What Effects Are LeGrande Owners Using?

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 8 Sep 2004 9:52 am

I am expermienting with my Legrande III with a couple of different effects. I have an Alesis Quadraverb and a Boss DD3 I have been working with. I am wondering what you guys have found to be a good effects unit for the LeGrande models. I would appreciate and info or advice on this topic.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 8 Sep 2004 11:26 am

With my LeGrande II I am presently using:
Tube Works spring reverb
Lexicon MPX 200 (compression, delay, chorus)
BBE Sonic Maximizer
H & K Rotosphere
Goodrich Super Bro
Goodrich Match Box
(to be continued at a later date)

Erv[This message was edited by Erv Niehaus on 08 September 2004 at 12:26 PM.]

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 8 Sep 2004 11:28 am

BBE 441 Sonic Maximizer
Yamaha GEP 50 Effects
Peavey DeltaFex II
Boss Sustain Stomp Box

And I still can't play any better...

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 8 Sep 2004 5:28 pm

I need help. I bought a Sonic Maximizer and I can't see where it helps any at all. Can you guys tell the difference and does it help and if so do you have any hints?
Jerry

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 8 Sep 2004 6:22 pm

I found my 411's effect to be very subtle. It's an acquired taste. Too much processing and the edges get real tinny. Kinda like hitting the string with the edge of your pick instead of a direct pluck. You gotta play with it for a while.

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 8 Sep 2004 9:11 pm

In the past, DD-3. Presently, Genesis III.

Dave

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 9 Sep 2004 3:53 am

Dave, How do you like the Genesis compared to the Boss DD3? I believe Buddy Emmons was using one at the Texas show this year but I have never seen one close up.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 9 Sep 2004 7:45 am

Jerry,
On my Sonic Maximizer there is a push button off & on switch. If I want to hear the difference, I just hit the button and believe me there IS a difference.
Erv

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 9 Sep 2004 10:49 am

Paul,

the DD-3 is a delay unit only, whereas the Genesis III has effects, amp modeling, speaker/cab modeling, EQ adjustment, etc. It can be an amp, multiple effects processor, and even tuner, all rolled up into one small unit.

I really like the Genesis III because of the versatility. With the amp modeling you can make just about any amp sound like you want.

One of the things I have been doing with the Genesis of late is totally bypassing the amps "pre section" and plugging direct into the amps power amp. This way I'm using the Genesis as the pre without any of the amps pre amp "coloration." I find there is less difference between amps this way when having to use various different amps provided. It is very easy to make "on the fly" changes should the amp not sound the way I prefer. For example, I may be playing through a Nashville one time and the next time might be a Vegas, or maybe even a Fender. I can make quick adjustments to my basic preset and store them in a new location to use in that particular situation without having lost my original preset.

It is very versatile and sounds great. It is the "only" unit I now take these days outside of my guitar and volume pedal. I can take it to the studio or use it "live" and get my sound. What amp just doesn't seem to be such an issue anymore.

I have been helping an awful lot of people with these units of late and am currently in California where I just had a workshop to help several players locally there.

Let me know if I can be of assistance to you should you decide to use one.

Dave
LeGrande III, Genesis III,
LDR volume pedal with LDR 7a box.

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 9 Sep 2004 12:56 pm

Dave, May I ask what kind of price range the Genesis unit runs? It sounds like it may be what I am looking for. I wonder if anyone else has used the Genesis unit and could give me their thoughts as well.

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 9 Sep 2004 5:07 pm

Paul,
now for the bad news.

The Genesis III has been discontinued by Digitech. Your best chance of getting one is going to be finding one at a store or music products magazine that would still have one in stock, or get a used one. It could be possible that someone here on the forum, may have one they want to sell.

I was fortunate enough to get two before they were gone. They ran around the "sale" price of about $150.

Good luck!

Dave[This message was edited by Dave Robbins on 09 September 2004 at 06:12 PM.]

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 9 Sep 2004 7:22 pm

Dave, what amps & cabs are you using in the studio and live?
Tony

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 9 Sep 2004 11:07 pm

Tony,

I am basically using the same amp and cabs for the studio and "live". I use the "CLNTUB" (clean tube) setting under the "More" position for the amp modeling and use both the '57 Tweed (for the green side) and Blond 2x12 (for the red side) and Warp them. That way I can go brighter or mellower simply by turning the warp knob. The warp knob becomes sort of a master tone this way. I can have the clean bright sound, mellow sound, or a blend of the two at the push of the button, 'pending what I need.

The real trick for "live" use I have found comes under the "utilities" section. I change between the speaker sounds depending on the amp I'm using. If the amp is a bright amp like the older Session 400, I might use the Fx2x12 or even the Fx4x12 setting to darken the sound a bit. With the Vegas or Nashville I might use the Fx1x12 to brighten it up a bit.

For recording though, I use the "Direct" setting in the "Utilities" section instead of the Fx type speaker settings.

I also make a few tweaks to the cab tuning (CABTUN) and EQ.

This is with my LeGrande III and Emmons #108 Humbucker pickups.

Dave

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 11 Sep 2004 7:24 pm

Thanks Dave, I've used BE's settings and I've
set some eq frequencys to match the Nash 400
and Sess 400. I hadn't thought of using the warp like you're doing, so I'm interested trying that. Thanks again and I'll probably pick your brain a little more.
Tony

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 11 Sep 2004 9:37 pm

Dave,

Could you post your effects settings too? I'm starting to really like my G3, too

bob

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 11 Sep 2004 11:58 pm

Bob,

I wish you could have been at our little workshop we had in Tracy, Ca. I went through the whole thing there.

As for "my own" effects settings with the Gen III I only use delay,and no reverb. I do change it from a stereo delay to a mono delay or vise versa, depending on the set up.

For a mono delay I use the "edit" button to go to the delay effect mode, then use the "Data preset" to turn the delay "on". Set the "P1" knob to mono, set "P2" to the delay time preferred (approximately 260-280 for quicker tempos and 300 to 380 for slower tempos for "live". In the studio I use a timing chart to time the delay time to the tempo of the song.) Set "P3" to 22 (3-4 repeats). Set "P4" to "threshold Off" and set P4 from 30 - 46 depending on how much delay level you want to hear. I also change to "mono" in the "utilities" section.

For stereo delay, set "P1" to "spread", "P2" to the same as that for the mono delay setting, "P3" 22 (3-4 repeats), set "P4" DLYSP to "50". This will give a full stereo spread for two amps. Also Change the Utility section to stereo.

One other thing I do is to leave the unit in the "delay effect" mode so I can make changes to the delay time at any time rather than switching back to my preset where only the delay level can be adjusted. This way I can make "on the fly" changes to my delay time from song to song and tempo to tempo.

Dave

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 12 Sep 2004 6:23 am

I bought a Sonic Maximizer and I can't see where it helps any at all.

Jerry, you'll notice little difference when you're close to the speaker, or when you're playing close harmonies. The differences are more apparent as you get farther from the speaker, or you use some expanded chords.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 12 Sep 2004 6:26 am

Thanks, Dave

I wish I had known about the Tracy get together! I would have been there. Who put that on?

thx

bob

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 13 Sep 2004 10:34 pm

Bob,

I put the workshop together. I was coming to the area to visit family anyway and several pickers who were using the unit needed some help so we threw the workshop together at a near last minute. There was not much notification nor time for word to get out. Should there be enough interest in another one I possibly could schedule one at another time. I will be leaving to go back to Nashville Thursday morning Sept 16, until then I will be here in the Tracy/Stocton area visiting family.

Dave

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 14 Sep 2004 11:05 am

Dave, if you were to video your next workshop, let me know. It wouldn't have to be professionly recored.
Tony

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 14 Sep 2004 1:23 pm

Tony,

at present, I have no plans for recording a workshop. There again, it would be a matter of supply and demand. Rather,I prefer one on one were I can address each persons particular needs. Reason being that there are so many variations on steel guitar set ups, such as how a person uses there volume pedal, what type of volume pedal, type of amp, the tone they are trying to get and even the type of guitar and especially the pickups they use.

At the workshop herein Tracy, I gave a brief overview of how the unit works, answers and questions, and then worked with each person in helping them to develope programs that were tailored to their set up and needs. Answering questions, such as here on the forum or in a video, can only be at best "in general". What works for one person may not necessarily work completely for another depending on their equipment and what they expect.

I will be back home in Nashville after the 16th, so that may be a little closer to home for you if I can be of assistance to you.

You can reach me there or through this forum at that point. I'll be happy to assist you with your Genesis in any way I can.

Dave

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 14 Sep 2004 3:04 pm

Thanks Dave, I understand what you're saying.
I hadn't used mine in while until I seen your post so you gave me the itch to get it back out. Thanks again

Tony