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SlapKid « Why drive yourself up the wall? »
Published on 01/31/14 at 17:56I just got it (no, it wasn't launched during the 2014 NAMM!) and it works great.
Clean, crunch and lead presets, plus some banks, easy and readable.
Not too much latency when switching presets, not worse than my Fender mustang 3 anyway.
Great connection options, with the direct tuner output and the two jacks for left and right. Standard 9V power supply, but consider 300mA of current for it to work properly.
USE
It's great, the input level can be adjusted without affecting the preset, so you program it once and that's it, even if you have 50 guitars. The same applies to the output level and the noise gate.
It doesn't have too many controls, a simple Contour instead of an EQ, delay or reverb but not both at the same time. One parameter for the compressor. Only one type of crunch and one type of distortion, but they are good, compared to the 876 settings and useless models of any modern unit that can drive you insane.
It's very user-friendly, and as long as you connect it to...
SOUND QUALITY
...a Vox ac15, it sounds awesome! But connected to something else it's not so great, it lacks something. It needs a distinct amp, full of life, very detailed in the mids.
Obviously, the contour poses a problem to balance the full-blown distortion sound in relation to the clean, but once you admit that the lead corresponds to the dark and hairy category, it's okay.
A guitar with an aggressive and lean bridge pickup, think sh4, will naturally balance the combination.
The clean is sumptuous, the compressor very good and natural, and the reverb dense and lively, it's addictive with the ac15.
The crunch is well-balanced, quite grungy but not too much, it's actually very well adapted to what you expect in this category and it's not too far from being ideal.
The full-blown distortion is great, it doesn't sound digital and it makes me wonder whether it's a hybrid circuit (like the g1 or ax300g, which I also have).
The delay is a slapback, short and medium, adjustable in terms of intensity (something Roland has certainly not understood with its Cubes). Up to 450ms max.
The chorus is stereo, but I don't use this type of effects.
OVERALL OPINION
I repeat, you need an amp like the vox ac15 to truly appreciate this g1 to its full extent.
I like its density very much and the fact that it never sounds sharp. Its clean sounds are addictive.
The ac15 becomes smooth and rich with it, while remaining well-defined.
A bass control in addition to the contour would've been great, but it's so nice as is that I don't even care about that!
Clean, crunch and lead presets, plus some banks, easy and readable.
Not too much latency when switching presets, not worse than my Fender mustang 3 anyway.
Great connection options, with the direct tuner output and the two jacks for left and right. Standard 9V power supply, but consider 300mA of current for it to work properly.
USE
It's great, the input level can be adjusted without affecting the preset, so you program it once and that's it, even if you have 50 guitars. The same applies to the output level and the noise gate.
It doesn't have too many controls, a simple Contour instead of an EQ, delay or reverb but not both at the same time. One parameter for the compressor. Only one type of crunch and one type of distortion, but they are good, compared to the 876 settings and useless models of any modern unit that can drive you insane.
It's very user-friendly, and as long as you connect it to...
SOUND QUALITY
...a Vox ac15, it sounds awesome! But connected to something else it's not so great, it lacks something. It needs a distinct amp, full of life, very detailed in the mids.
Obviously, the contour poses a problem to balance the full-blown distortion sound in relation to the clean, but once you admit that the lead corresponds to the dark and hairy category, it's okay.
A guitar with an aggressive and lean bridge pickup, think sh4, will naturally balance the combination.
The clean is sumptuous, the compressor very good and natural, and the reverb dense and lively, it's addictive with the ac15.
The crunch is well-balanced, quite grungy but not too much, it's actually very well adapted to what you expect in this category and it's not too far from being ideal.
The full-blown distortion is great, it doesn't sound digital and it makes me wonder whether it's a hybrid circuit (like the g1 or ax300g, which I also have).
The delay is a slapback, short and medium, adjustable in terms of intensity (something Roland has certainly not understood with its Cubes). Up to 450ms max.
The chorus is stereo, but I don't use this type of effects.
OVERALL OPINION
I repeat, you need an amp like the vox ac15 to truly appreciate this g1 to its full extent.
I like its density very much and the fact that it never sounds sharp. Its clean sounds are addictive.
The ac15 becomes smooth and rich with it, while remaining well-defined.
A bass control in addition to the contour would've been great, but it's so nice as is that I don't even care about that!