WHAT I WAS AFTER

In my continued quest to focus more on performing music rather than switching sounds in my guitar rig, I spent this year researching new equipment and designing my new rig. In truth, I had two primary goals.

1.)Clean up some noise in my rig and reduce cable signal loss

2.)Make it easier to switch between sounds

I found the perfect and professional solution with the RG-16 Audio and function Switcher by RJM Music Technology and the FX1 Midi Foot Controller by Axess Electronics. This gear review will focus solely on the awesome RG-16 audio switcher.

RJM Music Technology is an audio electronics design company based in Vista, California. Owner and designer, Ron Menelli is the creator of the RG-16. They also make a couple of other very cool boxes called Amp Gizmo and Loop Gizmo. Go HERE to visit their website.

WHY USE AN AUDIO SWITCHER

The biggest issue for me is signal loss and noise. When using multiple effects, it is easy to degrade your guitar signal when you pass from one effect to the next. In technical terms, capacitance is built up which decreases high frequency response and gain. This also adds noise to the signal chain. One option to compensate for this loss is to boost gain and high-end frequency via a pedal booster. There are dozens on the market today many who claim to be “transparent”. However, the whole point of a pedal booster is to compensate for loss on some level. This works pretty well but it is not the final solution. Try plugging into your amp directly, bypassing all of the effects, and you will notice that your guitar has more gain and high-end frequency.

Secondly, guitar players are distracted from their performance when trying to switch from one sound to the next. This is referred to as the “guitar player tap dance”. Instead, wouldn’t it be great to push one preset button to radically change your guitar sound?

A high-quality audio loop switcher and midi floor controller solves both these problems. The audio loop switcher allows you to “insert” each effect into the signal chain when needed. If the effect is off, the loop is bypassed cleaning up your signal change. You basically "engage" the loop into the signal chain. The audio loop switcher can be programmed and controlled via a midi foot controller. Essentially, you can turn on all your effects (or a combination of) at once with a single button. With a more sophisticated midi controller such as the Axess FX1, it allows you to have "instant access" to each loop (effect) at your toe tips.

WHAT IS THE RG-16

The RG-16 is a MIDI-based audio switcher and function switcher that empowers guitarists to control any combination of available amplifiers and effects units with a MIDI footswitch controller. The RG-16 is built with eight (8) audio loops for switching effects devices and amplifiers and eight (8) function switches for control of amplifiers and/or anything else that needs a dry contact switch. Ron also included an audio buffer in the RG-16 to help boost signals from cable loss if needed.

What I love best about the RG-16 is the user interface. Better than any other audio switcher I’ve come across, the intuitive buttons on the front panel couldn’t be simpler. Each loop button and function switch button has an LED indicator, which provides great feedback on what is on and off.

HOW DO YOU CONTROL IT

Any midi foot controller can interface with the RG-16. One of the nice things about this audio switcher is that it is truly programmable. In other words, it can actually save in memory up to 256 presets. It is so simple! All you really need to do is push the buttons on the front panel (engaging loops and function switches), press the WRITE button for three seconds and save the current settings to memory. Voila’….you’re done! Each program preset can then be recalled via the midi foot controller.

The RG-16 can also be used as a dumb terminal. What I mean by that is that it can simply respond to incoming midi continuous controller messages and pass through midi program changes. In this scenario, it serves as an elegant interface to a more sophisticated and programmable midi controller like the FX1.

Regarding the function switches, they can be programmed as latching or momentary which is necessary depending on what you are trying to control. Ron has available on his website a wide variety of custom cables for your particular amp. If it is not listed, I can’t imagine that he wouldn’t make whatever you wanted. Ron made my custom cable for my early model Fuchs ODS and it worked out perfectly. The RG-16 can also power the midi foot controller via phantom power when using a 7-pin midi cable.

WIRING THE AUDIO LOOPS

This is where you really need to decide how your new rig will be wired. The RG-16 offers some level of flexibility. The first four audio loops (1-4) are a fixed architecture and are connected in series (each loop is connected internally to the next). When the loop is off, your guitar signal bypasses that loop and connects to the next loop automatically. In other words, the audio signal passes through unchanged.

In my particular rig, I dedicated loops 1-6 for guitar input loops and loops 7-8 were designated for my amplifiers send and return loop. See my guitar rig block diagram HERE. As you can see, I drive my amp with a compressor and a few distortion and boost boxes. I also decided to place my tremolo and chorus at the input rather than the effects loop at this time. Only reverb and delay sounds are routed through the effects loop of my amp. I also have small Boss Looper placed in this path along with my volume pedal. This scenario gives me the cleanest sound and most flexibility.

To use loop 5 and 6 in series with loops 1-4, I patched the output of loops 1-4 to the send input on loop 5. I then patched the send and return jacks on loop 5 and 6 and used the send jack on loop 6 to feed my amplifier input.

There are so many different ways to wire this switch up. If you had two amplifiers, you could create different loop configurations for each amp and route the sample loop configuration to both amps. Ron also included two control switch outputs for two amplifiers, which is quite nice if you had a stereo amp setup.

Finally, the RG-16 includes a tuner out jack, which can only be used if you have the buffer engaged.

HOW DOES IT SOUND

The real question here is….how does in NOT sound? I did a lot of research on guitar audio switchers. I looked at CAE, Rocktron, Voodoo Labs, Axess…you name it. Some manufacturers design loop-based switchers using opto-FET (optical transistors) or LDRs (light dependent resistors) but most today are using high-quality gold-contact relays. In my opinion, this is the best way to achieve “sonic transparency”, clean switching and low signal loss without any audible distortion. Additional electronic circuits like “snubber circuits” are sometimes used to improve operation by filtering audio frequencies from the relay coil.

Flexibility and features are nice for any audio loop switcher but if the relay switching is noisy, you lose. Nothing is worse than “seamlessly” switching guitar sounds with a big POP! I am very pleased to say that the RG-16 meets this high quality criteria. I am using effects pedals before the amplifier input and 2 within the amp’s effects loop and my switching is silent and clean.

                                            Check back for sound samples coming soon!

END RESULT AND MY NEW RIG

The RG-16 turned out to be the perfect and simple solution for my new rig. Although I am not completely finished with setting up my new rig, the RG-16 has proven to be a high-quality audio loop switch with just enough functionality and flexibility for my use. I love that it is only 1RU and easy to control. The audio switching is virtually silent and the design layout is clear and simple to wire. Look forward to a DIY review on my entire rig in early 2008.

Also, I’d like to mention how helpful Ron Menelli has been throughout my entire learning curve. I first met Ron at Winter NAMM 2007 when he was first showing off the RG16 prototype. I was immediately impressed with this little box and it turned out to be a gem. When I received my unit and started wiring and programming it, Ron was also available to answer my questions and help me through the process. Ron’s a great guy and he runs a professional company. I highly encourage you to contact Ron yourself and learn more about the entire RJM Technology product line.

Websites where you can find more information on the RG-16

RJM Music Technology - Here is a link to their main website. Check out the video demonstration by Dave Weiner who has been a long-time support of RJM Music Technology.

Music Players Gear Review - Here is a nice review by MusicPlayers.com online magazine

Harmony Central Announcement - Here is an announcement on the RG-16 on Harmony Central. Also, look for my short review on Harmony Central as well.

Synthtopia - Another announcement and review at Synthopia online magazine.

Winter NAMM 2007 Review at GGE - Here is my first review of this unit at Winter NAMM 2007.