age

Crunch,
Mk V Ch2 Crunch mixed with 1101 Marshall '77 master volume model, 1101 TS9 for boost
Really love this tone boosted for 80's heavy rock, really raunchy sounding!!!

Heaviest tone known to man,
Mk V Ch3 iiC+ and mild smile 5BEQ mixed with 1101 Soldano SLO model, 1101 Amp driver for boost.
Again the boost not set in stone, not found anything I like better yet but only had 5 mins or so playing around with this. The core mix with the Mk V's iiC+ in this preset sounds absolutley amazing. So heavy and thick yet still clear and clean at the same time.

Sure the 1101 is no match for the axefx or whatever, but for the price of admission it's an incredible unit. So un-intrusive to your core amp tone. Not a particularly easily tweakable setup on the fly, but to be honest, i keep the 1101 amp models just slightly behind the Mk V tones just to thicken them up,. Like double tracking or a dual amp rig. If any tweaking is needed on stage it would just be to dial in the Mk V a little which is no different than before.

Hopefully over winter when my singer's business quiets down a little he's gonna make me a head shell and my Mk V, currently a combo, and the 1101 and voodoo labs control switcher will live in its own custom made head. Much lighter than the combo, everything hard wired and neat and tidy and ready to sit on top of the 2x12 vert. Heaven indeed!

Nice!