The T.C. Electronic G-Force Guitar Effects Processor
By Dan SnyderSeptember 9, 1998
After spending a few weeks with T.C.'s new G-Force rackmount multi-effects, I can definitely say this is a classy, pro-quality effects processor that goes beyond great sounds. The user interface is surprisingly simple, which is rare in many pro-caliber tools. But remember, this is not a pre-amp -- just an effects processor. So in a live setup you'll need a pre-amp and a power amp, although the TC can unofficially do a pretty good pre-amp job.
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| (Click for a close-up) |
In a nutshell, the effects quality is gorgeous and lush. The reverbs, delays, and choruses are full and natural. Echoes come from all corners and angles (use headphones to really get a sense of this). Compression does a great job without getting too much digital harshness you'll hear in cheaper units. EQ is transparent and does its job, and other goodies throw in some wacky sounds (pitch shift, filters). The distortion isn't meant to make you replace your Marshall head or Sansamp, so don't expect screaming, molten rock sounds from the T.C. alone, but it can be used nicely to get things a little dirty, and add some interesting nuances to bass or keyboards. It is really meant to be used in conjunction with a head. When you're spending over $1000 for a guitar unit, I would expect to get good distortion tone and pre-amp capability (a la DigiTech 2100, ART Express, and so on), but the tradeoff is the hallmark chorus, reverb, and sheer quality of effects on the TC that are really a notch above the others at that price range.
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As is true with all T.C. products I have used, the G-Force is amazingly transparent. What I mean by this is not that the effects are too subtle, but that the original signal keeps all of its integrity and the effect seems almost to massage and enhance the signal. People expecting choruses that make you seasick or flanges that are out of the heavy metal 80s will have to do some knob tweaking to get those radical sounds, as the T.C. leans more towards the subtle side of things. I once heard a good rule of recording and playing with effects: set the effects mix to what you think is a noticeable and appropriate level, and then lower it a bit as people tend to go overboard on effects.
As for individual effects, I was really impressed with the chorus and reverb. In combination, there are so many cool options to spatialize your sound and add nuances (more effect when you play louder, variable panning, etc.). Some settings literally have you looking around the room to see where the sound is coming from! As an owner of the TC chorus pedal for years, I am already a fan and the G-Force seems to continue the trend. Customizable curves in the amazing UI really let you fine tune the reverbs and echoes. Delays are rich and natural, although I would like more than 1.4 seconds and longer sampling would be cool (memory is so cheap these days, right?) Who can sample a 1.4 second stereo loop on the fly and do anything with it? I can use my Jam Man for the longer stuff, though. Tremolo effects, flanger, and panning are excellent. Again, real rich and natural. The pitch shift allows some cool effects like turning your guitar into a really cool sounding bass (a real plus for the home studio, Deep Bass 9 setting #149), although I think a lot of these weird harmonizations are a bit bizarre and for the realm of the Steve Vais out there. EQ and compression seem solid and transparent, although I'm no big time producer whose compared a ton of compressors or EQs.
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| With a patch selected, the display shows the effects that are enabled. |
For those with no experience with rackmount effects and a computer-like interface in your effects chain, this will take some getting used to. For those who have had some experience, I really think you'll like the G-Force. The G-Force's user interface is amazingly well-designed. It visually represents so much information in such a little space, it's surprising. The graphical layout is represented on the screen like a set of stompboxes, and then you enter each one (i.e. chorus, compressor, EQ..) to tweak parameters. Response curves are very easy to understand and I didn't even need to look at the manual to figure out how to modify things. In reverb, for example, you can edit response curves to alter decay times, echo lengths, and so on. Two knobs pretty much do everything and you're in business. The more you use the interface, the more you'll like it. The graphical representation really helps because it is visual as opposed to just a bunch of number values for every parameter. A compare function (to see how your tweaks compare to the original setting) would be a very nice addition to this product, however.
I have recorded several sounds from the G-Force through many different setups - electric, acoustic, direct, microphone, etc. For some of these, I did an effect on/effect off recording so you can compare the sounds. As I reviewed the G-Force, the add-in card wasn't available, but I hear it has hundreds of amazing new sounds including many from artists like Vai and Johnson...cool! That is another key positive for the G-Force compared to a lot of its competition - expandability.
I think The G-Force is an amazing companion for a great acoustic guitar sound. I used a few different guitars and recording setups to get these sample sounds, which will give you a feeling for some of the sounds available. Keep in mind that there are infinite combos of guitars/preamps/speakers/recording techniques. All these sounds were recorded straight to the PC (Card D+) and I only have relatively low-end preamp and guitars. As you up the quality there, of course, you'll get better results.
Audio Examples
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In summary, a great unit for effects. This is not meant to be a preamp, so keep that in mind. All effects were beautiful, and this unit is well suited for guitar or other instruments, or voice. The price tag is not cheap, but for high-quality do-it-all effects, look no further. The main competition is the Lexicon MPX-1, and soon MPX-G2 with full pre-amp and distortions. There are fans on both sides and I have heard many arguments for one side or the other. Both are great choices! Compared to the DigiTech's and ART preamp/effects out there, the TC is a step above in sonic quality, but doesn't offer everything in one package. The G-Force is more along the lines of a studio mentality rather than a plug-in and get screaming complete sounds in one unit.
If you would like to get a more detailed overview of the G-Force's features and specifications, you can read the PDF manual (677K) and PDF addendum (29K) that accompanies version 1.12 of the software.