GT-8, XT Live, Digitech GNX 3000, KorgAX...........?

[Dakine]

<---------- pleads the fifth to Rob's comment/question :)

I use some JBL (darth vader looking) speakers for me laptop and the modellor sounds WOOHOO through them.

[sambo]

^  :D  :lol:  :P  :D

[Searcher]

Being ampless for most of the time I am stuck with using a Korg Pandora with headphones, or running acoustically (which is nice on the 360 but not the strat).

I also figure that playing along with backing tracks would help my playing

Therefore I have been considering somthing to feed audio to the company laptop via USB, however to be honest my Line 6 Spider put me off ever using anything from Line 6 again.

So I was looking at the options ;
Digitech GNX 4 (too expensive)
Zoom G2.1u (affordable)
GT-8 (possibly too expensive).

Any further suggestions ?

Rob...

I think you'd be happiest with a small practice amp.  Take a look at the Vox stuff.  It's really good!  I have a $99 CND Pathfinder and the clean sounds are awesome for what it is.  When I had my Tonelab in front of it, it killed the "valve" sounds from a friend's Vetta II .  Of course, the Tonelab isn't a cheap option, though the desktop ones, second-hand, are prolly ok.  In any case, you can play along to backing tracks without your guitar going through the computer.

[sambo]

^ thats what i was thinking- dont understand the reason for having to get sound to computer to play along to backing track?

[bubchronic]

Ok,
I tried the GT-8, the XTlive and the GNX 3000.
The XT sounds good, but variation seems limited, unless its just varying overdrive sounds you want. Also the switching isn't seamless.
The Digitech is great fun, especially the whammy, but the sounds are too fizzy/thin for my taste.
The Boss can be endlessly tweaked by the user and the effects are by far the most varied. Most importantly; to my ear it has a much higher sound quality. Considering I love the sound of my Marshall , and I just want a good variety of effects for solos in our  more unusual songs- it has to be the Boss unit for me.
This research and trial has reminded me how much I love my Marshalls.

[tewboss]

I've heard good things about the GT8 from people who use boutique effects.

[Eric]

Ok,
I tried the GT-8, the XTlive and the GNX 3000.
The XT sounds good, but variation seems limited, unless its just varying overdrive sounds you want. Also the switching isn't seamless.
The Digitech is great fun, especially the whammy, but the sounds are too fizzy/thin for my taste.
The Boss can be endlessly tweaked by the user and the effects are by far the most varied. Most importantly; to my ear it has a much higher sound quality. Considering I love the sound of my Marshall , and I just want a good variety of effects for solos in our  more unusual songs- it has to be the Boss unit for me.
This research and trial has reminded me how much I love my Marshalls.

Hey have you tried the 4 cable method? I've read about it over at Boss GT Central. It seems like it would work great, especially if you want to preserve your amps tone.

You plug your guitar into the input of the GT8.
Then run the GT8's effect send to your amps input.
Then the amp's effect send to the GT8's effect return.
Then the GT8's output to the amp's effects return.

Then you can put the compression, distortion and wah effects in front of the amp and the delay and modulation efffects after the pre-amp.

No I do not own one. I just want one really badly.

[bubchronic]

Hey have you tried the 4 cable method? I've read about it over at Boss GT Central. It seems like it would work great, especially if you want to preserve your amps tone.

Hi Eric,
this coould be an excellent solution. I have  read about this and intend to give it a try.  cheers
bub