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Post subject: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 7:42 am
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Hello Everyone!
I have been offline for a couple of years, but I'm back now. Recently, I purchased a G-Dec 3 Thirty on Evil-Bay. It came with a ULT-4 Footswitch, and an AC/DC Songbook/SD card, But the G-Dec software installation CD with the Owners Manual, and included software, didn't come with the amp. Can anyone tell me where I can download the complete CD that originally came with this amp? If the complete CD download is not available anywhere, then can anyone tell me specifically what I will need to download to get the most out of this amplifier?
The PC I'm using now is a HP ENVY laptop with Windows 8.1 currently installed. I have the Windows 10 upgrade ready to install in it, if you think I should install that instead. I also have the USB cable to connect to the amplifier. All I need is the software to get the amp and PC to work together. I'd really appreciate any help here.
Thank you.

Harley 8)

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 9:56 am
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HarleyHexxe,

Welcome back to the forum.

You can contact Fender Support to determine if you can obtain the CD that comes with the G-DEC 30:

http://www.fender.com/contact-us

Otherwise, you can download most of the software (for free) that comes on that CD for free. For Fender Fuse, just do a google search and you can download Fuse for the PC. You need Fuse to be able to interact with the G-DEC from your computer.

I personally would not upgrade to Windows 10 at the moment. Haven't heard whether or not Fuse will run on Win 10. I have used Fuse on Windows XP and currently use Windows 7 and it runs Fuse just fine. As far as I know, it works in Windows 8.1 also.

There are 4 data packs available for the G-DEC: Blues, Metal, Country, and Original. These data packs, along with installation instructions can be downloaded from here:

http://forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=54730

Other information from the forum admins can be found in the G-DEC section of the forum, manuals etc.

http://forums.fender.com/viewforum.php?f=25

Also, browse/search the G-DEC forum here and many of your questions can probably be answered.

Hope this helps.

Jerry

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 11:46 am
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Thank you Jerry,

This is a G-Dec 3 Thirty, not the older G-Dec 30. I know the Fender FUSE software is one that I do need and I went to the Fender Support site and downloaded it and installed it, but it may not be a good download. When I try to run the program on the 8.1 system, a window comes up saying: Loading Fender FUSE software please wait. That's all it does. I can see the amp sync with the computer when I reboot it, but that's as far as I get with it. I'll try these links you posted below and see if I can get any further.

I do have another laptop with Windows 7 on it. that I bought at a yard sale for $75. Maybe that would work better for these G-Dec amplifiers, or possibly go to my oldest laptop, which has Windows XP on it? I have options, it's just a matter of findingout which one works best.

Harley 8)

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 4:07 pm
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I've upgrade my laptop from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro and been able to run Fuse with no problems.
After you launched Fuse how long did you wait before giving up? Fuse uses Silverlight which is Microsoft's version of Adobe Flash :roll: so it takes a while to completely load and display the main screen.
If you only waited 30 seconds or so then try giving it a bit more time.
If you waited longer and/or the computer is locked up then I'd try downloading it again and make sure your system is completely updated with all the latest patches.
You might also try plugging the USB cable into a different port on your laptop or try running Fuse without the AMP connected.

Wheelman359


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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 4:50 pm
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Hi Wheelman359,

I let the computer sit there for hours with it saying that, it never changed. I went and looked at the program in the Windows Control Panel menu, and I noticed that it had no file size. Every other program in the list had some kind of size to it, so I removed the program from the computer. Maybe I downloaded it from a wrong location at the support site. I'll try to look for a different download link.

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 9:53 am
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Hi Gang,
Sorry I didn't get back to this sooner, there's been a lot happening between work, school, and daily life. I did re-download the Fuse software from a different link, and now it works perfectly! Thanks to all of you who helped me with this! (Gotta love a good community).
Next on my "to-do" list is to download the Ableton Live Lite software, so I can get into some recording and editing of the backing tracks I want to create for this amp.
At this point, I'd like to say that I haven't been able to spend as much time with the G-Dec 3 as I would have liked, but from what I have been able to discover, this amplifier is every bit as amazing and fun as the original G-Dec Exec I bought back in 2009! Of course, it can do a lot more than my Exec, and I'm diving into that in my free time, but rest assured, my Exec isn't going anywhere either! That little amplifier has a permanent place in my living room as the best sounding piece of furniture I own! I entertain myself, and my guests with that little amp quite often, and many of my musician friends often comment on how good the Exec sounds! Wait until they get a load of the G-Dec 3, a small PA system, and some of my original composition backing tracks when I get that setup going!!!

Fender ROCKS!!!!

Harley 8)

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 11:41 am
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Hello Again Gang!

Ok, new question here. Now that I have the Fuse software working with the amp, and obviously, the Ableton software is not redeemable for this amp, I'm curious, do I have to have Ableton Live for a DAW to use with this amp, or can I use any other platform like Audacity for instance?

Harley 8)

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 2:28 pm
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Hi Harley,
Glad to hear that your GDec3-30 is up and running.
Pretty much any DAW will work with the GDec. I have used Audacity, but prefer to record to a Zoom R24 recorder then transfer the recorded tracks to CuBase7.5 for mixing.
Cheers,
Alex

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 2:46 pm
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Hi AlexeiY,

Thank you for the reply. I kind of thought any DAW will work, but I wasn't sure. Yes, the G-Dec is up and running with the Fuse software, but Ableton, and the other software which is nothing more than modeling software, were not included when I purchased this amp. (I didn't get the CD that would have come with it). The G-Dec is just one of many amps I own which I want to use for recording. I don't own the Cubase DAW, except for older, pirated copies, but more to the point; Is it necessary for me to use an audio interface to get good quality recordings? If so, there is one which also includes a version of Cubase (U22?) with it, that I have been looking at. I'm pretty new to recording technology that is available these days, I'm used to the "old school" method of recording, i.e. Mixing Desk > Reel to Reel> Mixing Desk> Mastering Reel to Reel...

Harley 8)

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2015 2:39 pm
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Hi Harley,
You can record from the GDec into the DAW on your computer directly. I've done it using Audacity.
I'm old school like you...reel to reel tape recorders, then multitrack mixing decks (hard to get high bias cassette tapes, unfortunately!), so the Zoom R24 was a logical step for me - a digital multitrack recorder. I can record wave files at 24bit/96 kHz resolution and I liked the fact that I could record to it at the push of a button (or two) and transfer the wave file(s) to my computer later and mix them using my DAW. I didn't have to juggle my guitar and DAW controls on my computer or worry about any possible latency when recording additional tracks.
The Zoom recorders used to include a light version of CuBase which is how I got started with it. I decided to upgrade to a more recent and fuller version of CuBase about a year ago.
The downside to this of course is that it costs money :(
I tried the Ableton software which came with my GDec, but didn't have the patience to stick with it since I was already familiar with CuBase.
What I really like about the GDec3-30 is the line o/p's (in stereo!!) so I don't have to fiddle with microphones and cords as well as my guitar cord. No more rat's nests and giant trip hazards :lol:
The ability to create your own presets is very nice as well.
Have you made or modified any presets yet? I along with many others, found that a lot of the supplied presets had too much gain....fine if you are into high energy music, but somewhat lacking in subtlety....
cheers,
Alex

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2015 5:28 pm
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Hi Alex,

Thank you for the reply.
It seems like everything is going to have a price tag attached to it these days when it comes to creating our art. Yes, I still have all that old school equipment in my studio, and it captures recordings the old school way- tape compression, warmth, dynamics, etc. It's just that now, I'm using a laptop to save it on, and all this has for an audio input is a Mic jack. This is why I'm wondering if I need something between the laptop and the audio gear to maybe get it into the hard drive via USB rather than the Mic input. The Zoom R24 sounds like it has the interface needed, but Cubase has it's own mixer in the software. I already have two mixing boards in the studio, so there is where my dilemma lies.
The Line outs from the G-Dec are handy yes, but I like to mix Direct guitar with Mic'ed guitar signals when I record. This gives me a much bigger guitar sound than either one by itself would. I've been doing this same technique with my ADA gear for years, and the tones are huge!
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to modify presets in the G-Dec 3 yet, at least not to my liking. Mostly that's due to the fact that I haven't been able to get what I want from the front panel of the amp itself. Now that I have the Fuse software up and running, it seems to give me a few more options, and looks like I'll be able to edit the presets a bit easier. When I do get a couple of modded presets up that I'm happy with, I'll be happy to share them with you.

Harley 8)

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2015 6:46 pm
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I like your recording technique of direct o/p and mic'd guitar. I've been recording 2 tracks for my guitar - left and right directly into the Zoom, then once in CuBase, I sometimes duplicate the tracks (or triplicate) and mix each track somewhat differently as well as positioning them differently in the mix to create a larger sound. Compression on one, panning on another and so on.
It's so much easier to do with the DAW software!
I look forward to trading presets with you. It is so much easier using Fuse. I could even send you a sample song, although I tend to create a final mix in CuBase at 32 bits and 192 kHz, so the files are really large. I could compress them to mp3 I suppose.

Alex

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2015 6:32 pm
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Hi Alex,

Yes, I see you are recording your tracks into the Zoom, and mixing with the software to create your stereo mix. I do something similar. I will record one or two stereo tracks and layer those for the melody, panned left and right, then the leads are in mono up the center with the vocals.
However, and this was my original question; To get all of this into my laptop, and get a good quality sound, How will I take the output of my mixing desk, and get the audio into my computer, without losing the fidelity? Do I need to invest in some kind of audio interface, and try to send this signal as a data stream via USB, or would this connect by way of the Mic input to my laptop?

Harley 8)

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 2:07 pm
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Hi Harley,
I've used a program called Goldwave to record from a turntable and produce .wav files and it worked very well. I ran the o/p from the turntable into the mic i/p on my HP dv7 laptop and recorded in .wav 24/96 format.
You should be able to transfer the mixer o/p via the laptop mic i/p using Audacity I would think. In Audacity, you can choose the record i/p as external microphone and via the preferences menu, set your sample rate and format.
Give it a try...
cheers,
Alex

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Post subject: Re: Used G-Dec 3 Thirty
Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 5:41 pm
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Hi Alex,

Thank you for the reply. I'll try to find that software on Cnet, and download it, and try it out with the mixing desk. Popular opinion seems to be, that I'll get a poor quality recording that way. I'll give it a shot though, and let you know what happens. This laptop is a dv6, so hopefully the results should be pretty close to what you get. I also have an Acer Aspire that I've set aside for work in the studio because that has Windows 7 on it. ( I have a lot of old software that will work on Windows 7 that won't work on Windows 8 ).
Thank you for the tip!

Harley 8)

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