In too deep, gear-wise

[rpjazzguitar]

Maybe this is a decent idea for a thread.

It's a call for stories about situations in which the gear got so complex that a problem resulted.

Here's one, from my last gig.

I've been playing with a Yamaha mixer in my signal chain, ending at a JBL Eon One Compact.

But, on this gig the mixer got pressed into service for vocals and I decided not to put the guitar in the FOH speaker. Instead, I went, as usual, into the JBL.

So, it was guitar>ME70>Joyo American>JBL.

There were some load-in hassles which basically eliminated the sound check, but we'd played there before and didn't worry about it.

So, we start playing. Single notes sound good, but there's some distortion in the guitar sound on chords. I check my gain structure and it's all exactly as I usually play. I suspect the Joyo (like a knob got loose and was pointing incorrectly), but the Joyo seemed fine.

I can't use my usual wet sound because it's too wet (harmonizer on zero and reverb). So, I play with my "clean" sound (reverb only) and I can hear something wrong. The word grind comes to mind.

The band leader thought the guitar sounded good, but I could tell something was wrong.

Answer below:

I plugged it all back in the same way when I got home and, sure enough, the grind was still there.

I checked and re-checked the JBL settings, eventually finding that a small amount of chorus was being added to the channel I was using. I had tried it out recently and didn't fully turn it off.

The problem is that the JBL is controlled by a phone app. It works very well, but it has so many features that you have to go from one screen to another. It's the opposite of a physical box with a light that tells you immediately that something is happening. You have to look for the screen with the chorus setting.

It's a good idea to make sure all the settings are where you want them when you turn it off, because it remembers. I've wondered, what would happen if I muted the master, turned it off and then my phone died. There must be a way to unmute it from the panel, right? I'll figure it out. (EDIT: There is no obvious way to unmute from the panel - factory reset? maybe remove the battery?).

Another story would be trying to use the GT-1 without first completely idiot-proofing the settings. One wrong click with your big shoe on a diminutive button and you're suddenly in a horror movie.

I've heard it said that features sell products in the store, but simplicity makes them usable.

[AllanAllen]

This is why I don’t do effects. When it’s time to play, it’s time to play, not putz around with gizmos.

[Hammertone]

Simplicity? Recently, I've been using this one a lot for smaller gigs. 5E3 circuit, 1x12", 15 watts, in an oversized pine box. When I want to get fancy, I jumper the channels. Maybe I'll swap in a lighter speaker one of these days, but it's still pretty easy to carry as is. Not bad for an @70-year-old design.