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Post subject: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:34 am
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Hi, my friend just got a new GDEC 30 because she liked mine, but can't figure out how to change tempo and key. Apparently many other users have the same problem.

On my old one, you just push the "drums" button, and then you can change tempo, and I think that's where you change key also... this is for the preloaded songs, NOT midi stuff. But on her new one, there is no drum button, quick access button doesn't to it, and there is NOTHING in the manual about tempo, which is one of the most basic things about music!

If this thing cannot readily change tempo, then it is JUNK. Can someone please help? As usual, I am impressed with the potential of the GDEC line, but appalled by the poor support, crazy design choices and lousy manual. You guys could be dominating the amp industry with this thing if you'd do it right. You must have some goofy chinese or japanese people making the preset choices and other electronic design choices, many are so cheesy it is unreal, or design choices that are just incredibly stupid.


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 2:58 pm
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Download the Advanced Manual....there is a lot of good info in it.
The features you are looking for are under the BAND menu options.

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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:54 am
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Good to know I'm not the only one who has no idea how to make this thing work - without spending a gazillion hours with it.


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 7:47 am
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You don't change tempo or key with the new G-decs. Don't bother with the advanced owners manual. Find one of the old G-decs used somewhere and you'll be much better off. They inexplicably "improved" some of the best features right out of the newer G-dec 3.


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:59 pm
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Actually you can but it just doesn't sound very good.


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 4:05 pm
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Well, as much as I am loving the new GDEC30 (and much prefer it's TONES over the original GDEC)...

THAT SUCKS :evil: Booooo Fender! Shame on you!


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:02 am
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That's right, you can change the tempo but it sounds like a $10 cassette player, warbly, El Garbage Grande.


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:19 am
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Actually...you can't. As martin223 found out. If you've never used one of the "good" G-decs you will know that, as he says, you can change to any key and any tempo quickly and easily with no change in the sound. The best teaching and learning tool ever, and they ruined it.


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 2:00 pm
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I'm still glad I have my Country GDEC, but had I known this ahead of time, I might have thought more than twice about buying it, since the WHOLE POINT was to practice improvisation in DIFFERENT KEYS.

Shame on you, Fender.


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 10:52 pm
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OK, lets get this straight. The new G-Dec's work just like the old one in regards to tempo & key change. You just need to download all those midi files (and more) that were on the original G-Dec from a link here on the Fender website (ask one of the moderators), then load them on an SD card, or the amp (since they're really small files) and shazaam! Just like the old one.

Except changing key on the new one is different, instead of showing you the key your in, you just have numbers in the pitch control section... I think 0 is E and then it's 1/2 step intervals with each click (+1 F#, +2 G, +3 Ab, etc) and you can go either up or down.

Don't bother trying to change keys or tempo on .wav or .mp3 files as they weren't really designed for that. :(

So stop saying they ruined it! :!: It does everything my original one did... plus considerably more! You just need to learn how the new one's work. :D


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 5:20 am
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gregachord wrote:
OK, lets get this straight. The new G-Dec's work just like the old one in regards to tempo & key change. You just need to download all those midi files (and more) that were on the original G-Dec from a link here on the Fender website (ask one of the moderators), then load them on an SD card, or the amp (since they're really small files) and shazaam! Just like the old one.

Except changing key on the new one is different, instead of showing you the key your in, you just have numbers in the pitch control section... I think 0 is E and then it's 1/2 step intervals with each click (+1 F#, +2 G, +3 Ab, etc) and you can go either up or down.

Don't bother trying to change keys or tempo on .wav or .mp3 files as they weren't really designed for that. :(

So stop saying they ruined it! :!: It does everything my original one did... plus considerably more! You just need to learn how the new one's work. :D


OK but there is just one "minor" issue: e.g. on the Blues version, the only MID-tracks are drum tracks, all others are WAV. So no useful way of changing tempo.
And, showing 0 or +3 or whatever instead of the key is very poor....


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:44 pm
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Quote:
OK but there is just one "minor" issue: e.g. on the Blues version, the only MID-tracks are drum tracks, all others are WAV. So no useful way of changing tempo. And, showing 0 or +3 or whatever instead of the key is very poor....
Quote:


I'm pretty sure all the new versions (Blues, Country & Metal) just come with the "Midi drum tracks only".... So once again,

You just need to download all those midi files (and more) that were on the original G-Dec from a link here on the Fender website (ask one of the moderators), then load them on an SD card, or the amp (since they're really small files) and shazaam! Just like the old one.

I just looked and I downloaded (probably a year ago) 297 midi files from the Fender website and the total size of the folder they are all in is 1.16MB!

As for the change in numbers instead of letters for the key change... Not really poor, just different.

Heres a link to a page that will let you download a zip file of 88 of the midi files that were on the original G-Dec. I know there's a link to a bunch more, but I can't find it right now. Maybe one of the moderators could post that.

http://www.fender.com/support/articles. ... dec&page=1


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 3:01 am
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Well, maybe we should discuss this in a different way.
The concept of the G-DEC is great. It also sounds good, and it is affordable.
The execution is chaotic, not beginner-friendly, and not really good for people without computer experiences. Here is what I think:

1.) why don't I get a device from the factory that contains whatever file type that allows me to modify tempos of ALL included songs without loss of quality? Without having to download something from somewhere, when I just want to turn the device on and play/practice.
2.) why was there no file naming convention put into place to allow for easy reading of a song's key for ALL included songs?
3.) why do I, as a beginner, have to learn ANOTHER, very unusual method of transposing a song's key (+2, -3, or whatever), as I'm already struggling with learning it the "normal" way?

I think the GDEC should get shipped with these easy to achieve features. Whatever I do to it later, once I have mastered some basic musical and device operational challenges, is my problem, and may help me tailoring the amp to better fit my needs. But factory settings just HAVE TO fulfil the above requirements, everything else raises the level of difficulty for beginner or even experienced musicians significantly.

The GDEC was promoted as an ideal tool for teachers and students - which means it should be as easy to operate and as self explanatory as possible. Unfortunately, it isn't, because of these issues.

Maybe one reason why Fender decided to discontinue the G-DEC series? Was it considered too difficult to operate, did they therefore not sell enough units?


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 4:16 am
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I'm with Thomas on this one. And I'm pretty computer savvy, and I've been playing 25 years. The ability to change key/tempo...but NOT on the wav files... is pretty ludicrous. But that would be my ONLY complaint with this machine.


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Post subject: Re: how do you change tempo and key on this damn thing?
Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 6:01 am
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I have to say the G-dec is way too complicated. I'd guess this thing was designed by a computer nerd rather than a musician. There should be a dial for the key YOU want to play in. There should be another dial showing the beats per minute just like the cheapest drum machine. There should also be bass treble mid range and an effects dial. Since this thing can be connected to a computer, shouldn't you be able to download jam tracks directly to an sd card while the card is in the machine? And the jam tracks should be listed on the web site and you should be able to hear them before downloading. Every electronic device should be designed and tested by someone who has never seen a computer. I also have a spyder jam and it's even worse than this thing. All this overly complicated crap started with the first VCR that constantly blinked 12;00 oclock and went down hill from there. I'm hoping for a revolution where all the computer nerds are rounded up and taken to a simplification camp where '' KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID'' IS PLAYED OVER AND OVER 24 7 on a very very loud P.A.. Ok...I feel better now.


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