# ISP Decimator G-String...Mistake!??!



## mightywarlock (Jan 5, 2010)

Well, dang it all...

I think i made a silly mistake.

So over the weekend I sold my ISP Decimator with the thinking I would buy the ISP Decimator G-String, thinking it would not only work the same way, but better, and and also allow going through the effects loop to quiet the amp to silence. (similar to the Boss NS-2).

So i picked it up last night and discovered that NO, it does not work the same way at all!

they are 2 very different pedals indeed!!

with the regular pedal, you go guitar, pedal, amp, if you wish, and it acts like a normal noise gate if you want.

with the G-String however, it has guitar in, guitar out, decimator in, decimator out. However, if you do not want to use the Effects loop, this pedal is useless. It must go through the loop in order for it to actually do anything, and, i found it only worked somewhat ok when doing so. Now, i only used it for 10 minutes or so, but I did notice a very minor change in the tone (i am very tone sensitive to changes).

It can do what it claims, to quiet a noisy hissy amp, but it doesn't seem to react as quick as I would like for the heavy stuff, and would almost seem like you would still need another pedal up front to act as a noise gate...

so...

I think i made a mistake! While it might be great for recording purposes only, while quieting the amp and eliminating all the hiss when you are recording, for general use, and amps that may not have an effects loop, it may not work properly at all!

I also bought one of those Ernie Ball String winder things (the electronic ones), and it did not work at all (plastic piece of &^&%), so I have to go back tonight to the store to return it, but I will have to play with the pedal some more before deciding whether it goes back as well or I keep it. It was very expensive (almost $200!) and I had to spend over $100 more than i sold my other pedal for, so if this is the case, this is a sad sorry lesson to learn if i end up having to go and buy the standard Decimator pedal back all over again!


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## Larrikin666 (Jan 5, 2010)

Wow. I was completely unaware. That seems odd. I have the ProrackG, and it works fine if I just want to use it in front of the amp.


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## Larrikin666 (Jan 5, 2010)

Wow. I was completely unaware. That seems odd. I have the ProrackG, and it works fine if I just want to use it in front of the amp.


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## raximkoron (Jan 5, 2010)

I have noticed that the G-string pedal doesn't work without the loop included but it's never been an issue for me. I have no experience with the straight decimator pedal but the gate opens and closes without any issue or lag at all. I guess I would try to bridge the loop's in/out with a small patch cable if you didn't want to use the fx loop, or you have one of the very few amps out there that don't include loops. Not sure if bridging it would work, but I guess it was specifically designed to be in the loop as well as up front as that is what makes it different from the standard decimator.


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## rareform707 (Jan 6, 2010)

raximkoron said:


> I would try to bridge the loop's in/out with a small patch cable


this! 
just use a 6 inch cable or so...it may look kinda goofy arched over but it works


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## PirateMetalTroy (Jan 7, 2010)

I find that my g-string works awesome. Granted I've always run it through the loop, but it's always been really tight gating wise and the cutoff is smooth-ish, even when set absurdly high.

I suppose if you only meant to run it out front with a minimum of cabling then the g-string may have been a mistake, but I love complicated gizmos and such so it suits my tastes just fine.


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## cycloptopus (Jan 7, 2010)

Yeah, when I first tried mine I tried running straight in front and got nothing. It didn't matter to me because I got it so I could run it in the effects loop too. So when all hooked up in front and in the loop no issues. I've never had a problem with the speed of it. It's definitely fast enough. As stated above try the patch cable if you're not gonna run it in the effects loop, or just go back to a regs Decimator


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## Sepultorture (Jan 7, 2010)

glad i read this, after trying a few gates i decided on the Decimator and my practice amp has no FX loop really, so i think i shall gun for the regular Decimator for the practice amp and spring for a Pro Rack G when i get another rig


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## JJ Rodriguez (Jan 7, 2010)

Why not just go guitar to the guitar in, then run the output into the loop in of the G-String? Just run the pedal up front of your amp. I mean...it kind of sucks you dropped the cash on it, but you might want it in the loop at some other point if you get an amp where you'd leave the loop on all the time.

It's a work around if you really don't want to get rid of it, but if you feel no need for the more expensive pedal, then I'd say return it and get another regular Decimator.


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## Bekanor (Jan 7, 2010)

I'll trade you a normal decimator for your g string.


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## mightywarlock (Jan 15, 2010)

Bekanor said:


> I'll trade you a normal decimator for your g string.


 
sure.



i guess if i decide to buy a 5150, this pedal will come in quite useful eh?


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## Bekanor (Jan 15, 2010)

mightywarlock said:


> sure.
> 
> 
> 
> i guess if i decide to buy a 5150, this pedal will come in quite useful eh?



So that's a no?


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## Geoffrey (Jan 17, 2010)

Bekanor said:


> So that's a no?


 
I think so..


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## Bekanor (Jan 17, 2010)

Stool.


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## PnKnG (Jan 17, 2010)

mightywarlock said:


> Well, dang it all...
> 
> I think i made a silly mistake.
> 
> ...



Sounds like the G-String is build like a Boss NS-2 (I never had one so I'm only going after what you said). it has a normal in and out and a loop to put in pedals.
If that how its made than I suggests that you try the X connection method that can be used with a NS-2.


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## phonix (Nov 5, 2010)

I keep reading people say that with a G-string you have to patch the deci in and deci out with a cable to make it work out the front of an amp. This is useless and will achieve nothing. _There is no gating circuitry between guitar in and guitar out on the G-string._ Going guitar in, then guitar out to amp will not gate anything, deci in and out bridged or not - it's just reading the guitar signal as it passes through. 

To make the G-string work out front, you need to run your guitar into guitar in, then _patch guitar out to deci in_, then deci out to your amp input.

You can also run into an OD first, like a tubescreamer, then into the G-string as described above.


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## smith10210 (Nov 5, 2010)

I had the g-string also at one point if you want to use it just up front before the amp and not use the loop you have to run a patch cable in the pedal. I actually called isp and talked to Buck about it and asked him if they might put a switch on the unit so you could use it both ways eliminating the patch cable. The ProRack G doesnt have that problem.


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## phonix (Nov 5, 2010)

I know. That's exactly what I just said. I clarified where the patch cable has to connect though, as people keep saying it wrong.


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## JJ Rodriguez (Nov 5, 2010)

phonix said:


> I keep reading people say that with a G-string you have to patch the deci in and deci out with a cable to make it work out the front of an amp. This is useless and will achieve nothing. _There is no gating circuitry between guitar in and guitar out on the G-string._ Going guitar in, then guitar out to amp will not gate anything, deci in and out bridged or not - it's just reading the guitar signal as it passes through.
> 
> To make the G-string work out front, you need to run your guitar into guitar in, then _patch guitar out to deci in_, then deci out to your amp input.
> 
> You can also run into an OD first, like a tubescreamer, then into the G-string as described above.



Way to bump a 10 month old thread to give a solution that was already given:



JJ Rodriguez said:


> Why not just go guitar to the guitar in, then run the output into the loop in of the G-String? Just run the pedal up front of your amp. I mean...it kind of sucks you dropped the cash on it, but you might want it in the loop at some other point if you get an amp where you'd leave the loop on all the time.
> 
> It's a work around if you really don't want to get rid of it, but if you feel no need for the more expensive pedal, then I'd say return it and get another regular Decimator.


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## phonix (Nov 6, 2010)

There are 2 posts before yours saying to do the wrong thing:



raximkoron said:


> I have noticed that the G-string pedal doesn't work without the loop included but it's never been an issue for me. I have no experience with the straight decimator pedal but the gate opens and closes without any issue or lag at all. *I guess I would try to bridge the loop's in/out with a small patch cable if you didn't want to use the fx loop,* or you have one of the very few amps out there that don't include loops. Not sure if bridging it would work, but I guess it was specifically designed to be in the loop as well as up front as that is what makes it different from the standard decimator.


 
and directly after that post, this one



rareform707 said:


> this!
> *just use a 6 inch cable or so...it may look kinda goofy arched over but it works*


 
Other threads have the same misinformation. Your post kind of just looks like a random opinion like the others, I wanted to make it clear.
I only got one of these pedals a couple of days ago and was looking to see how to get it to work (no manual) and saw multiple posts saying connect deci in to deci out with a patch cable. I did add new info the the thread by saying there was no gating circuitry between guitar in & guitar out.

I was just trying to help others.


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## Eric Christian (Dec 12, 2010)

I've used both and prefer the G-String version. I'm using a Jackson SLAT3-7 into a 6505+ and it works perfectly even with the gain turned up all the way on the lead channel. If you have an effects loop in your amp I'd get the G-String for sure. Read how it actually works on the ISP site, pretty cool.


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## enuenu (Nov 29, 2011)

Trying to make the decision between the two pedals myself. I think I'm more confused than ever. For the dummies like me;
"Is there an application where the standard Decimator does a better job than the G-String version?"
"If so, what is that application?"


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## Sepultorture (Nov 29, 2011)

regular decimator if you are only having feedback issues and/or want a tighter sound when palm musit

g string version if you want that and your amp to be quite between playing, this can be for noisey amps witha a tonne of hiss like the peavey 6505


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## Deliverowned (Nov 29, 2011)

So glad i didnt get the g string version. I would buy 2 regular ones instead of a single g version.


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## Sepultorture (Nov 29, 2011)

Deliverowned said:


> So glad i didnt get the g string version. I would buy 2 regular ones instead of a single g version.



With that you might as well just go with the ProRack G, it's esentially two gates in one with filter tracking


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## enuenu (Nov 29, 2011)

Sepultorture said:


> regular decimator if you are only having feedback issues and/or want a tighter sound when palm musit
> 
> g string version if you want that *and* your amp to be quite between playing, this can be for noisey amps witha a tonne of hiss like the peavey 6505


 
Thanks. So it seems if you get the G String you get the exact same functionality as the standard Decimator, plus some extra functionality. So the worst that can happen if you get the G String is that you drop some extra coin for no reason.

However I see a few posts on this subject saying that 2 x standard decimators will provide even better functionality and flexibility than 1 x G String. If this is the case I would buy a standard Decimator, see how it goes, and if I then find I need noise reduction after the preamp, buy a second standard Decimator. 

2 x Standard Decimators would not cost that much more $ than a G-String so logic is telling me get a Standard Decimator and buy a second one later if desired. With 2 x Standard Decimators I get the ultimate in noise reduction, excepting maybe the Pro Rack.


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## xPIZZLEx (Nov 29, 2011)

If you're gonna go dual Decimator, be careful using the second one in an effects loop. No effects loop is fool-proof in preventing volume drop. You'll probably have to mess with it to get it just right so it's cutting back the amp's natural hiss without dropping your volume too much. 

I used my Decimator right next to my amp footswitch. When I was done with a song, I just switched over to the clean channel, and TA-DA! No amp hiss.

*Now going to eBay to get a Decimator. I love payday!


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## FadexToxBlack81 (Nov 29, 2011)

yeah dude I LOVE my g-string. i run it in the series loop of my amp and in front of my amp at the same time and it SERIOUSLY makes my rig quite as hell. no hum or hiss at all


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## sgsummers (Feb 10, 2013)

First of all sorry to bump an old thread... but how do I do this?

"yeah dude I LOVE my g-string. i run it in the series loop of my amp and in front of my amp at the same time and it SERIOUSLY makes my rig quite as hell. no hum or hiss at all"


I have been struggling to get the G string to do any good on my 6505+ and my 5150.

And also anyone know if the the two amps above are serial r parallel FX loops?

I have experimented with a few different ways of hooking it up but I get weird results. Either it changes the tone or nothing happens at all. How do I run it in front AND in the loop at the same time. Of if it was mentioned above I guess its just not obvious to me.


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## 155 (Feb 10, 2013)

I dont think your hooking it up right? every amp ive used it on has no effect on tone at all on or off, your amps have series effects loops btw, which is optimal.


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