Genesis 3

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 28 Sep 2003 11:43 am

Anybody using this or tried one? BE talked about using one in St. Louis in another thread.
Tony

jim milewski · Post by **jim milewski** » 28 Sep 2003 5:48 pm

I just got one, mainly because Emmons spoke so highly of it and the price was right, got it for $150 new, Sat I tried on a job, I like it, very flexible, what I like much about it is its size, very compact, I use hall reverb, very slight flange and delay, it has a tuner (does not show cents, just the flat or sharp arrows), headphone jack, will do stereo (left and right outputs), the speaker emulation I like is the 4/10 setup, the compressor works well also, it will do rotary speaker sound as well, I'm thinking it may be the best unit like this in this price range, another thing it does not affect the feel of the volume pedal, as I just put it in line after the pedal, I guess the bottom line is I'm glad I bought it

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 28 Sep 2003 6:15 pm

Where can they be had for $150, Jim?

RR

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 28 Sep 2003 6:48 pm

I got mine from Musicians Friend. Buddy Emmons really liked it so I bought one. I think Buddy runs his in the amp input, I've tried using the Fx loop return and power amp in. I have a PV Bandit 112 so this setup might be my problem. Maybe BE will post on this. Jim, are you using the Blackface setting?
Tony

Jerry Gleason · Post by **Jerry Gleason** » 28 Sep 2003 8:46 pm

I talked Guitar Center down to $135 for mine. I like this unit a lot. It seems to be designed more as a recording interface, with it's amp & cabinet simulators, and S/PDIF digital out, but it's great as a front end to an amp, too. I run mine into the power amp section of my Stereo Steel amp.

It's easy to operate, but requires a read through the manual to find and understand all the features it has (like cabinet resonant freqency tuning, eq frequency shifting for bass, mid and treble, morphing between patches, etc.). It has a fairly decent chromatic tuner.

I like the "Blackface" patch (but without the default cabinet), and there's a a Vox AC30 patch that sounds pretty cool for steel, too. I have some presets that bypass the amp simulator, or the cabinet simulator, or both.

As is always the case with guitar effects processors, there's not as much useful stuff in there for steel players as there is for six stiringers, but even if you just used it as a headphone amp for practice, it's well worth the money, and there's enough goodies in there to keep you entertained for months trying to figure it all out.

jim milewski · Post by **jim milewski** » 29 Sep 2003 4:08 am

Like Jerry said, there is a lot it does just playing around with it, but reading the manual reveals a whole lot more, as in tuning the cabinet, etc., on the amp settings, I'm using direct, Blackface or user, the other ones are overdrive (more for the six stringers), the Blackface has that mid scoop sound, I got mine at 8th Street Music mail order, (it was $150), so try the Guitar Center first, at the time everyone had them on order except 8th Street, the unit is about the size of an average hard cover book, it would not be to hard to build a leg attachment device, and it does work well in the effects loop, right now I use it in a Twin, LTD 400, or get this...an old Peavey Classic VT series 50 watt amp with 2 6L6 output tubes that I got for $80 without speakers, I put a BW 1502 (with the paper/kevlar dust cover) in it, and with this unit it sounds GREAT!....Jerry tell me if you ever paid $135 for something new that does as much as this compact unit

Buddy Emmons · Post by **Buddy Emmons** » 29 Sep 2003 4:23 am

Here are the settings I use for E9th.

E9 Peavey Two Amp Settings

Press Warp knob until green shows.
Amplifier – More
Warp – Green
Cabinet – 57 Tweed 1x12

Bass – 0
Mid – 0
Treble- 0

Gain – 15
Amp Level – 85

Press edit button and remove all effects you don’t want by using DATA/PRESET knob in upper right hand corner to switch to off.
Press edit button until readout says “DELAY.”
Use (DATA/PRESET) knob to select “ON.”

The 5 little knobs across the top mid section: SPEED/AMOUNT – DEPTH - MOD LEVEL - DELAY LEVEL and REVERB LEVEL, adjust the characteristics of the effect both before and after you program the effect.
Use the Speed/Amount knob to set P1, or the type of delay to “Spread.”
Set the Depth knob or P2, to 380ms.
The Mod Level knob (P3) is for “Feedback.” Set it to 22.
Use the Delay Level knob to set P4, the Delay Spread (Dlyspd), to 50.
Use Reverb Level knob to set P5, (Dlylvl) to 42.
Once set, press edit button until red selector light goes back to the top of effects selections and you should be out of the program mode.

To save the effect, press the store button and use the DATA/PRESET knob to change letters to name your effect. EDIT button moves letter selection to the right and TAP/IT, to the left. Once named, press store again and use DATA/PRESET knob to select a number to save your effect. If you wish to keep it in that position, press store again and program will be saved at that number.

To get to the UTILITY section, press the AMP SAVE and STORE buttons, simultaneously.
Press EDIT button once and the readout should be STEREO. Leave it on Stereo.
Press EDIT button again and you’ll see DIRECT. This is an option for studio direct or amp sound. Turn upper right knob, DATA/PRESET to select #2, or Fx 1 x 2.
Numbers 2, 4, and 6 are the cleanest but number 2 seems to work best for my Legrande guitar. The other settings are a bit thicker, but slightly darker sounding. Press AMP SAVE and STORE simultaneously buttons to exit the UTILITY section.

This configuration is for the Peavey 1000 amp with all knobs straight up (flat setting) which allows all tone adjustments on the amp or the Genesis to start from the zero position.
At home, I use a Peavey Nashville 400 as a second amp (all flat setting) and the sound is great.
I must say that I use a Goodrich LDR volume pedal which does make a difference in the sound.
The Genesis 3 is one of the more user-friendly, but for those of you who aren’t used to dealing with multi effects units, this should help take some of the sting out of setting it.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 29 Sep 2003 6:08 am

Thanks for doing the brain-surgery, Buddy!

RR

Randy Pettit · Post by **Randy Pettit** » 29 Sep 2003 7:54 am

Buddy, thanks very much for posting your settings with comments.

Is is fair to say that since you're setting the Peavey 1000 EQ to "neutral", that you're placing the Genesis before the amp in the chain?

Buddy Emmons · Post by **Buddy Emmons** » 29 Sep 2003 10:32 am

That's correct Randy. I'm going from the output of a Goodrich LDR volume pedal to the input of the Genesis 3, and then to the normal amp instrument input.

Roger Crawford · Post by **Roger Crawford** » 29 Sep 2003 5:59 pm

Guitar Center in Atlanta offered them for $99.99, but had no stock. I was able to talk one of the local stores that did have them into meeting the price! I'm anxious to try some of Buddy's settings.

jim milewski · Post by **jim milewski** » 30 Sep 2003 2:41 am

another thing I liked about the unit was the double or single coil choice (HB or SC), using the HB fattened up my somewhat thin sounding single coil on the guitar, and maintained the highs, getting a unit like this for $100 has to be the best deal for an effects unit ever, if Digitech has discontinued these, I wonder what they are going to replace it with?

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 30 Sep 2003 6:52 am

The Genesis 3 and POD 2 seem very similar. The Genesis 3 is less expensive. Does anyone have thoughts on other differences?

------------------
Student of the Steel, Fessy S12U, Emmons S12 E9 P/P, Carter D12, Nashville 400, Fender Squire, Peavey Transtube Supreme into JBL 15", 1968 Gibson J50, '60s Kay arch-top, 7-string Raybro, customized Korean Regal square-neck, roundneck Dobro 90C, 1938 Conn Chu Berry tenor sax, '50s Berg mouthpiece, Hamilton upright piano, Casio keyboard. You make it, I'll play it (sort of).

Tore Blestrud · Post by **Tore Blestrud** » 30 Sep 2003 11:24 am

Liten to this: the company importing the Genesis 3 to Norway said the listing price in Norway is 570 USD!! I could fly to the US and buy one there for that price.

Buddy Emmons · Post by **Buddy Emmons** » 2 Oct 2003 5:22 am

...and here are the C6 settings.

Genesis 3 C6 Settings

Press WARP knob to Red Section
R Amplifier – More
Warp – Red
R Cabinet – 57 Tweed 1x12

R Bass – 0
R Mid - +3
R Treble – 0
R Gain – 25
R Amp Level – 85

Press WARP knob to Green Section
G Amplifier – More
G Warp – Green
G Cabinet – Blond 2x12

G Bass – 0
G Mid - +2
G Treble – 0
G Gain - 15
G Amp Level – 85

EFFECT
Delay – Spread
Delay – 260ms
Feedback – 30
Dlyspd – 30
Dlylvl – 30

Amp/Direct choice in Utility section – Amp (FX 1X2)

Once the red and green sections are set, press the WARP knob until the Red/Green dot combination appears and turn knob to select 14 red dots and 2 green.

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 2 Oct 2003 6:25 am

Buddy, the manual talks about changing cabinet frequencies by depressing the warp button for two seconds and then making the adjustments. Aside from using my ear, what is your take on this?
Gary Lee

Buddy Emmons · Post by **Buddy Emmons** » 2 Oct 2003 9:40 am

Gary,
I’m more of a hunt and pecker due to an attention deficit problem, so I try not to read manuals if I can get away with it. From everything I’ve heard people say about some of the features I was unaware of, it’s time I take a look at it. Thanks for the tip on the Warp knob.
[This message was edited by Buddy Emmons on 02 October 2003 at 10:41 AM.]

Buddy Emmons · Post by **Buddy Emmons** » 2 Oct 2003 9:46 am

I should add that the total sound I get or got at the convention this year was with the addition of a Goodrich LDR volume pedal, so the sound from these settings will vary according to the type volume pedal you use.

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 2 Oct 2003 10:25 am

Buddy, you've mentioned several times that the Goodrich LDR volume pedal is part of your "total sound". Is that because it doesn't affect the tone of your guitar, or because it colors it in a way that you like?

Buddy Emmons · Post by **Buddy Emmons** » 2 Oct 2003 11:10 am

Jim,
All my volume pedals affect the sound slightly, but the Goodrich LDR affects the guitar in a more positive way than pedals I’ve used in the past.
I plugged into my pot pedal a week ago to check the difference and heard a slightly brittle mid and high end that always gave me a problem when trying to set an amp. The LDR eliminates the brittleness, leaving the guitar with a silkier sound that’s easier to shape with tone controls.
[This message was edited by Buddy Emmons on 02 October 2003 at 12:45 PM.]

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 2 Oct 2003 11:47 am

Excellent description and explanation as usual. Thank you sir.

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 2 Oct 2003 4:31 pm

Did anyone catch Buddy's reverb settings? I couldn't find the details on that.

Thanks,
Brad Sarno

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 2 Oct 2003 4:35 pm

Oops

[This message was edited by Jim Smith on 02 October 2003 at 05:37 PM.]

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 5 Oct 2003 8:25 am

Well after a little frustration looking for the delay "spread" setting I realized that my firmware was only v.1 and didnt have "spread". I went to the website and discovered the GenEdit software and the firmware updates. I downloaded all of the stuff and hooked up the Genesis 3 via midi cables to my Mac. It was very easy to update the firmware to v1.4 which includes the delay "spread" feature as well as a number of bug fixes. It's pretty cool how the software completely controls the unit and saves settings in a library. I like how these new digital devices are software updatable and aren't left for obselescence. Pretty impressive sounding unit. Endless possibilities.

------------------
Brad Sarno
Blue Jade Audio Mastering
St. Louis
http://home.earthlink.net/~bradsarno/

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 5 Oct 2003 5:27 pm

Thanks Gary Lee for the tip on holding down the Warp knob to enter the cabinet tuning and EQ frequency mode. It's cool to be able to put those three points wherever you want. I threw the bass down to 50Hz, the mid at 790Hz, and the high at 2700Hz. This gets my favorite Session 400 eq points. If you want the modern peavey mod points, move the high to 6000Hz instead of 2700. The choice of 790Hz for the mid is that it seems to be the honkiest of frequencies, generally.

I haven't messed with the cabinet resonant frequency tweak much. It appears that the numbers that go from -12 to +12 represent half steps so you can move the resonant point down or up an octave relative to the cabinet model's actual resonance. Pretty fun box.

Brad Sarno