Despite its shortcomings the Digitech-supplied manual contains a wealth of information. If you're not already using the GNX3 Message Board you should become familiar with it. EddieVanBurns from the GNX3 Message Board has written up some great tutorials on Tone Shaping with the GNX3 and a table of Common Amp model and Cab Model Combinations that are both amazingly helpful.
See introduction on p16 of the GNX3 manual, and tutorial on p30 of the GNX3 manual.
Let's say you've been futzing with your GNX3 and come up with a sound you really like. A set of effects, amp and cab settings is considered a preset (sometimes called a patch). The GNX3 has 65 slots for user-configured presets and 65 factory presets. You can't store into the factory presets. You can tell if you're using a User preset or a Factory preset by seeing which LED (user or factory) is illuminated next to the data wheel. Note that if you modify a preset that you are using, the LED on the STORE button will be lit indicating that you need to store it or the changes will go away.
Save presets by pressing the store button. You can then modify the name of the preset. The "active" character (the one being changed) will be blinking and can be changed by rotating the data wheel. The next character to the right is accessed by pressing the "DRUMS" button; The next character to the left is selected by pressing the "EDIT" button. When you have the name you want, press STORE. Now the number of the preset will flash. Rotate the data wheel to select which number you to assign to your preset, then press STORE. Note that the current amp channel and state of the effects is stored, so if you do the store process with the RED channel selected and your chorus turned on, every time you access that preset the amp will start out RED and the chorus will start out on.
To copy one preset to another preset location, begin by selecting the preset you want to copy, then follow the steps listed above. You might do this if you want to copy a factory preset to a location in your user banks, or to put related presets close to each other.
The GNX3's MIDI connection is used by GenEdit for uploading/backing up/tweaking presets and GenUpdate for uploading GNX3 firmware. You CANNOT move audio over the MIDI connection.
See the discussion about connections. When you have your MIDI gear in order, bear in mind that the MIDI OUT from your computer goes to the MIDI IN on the GNX3, and the MIDI IN on the computer goes to the MIDI OUT on the GNX3. If you have multiple MIDI-capable devices on your computer you're probably going to need to make sure your control panel settings are correct. You may also need to configure GenUpdate and GenEdit to use the correct MIDI device and channel.
Footswitch function is discussed fairly thoroughly in the manual. But there appear to be some inaccuracies, especially regarding bank mode and the information can be hard to find. The footswitches perform different functions depending on which mode the GNX3 is in. If you don't understand the different modes, please refer to the manual.
- In Bank Mode:
- The Up and Down footswitches will move you through the list of USER banks, but not the Factory banks (which are accessible using the Data Wheel). When you move up or down into a new bank you need to select one of the presets in that bank (by pressing footswitch 1-5) within 5 seconds or the GNX will revert to the current preset.
- The 1 through 5 footswitches will move you between the presets in the bank you have selected.
- In Stompbox Mode:
- The Up/Down Footswtiches will move you sequentially through all 65 user presets and all 65 Factory presets.
- Switch 1 toggles the on/off state of whatever stompbox effect is configured for the selected preset.
- Switch 2 toggles through the red, green, and- if configured- the warped amps configured for the selected preset.
- Switch 3 toggles the on/off state of whatever modulation effect is configured for the selected preset.
- Switch 4 toggles the on/off state of whatever delay is configured for the selected preset. Additionally if you press and hold switch 4 while the delay effect is on it can be used as a "tap tempo" switch for the delay effect. While in tap tempo mode, the blink rate of the switch 4 LED indcates the configured tempo. Successive presses (taps) of switch 4 set a new tempo. When the desired tempo is set, pressing and holding switch 4 takes you back to delay on/off mode.
- Switch 5. In most of the factory presets switch 5 toggles Reverb effect on/off but folks, switch 5, aka the Control switch, is one of the marvels of the gnx3. The control footswitch can be configured in two modes- toggle mode and momentary mode. Not only that, but up to THREE different parameters/effects can be controlled by the Control footswitch. The manual discusses the control footswitch pretty accurately starting on Page 63.
- In Recorder Mode:
- This is just a summary. Behavior of the RECORD and PLAY buttons while recording changes depending on how the recorder is configured. For a full description please Read The Fine Manual (which is still not entirely accurate).
- The Up/Down footswitches will move you sequentially through the songs stored either in the GNX3's internal memory or on the SmartMedia card.
- Switch 1 acts as the REWIND button. If the recorder is stopped, pressing switch 1 rewinds to the beginning of the current song. If the recorder is playing, pressing switch 1 stops the recorder and rewinds to the beginning of the current song. If the recorder is recording, switch 1 is disabled.
- Switch 2 is the UNDO button. If the recorder is stopped, pressing switch 2 will prompt you to delete the current track (e.g. DEL TRK2). A second press of switch 2 will perform the deletion. Pressing UNDO again will prompt to delete tracks (e.g. if you just deleted track 5, pressing UNDO again will prompt to delete track 4). If the recorder is playing, switch 2 is disabled. If the recorder is recording, pressing switch 2 will prompt you to re-record the current track (e.g. RERECORD). A second press of switch 2 will delete the curent track, rewind to the beginning of the song, play the pre-roll (if any) and restart recording.
- Switch 3 is the STOP button. If the recorder is stopped it is disabled (duh!). If the recorder is playing, playback is stopped at the current time of the song and can be started again from that point. If the recorder is recording, recording is stopped.
- Switch 4 is the RECORD switch. If the recorder is stopped, pressing switch 5 will start recording on whichever track is armed for recording (red LED lit). If no track is armed, the next available track will automatically be armed and then recording will start. If the recorder is recording, the gnx3 is configured in JamMan mode and the length of the loop has already been set, recording on the current track will either be stopped or restarted.
- Switch 5 is the PLAY switch. If the recorder is stopped, playback of tracks armed for playback (green LED) will start. If the recorder is recording and the gnx3 is in JamMan configuration, the current track will stop recording and the next track will be armed for recording. you'll have to hit the record button to actually start recording the armed track. If the recorder is playing, pressing the play switch will restart playback from the beginning of the recording.
Regardless of which mode the GNX3 is curently set for, the external footswitch always provides recorder control. The PLAY and RECORD switches work just like switches 4 and 5 on the GNX3 while in recorder mode. The STOP/UNDO switch provides STOP function while the recorder is playing or recording and REWIND function while the GNX3 is stopped. Pressing and holding down the STOP/UNDO switch provides the UNDO function.