gâ€¢major - tc electronic

G•MajorGUITAR EFFECTS PROCESSOR

UUSSEERR’’SS MMAANNUUAALL

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1 Read these instructions.2 Keep these instructions.3 Heed all warnings.4 Follow all instructions.5 Do not use this apparatus near water.6 Clean only with dry cloth.7 Do not block any ventilation openings. Install

in accordance with the manufacturer'sinstructions.

8 Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or otherapparatus (including amplifiers) that produceheat.

9 Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. Apolarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.The wide blade or the third prong are providedfor your safety. If the provided plug does not fitinto your outlet, consult an electrician forreplacement of the obsolete outlet.

10 Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

11 Only use attachments/accessories specifiedby the manufacturer.

12 Unplug this apparatus during lightning stormsor when unused for long periods of time.

Use only with the cart, stand, tripod,bracket, or table specified by themanufacturer, or sold with the apparatus.When a cart is used, use caution when

moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

13 Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objectshave fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or hasbeen dropped.

• This equipment should be installed near the socket outlet and disconnection of the device should be easily accessible.

• To completely disconnect from AC mains,disconnect the power supply cord from the ACreceptable.

• The mains plug of the power supply shallremain readily operable.

• Do not install in a confined space.• Do not open the unit - risk of electric shock

inside.

Caution:You are cautioned that any change ormodifications not expressly approved in thismanual could void your authority to operate thisequipment.

Service• There are no user-serviceable parts inside. • All service must be performed by qualified

personnel.

Warning!• To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock,

do not expose this equipment to dripping orsplashing and ensure that no objects filledwith liquids, such as vases, are placed on theequipment.

• This apparatus must be earthed.• Use a three wire grounding type line cord

like the one supplied with the product.• Be advised that different operating voltages

require the use of different types of line cord and attachment plugs.

• Check the voltage in your area and use the correct type. See table below:

Voltage Line plug according to standard

110-125V UL817 and CSA C22.2 no 42.

220-230V CEE 7 page VII, SR section 107-2-D1/IEC 83 page C4.

240V BS 1363 of 1984. Specification for 13A fused plugs and switched and unswitched socket outlets.

The lightning flash with an arrowheadsymbol within an equilateral triangle, isintended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated "dangerous volt-

age" within the product's enclosure that may be ofsufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within anequilateral triangle is intended to alertthe user to the presence of importantoperating and maintenance (servicing)

instructions in the literature accompanying theproduct.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Certificate Of ConformityTC Electronic A/S, Sindalsvej 34, 8240Risskov, Denmark, hereby declares on ownresponsibility that following products:

G•Major - Guitar Effects Processor

- that is covered by this certificate andmarked with CE-label conforms withfollowing standards:

EN 60065 Safety requirements for mains (IEC 60065) operated electronic and

related apparatus for householdand similar general use

EN 55103-1 Product family standard for audio,video, audio-visual and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use. Part 1: Emission.

EN 55103-2 Product family standard for audio, video, audio-visual andentertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use. Part 2: Immunity.

With reference to regulations in followingdirectives:73/23/EEC, 89/336/EEC

Issued in Risskov, January 2001Anders Fauerskov

Chief Executive Officer

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EMC / EMI.This equipment has been tested and found tocomply with the limits for a Class B Digitaldevice, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules.These limits are designed to providereasonable protection against harmfulinterference in residential installations. Thisequipment generates, uses and can radiateradio frequency energy and, if not installed andused in accordance with the instructions, maycause harmful interference to radiocommunications. However, there is noguarantee that interference will not occur in aparticular installation. If this equipment doescause harmful interference to radio or televisionreception, which can be determined by turningthe equipment off and on. The user isencouraged to try to correct the interference byone or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.• Increase the separation between the

equipment and receiver.• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a

circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

For the customers in Canada:This Class B digital apparatus complies withCanadian ICES-003.Cet appareil numérique de la classe B estconforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Important Safety Instructions . . . . . .a-bTable of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Front Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Rear Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Signal Flow Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Basic Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

OPERATION

The Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Preset HandlingRecall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Preset Backup Via MIDI . . . . . . . . . .14

Setting upI/O Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Utility & MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15The Tuner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17MIDI Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Levels All menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Channel Switching of External Preamp with Relay 1+2 . . . .19Kill Dry Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Routings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Tap Tempo Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Controlling the G•MajorIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22The Mod (modifier) Menu . . . . . . . . .22Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Assigning Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

How To....Examples on various operations . . . .25

EFFECT BLOCKS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Effects Menu - Basic operation . . . . .27Noise Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Compressor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Chorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Flanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Vibrato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Resonance Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Phaser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Tremolo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Panner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Pitch Detune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39Whammy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Pitch Shifter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Reverb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

APPENDIX

MIDI Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . .47Preset List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . .49

TC Electronic, Sindalsvej 34, DK-8240 Risskov – [email protected] Rev 7.1 – SW – V 1.26English VersionProd. No: E60500902

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on the purchase of your G•Major Effects processor.If you have never used a multi-effects processor with your guitar rig, you might be wondering at thispoint whether you have placed yourself in a position where you have days of work ahead of you,until your G•Major behaves as you please and adds to your creativity. No need to panic! With the presets already existing your basic needs are most likely covered and you will be set to gowithin minutes. But chances are that you probably will like to go beyond factory presets and find a morepersonalized usage of the G•Major - and that won’t be a hassle either.

Stomp Box SetupIf you are used to working with stomp boxes you might want to use the G•Major for a similar setupand simply benefit from high quality of effects. With any MIDI pedal sending MIDI Control Changevalues the G•Major can be setup and used just as a bunch of regular stomp boxes where yousimply turn effects on and off.

Preset Setup - for ultimate changes in soundsAnother approach would be creating unique presets for each sound accessible via a single press ona MIDI foot-controller.Or - you could combine the preset-approach with the on/off-stomp box setup mentioned above.

Channel SwitchingChanging your sound from a crisp clean dry rhythm sound to an overdriven lead sound, will ofteninvolve channel switching of your preamp or combo in addition to changing your effects preset. Tobe able to switch amp-channels via MIDI the investment of a separate MIDI switching system isoften implied. Not with the G•Major. With the built in Relay Switching on the G•Major you are able toswitch between up to 4 channels on you Preamp/Combo.

Modifiers - Instant parameter controlIf utilizing the above still doesn’t give you the sought after flexibility you are looking for, instantparameter control via the Modifier section of the G•Major is probably the answer. Many algorithmparameters can be assigned to an external MIDI controller or Expression pedal. The possibilitieshere are endless. With an Expression Pedal you can not only control any level of a specific effect,you could also e.g. change the Panning Speed - or what about using the Expression pedal as acustomized Whammy pedal.

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QualityWith the G•Major, TC Electronic introduces a Guitar Effects Processor in the “affordable” pricerange. You should however not be deceived by the price as the G•Major delivers true top qualityprocessing with no unwanted coloring of your beloved guitar-tone. As one of the leading companiesin the business of signal processing the vast amount of knowledge and experience concentrated atTC Electronic is all for your benefit. Though each product is unique it is worth noticing the successand achievement gained on other products from TC Electronic. Prices won for astounding Reverbquality, Compression techniques and numerous other classic TC effects such as Dynamic Delayand Chorus guaranties also the quality of this product. Logical operation via the intuitive userinterface will let you setup a series of quality sounds accessible from any attached MIDI pedal injust a few minutes.

The quality of the effects in the G•Major are guaranteed, but furthermore we are confident that onceyou have spend a few hours twisting the few controls on the G•Major, assisted with this manual,you will start to appreciate the numerous possibilities within the G•Major.

About this manualThe latest manual revision and translations can be downloaded via www.tcelectronic.comIf you have questions unanswered by this manual try looking at our TC Support Interactive site. Thissite is also accessed via www.tcelectronic.com

INTRODUCTION

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FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW

POWER KEYOn/Off switch for the unit.

INPUT LEVEL KNOBAdjusts the Input level. Range: 24dB

OUTPUT LEVEL KNOBAdjusts the Output level. Range: 24dB

INPUT METERSPeak meter showing Input level.The Meter range is: 0, -3, -6 , -12, -18, -24, -40dB.

INPUT OVERLOAD LEDSThe Overload LEDs indicatesone of two situations: The Inputlevel is too hot and thereforeoverloading or there is aninternal DSP overflow.

INPUT TYPE - ANALOG DIGITALInput selection is done in the I/Osection accessed by pressingthe I/O key.Analog: Indicates analog Inputmode is selected.Digital Lock: Indicates thatdigital lock is achieved with adevice connected to the DigitalInput.44.1/48kHz: Indicates whetherthe achieved digital lock is at44.1kHz or at 48kHz.If a digital device is connected tothe digital Input on the G•Majorbut no lock is achieved, theDigital Lock indication will blink.

DI LEDIndicates that external digitalClock Input is selected.

TUNERThe G•Major holds a Tuner. Thetuner is always active. When theinstrument is in tune the twoarrows will both be lit.

THE MATRIXThe G•Major holds 3 differenteffect block routing options.Serial, Semi Parallel andParallel. The matrix illustratesthe structure of the used routing.

LEVELS SECTIONThese parameters refer only tothe block being edited.PPM - Peak Program Meter:Indicates the peak level of theeffect block currently beingedited.IN Meter:Indicates the block Effect InputLevel.OUT Meter: Indicates the Effect block OutputLevel.MIX MeterIndicates the Effect Block Mix level.

DAMPIf both the Noise Gate and theCompressor is in use the DAMPindicator will indicate the NoiseGate attenuation when no Input signal is present and the appliedcompression where Input signalis present.

PRESET NUMBERWhen steady the currentlyrecalled preset number isdisplayed. Whenpreviewing presets thenumber will blink until thepreset is recalled bypressing the RECALL key.

EDITEDWhen this LED is lit thecurrently recalled presethas been edited but notyet stored.

FACTORY/USERIndicates whether you areoperating in the Factory orin the User bank.

MIDI INIndicates incoming MIDIinformation.

SELECT (Outer) - ADJUST (Inner) wheelsThe two wheels are usedto handle mix parametersfrom each effect block.Turn the outer SELECTwheel to scroll betweenmix parameters and usethe ADJUST wheel to setvalue. After 2 secondsuntouched, the displayreturns to its previousstate.

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FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW

FRONT PANEL KEYS GENERAL INFORMATIONA single click will activate/deactivate the effect. Doubleclicking on the key will enterthe Edit menu of the effectalgorithm.Lit key LED indicates activeeffect block.

NOISE GATE KEYOn/off key for the Noise Gateblock.

LEVELS ALL/ RELAY 1+2Press to access global Levelparameters, Kill Dry functionand settings for the two Relayswitches that will allow you toe.g. switch channels on youcombo/head or preamp.

COMPOn/Off key for the Compressorblock.

CHO/FLAOn/Off key for the Chorus/Flanger block.

FILTER/MODOn/Off key for the Filter andModulation block.

DELAYOn/Off key for the Delay block.

PITCHOn/Off for the Pitch block.

REVERBOn/Off key for the Reverb block.

ROUTINGPress to access the Routing section. This is where youselect the routing of your effectblocks.

MODPress to access the Modifier section. This is where yousetup which parameters thatshould be controlled externally,e.g. via a connectedExpression Pedal.

I/OThe I/O menu is where you control all Input and Output related parameters.

MIDI/UTILPress to access all MIDI andother general parameters.

RECALLPress RECALL to initiate arecall operation. Use the EDITwheel in the Control section(inner wheel) to select preset.Then press ENTER (EDITwheel) or RECALL to confirmoperation.

STOREPress STORE once to initiatea store operation. Selectlocation using the EDIT wheelin the Control section (innerwheel). Now press ENTER toconfirm operation.The name of the preset can bealtered before pressing

ENTER for confirmation. To doso use the PARAMETERwheel in the Effects section toselect letter-space and theVALUE wheel to select letter. When the name is set pressENTER twice to confirm entireSTORE operation.

PARAMETER WHEEL(Outer)

EDIT WHEEL (Inner) ENTER (Push for Enterfunction)These two wheels are used to handle all setup and non-effects related parameters. The PARAMETER wheel isused to select parameters.The EDIT wheel is used toadjust values. Push the EDIT wheel for Enter/Confirm functions.

TAPTap to enter global tempo. Effects related to tempo ase.g. the Delay block can usethis tempo or a subdivisionthereof. The LED in the keywill blink according to thecurrent global tempo.

BYPASS ALLPress to bypass all effects.Press and hold for approx. 1sec to mute Outputs for e.g.silent tuning.

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REAR PANEL

BalancedJackAnalogInputs

BalancedJackAnalogOutputs

ExternalControl

MIDIIn, Out, Thru

SwitchOutRelayJack

DigitalS/PDIFInput/Output

PowerInput100 - 240V

Relay Jack Cable- Y-Splitter Type

Jack Cable Stereo to Mono

Jack Cable Mono to Mono

TIPRINGGND

GNDTIP

GNDTIP

MIDI Cable

DIN CONNECTOR5POLE - MALE45 degrees

DIN CONNECTOR5POLE - MALE45 degrees

max. 10m

SHIELDED CABLE (3 or 5 wires + screen)

Note!The analog Input and Output connectorson the G•Major are balanced 1/4” jacks.Optimal connection to balanced equipmentis achieved using balanced cables.However most guitar equipment is NOTbalanced and you will generally have noproblems using standard mono-to-monocables as illustrated below.

TIPRINGGND

GNDTIP

GNDTIP

TIPGND

TIPRINGGND

GNDRINGTIP

Relay Jack Cable- Stereo Jack Type

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SIGNAL FLOW

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BASIC SETUPS

Connecting and Setting up the G•Major

There are numerous ways of hooking up guitar rigs. On these pages we have listed some of themost commonly used setups. We recommend using serial setups where the entire signal passesthrough the G•Major. This will give you the maximum benefit from all effect algorithms. As statedseveral times in this manual, you should NOT worry about coloring of your sound as TC Electronicuses top quality converters that does NOT color your tone.

Serial Setup with Preamp and Power Amp• Connect the Output of your preamp to

the Input of the G•Major.• Connect the Output of the G•Major to

the Input of your power amp.• To be able to switch preamp channels

with the G•Major connect the Relay Jack connection on the G•Major to the channel switching jacks on the preamp.(This does not apply for MIDI preamps).

Serial Setup with Preamp and one or twoCombo Amps• Connect the Output of your preamp to the

Input of the G•Major.• Connect the Output of the G•Major to either

the Input or the Loop Return of the Combo orCombos.

• To be able to switch preamp channels withthe G•Major, connect the Relay Jackconnection on the G•Major to the channelswitching jacks on the preamp. (this does notapply for MIDI preamps).

Using the return on the Combo’s effect loop willin most cases give you a setup similar to thepower-amp setup described above.Using the regular Input on the Combo gives youa “double-preamp” setup where you can use thetone controls on the Combo to color yoursound. This introduces more noise than whenusing the Effect Return connection, but hasbecome a popular setup with amplifiers like VoxAC 30, Fender Bassman etc.

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BASIC SETUPS

Connecting and Setting up the G•Major

Parallel Setup using a Line Mixer• Connect the Output of your preamp to the

Input of the Line Mixer.• To be able to switch preamp channels with

the G•Major connect the Relay Jackconnection on the G•Major to the channelswitching jacks on the preamp.(this does not apply for MIDI preamps).

• Connect the Line Mixer Loop Outputs to theG•Major Inputs and the G•Major Outputs tothe Line Mixer Loop Inputs.

• Connect the Line Mixer main Outputs toyour amplification.

The Illustration shows Combos - these couldalso be a power amp, and the Preamp couldeasily be the Preamp-section of a Comboamplifier.

Combined Setup with Regular EffectPedals, a G•Major and a MIDI pedal• Connect the Combo’s Effect loop Out to the

G•Major Input.• Connect the G•Major Output to the Effect

loop Input.• Connect your guitar to your pedals and your

pedals to the Input of the Combo as usual.• If you wish to switch presets on the G•Major

e.g. including Channel switching of thePreamp/Combo you should also connect aMIDI pedal to the G•Major and use theRelay Switching function.

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THE DISPLAY

Input Meter

OverloadLEDs

Input TypeIndicator

Matrix - indication ofcurrently used Routing

Block Levels -In/Out and Mix

DampCompression/Noise Gate

Preset Number

Indicators of:ReceivedMIDIFactory/Userpreset bankEditindicationTunerDetected Input Pitch

Input MetersPeak meter showing Input level. The Meter range is: 0, -3, -6, -12, -18, -24, -40dB.To set correct Input level:Select the “loudest” sounds containing the mostdynamic content on the equipment you arefeeding the G•Major with, e.g. your preamp.This will probably be a clean sound. Adjust theInput level at the G•Major so the -3dB LEDflashes frequently and the -0dB LED flashesonly at absolutely highest levels.

Input Overload LEDsThe Overload LEDs indicates one of twosituations: The Input level is too hot and thereforeoverloading or there is an internal DSPoverflow. The Overload LED is lit when 1sample is @ 0dBFS. Reduce either the Output of the device feedingthe G•Major or Input gain on the G•Major usingthe Input level knob.

Input Type and ClockInput selection is done in the Utility sectionaccessed by pressing the I/O key.

Analog/Digital: Indicates selected Input mode.

Lock: Indicates that digital lock is achieved witha device connected to the Digital Input.

44.1/48kHz: Indicates the current Clock Rate.

DI LED: Indicates that external digital ClockInput is selected.If a digital device is connected to the digitalInput on the G•Major but no lock is achieved,the Lock indication will blink. Check cables andClock Rate on the connected device and tryagain.

TunerThe G•Major holds a Tuner, which is alwaysactive. The two arrows will both be lit when theinstrument is in tune.If a TC Electronic G•Minor MIDI pedal (optional)is used you can also have the Tuner displayedin the Pedal.

The MatrixThe G•Major holds 3 different effect blockrouting options.This matrix indicates which of the three that isused.

Levels SectionThese parameters refer only to the block beingedited.

PPM - Peak Program Meter:Indicates the level of the block currently beingedited.

IN Meter:Indicates the present Input Level in the blockcurrently being edited.

OUT Meter: Indicates the parameter position of the OutputLevel in the block currently being edited.

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THE DISPLAY PRESET HANDLING

MIX Meter:Indicates the parameter position of the Mix levelin the block currently being edited.

DAMPIf both the Noise Gate and the Compressor is inuse the DAMP indicator will indicate the NoiseGate attenuation when no Input signal ispresent and the applied compression whenInput signal is present.

Preset NumberWhen steady the currently recalled presetnumber is displayed. When previewing presetsthe number will blink until the preset is recalled.Previewing means scrolling through the presetsbefore actually recalling one of them.

EditedWhen this LED is lit the currently recalledpreset has been edited but not yet stored.

Factory/UserIndicates whether you are operating in theFactory or in the User bank.

Preset typesUser presets - RAMUser presets that can be edited and stored inany User location. You can store up to 100 userpresets in the User bank.

Factory presets - ROMThe G•Major holds 100 factory presets.Factory presets that can be edited and storedin any User location. You cannot store presetsinto a factory location.

RecallRecalling a preset means loading/activatinga preset.• Press RECALL to enter the RECALL menu.• Use the EDIT wheel to preview presets.

Blinking preset number indicates Previewmode. Previewing means that youare not actually changing/loading the presetuntil ENTER is pushed.

• Press ENTER or RECALL to recall/activatethe preset. (ENTER is the center-dialer in theControl section)

Press any other key at any time duringpreviewing to abort mission and return to thecurrently recalled preset.

Previewing and Routings:When previewing a preset with aRouting that is different from the Routingcurrently used the Routing/Matrix LEDswill be blinking.

EditTo edit preset parameters• Double click on the Effect block key you

would like to edit.• Select parameters using the PARAMETER

wheel and change values using the EDITwheel.

• See the following section for instructions onhow to store a preset.

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StoreTo store a preset with the same name:• Press STORE.

If the preset you are about to store is aFactory preset the G•Major suggests the firstavailable User location but you can selectany of the 100 locations using the EDITwheel. If the preset you are about to store isa User preset, the G•Major suggests thecurrent location of the preset. You can, however, store at any of the 100User locations. Select location using theEDIT wheel.

• Press ENTER twice to confirm storeoperation.

To rename a preset while storing:• Press STORE. If the preset you are about to

store is a Factory preset the G•Majorsuggests the first available User location butyou can select any of the 100 locations usingthe EDIT wheel. Press ENTER once.

• Select storing location using the CONTROLEDIT wheel.

• To alter the preset name; use thePARAMETER wheel to move cursor and theEDIT wheel to select character.

• Press ENTER twice to store the preset withthe new name.

Presets Backup Via MIDIThe User bank can be dumped for backup viaMIDI to either a sequencer or another G•Major.This is how to do it:• Connect G•Major MIDI Out to MIDI In on

either another G•Major or sequencer. • Enter the Utility menu by pressing the

MIDI/UTIL key and scroll to select “BulkDump” using the CONTROLPARAMETER wheel.

• If connected to another G•Major simply pressENTER and the entire User bank will becopied to the other G•Major.

• If connected to a sequencer let thesequencer record in OMNI mode (all channels)and press ENTER on the G•Major.

The G•Major is always ready to receive a MIDI Bulk Dump. Simply connect MIDI Out from the device youare dumping from to MIDI In on the G•Major. Ifyou are dumping from a sequencer, simply playthe sequence holding the BULK information. Ifdumping from a G•Major - see above!

I/O SetupIn the I/O menu you will find all I/O relatedparameters such as Input/Output settings,analog/digital, Status Bit and Dither. For anysuccessful operation of the G•Major theseparameters must be correctly set!

All parameters in the I/O menu are “”general”parameters that are not stored with the presets.

Basic Operation• Press I/O• Select parameters using the PARAMETER

wheel in the Control Section.• Change values using the EDIT wheel.

InputSelect between Analog and Digital.Analog InputWhen "Analog" is selected the G•Majorautomatically defaults to the internal 44.1kHzclock as Sample Rate.

Digital InputWhen "Digital" is selected the G•Major attemptsto lock to the S/PDIF Input. During the lock-upperiod the LOCK icon blinks indicating none orunacceptable clock, and the Outputs aremuted. When lock is achieved the LOCK icon turnssolid, and the Outputs are un-muted.

ClockAnalog InputWhen Input source is analog the followingSample Rates are available:Internal 44.1kHz : The G•Major runs at

internal 44.1kHz.Internal 48kHz : The G•Major runs at

internal 48kHz.Digital : The G•Major locks to the

incoming Digital clock.

Digital InputWhen Input Source is digital the followingSample Rates are available:Internal 44.1kHz : The G•Major runs at

internal 44.1kHz.Internal 48kHz : The G•Major runs at

internal 48kHz.Digital : The G•Major locks to the

incoming Digital clock.

PRESET HANDLING I/O SETUP

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Please note that when using internalclock with external digital audio, theincoming digital audio must be in syncwith the G•Major internal clock in orderto avoid slip-samples.

"***Rate Mismatch****"This Error message will occur in the display ifthe G•Major detects slip-samples. Typically thisproblem only occurs in special clock setups e.g.if the G•Major is running via internal clock,while processing audio from the Digital Input. Ifthe incoming clock and the internal clock do notmatch the G•Major will display the abovewritten error message.

Digital In GainAdjusts the Digital In level. This parameter isonly active when Digital In is selected.

DitherGoing from one type of bit resolution to a lower,e.g. from 24 bit to 16 bit, you actually loose 8bits of information. The process of cutting offbits is called truncation and it introduces digitaldistortion of low level signals, due to lack ofcomplete signal information. To compensate forthis - dither must be applied. Dither is a smallamount of filtered noise that generatesrandomization at the noise floor, ensuring aless distorted low level signal. Dithering isrelevant only on digital Outputs and it is alwaysthe receiving device that determines thenumber of bits you must dither to. A signaldelivered to a CDR or a DAT recorder shouldnormally be dithered to 16 bit. In other words -when using the digital Outputs from theG•Major to feed any 16 or 20 bit equipment youshould dither to that value via the G•Major.

Status BitsSets whether the G•Major is sending outAES/EBU (professional standard or S/PDIF(consumer standard) status bits.

Input RangeRange: Pro/ConsumerSets the sensitivity of the G•Major Input.Default setting is “Pro” which will match mostpreamps.

Output RangeRange: 2dBu, 8dBu, 14dBu, 20dBuSets the maximum Gain range of the analogOutput Stage.

All parameters in the I/O menu are “general”parameters that are not stored with thepresets.

MIDI ChannelRange: Off/1-16/Omni.Sets the responding MIDI channel of theG•Major. If Omni is selected the G•Major willrespond to MIDI information received on anychannel.

MIDI Program ChangeRange: On/Off.Determines whether the G•Major shouldrespond to received MIDI program changes ornot.

Bulk DumpPress ENTER to perform a total Bulk dump ofall presets to an external MIDI device such as aMIDI sequencer.The G•Major is always ready to receive MIDIBulk dump information. See the section“Presets Backup Via MIDI” for more informationon this in the Preset handling chapter.Single presets and current settings can be sentand received via Sysex.

The “Send Tuner” parameter MUST beset to off when performing a bulk dump.The “Send Tuner” parameter is locatedfurther down in the Utility menu.

Program bankDetermines which bank an external MIDI devicewill address in the G•Major when sending aprogram change. The options are; External,Factory or User.When External is selected controller #0 can beused to address either the Factory or the Userbank.

Factory bank : Controller #0=0User bank : Controller #0=1

SysEx IDDetermines the Sys-Ex ID number of the unit.

Pedal TypeSets up the pedal type used on the Ext. Control1/4" jack. Select between Momentary,Alternating or Expression-Volume pedal types. Momentary types are similar to hold pedalstypically used on keyboards, where there isonly connection between tip and ground when

I/O SETUP MIDI/UTIL

16

MIDI/UTIL

the pedal is pressed. Alternating pedal types“stays connected” when pressed, and must bepressed again to be deactivated. Default settingis Expression.

Pedal CalibrateFor the G•Major to respond correctly to theactions performed by a connected Expressionpedal, the G•Major must be calibrated to thespecific pedal.

• Connect your pedal and select appropriatepedal type.

• Select Pedal calibrate and press ENTER.• Move pedal to Max position (heel up) and

press ENTER.• Move pedal to Min position (heel down) and

press ENTER.• Your pedal has been calibrated.

Depending on the pedal type you areusing you can be asked to repeat steps3 and 4.

Tuner Ref.Range: 420 to 460HzSets the master Tune frequency of the built inTuner. 440Hz is the standard setting.

Tuner ModeThe Tuner can operate with two differentaccuracies.

Fine TuneMaximum accuracy. Use this mode when fine-tuning your guitar.

CoarseSlightly less accurate mode, allowing for fastresults in a live situation.

Tuner RangeSets the range of the Tuner. Select betweenBass, 7-string Guitar and Guitar. The accuracyof the Tuner is dependent on this tuner range,and it is therefore important to set thisparameter according to the instrument youdesire to tune.

Send TunerSet this parameter to “On” to feed a connectedG•Minor with Tuner information.

MOD MasterRange: Read/IgnoreIf you are not acquainted with Modifiers youcan read about them in the Modifier Section ofthis manual. In short - parameter values can becontrolled via an external controller such ase.g. a MIDI Expression pedal. If setup to controle.g. the Preset Out Level you must decide viathis MOD Master parameter how you would likethe G•Major to respond to the position of theExpression pedal at preset changes. Choosingbetween the following options depends verymuch on what your Modifier is set up todo/control.

ModIf set to “Mod” the G•Major will at any presetchange check the position of the connectedexternal Controller and respond to this positionthereby ignoring the Modifier value for therelevant parameter.

PresetIf set to “Preset” the G•Major will ignore theposition of the connected External controllerand load the Modifier value stored with thepreset.

If using Ignore function with anExpression Pedal that is controlling alevel parameter, you should be awarethat next time you move the pedal the parameter will jump to the valueequivalent to the pedal position. Thiscould in some cases mean aconsiderable jump in level.

Tap MasterPreset : Tempo will follow presets.Tap : Tempo will follow the Global tapped

tempo.

Tap UnitSelects whether the tapped tempo in the TapMenu should be displayed in milliseconds (ms)or in Beats Pr Minute (BPM).

MIDI ClockRange: On/OffThe Global Tap Tempo can be synchronized toan Incoming MIDI clock from e.g. a MIDIsequencer.Thereby you can e.g. keep a Delay Time insync with the Tempo of the song.

17

MIDI/UTIL

FX MuteRange: Hard/SoftThis parameter determines how Delay andReverb effects should be handled at presetchanges. Hard : Effects are muted at preset

change.Soft : Delays will “spill over” and

Reverbs are smoothly glided to the setting in the preset you access.

View AngleAdjusts the LCD display backlight for betterviewing comfort.

The TunerThe Tuner is always on, and displayed in theLCD display.

The following parameters are set in theUtility.• Press MIDI/UTIL to access the menu.• Use the CONTROL PARAMETER wheel to

select parameter.• Use the EDIT wheel to set values.

Tuner ModeSets the mode of the Tuner. Choose betweentwo modes:

Fine TuneMaximum accuracy. Use this mode when fine-tuning your guitar.

CoarseSlightly less accurate mode, allowing for fastresults in a live situation.

Tuner RangeSets the range of the Tuner. Select betweenBass, 7-string Guitar and Guitar (6 string). Theaccuracy of the Tuner is dependent on thisTuner range, and it is therefore important to setthis parameter according to the instrument youdesire to tune.

Tuner FrequencyYou can set the master tuning reference in theUtility menu. The range is from 420 Hertz to460 Hertz. Standard tuning is 440Hz but oftenwhen playing with classical instrumentsfrequencies from 438 to 442Hz are used astuning reference.

Tuner MuteIt is often a good idea to mute the Output ofyour G•Major when tuning your guitar. You cansetup either a MIDI pedal sending a MIDI CC ora momentary or alternating switch or even anExpression pedal to control the mute function.This is set up in the Mod section.

ExampleSetting up the G•Major to mute for tuning when

receiving a MIDI Control Change from yourMIDI pedal.

• Connect your MIDI pedal to the G•Major.• Press MOD and select the Tuner Mute

parameter using the PARAMETER wheel inthe Control section.

• Press ENTER to set the G•Major in “Learn”mode.

• Press the Control Change button on the MIDIpedal you would like to react as “TunerMute”.

That’s it - whenever you press this button in thefuture you will be able to tune without disturbingyour fellow musicians.

The G•Major Tuner and the G•Minor PedalIf using the optional TC Electronic G•MinorPedal the Tuner is displayed in the pedal aswell.

The Output Mute function for silent tuning is ofcourse also accessible via the optional G•Minorpedal.

The Send Tuner parameter in the Utilitymenu MUST be set to “On” to feed tunerinformation to a G•Minor pedal.

18

MIDI/UTIL

MIDI MAPPINGWhat is MIDI mapping? With the G•Major it is possible to map anincoming program change from 1 to 128 torecall any Factory or User preset.

Example:You send program change no. 1 to both yourG•Major and you MIDI preamp (or other MIDIdevice). However, you would like the G•Majorto recall another preset instead of no. 1.MIDI mapping can do this for you. See below.

To enter the MIDI mapping functions:• Press MIDI/UTIL• Select Prg Bank parameter and set to

“Custom” using the PARAMETER and EDITwheel

• Press ENTER

The display now reads:

• Select which incoming program change youwish to map using the EDIT wheel.

• Now select “Map To” using the PARAMETERwheel

• Use the EDIT wheel to select which preset tomap to. In the above example a receivedprogram change no. 1 will be mapped toFactory preset number 7.

• Repeat for all the programs you wish to map.

The User bank is located after theFactory Bank.You can chose to map to “none” if youwish to let the G•Major ignore theincoming program change.

Reset MIDI MapBy resetting the MIDI map incoming programchanges will be mapped 1 to 1 factory bank,2 to 2 factory bank and so forth.

• Select “Reset Map” using the PARAMETERwheel.

• Press ENTER to reset the entire MIDI Map.

19

LEVELS ALL & RELAY 1+2

Basic Operation• Press the LEVELS ALL key to enter this

menu.• Use the PARAMETER/EDIT wheels in the

Control section to select and edit parametersand values.

• The Level Parameters described below canall be remote controlled. See explanation onpages 22-23.

Preset Out Level Range: Off (-100dB) to 0dB.Sets the Output level of the current preset. Thisallows level adjustment of each preset,enabling you to make application specificpresets, such as lead and rhythm presets. ThePreset Out level is stored with the preset.Please note that all factory presets is set to -6dB, leaving headroom for additional individualpreset boost. An example on how to setup asolo level is given in the “How To” section inthis manual.

Global In LevelRange: Off (-100dB) to 0dB.Sets the overall Input level of the G•Major. As the parameter name states this level isglobal and therefore not stored with presets.Using the Global Input level as overall volumefor your guitar setup, will allow the effects toring out after volume has been turned down,e.g. Reverb and Delays will continue theirnatural decay.

Global Out LevelRange: Off (-100dB) to 0dB.Sets the overall Output level of the G•Major. As the parameter name states this level isglobal and therefore not stored with presets.Using the Global Out level as overall volume foryour guitar setup, instant volume control of yourentire setup, including decaying effects, ispossible.

Kill DryRange: On/OffWe always recommend using the G•Major in aserial setup or loop as this will give youmaximum benefit of all effect and features. However, when used in a parallel setup/loopthe Kill Dry function comes in handy.With Kill Dry activated, no direct signal will bepassed to the Outputs.

A few comments regarding the Kill Dry functionand a parallel setup. First of all: • In such a setup we recommend using the

parallel routing. • Note that the “Mix” parameter changes to

“Wet” in all algorithms when Kill Dry is set to“On”.

Secondly, you should be aware that the idea ofa parallel loop can be compared to the signalpath of a mixer. The signal is split, - one partruns unprocessed to out and never passes theeffects processor. The other part is processedthrough the G•Major and summed with theunprocessed signal. Therefore you will not get full benefit from alleffects when running a parallel setup. This goesespecially for level based effects such asTremolo and Panner but also Chorus/Flanger/Phaser/Vibrato and Pitch will be affected.

Channel Switching of Ext.Preamp using Relay 1 & 2G•Major has two built in switching relaysthat allows analog pre-amps channels to beswitch either at preset changes or via areceived MIDI CC from your MIDI pedal.

In other words;- with each preset you can decide whetheryour preamp or combo should use the clean oroverdriven channel.- or you could switch the relays/preamp-channel by sending a MIDI Cc message to theG•Major via your MIDI board.

Depending on the channel switching connectionon your preamp/combo either a “Y-SplitterCable” splitting a Stereo 1/4” jack to two monojacks (tip to tip and tip to ring), or a standard“Stereo jack to Stereo jack-cable” must beused.

• Relay 1 shorts the tip of the switching 1/4"jack with the sleeve/GND, when set to On.Off position means that the relay is open.

• Relay 2 shorts the ring of the switching 1/4"jack with the sleeve/GND, when set to On.Off position means that the relay is open.

(see illustrations on the following page)

20

CHANNEL SWITCHING & TAP TEMPO

• Connect the Stereo jack to the Switch Outconnection on the G•Major rear panel.

• Connect the two mono jacks (or the stereojack depending on the used cable) to thechannel switching connectors on the comboor preamp.

• Recall the preset on the G•Major to whichyou wish assign a channel switching settingto.

• Hit the RELAY 1+2 key.• Now select Relay 1 or Relay 2 using the

PARAMETER wheel and use the EDITVALUE wheel to On/Off switch the twoRelays.

By doing this you are now switching thechannels on your preamp. Exactly which settingthat will give you your Clean Crunch andDistorted channels we cannot tell as this variesfrom amp to amp. Experiment and learn the fewbasic settings that applies to your amp.

• Store the preset by pressing the STORE keytwice.

(see the Preset Handling section for more infoon storing)

Tap MenuTap TempoThe Tap tempo feature allows you to tap in thetempo of the song you are currently playing.This way a Vibrato, Tremolo or a Delay effectcan match and fit the tempo of the song youplay.The tempo you tap on the TAP key is global butyou can setup the Tempo parameter in differentalgorithms to subdivide the tapped GlobalTempo as you wish.

These parameters can be remote controlled viaMIDI or the Ext. Control jack. This is set up inthe "Mod" menu.

Setting the position of the Relays is donevia the Levels All (Relay 1+2 menu).Press the LEVELS ALL key to and scrollusing the PARAMETER wheel

ExampleLet us assume you have hooked the G•Majorup with either a three-channel combo orpreamp.• First of all check whether your amp uses 2

mono connectors or one stereo connector forthe channel switching and select cableaccordingly.

Depending on complexity of thechannel switching system on yourguitar amp you may need to contactthe manufacturer of your guitar ampand/or a technician to get solderingadvice for optimal channel switchingsetup.At www.tcelectronic.com, supportsection, we have placed variouschannel switching schematics forsome of the most common amplifierson the market. Try there first!

TIPRINGGND

GND

TIP

TIPRINGGND

GNDRINGTIP

Y-Splitter Cable Stereo to StereoJack Cable

21

ROUTINGS

Routing MenuThe G•Major holds three different effectsroutings. The Routings can be stored with thepreset. However you can also choose to fixateyour favorite routing by utilizing the "Routinglock" function. Consider the Routing as how youwould connect your stomp boxes on a regularpedal board.

Operation• Press ROUTING.• Select Routing Lock or Routing type using

the PARAMETER wheel.• If selecting Routing type select Serial, Semi

Parallel or Parallel using the EDIT wheel andconfirm with ENTER.

SerialThe Serial routing connects all seven effectblocks in straight line, connecting one effect tothe next equal to a regular guitar stomp boxsetup. This means that the preceding effectblocks affect any effect block.

If using a long Delay in the Delay blockyou might find the added Reverb on theDelay repeats disturbing. In that caseuse either Semi Parallel or Parallelrouting.

Semi ParallelSemi Parallel still connects the first five effectblocks in serial, but the Reverb and Delayblocks are now connected in parallel.Consequently the Delay and Reverb effects donot affect each other. This would e.g. mean thatthe repeats of the Delay are not reverberatedand vice versa. The parallel connection of the Reverb andDelay may help to clear the effects picture.

Parallel The Parallel routing still allows serial basedeffects like the Noise Gate, Compressor andTremolo to be connected in serial butadditionally connects the Pitch, Chorus, Delayand Reverb in a parallel setup.

Routing LockThe Routing Lock function is the first parameterlocated in the Routing menu. It is accessedsimply by pressing the ROUTING key.At each MIDI program change the Routing-status is evaluated and will change if the presetyou are switching to is using a different routingthan the one you are switching from. The"Routing Lock"-function disables this andfixates the Routing, and consequently onlyeffect parameters are now changed by a presetchange.

For smooth preset changes and generalease of programming it is advisable touse the same routing as often aspossible and only change routing when aspecial effect or function is needed.

22

CONTROLLING THE G•MAJOR

IntroductionIf you have played around and listened to theG•Major and maybe programmed a few presetsyou are probably anxious to get control of theunit from your MIDI board, Expression pedalsor maybe via the optional G•Minor MIDI footswitch.If you are new to the 19 inch “world of wonders”this section will maybe startle you at first, butonce you get a grip of the basics you will seehow easy it is to gain full control of the G•Majorand appreciate these possibilities. As describedbelow we have even implemented a “Learn”function that makes setting up external controlof various parameters very easy.

The Mod MenuThis section describes how the parameters inthe MOD menu are assigned to an ExternalControl Device.Modifiers can be perceived as interfacesbetween external controlling devices (such ase.g. an Expression pedal) and specificalgorithm parameters. The section “Modifiers”will describe in detail how to work with these.

• Press MOD and select parameters using theCONTROLPARAMETER wheel.

• For each of the parameters you can nowsetup how this parameter should becontrolled. Use the CONTROL EDIT wheel toselect between following options:

• Off• Learn• Pedal• CC 1-128

OffOff means: No external control of the Modifier.

LearnThe obvious comfortable choice that makessetting up a breeze. • Press ENTER and the display will blink

showing that you are in the Learn mode. • Now you must show G•Major which of the

connected external controllers you will use tocontrol the modifier. Either send a CC (bypressing one of your MIDI pedals CCbuttons) or move your Expression pedal orswitch.

• “Learning” will now no longer blink and theG•Major has recognized your externalcontroller.

PedalWhen “Pedal” is selected it is only the pedalconnected to the “External Control” jack on therear panel that can control the Modifier.

CC 0-127This is where you can directly specify exactlywhich CC number the Modifier should respondto.

Natural choice for switching blockson/off or Tuner Mute would be usingMIDI CCs (Control Change values)sent from your MIDI pedal. Naturalchoice for controlling any Level, Speedor Pitch parameter would be using anExpression Pedal.

Parameters in the MOD menu:Mod 1 to 4Modifiers can be perceived as interfacesbetween external controlling devices (such ase.g. an Expression pedal) and specificalgorithm parameters. The section “Modifiers”will describe in detail how to work with these.

Tap TempoRemote control of Tap Tempo. This is thetempo that you can assign tempo parameters toe.g. Delay Time or Tremolo Speed.

Bypass AllRemote control of the Overall Bypass All.

Tuner MuteAllows you to Mute the Outputs of the G•Major,while tuning your guitar.

Global In Level *Remote control of the Global In level.

Preset Out Level *Remote control of the Preset Out level. Withthis parameter you can boost a preset to sololevel.

PresetBoost This is an excellent feature allowing you toboost any preset for fills etc. You can boost thepreset from its current preset level (setup in the"Levels All" menu) to 0dB by using any MIDI

23


CC value or pedal connected to the PedalInput. A MIDI CC value above 64 will set thecurrent preset to 0dB. A MIDI CC value below64 will set the current preset back to the presetlevel. When a new preset is recalled, the PresetBoostcontroller is reset (a value below 64 is sentout). This will allow for an update of the LEDstatus on your footcontroller given that the MIDIOut of the G•Major is connected to the MIDI Inon your footcontroller. Please note that if thePreset Level parameter in the Levels All menuis set to 0dB, no boost will be possible.For further instructions on how to set up thePresetBoost function please read the exampleon page 24.

Global Out Level *Remote control of the Global Out level.

Relay 1 & Relay 2Remote control of Relay 1 and 2.

Comp On/OffOn/off toggle of the Compressor via an externalcontroller.

Filter On/OffOn/off toggle of the Filter block via an externalcontroller.

Pitch On/OffOn/off toggle of the Pitch block via an externalcontroller.

Cho/Flg On/OffOn/off toggle of the Chorus/Flanger block viaan external controller.

Delay On/OffOn/off toggle of the Delay block via an externalcontroller.

Reverb On/OffOn/off toggle of the Reverb block via anexternal controller.

Noise Gate On/OffOn/off toggle of the Noise Gate via an externalcontroller.

EQ On/OffOn/off toggle of the EQ via an externalcontroller.

External Control Using Modifiers

Assigning ModifiersThere are two steps in assigning an externalcontroller to control a specific parameter.

Step 1 - Assigning Modifiers to ExternalControl• Press MOD to enter the Modify menu and

select MOD 1-4 using the CONTROLPARAMETER wheel.

• Turning the EDIT wheel clockwise you cannow select between the following optionsdetermining how the Modifier should becontrolled. The Options are:Off, Learn, Pedal, CC 1-128.

Learn• Press ENTER and the display will blink

showing that you are in the Learn mode forthe Modifier.

• Now you must show the G•Major whichconnected external controller you will use tocontrol the modifier. Either send a CC (e.g.by pressing one of your MIDI pedals CCbuttons) move your Expression pedal orpress your connected switch.

* A dedicated response curve for each of thelevel parameters in the MOD menu isavailable. You will find that depending on theExpression pedal type you are using differentcurves may be ideal. Press ENTER and use the PARAMETER andEDIT wheels to set three curve points: Min,Mid and Max. - See also next page for amore detailed explanation on “Setting aModifier Response Curve”.


• “Learning” will now no longer blink and theG•Major has recognized which externalcontroller you want to control the Modifierwith and which MIDI CC value the device issending if any.

OffOff means: No external Control of the Modifier.

PedalWhen “Pedal” is selected it is only the pedalconnected to the “External Control” jack on therear panel that can control the Modifier.

CC 0-127This is where you can directly specify which CCnumber the Modifier should respond to.

Step 2 - Assigning a Parameter to a Modifier• If not already in the MOD menu press MOD

so the display shows MOD 1, 2, 3 or 4. Thenpress ENTER.

Note that this is not where you select whichModifier you are assigning, so any of the 4 will do.You will now have a list of all the parametersthat can be controlled via a Modifier. Onlyparameters in the active effect blocks are listed.You can scroll through the parameters usingthe PARAMETER wheel. In the left side of thedisplay you will have the parameter name andin the right side the assigned Modifier.

• Use the PARAMETER wheel to selectparameter and the VALUE wheel to selectwhich of the 4 Modifiers the parameters mustbe assigned to. Press ENTER and go to Step 3.

Step 3 - Setting the Modifier ResponseCurve The Modifier Response Curve determines howthe Modifier responds to e.g. the movement ofan Expression pedal. There are threeparameters to set.

MinOutDetermines the Modifier Outlevel when theExpression pedal/Modifier Input is at minimumposition.MidOutDetermines the Modifier Outlevel when theExpression pedal/Modifier Input is at mediumposition.MaxOut.Determines the Modifier Outlevel when the

Expression pedal/Modifier Input is at maximumposition.

Assigning an Expression Pedal as aWhammyThis example requires that you have assignedan Expression pedal to Modifier 1 using e.g. theLearning function as described in the previouscolumn.

Algorithm Parameter Assigned Modifier

Example • Connect your Expression pedal to either the

External Control jack on the back of theG•Major or to the connection for expressionpedals on your MIDI pedal board.(Please see the MIDI/UTIL section on how tocalibrate your Expression Pedal if youhaven’t calibrated yet).

• Press MOD key to access the MOD menu.• Press ENTER.• Select the Pitch parameter using the

PARAMETER wheel and select the MOD 1using the EDIT wheel.

The G•Major must be calibrated to theExpression Pedal type you connect.This is done in the Utility menu. Pleaseread the description of how to operate the Utility menu in this manual.

Which Parameters Can Be Assigned?The parameters you can assign to Modifiers arelocated in the bottom of the Mod menu. Theparameter list will vary depending on whichalgorithms are active from the various effectblocks.

24

25

HOW TO

How to get started• Connect the G•Major according to your setup

as described on pages 10/11 and power on. • Find the “loudest” sound from your preamp

or effect pedals with the most dynamics andset the Input level so peaks are at approx. -3dB. The sound with the most dynamics ismost likely to be a clean sound as theoverdriven sounds per nature are morecompressed.

• Set the Output level to match the equipmentyou feed the G•Major Output to. As this couldbe close to anything you will have toexperiment.

How to bypass an effect block from a presetSimply press the block you wish to remove.The Effect block will then be bypassed but notdeleted. The preset can now be stored by pressingSTORE once followed by ENTER twice forconfirmation. You can at any time activate theblock with the exact same settings you hadearlier by pressing the block key again.Remember that a bypassed block does NOTinterfere with the sound.

How to setup a Boost function for a presetAll factory presets in the G•Major are saved at -6dB leaving headroom for boosting any presetto a “solo-level”. We advise that you keep aminimum of 6dB headroom in all User presetsas well, via the PresetOutLevel parameter inthe Levels All menu.You will appreciate this PresetBoost function asit allows you to easily boost your current presetfor fills, themes etc. that otherwise would not beheard sufficiently.

In the example below we assume that you havestored all presets at -6dB.• Select the preset you wish to add the Boost

function to.• Set the PresetOutLevel via the Levels All

menu to e.g. -6dB.• Press the MOD key and select the

PresetBoost parameter using thePARAMETER wheel.

• Select Learn using the VALUE wheel, pressENTER and press the switch on your MIDIboard sending a CC value you want to useas “boost pedal”. - You can also use asimple momentary or latching switchassigned to the External Control Input if you

prefer. • The display now shows either Pedal, if that

was the used controller device, or it showsthe CC value received from your MIDI board.

• Store the preset.

Now - every time you call up that specificpreset it will start out at the -6dB specified inthe Levels all menu, but you can boost thepreset 6dB to 0dBFS by hitting the control youhave setup for this function.

How to let the G•Major mute the Outputswhen you tune up your Guitar?

We assume that you are using the G•major ina serial setup where the entire signal is routedthrough the G•Major.

Muting the G•Major Outputs via the G•MajorFront Panel:• Press and hold the BYPASS key for approx.

1 second.• To un-mute press BYPASS again.

Muting the G•Major Outputs using ControlChanges from e.g. a MIDI pedal• Press MOD and use the PARAMETER wheel

to select “Tuner Mute”• Press ENTER to activate the Learn function.

The display will start to blink.• Now press the button on your MIDI board

sending out the MIDI CC value you wouldlike to use for muting control or press themomentary or alternating pedal connected tothe External Control jack on the G•Major.

The G•Major has now “learned” what action youare using to mute the Outputs when tuning.

How to let a Delay “spill-over” at presetchangeSpill-over what? Often when using long delaysettings you will probably like to let the delayrepeats continue/finish even when changing toa preset that has no or a shorter Delay.To obtain the spill-over effect set the FX Muteparameter in the Utility menu to “Soft”

26

HOW TO

Matching the speed of a Rhythmic Tremoloor Vibrato to a MIDI sequence• Connect the MIDI Output of your sequencer

or other device sending out the MIDI Clockyou wish the G•Major to sync up to, to theMIDI Input of the G•Major.

• Press TAP once to enter the Tap menu anduse the PARAMETER wheel to select theMIDI Sync parameter.

• Set MIDI sync to “On”.The G•Major will now use the incoming MIDIclock tempo as its Global Tempo.Subdivisions can be set via the Tempoparameter in the algorithm.

Switching preamp channels using theG•Major Switch Out connection and a MIDIboard sending MIDI CCsConnect the Switch Out connection on theG•Major to your preamps/combos channelswitching connectors.• Press MOD and select Relay 1 or 2 using the

CONTROL PARAMETER wheel.• Press ENTER to activate the Learn function. • Press a MIDI CC switch on your MIDI board.This MIDI CC switch will now switch channelson your amp.Repeat the steps above for Relay 2 if you havemore than two channels to switch between.

27

EFFECT BLOCKS NOISE GATE

IntroductionBasic Operation of the Effect MenusThe six (or seven including Noise gate) effectkeys on the front panel, all work as follows:

• Single click: Toggles the current effect on/off.• Double click: Accesses the edit page of the

current effect.

The navigation in the effect edit pages is donewith the CONTROL EDIT and PARAMETERwheels. Some of the effect blocks containseveral effect algorithms. As an example theFilter block contains Phaser, Tremolo, Panner,Resonance Filter etc. The Algorithm choice islocated as the first parameter in the effects editpage.

As all the effect blocks are always present, theycan be activated or accessed at any time bysimply using the single or double clickfunctions. Bypassing an effect block equalsremoving it from the effects setup, meaning thatthough the block is still in the routing it does notaffect the signal in any way.The settings of a bypassed block are alwayskept in the preset and it is therefore easy toreactivate a bypassed block in the preset againwith the previous settings in that block.Consider it as turning a stomp-box on and off.

Mix/Wet parameterWhen the Kill Dry parameter found in theLevels All menu is set to “on” no clean signal ispassed to the Outputs and the Mix parameter isthen changed to Wet in al algorithms.

IntroductionA Noise Gate is generally used to attenuate thesignal when you don’t play the guitar. This wayyou can avoid hearing the entire hiss, hum andother noise you might have on your system. Ofcourse a Noise Gate is not the solution to anynoise problem. You should try to avoid thenoise in the first place. Problems with noise canbe introduced by a number of different things.Poor cables, poorly shielded single coil pickupsand power supplies placed close to signalcables are common problems that you canwork your way out of by experimenting.There will, however, always be a certainamount of noise in any guitar setup. The NoiseGate can help you attenuate the noise whenyou are not playing. Be careful when settingThreshold and Release Rate. A too highThreshold setting will result in e.g. not“opening” the Gate when you play the guitarsoftly. A too slow Release time will result incutting your attack.Settings will vary depending on the signalpresent on the Input of the G•Major, so you willmost likely need different settings for Clean andOverdrive sounds.

ModeRange: Off - Hard - SoftGeneral overall mode that determines how fastthe Noise Gate should attenuate/dampen thesignal when below Threshold.

ThresholdRange: -60dB to 0dBThe Threshold point determines at what pointthe Noise Gate should start to dampen thesignal. To set this parameter you should turn up thevolume on your guitars volume potentiometerbut not play. Then start turning up theThreshold value from -60dB to the point wheredesired dampening is actually achieved. This little experiment will of course require thatthe Max Damping parameter is set differentfrom 0dB - as 0dB means: no damping.

28

NOISE GATE & EQ

EQ ActiveActivate/deactivates the EQ.Please note that though the EQ is accessed viathe Noise Gate key, the On/Off state of the EQis completely independent from the indicationon this key. - It is controlled ONLY by the EQActive parameter.

FreqRange: 40Hz to 20kHzSets the operating frequency for the selectedband.

GainRange: -12dB to +12dBGains or attenuates the selected frequencyarea.

WidthRange: 0.2oct to 4octWidth defines the area around the set frequencythat the EQ will amplify or attenuate.

Example - Working with the EQ: • Decide whether you need extra top, mids or

lo’s and start out working with only one areaat a time.

• Add or subtract in the selected frequencyarea using the Gain parameter for that band.

• Now after you have set the gain at e.g. +6dB,try changing the frequency to check if you arereally adjusting the right frequencies.

Repeat the steps above for all three bands ifyou feel this is necessary.

Extreme settings may cause internaloverloads resulting in clicks.If you feel you generally need extremesettings to get the sound you want youmight want to evaluate other parts inthe signal chain.

Max. DampingRange: 0dB to 90dBThis parameter determines how hard the signalshould be attenuated when below the setThreshold. You could argue that a maxdampening would be appropriate always, butyou would also like to have a smooth transitionbetween the “gated/attenuated” stage and the“open” stage. The more dBs that must bereleased the more obvious the Noise Gatemight seam. Experiment with each of thesounds you use as no general settings can beapplied always.

ReleaseRange: 0dB/sec to 200dB/secThe Release parameter determines how fastthe signal is released when the Input signalrises above the Threshold point. As a rule ofthumb this setting should be set fairly high.

Illustration

EQThe EQ section was not included in theinitial version but added due to manyuser requests. Therefore the front panelhas no dedicated key to accessing theEQ section. Access the EQ parametersby double-clicking the Noise Gate andscroll down using the PARAMETERwheel.

The G•Major EQ is a three band parametricequalizer. We have predefined three frequencyareas that we find excellent as starting pointsfor EQing a guitar setup, but you can use the“Freq” parameter to specify exactly at whichfrequencies you wish the EQ to work.

The following parameters are available forall three bands: EQ1, EQ2 & EQ3

29

COMPRESSOR

Illustration

ThresholdRange: -30dB to 0dBWhen the signal is above the set Thresholdpoint the Compressor is activated and the gainof any signal above the Threshold point isprocessed according to the Ratio, Attack andRelease settings.

RatioRange: Off to Infinite: 1The Ratio setting determines how hard thesignal is compressed. (see illustration above).

Example: With a Ratio setting of 2:1 an Inputsignal at 4dB above Threshold is reduced toonly 2dB on the Output side. Infinite settinggives you a Limiter function.

Attack Range: 0 to 200msThe Attack time is the response time of theCompressor. The shorter the Attack time thesooner the Compressor will reach the specifiedRatio after the signal rises above the Thresholdpoint.

ReleaseRange: 0 to 200msThe Release time is the time it takes for theCompressor to release the gain reduction of thesignal after the Input signal drops below theThreshold point again.

GainRange: -6 to +6dBUse this Gain parameter to compensate for thelevel changes caused by the appliedcompression.

IntroductionA Compressor is used to reduce the dynamiccontent of a signal. How can this improve yourguitars appearance in the overall sound? Thereare situations where a compressor should notbe applied on the guitar and there are definitelysituations where it is the key to letting theguitar stand out and appear rock solid. Hereare a few examples.Let’s say your aim is playing a steady cleanrhythm guitar figure at the same level all thetime. This is to some extend virtuallyimpossible. You cannot avoid playing a fewstrokes too hard once in while. This will mostlikely result in the sound engineer backing off abit on the guitar channels in live situations toavoid harsh sounding peaks. At this “lower”overall level (that neither you or the soundengineer intended in the first place), yourweakest strokes in the guitar rhythm figure willnow disappear completely. - The answer to thissituation is using a Compressor. Correctly set,the highest peaks will be reduced, giving youand the sound engineer a much morehomogeneous guitar level to work with. You can also apply compression to a leadsound to even out variations in level.Combining a low set Threshold, that lets theCompressor operate constantly with a highRatio, a very audible compression effect isachieved. As an example try listening to thefamous solo played by David Gilmour on therecord “The Wall” in the song “Another Brick Inthe Wall.”However, if your style of playing utilizes havinggreat dynamics to work with - as e.g. RobbenFords excellent comping style or similar - youmight not want to apply any compression at all. As with many effects, but particularly theCompressor it goes that when applied correctlyyou will clearly benefit from using it, but it isjust as easy to find settings that work againstyour goals.- Try out our presets containing theCompressor block in the G•Major with bothlead and rhythm sounds, and get an idea ofwhere you will get the most of using it.

30

CHORUS

IntroductionA Chorus/Flanger is basically a short Delay thatis modulated by an LFO (Low FrequencyOscillator). The difference between Chorus and Flanging isthe applied Delay time and the Feedbackparameter in the Flanger. The modulation of the short Delay gives verysmall variations in pitch. These pitch changesblended with the direct sound gives you theChorus sound, while the modulated signalalone will give you a Pitch modulator alsoknown as Vibrato.

Illustration

The basic illustration shows that the Choruseffect consists of both the original and the pitchmodulated signal.

Classic Chorus - CHO/FLA BlockThe Classic Chorus uses as default arelationship between Speed and Depth calledthe Golden Ratio. The G•Major inherited thisfeature from the TC 2290 and ensures asmooth even-sounding Chorus at any setting.

SpeedRange: 0.050Hz to 19.95HzThe Speed of the Chorus, also known as Rate.

The speed of this effect block is eitherdefined by this parameter or by theTempo parameter which sets the speedaccording to the globally tapped tempo.This Speed parameter is onlyactive/valid if the Tempo parameter isset to “Ignored”.

DepthRange: 0 to 100%The Depth parameter specifies the intensity ofthe Chorus effect - the value represents theamount of modulation.(see Illustration)

Speed

Depth

TempoRange: 1/32T to 1 Bar or IgnoredThe Tempo parameter sets the relationship tothe global Tempo.

When set to anything else than Ignoredthe tempo defined by the Speedparameter is ignored.

Hi CutRange: 19.95Hz to 20kHzReduces the high-end frequencies in theChorus effect. Try using the Hi Cut parameteras an option if you feel the Chorus effect is toodominant in your sound and turning down theMix or Out level doesn’t give you thedampening of the Chorus effect you are lookingfor.

MixRange: 0 to 100%Sets the relationship between the dry signaland the applied effect in this block.

Out levelRange: -100 to 0dBSets the overall Output level of this block.Advanced Chorus - CHO/FLA BlockThe Advanced Chorus algorithm holds a fewextra parameters compared to the ClassicChorus. You have the option of turning theGolden Ratio on/off, controlling the ChorusDelay and also applying a Phase Reversefunction for extra widening of the Chorus effect.

31

CHORUS

Advanced Chorus - CHO/FLA Block

SpeedRange: 0.050Hz to 19.95HzThe Speed of the Chorus, also known as Rate.


DepthRange: 0 to 100%The Depth parameter specifies the intensity ofthe Chorus effect - the value represents thespan of the Curve. (see Illustration)



Hi CutRange: 19.95Hz to 20kHzReduces the high-end frequencies in theChorus effect. Try using the Hi Cut parameteras an option if you feel the Chorus effect is toodominant in your sound and turning down theMix or Out level doesn’t give you the dampeningof the Chorus effect you are looking for.

DelayRange: 0 to 50msAs described earlier, a Chorus/Flanger isbasically a Delay being modulated by an LFO.This parameter makes it possible to change thelength of that Delay. A typical Chorus usesDelays at approximately 10 ms, while a Flangeruses Delays at around 5 ms.

Gold RatioRange: Off to OnTC Engineers found years ago that whenSpeed is increased the Depth must bedecreased to achieve the same amount of

perceived Chorusing effect. When Golden Ratiois “ON” this value is automatically calculated.Golden Ratio is a feature inherited from theclassic TC 2290 processor.

Phase ReverseRange: Off/OnReverses the processed Chorus signal in theright channel. This gives a very wide Choruseffects and a less defined sound.


Out levelRange: -100 to 0dBSets the overall Output level of this block.

32

FLANGER

Classic Flanger - CHO/FLA BlockSpeedRange: 0.050Hz to 19.95HzThe speed of the Flanger, also known as Rate.


DepthRange: 0 to 100%Adjusts the Depth of the Flanger, also knownas Intensity. The value represents the amountof modulation applied.



Hi CutRange: 19.95Hz to 20kHzReduces the high-end frequencies in theFlange effect. Try using the Hi Cut parameteras an option if you feel the Flange effect is toodominant in your sound and turning down theMix or Out level doesn’t give you the dampeningof the Flange effect you are looking for.

FeedbackRange: -100 to 100Controls the amount of Feedback/Resonanceof the short modulated Delay that causes theFlange effect. A too high Feedback setting(above approx. 90-95%) might introduce anactual internal Feedback resulting in asquealing noise that in most cases is unwantedin flanging effects. Be aware of this whenexperimenting at high volumes. Setting this parameter to “-100”reverses the phase of the signal that is fedback to the algorithm Input.

FB Hi CutRange: 19.95Hz to 20kHzA parameter that can attenuate the high-endfrequencies of the resonance created via theFeedback parameter.



Advanced Flanger - CHO/FLA BlockSpeedRange: 0.050Hz to 19.95HzThe speed of the Flanger, also known as Rate.

The speed of this effect block is eitherdefined by this parameter or by theTempo parameter which sets the speedaccording to the globally tapped tempo.This Speed parameter is onlyactive/valid if the Tempo parameter is

set to “Ignored”.

DepthRange: 0 to 100%Adjusts the Depth of the Flanger, also knownas Intensity.



Hi CutRange: 19.95Hz to 20kHzWill reduce high-end frequencies in the Flangeeffect. Try using the Hi Cut parameter as anoption if you feel the Flange effect is toodominant in your sound and turning down theMix or Out level doesn’t give you the dampeningof the Flange effect you are looking for.

FLANGER VIBRATO

33

FeedbackRange: -100 to 100Controls the amount of Feedback/Resonanceof the short modulated Delay that causes theFlange effect. A too high Feedback setting(above approx. 90-95%) might introduce anactual internal Feedback resulting in asquealing noise that in most cases is unwantedin flanging effects. Be aware of this whenexperimenting at high volumes. Setting theparameter to “-100” reverses the phase of thesignal that is fed back to the algorithm Input.

FB Hi CutRange: 19.95Hz to 20kHzA parameter that can attenuate the high-endfrequencies of the resonance created via theFeedback parameter.

Phase RevRange: Off to OnReverses the processed Flange signal in theright channel. This gives a very wide Flangeeffects and a less defined sound.

Fla Dly - Flanger DelayRange: 0 to 50msA typical Delay time to achieve the Flangingeffect is around 5ms whereas Chorus effectsoccur with Delay times around 10ms. You canhowever choose Delay times from 0 to 50ms.

Gold RatioRange: Off to OnTC Engineers found years ago that whenSpeed is increased the Depth must bedecreased to achieve the same amount ofperceived Flanging effect. When Golden Ratiois set to on this value is automaticallycalculated.Golden Ratio is a feature inherited from theclassic TC 2290 processor.



Vibrato - CHO/FLA BlockA Vibrato effect modulates the incoming pitch. The result is similar to the vibrato techniqueused by vocalists. As opposed to a Choruseffect no direct signal is combined with thispitch modulation.

SpeedRange: 0.050Hz to 19.95HzThe speed of the Vibrato, also known as Rate.


DepthRange: 0 to 100%The amount of Pitch modulation applied.



Hi CutRange: 19.95Hz to 20kHzDetermines the frequency above which the HiCut filter will attenuate the high-end frequenciesof the generated effect. Hi Cut filters can beused to give a less dominant effect even at highmix levels.


Speed

Depth

34

RESONANCE FILTER

Resonance Filter - FILTER/MODBlockThe G•Major Resonance filter is basically a HiCut filter with adjustable Q-factor (Resonance).With increased Resonance value, the filter peakat the cutoff frequency gets very narrow andsteep. This phenomenon is the very core of thecharacteristic sound of Resonance filters.

OrderRange: 2nd to 4thThe Order parameter of the resonance filterschanges the steepness of the filters. 2nd orderfilters are 12dB/Octave while 4th order filtersare 24dB/Octave. 4th order filters will “ring” orresonate more than 2nd order filters.

Hi CutRange: 19.95Hz to 20kHzDetermines the frequency above which the HiCut filter will attenuate the high-end frequenciesof the generated effect.

Hi ResonanceRange: 0 to 100%Sets the amount of resonance on the Hi Cutfilter.



Auto Resonance Filter - FILTER/MOD BlockThe Auto Resonance filter will create an effectsimilar to a Touch Wah. The sweep through afrequency range is controlled via the dynamicson the Input.

SensitivityRange: 0 to 10Sets the sensitivity according to the Input youare feeding the unit.

ResponseRange: Fast or SlowDetermines whether the sweep through afrequency range will be performed fast or slow.

Frequency MaxRange: 1kHz to 10kHzLimits the frequency range in which the sweepwill be performed.


35

PHASER

Vintage Phaser/SmoothPhaser- FILTER (MOD Block)Two effective good phaser types. The VintagePhaser will give you the phasing effect similarto the one found in old stomp boxes. TheSmooth Phaser is a more subtle type. Excellentfor a less dominant effect. The Vintage Phaserutilizes four All-pass filters. These filters createa comb-looking characteristic. When the filteredsound is mixed with the direct sound the“phasing sound” occurs. The Smooth Phaser utilizes twelve All-passfilters. Due to the higher number of filters in theSmooth Phaser, compared to the VintagePhaser, the Smooth Phaser simply soundssmoother than the Vintage type.

SpeedRange: 0.050 Hz to 19.95HzControls the Speed of the Phaser.

DepthRange: 0 to 100%Controls the Depth of the Phaser.



FeedbackRange: -100 to 100Controls the amount of feedback in the Phaser.Setting this parameter to “-100” reverses thephase of the signal that is fed back to thealgorithm Input.

RangeRange: Low to HighDetermines whether the phasing effect shouldbe mainly on the high- or low-end frequencies.

Phase ReverseRange: On/OffAn LFO phase change that causes a smallDelay in one of the waveform starting points.When applied the left and right Outputs willstart the current waveform at two differentpoints giving you a more extreme wide spreadphasing effect. Try this!



TREMOLO PANNER

36

Panner - FILTER/MOD BlockThe panner simply pans the signal from Leftchannel to the Right.

SpeedRange: 0.050Hz to 19.95HzSets the speed of the Panning.

WidthRange: 0 to 100%A 100% setting will sweep the signal completelyfrom the Left to Right. Very often a more subtlesetting will be more applicable and blend betterwith the overall sound. But you’ll be the judge of that!




Tremolo - FILTER/MOD BlockA Tremolo is basically a change of levelcontrolled by an LFO. The G•Major holdsvariations from soft and smooth to hard andaggressive Tremolo.

SpeedRange: 0.050Hz to 19.95HzSets the Speed of the Tremolo.

DepthRange: 0 to 100%A 100% setting means complete mute of thesignal between the peaks.



LFO PulsewidthRange: 0-100%Controls the division of the upper and lowerpart of the current waveform, e.g. if Pulsewidthis set to 75%, the upper half of the waveformwill be on for 75% of the time.

Hi CutRange: 19.95 to 20kHzAttenuates the High frequencies of the Tremoloeffect.Use the Hi Cut filter to create a less dominantTremolo effect while keeping the Depth.

TypeRange: Soft or Hard (Sinus or Square)Two variations of the steepness of the TremoloCurve are available. Listen and select.


Pulsewidth

37

DELAY

IntroductionThe G•Major holds 3 different Delay modes thatcover not only your basic needs, but also Delayeffects you until now maybe thought of asunachievable unless hooked up with expensivestudio equipment. Once you get the grasp of what the threemodes are used for, setting up a Delay for yourapplication is very easy.

Hi Cut & Lo CutHi Cut and Lo Cut Feedback parametersappear several times over the next few pagesthat describes the different Delay algorithmsand to avoid having the same “long”explanation more times than necessaryconsider the following general explanations if you needthem:

Feedback Hi Cut - General ExplanationUsing the latest digital technology an extremelyprecise reproduction of the Input signal for e.g.the repeats in a Delay effect is possible.However, for long Delay repeats on a guitarsignal this is not always desirable, as suchprecise repeats can seam disturbing and resultin a less homogeneous sound. To compensate for this try using the Hi Cut filterthereby emulating analog or tape style delayunits.

Feedback Lo Cut - General ExplanationUsing a Delay on a signal containing lowfrequencies will at times add too much rumble.If you feel this is happening you should trydampening the low-end frequencies using theFeedback Lo Cut parameter as an alternative tolowering the entire Delay Mix level.

Ping PongWith the PingPong Delay line you are able topan the repeats from left to right if you areusing a stereo setup. We hope you will find newunique ways of utilizing this effect but just tomention a few that are already popular: Tryusing a PingPong Delay when smoothly fadingin chords. This will give you a true width in thesound. Also try using the PingPong Delay typefor repeating rhythmic tricks - or for a lead tonethat you want to give a really wide sound.

Delay timeRange: 0 to 1800msThe time between the repetitions.



FeedbackRange: 0 to 100%Determines how many repetitions there will be.

WidthRange: 0 to 10The Width parameter determines whether theLeft or Right repetitions is panned 100% or not.10 is the most extreme setting but also themost disturbing in the overall sound.Experiment with this.

FB Hi Cut - Feedback Hi CutRange: 2.00kHz to 20kHzAttenuates the frequencies over the setfrequency thereby giving you a more analogDelay sound that in many cases will blendbetter in the overall sound.

FB Lo CutRange: 19.95Hz to 2.00kHzAttenuates the frequencies below the setfrequency.


38

DELAY


Dynamic DelayThe Dynamic Delay initially introduced in thewell-recognized TC 2290, is a function thatallows the Delay Output level to be activelyaltered by the dynamics of the Input level. A function that can be used to leave the sourcematerial clear and undisturbed while played anddelicately accompanied by the Delay betweenphrases.

Dly timeRange: 0 to 1800msThe time between the repetitions.

Offset RRange: -200 to 200msOffsets the Delay repeats in the Right channelonly. For a true wide stereo Delay the Delay inthe two channels should not appear at exactlythe same time. For the “wide” effects a fewmilliseconds should do the trick. Using morethan that will give you anything from a wideslap-back effect on the repeats to moreextreme effects.

FeedbackRange: 0 to 100%Determines the number of repetitions of theDelay.

Sensitivity Range: -50 to 0dBWith this parameter you control how sensitivethe “ducking” or dampening function of theDelay Repeats should be according to thesignal present on the Input.

DampingRange: 0 to 100dBThis parameter controls the actual attenuationof the Delay while Input is present.

ReleaseRange: 20ms, 30ms, 50ms, 70ms, 100ms,140ms, 200ms, 300ms, 500ms, 700ms or 1 sec.A parameter relative to a Compressor Release. As explained in the Dynamic Delay Introductionthe Delay repetitions are dampened while youplay and released when you stop.

The Release parameter determines how fastthe Output of the Delay repetitions returns to“normal” after attenuation of these repeats haveceased.

FB Hi CutRange: 2.00kHz to 20kHzAttenuates the frequencies over the setfrequency thereby giving you a more analogDelay sound that in many cases will blendbetter in the overall sound.

FB Lo CutRange: 19.95Hz to 2.00kHzAttenuates the frequencies below the setThreshold frequency.





Dual DelayThe Dual Delay algorithm allows you to havetwo Delay lines running at the same time. Inother terms you have two separate Delay“units” in parallel, each with its own set ofparameters.

If using only e.g. Delay Line 1 yousimply have a regular mono Delay.

DlyTime 1 Range: 0 to 1800msSets the Delay time of the first Delay Line.

39

DELAY

DlyTime 2Range: 0 to 1800msSets the Delay time of the second Delay Line.



FB 1Range: 0 to 100%Determines the number of repetitions of theDelay of the first Delay Line.

FB 2Range: 0 to 100%Determines the number of repetitions of theDelay of the second Delay Line.

Hi CutRange: 2.00kHz to 20kHzAttenuates the frequencies over the setfrequency thereby giving you a more analogDelay sound that in many cases will blendbetter in the overall sound.

Lo CutRange: 19.95Hz to 2.00kHzAttenuates the frequencies below the setfrequency.

Pan 1Range: 50L to 50RPans the Delay repetitions of the first DelayLine.

Pan 2Range: 50L to 50RPans the Delay repetitions of the second DelayLine.



40

PITCH

DetuneA Detune effect has a sound that to someextend can be associated with a Chorus effect.The source signal is split and a specifiedamount of the signal is detuned by an amountof cents specified by you. (100 cents is 1semitone). The main difference between theDetune effect and the Chorus effect is that theDetune amount does not change. It is a splitsignal where you simply offset the pitch.The Detune algorithm in the Pitch block holdstwo voices. If you think your sound is simply toodirect and clean try out a setting with only a fewcents off detune on both voices. - E.g. +2 centson Voice 1 and -3 on Voice 2.A Delay for each voice can be applied as e.g. aSlapback effect.

Voice 1Range: -100 to 100 centOffsets the first Voice in the Detune block.

Voice 2Range: -100 to 100 centOffsets the second Voice in the Detune block

Delay 1Range: 0 to 50msSpecifies the Delay on the first Voice.

Delay 2Range: 0 to 50msSpecifies the Delay on the second Voice.


Out LevelRange: -100dB to 0dBSets the overall Output level of this block.

WhammyThe Whammy effect gives you the opportunityto control the pitch of an added voice with anexternal MIDI Expression pedal.

PitchRange: 0 to 100%This parameter sets the mix between the dryand processed signal. If e.g. set to 100%, nodirect guitar tone will be heard - only theprocessed “pitched” tone. (This applies only forthe Serial and the Semi parallel mode).

DirectionRange: Up - DownThis parameter determines whether theattached Expression pedal should increase ordecrease Pitch when moved either direction.

RangeRange: 1-Oct/2-OctSelects how far the Whammy block will pitchyour tone. Select 2 octaves for the extreme and1 octave for the more commonly used whammyeffects.

Out levelRange: -100 to 0dBSets the Output level of this effect block.

41

PITCH

Pitch ShifterWith the G•Major Pitch Shifter you are able toadd 2 voices, each with a fixed pitch within +/-one octave from the Input note. The processingof the G•Major is at a speed where you willnever notice any “searching” for the notes aswith many older octaver units or octaver stompboxes. Try lowering the single Voice to -1200cents (100 is one semitone). With a Mix level of100 you will be able to get at pretty good bass-simulation.

Voice 1Range: -2400 to 2400Specifies the Pitch of the first Voice. As 100cent equals 1 semitone you can select a pitchfreely between one octave below the InputPitch to one octave above.

Voice 2Range: -2400 to 2400Specifies the Pitch of the second Voice. As 100cent equals 1 semitone you can select a pitchfreely between one octave below the InputPitch to one octave above.

Pan 1Range: 50L to 50RPan parameter for the first voice.

Pan 2Range: 50L to 50RPan parameter for the second voice.

Dly 1Range: 0 to 350msSets the Delay time for the first voice.

Dly 2Range: 0 to 350msSets the Delay time for the second voice.

FB 1Range: 0 to 100%Determines how many repetitions there will beon the Delay of the first voice.

FB 2Range: 0 to 100%Determines how many repetitions there will beon the Delay of the second voice.

Level 1Range: -100 to 0dBSets the Level for Voice 1.

Level 2Range: -100 to 0dBSets the Level for Voice 2.



42

REVERB

SpringThe Spring algorithm is designed to reproducethe sound of the old spring reverbs, such as theones used in vintage guitar amps.

DecayRange: 0.1 to 20sThe Decay parameter determines the length ofthe Reverb Tail. The length is defined as thetime it takes for the Reverb Tail to decayapproximately 60dB.

Pre DelayRange: 0 to 100msA short Delay placed between the direct signaland the Reverb Tail. By using Pre Delay thesource material is kept clear and undisturbedby the more diffuse Reverb Tail arriving shortly after.

SizeRange: Small, Med, LargeThe “Size” parameter defines the size of theEarly Reflection pattern used. A Reverbconsists of both Early Reflections and a DiffuseField. In reverb simulation the Early Reflectionsor “Initial Reflections” defines the shape andsize of the room, whereas the Diffuse Field iswhat you generally refer to as “Reverb” or the“Reverb Tail”. Compared to the EarlyReflections the duration of the Diffused field isconsiderably longer.

Hi ColorRange: 0 to 66 different Hi Colors can be selected. Trysetting the Hi Factor parameter at +20 andlisten to the 6 different Colors.

Hi FactorRange: -25 to 25Adds or subtracts the selected Hi Color type.

Lo ColorRange: 0 to 66 different Lo Colors can be selected. Trysetting the Lo Factor parameter at +20 andlisten to the 6 different Colors.

Lo FactorRange: -25 to 25Add or subtract the selected Lo Color.

Room LevelRange: -100 to 0This parameter adjusts the Reverb Tail level.Lowering the Room Level will give you a moreambient sound, since the Early Reflectionpatterns will become more obvious.

Reverb LevRange: -100 to 0The level of the Early Reflections.

DiffuseRange: -25 to 25Allows fine-tuning of the density of the ReverbTail. This parameter is set automatically whenselecting a desired Decay time and makes itpossible to reduce flutter in the Decay to anabsolute minimum.



43

REVERB

HallDecayRange: 0.1 to 20sThe Decay parameter determines the length ofthe Reverb Tail. The length is defined as thetime it takes for the Reverb Tail to decayapproximately 60dB.

Pre DelayRange: 0 to 100msA short Delay placed between the direct signaland the Reverb Tail. By using Pre Delay thesource material is kept clear and undisturbedby the more diffuse Reverb Tail arriving shortly after.




Lo ColorRange: 0 to 66 different Lo Colors can be selected.Try setting the Lo factor parameter at +20 andlisten to the 6 different Colors.

Low FactorRange: -25 to 25Adds or subtracts the selected Lo Color.

Room LevelRange: -100 to 0This parameter adjusts the Reverb Tail level.Lowering the Reverb Level will give you a moreambient sound, since the Early Reflectionpatterns will become more obvious.


DiffuseRange: -25 to 25Allows fine-tuning of the density of the ReverbDiffuse field. This parameter is set automatically whenselecting a desired Decay time and makes itpossible to reduce flutter in the Decay to anabsolute minimum.



44

REVERB

RoomDecayRange: 0.1 to 20sThe Decay parameter determines the length ofthe Reverb Diffuse field. The length is definedas the time it takes for the Reverb Diffuse fieldto decay approximately 60dB.

Pre DelayRange: 0 to 100msA short Delay placed between the direct signaland the Reverb Diffuse field. By using PreDelay the source material is kept clear andundisturbed by the more diffuse Reverb Tail arriving shortly after.





Lo FactorRange: -25 to 25Adds or subtracts the selected Lo Color.

Room LevelRange: -100 to 0This parameter adjusts the Reverb Diffuse fieldlevel. Lowering the Reverb Level will give you amore ambient sound, since the Early Reflectionpatterns will become more obvious.



MixRange: 0 to 100%Sets the relationship between the dry signal andthe applied effect in this block.


45

REVERB

PlateDecayRange: 0.1 to 20sThe Decay parameter determines the length ofthe Reverb Diffuse field. The length is definedas the time it takes for the Reverb Diffuse fieldto decay approximately 60dB.

Pre DelayRange: 0 to 100msA short Delay placed between the direct signaland the Reverb Diffuse field. By using PreDelay the source material is kept clear andundisturbed by the more diffuse Reverb Diffusefield arriving shortly after.

SizeRange: Small, Med, LargeThe “Size” parameter defines the size of theEarly Reflection pattern used. A Reverbconsists of both Early Reflections and a DiffuseField. In reverb simulation the Early Reflectionsor “Initial Reflections” defines the shape andsize of the room, whereas the Diffuse Field iswhat you generally refer to as “Reverb” or the“Reverb Diffuse field”. Compared to the EarlyReflections the duration of the Diffused field isconsiderably longer.




Lo FactorRange: -25 to 25Add or subtract the selected Lo Color.

Room LevelRange: -100 to 0This parameter adjusts the Reverb Diffuse fieldlevel. Lowering the Reverb Level will give you amore ambient sound, since the Early Reflectionpatterns will become more obvious.





46

APPENDIX - MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART

Guitar Effects Processor G•Major - February 2002

Function Transmitted Recognized RemarksBasic Channel Default 1 1

Changed 1-16 1-16Mode Default

Messages X XAltered

Note Number X XTrue Voice X X

Velocity Note ON X XNote OFF X X

After Touch Keys X XCh’s X X

Pitch Bend X XControl Change 0-127 0-127

Prog Change O O

System Excl. O OCommon Song Pos X X

Song Sel X XTune X X

System real time Clock X OCommands X X

Aux Messages Local ON/OFF X XAll Notes OFF X XActive Sense X XReset X X

O:YES Mode 1: OMNI ON, POLY Mode 2: OMNI ON, MONOX:NO Mode 3: OMNI OFF, POLY Mode 4: OMNI OFF, MONO

47

APPENDIX - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Digital Inputs and OutputsConnectors:Formats:Output Dither:Sample Rates:Processing Delay:Frequency Response DIO:

Analog InputsConnectors:Impedance, Bal / Unbal:Max. Input Level:Min. Input Level for 0 dBFS:Sensitivity:A to D Conversion:A to D Delay:Dynamic Range:THD:Frequency Response:Crosstalk:

Analog OutputsConnectors:Impedance Balanced /Unbalanced:Max. Output Level:Output Ranges:

D to A Conversion:D to A Delay:Dynamic Range:THD:

Frequency Response:Crosstalk:

EMCComplies with:

Certified to:

EnvironmentOperating Temperature:Storage Temperature:Humidity:

Control InterfaceMIDI:Pedal:Relay closure (separate tipand ring connection tosleeve):

GeneralFinish:

Display:Dimensions:Weight:

Mains Voltage:Power Consumption:Warranty Parts and labor:

RCA Phono (S/PDIF)S/PDIF (24 bit), EIAJ CP-340, IEC 958HPF/TPDF dither 24/20/16/8 bit44.1 kHz, 48 kHz0.1 ms @ 48 kHzDC to 23.9 kHz ± 0.01 dB @ 48 kHz

1/4" phone jack, balanced21 kOhm / 13 kOhm+24 dBu0 dBu@ 12 dB headroom: -12 dBu to +12 dBu24 bit, 128 x oversampling bitstream0.65 ms / 0.70 ms @ 48 kHz / 44.1 kHz100 dB typ, 20 Hz - 20 kHztyp < 92 dB (0,0025 %) @ 1 kHz+0/-0.1 dB @ 48 kHz, 20 Hz to 20 kHz<-95 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

1/4" phone jack, balanced

40 Ohm+20 dBu (balanced)Balanced: 20/14/8/2 dBuUnbalanced: 14/8/2 dBu24 bit, 128 x oversampling bitstream0.63 ms / 0.68 ms @ 48 kHz / 44.1 kHz104 dB typ, 20 Hz to 20 kHztyp <-94 dB (0.002 %) @ 1 kHz, +20 dBu Output+0/-0.5 dB @ 48 kHz, 20 Hz to 20 kHz<-100 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

EN 55103-1 and EN 55103-2 FCC part 15, Class B, CISPR 22, Class BIEC 65, EN 60065, UL6500 and CSA E65

32° F to 122° F (0° C to 50° C)-22° F to 167° F (-30° C to 70° C)Max. 90 % non-condensing

In/Out/Thru: 5 Pin DIN1/4" phone jack

1/4" phone jack

Anodized aluminum frontPlated and painted steel chassis23 character / 280 icon STN-LCD display19" x 1.75" x 8.2" (483 x 44 x 195 mm)4.1 lb. (1.85 kg)

100 to 240 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz (auto-select)<15 W1 year

Due continuous development these specifications aresubject to change without notice.

48

PRESET LIST

G-Major Verb & SlapClean ReverbSheryls SoundTremolo Pedal SpeedSo SchoScotty's BluesStraight LeadFunky ThangRight On The EdgeBluebox EchoesSparklePan ChorusClean CowboyCowboy SlapThe Good, Bad & UglyRockabilly SlapAll That LeeA Bit Of Chet AShadows Of H. MarvinFiltered Slap DelayStraight Slap DlySubtle Lead Fx'sChorused LeadChorus & Dyn DlyT Petty ChorusJazz BalladWide ChorusWes M Jazz LeadFunky Music VerbRock'n Roll SpringRev AmbTightVerbSpreadVerbSmall RoomDly DoublerClean,Comp,Chorus'dComp'n DetuneBlues LeadBlues RoomBlues RhythmSubtle AcousticFor Acoustic GuitarFinger PickingCrunch My PhaserJimmmy HPhaser PedalPedal Vibe Pedal Leslie Vibra RoomPhat Phaser

Lush ChorusFormerly Known As?Swell DelaysWet DelaysClean Verb & DlyTape Flange & DelayLone Flanger Phasing RepeatsFunky ChickenFunky OctaverFilter FunLazy FilterAuto FilterFar Away VibratoWhat a Bright KidOctave Dubber 2 Oct Whammy up1 Oct Whammy upOct UpWhammy 2 Semi DownOctaveOctaWahSynth GuitarDeep BassBend Up SlapsRich Dual DelayPhaser RoomHard TremoloDetunePing PongSlapback DelayStraight TremoloFlanged TremoloBig ChickenPedal FilterChopped SteppersLocked In VibratoChopperUnconciousPedalSynthesizedMachineSkysaw GuitarSynthesized LeadsSus4 DreamscapeArpegiatorInfinity & BeyondBass CompBass ChorusBass AutofilterTo Be Continued...

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51525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100

49

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

This section give answers to some of themost frequently asked questions regardingthe G•Major. More information can be foundvia TC Support Interactive, which can beaccessed via www.tcelectronic.com

Which MIDI foot controller is the mostsuitable for the G•Major? There are many foot-controllers that works finewith the G•Major. However, to fully utilize thefacilities in the G•Major you should look for acontroller capable of sending MIDI ControlChanges alternating values between 0 and 127and MIDI Program changes.Control Changes are used for bypassingeffects, tapping tempo etc. Program changesare used for recalling/loading presets.

What is the proper way to adjust the Inputlevel on the G•Major? Play with a high level clean sound. Though thedistorted sounds may seam louder than cleansounds in general, the highest dynamic rangeis typically found in clean sounds. The Inputmeter should show -3dB at peaks and -12dB to-6dB in average. If adjusting the Output level of your preamp (orother device placed just before the G•Major inthe signal path) and adjusting the Input level onthe front panel of the G•Major, does not giveyou the desired Input level range, you shouldchange the Input Range parameter found in theG•Major I/O menu.

How to setup a G•Major with a MIDIcontrollable preampThe G•Major is easily setup with a MIDIpreamp. • Connect MIDI Out from your MIDI board to

MIDI In on your preamp.• Connect MIDI Thru/Out from the preamp to

MIDI In on the G•Major. The G•Major has a MIDI mapping function thatallows incoming program changes to recall anypreset. See page 18 for more information.

How to reset the G•Major?• Power off the G•Major on the front panel.• Press and hold the TAP key and power on

again.• Select either “Reset Sys Param” to reset all

system parameters while keeping yourprogrammed user presets or “Clear allPresets” to clear the User bank only.

Amp switching of specific analog preampsContact the amp manufacturer to getschematics on your specific preamp. Page 19of this manual explains how the relays of theG•Major operate.

Lost preset at power offIf you power off using the rear panel mainsswitch while a preset is being edited yourchanges to that specific preset will be lost. Youwill not loose your settings if you use the frontpanel POWER key while keeping mains powerconnected on the rear panel. However, a good rule of thumb: Save settingsbefore powering off the G•Major.

Uploading software to the G•MajorFrom time to time new software will beavailable for the G•Major. To upload thissoftware to the G•Major you will need a PCcomputer with a standard MIDI interfaceinstalled. The software can be downloaded fromwww.tcelectronic.com. Follow the instructionsgiven in the upload application.

G•Major hangs during software updateprocedure.Depending on the MIDI interface used you mayencounter a “download error”. Retry once ortwice and the software should update correctly.

Using the G•Major in a combo amplifiereffect-loopMany combo amplifiers have an effect loop.However, there are no standards for theseloops. At times it can be hard to even seewhether we are talking about a serial or parallelloop. A serial loop interrupts the signal path betweenthe preamp and the power amp - just as if theywere two separate units. This means the entiresignal from the preamp travels through theprocessor and re-enters the power stage. It isbasically a one-lane road going from one placeto another.

Parallel loops offer two paths from the preampto the power amp. One path is a directconnection from the preamp to the power ampas if the amp had no loop at all. The other pathsends the preamp signal to the effect processor(via the loop) and then routes it back to thepower amp, mixing it with the direct (dry) signal.Most amps that offer a parallel effects loop

50

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

have a variable mix knob, so that you cancontrol how much of the effect you want mixedin with the dry signal. In a parallel loop situation you wish to avoiddirect signal to pass the unit. Therefore use theKill Dry parameter in the G•Major Levels Allmenu and control the effect amount using theOutput parameter in each effect.

How do you choose one over the other? Optimal performance of the G•Major isachieved using a serial loop. With a serial loopyou will get maximum performance fromespecially level changing effects such asTremolo and Compression but also Chorus andEQ. As mentioned previously in this manual it isworth noticing that due to the high qualityAD/DA converters used in the G•Major thesound quality will not be degraded.The parallel loop is preferred when usingvintage effects and effects that don't have anykind of mix function and that sometimes sufferfrom bad signal-to-noise-ratios. Lately it seemsas if there has been more of a return to vintageeffects and stomp boxes, which has probablycaused more of an interest in the parallel loop. However, as mentioned above a parallel loopdoes not work well when using effects thatchange the volume of the signal (such astremolo, compression, or noise gates). Mixingthe wet and dry signals on these loops can alsoat times cause an "out of phase situation" dueto the delay caused by AD/DA conversion (lessthan 1ms). Technically, if you turn the mix to 100% on aparallel effect loop, it should operate exactly asa serial loop, however, this is not the case withall amplifiers on the market.

Conclusion - The G•Major will work with bothserial and parallel loops but for the abovementioned reasons we recommend using theG•Major in a true serial loop/setup if possible. To find out what type of loop your current ampis equipped with please contact themanufacturer of your amp.

About this manualThe latest manual revision and translations canbe downloaded via www.tcelectronic.comIf you have questions unanswered by thismanual try looking at our TC SupportInteractive site. This site is also accessed viawww.tcelectronic.com

gâ€¢major - tc electronic

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