RC300 - How to hook up GR55 and VG99 with RC300 please.....

Started by Octapad1, March 07, 2015, 06:41:20 PM

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Octapad1

Hello.....I know this request might seem basic ( as compared to many of the more complex subjects here), but I was able to pick up a used VG 99 and I already had a GR55 and was given an RC300 for my recent birthday.

I want to set up the GR55 and the VG 99 so I can easily loop either / or and loop thru the RC300...for spontaneous live jams and looping.  I need to know how to set this up and signal path etc. 

Does anyone have this written down and can send to me, either pictorial or some detailed description of the " ins and out" of how I hook this up?

I would be very grateful for some help please.

Thanks. Mitch

shawnb

I used this combo for a while, and it was definitely my best sounding & most versatile setup.   

The first piece of advice is to experiment & do what YOU want to do with it.  Take my input with a grain of salt - you may not want to do the same things I wanted to do.   

First, the RC-300 mixes its inputs together.  There is no real way to route one input to one track/output & another to another.   There are ways around this, but it gets kinda complicated to play.   I initially had it set up this way, but found that I really didn't use the VG-99 for looping - I mainly looped the 'synthy' stuff that I could do with the GR-55.   Plus, with this setup, I preferred the VG-99 thru a tube amp.  More on that later. 

So my setup was this:

Primary signal flows:
Guitar => US-20 => VG-99 (mono out) => guitar amp (!!!)
               US-20 => GR-55 (stereo) => RC-300 => PA

Control (via ethernet cable (RRC2)):
FC-300 => VG-99
   *I had no CCs driving the GR-55, all that was built into my patches. 

MIDI signal (primarily for tempo, over 5-pin MIDI cables):
RC-300 => GR-55 => VG-99

The GR-55 passes MIDI clock/tempo to its output as if it were a THRU.   This way, all 3 devices had a common tempo for FX, and I could tap the RC-300 and get them all in sync with my drummer.

I basically used the VG-99 as a guitar effect processor, and the GR-55 for synth.  The GR-55 over the PA gave me the FRFR for synth. 

I had the FC-300 and the RC-300 on the floor.  I did not keep the GR-55 on the floor, mainly because the pedals are useless & further because the other two took up a lot of space. 

My amp was a boutique San Francisco tube amp (RC Davis) that had no clean channel.  The trick was not to over-color the sound in the VG-99 with gain.   I found that a real guitar tube amp with gain on top of the VG-99, provided the most realistic & punchy guitar.   Having the '55 thru the PA and the '99 thru the amp provided separation, & it felt like completely different instruments/musicians were working all the time. 

I ultimately abandoned this setup, mainly because I had to move it back & forth to the studio every week, & taking 30 minutes to setup & test was a drag with each move.    Plus there was a lot of floorspace used.

Hope this helps,
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

Octapad1

Yes it does help and I appreciate you taking the time to document that for me......I guess my next purchase is. Roland US 20.

Again many thanks,

Mitch

shawnb

You might consider one of these, built by a forum member, without the US-20 "bug":
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=12045.msg101305#msg101305

More on the US-20 limitation here:
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=3494.msg23360#msg23360

I use the US-20.   Just be aware of this issue & that there are alternatives.
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

Octapad1

Ok.....very good...checking that out now.

Also I was given a used Mackie 12 channel mixer by a generous friend ( and did some online research but not in full understanding) and I was wondering if I can feed all outputs from VG 99 and GR 55 ( and other instruments I have such as keyboards) into the and then I believe run an "aux send" to my RC300 input and then be able to loop everything tru my studio monitors?

Will this work?  I want to be able to effortlessly and spontaneously do looping from several sources when jamming in my hobbyist home studio setup...????


shawnb

Yes, sounds right.    You could even bypass the mixer if you used the RC-300's stereo aux input.   The RC-300 mixes the inst, aux & mic inputs.
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

Octapad1

K, thank you again Shawn... ;D

How can I bypass the mixer though sir.....I have too many outputs that exceed the amount of inputs on the RC300, with the goal of being able to loop several devices:  GR55, VG99, a few synth modules, Korg wave drum, Octapad drum unit, and of course, regular guitar.

Sorry if I am missing something.

Mitch

shawnb


Well you can mix two stereo & one mono just with the RC-300.   Additional sources, yes, you'd need a mixer.

Shawn
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

Octapad1

Got it.....yes I will go the mixer route.....thank you again for these replies.  Much appreciated.

Also I emailed the guy in Sweden for the GK splitter box, since I want to get one along with (2) of the 3 foot 13 pin cables.

I didn't see a "store" or "cart" on his site although status showed in stock.  The site said email for avavibility etc.  is this how it works or does her have an online store somewhere?

Mitch

shawnb


I'm pretty sure that is a bit of a labor of love of one of our members...   Give him a couple days to respond!

(I've been tempted to pick one up myself...)
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

Octapad1

Yup...will do.

I have been reading thru this forum and am very impressed by how much people here help each other ( and your help to me)...and I just wanted to mention that.  It's very refreshing to just see people " do the right thing" and help support each other.  Very cool.

I will be checking back here often and thanks eveybody,

M

gumbo

Hi Mitch, and WELCOME!!  :D
I'm sure Robert will be in touch with you when he gets a moment...most of us who are involved in the supply of extra-terrestrial bits and pieces here do NOT actually do it for a living, and have other lives supporting families and mortgages elsewhere..let alone playing gigs..   ;)    ....everything DOES however end up happening in the passage of time!
Good to have you 'on board'...this is a great place.. 8)
Peter in Australia
Read slower!!!   ....I'm typing as fast as I can...

LAOMUSIC ARTS

Hi!

As Octapad1, I still have the same question and my gear is at the moment setup like this:


  • VG-99 guit out => Roland Katana MK-II
  • VG-99 MainOut => Input RC-300 => Fostex 2016 Line Mixer
  • GR-55 MainOut => Fostex 2016 Line Mixer
  • RC-300 output => Fostex 2016 Line Mixer
  • Fostex 2016 Line Mixer => Yorkville 100W Mixer Amp & Marshall Amp B25 MKII

FC-300 controls the patche changes in VG-99 and a US-20 controls VG-99 & GR-55.
The VG-99 also triggers an Yamaha TG-33 Tone Generator via MIDI cable.
EV-5 controls the guitar volume on the Katana which has it´s on GA-FC, which allows me to change between channels or effects.

I would like to have the VG-99 and the GR-55 sounds together into the RC-300.

Thanks for any help!



kimyo

i don't think you need the fostex, you could connect the gr to the rc and then connect the rc directly to the mixer amp.  you'd adjust the levels using the rc's input volume controls. 

the other option is the use an aux send on the fostex into the rc.  in this scenario you'd disconnect the vg from the rc and use just the one aux out cable (fostex >> rc) for both the gr and vg.  you'd mute the vg and gr channels on the fostex because the output will be delivered via the rc. 

good luck.