REVIEWED
Gear4Music GP120 Multi-FX Pedal
GEAR4MUSIC GP120 Multi-FX Pedal
Looking for an affordable effects unit? Gear4Music might have the answer with this entry-level multi- FX that packs in some very impressive tones…
Words: Tim Slater
With so many effects unit to choose from, where do you start? Stomp boxes by themselves are always a sure fire way to build up a decent effects system but there is also nothing wrong with seeking a one-stop solution to nailing the type of monster tones that make the hairs on the back of your neck spring to attention. The new GP120 from Gear4Music ably demonstrates that multi-FX setups needn’t necessarily be expensive, either. This compact little device costs less than a couple of decent stomp boxes and yet it contains a very generous total of 54 separate effects arranged into 48 programmable user patches, plus a further 48 ‘default’ patches that can be used for performance or as a handy reference when
GEAR4MUSIC GP120
SRP
All prices include VAT CONT
ACT
Gear4Music T:
0843 155 0800 W:
www.gear4music.com £79.99
programming your own sounds. Each patch allows up to a maximum of 11 different types of effects to be used simultaneously, and there is even a built-in drum machine!
Gear Up… The mains powered GP120 (which comes supplied with a 9 volt mains adaptor) is obviously made to match a certain price-point and so we find a plastic chassis mated to an integrated expression pedal whose brushed aluminum finish at least conveys the confident impression that the GP120 will withstand some serious stomping! The roadworthy feel is also backed-up by a pair of heavy-duty steel footswitches that scroll up and down through the patches and good quality steel ¼-inch jack I/O. The individual effects themselves comprise a broad selection of time-based modulation effects, plus nine separate distortion/overdrive settings that are apparently based on several popular stomp boxes including the ubiquitous Boss DS-1 distortion, Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer and Dunlop Fuzz Face. Besides offering a genuinely useful range of distortion tones the GP120’s distortion effects also sound extremely powerful; competently delivering everything from smooth modern overdriven tones to a searing
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aggressive vintage fuzztone. In addition to the effects the
processor also includes eight separate amp and speaker cabinet simulations that, as these things often do, approximate the generic sound of their target amps and cabs, rather than being an exact copy. That said, they still offer a useful guide to selecting the appropriate type of timbre when programming-in custom patches. The built-in four-band EQ is also a very useful in refining the sound of multiple effects patches and is often something I use when programming my personal multi- effects because simply relying on the effects alone to shape your tone won’t usually deliver an ideal result. The integrated wah wah, which is controlled by the built-in expression pedal, sounds very good,
demonstrating a very usable wide sweep and a great dynamic feel; everything from a classic ‘Shaft’ quack to savage Hendrix-style wailing is well within reach and to be honest this built-in wah sounds better than a few we’ve heard on more expensive multi-effects units we could mention! The GP120’s built-in drum patterns, which total around eight in all, are generic but nonetheless solid-sounding collection of rock and funk beats, plus a slow bluesy shuffle. As a practice aid, these drum patterns prove extremely useful, there’s no substitute for tightening up any timing issues by practicing with a metronome or drum machine and the GP120’sdrum patterns definitely help to add real value to this effects processor. PM
SHOULD I BUY ONE?
There are several good value multi-effects processors out there, with Zoom’s G1XN and the Behringer X V-Amp probably being this unit’s closest competitors. OK, the GP120 might not boast the type of ultra-robust build- quality of the type demanded by a fully professional gigging musician but as a handy studio, practice or occasional gigging effects unit the GP120’s portable design and great sounds should more than satisfy your requirements.
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