DC-5 combo, effects loop question

[anothersomeone]

Greetings! I hope I'm posting this in the right place as I'm new and was hoping some of you boogie veterans could help me with my DC-5.

What I'm trying to do is connect my guitar through a GT-6 using the 4 cable method, but when I connect this way, the separate channel controls on my amp have no control except for what's noted above. Not to mention, I can remove my guitar cord from the GT-6 output to my amp input and I hear no difference in tone with it. Also when connecting this way, I also get a loud humming noise when I turn up the FX mix at all.

I'm connecting as follows:
guitar -> GT6 input
GT6 FX send - > amp input
amp FX send - > GT6 FX return
GT6 output -> FX return

I'm really only trying to use the GT6 for effects and nothing more. The manual for the amp does say you loose some front end control of the amp when using the FX return as an input, but I'm still trying to use my amps input.

Any ideas? I appreciate it.

 

[Fxrs]

My DC-5 didn't like the GT-6 (or GT-8) AT ALL! However, if you want to use just effects, Guitar>DC-5>DC-5 send>GT-6 input>GT-6 output>DC-5 return. 4 cable method is only necessary for using amp AND GT-6 sims. Good luck, mine hated them Boss multi's.

 

[anothersomeone]

I'll give this a try and see how it works out for me. Thanks!

 

[edward]

Hey there,

Owner of a DC5 and older GT3. I had tried the 4-cable method long ago and found it just didn't sound/work right. I also found that the models just didn't suit me. So I ended up using it in the guitar signal path, ran it in "manual" mode as a manual stompbox. Excellent! The tones from the amp are pure (i.e. real boogie tone uncolored by the f/x), and I have 6 indiv f/x that suit me far better than using the GT for all the other models, etc.

Edward

 

[anothersomeone]

Yeah, I wasn't trying to use the amp models that are on the pedal. The reason I was trying to use the 4 cable method was because a) I had heard such great things about the possibilities that come with it but also b) I was under the impression that some of the effects I could use pre - pre amp while others post - pre amp / pre - power amp. That is pretty much what I was trying to achieve.

I originally bought the GT6 because I lived in an apartment and as anyone who owns or has played through a DC5, that amp is too ridiculously loud to play in an apartment without getting evicted. So I bought the GT6 to practice with and figured when I had availability I would go through the amp, hence my current dilemma.

I appreciate your guys responses, if you have any other thoughts, please let me know!

 

[edward]

This is a highly worthwhile "mod" ...which is a "fix" IMHO. And since you're an apartment dweller, this is an absolute must if you ask me. The thread is 3 pages long, but you only need the first page.

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=229027

Edward

 

[anothersomeone]

Thanks for the heads up on the MOD. I've never done anything like this inside my amps.

While I'm not playing in an apartment anymore, I definitely notice the volume issue everyone is describing. How hard is it to get the amp out of the combo chassis? How long will this mod take me to perform and do I need any specific tools?

I'm willing to learn and do this, but I love my amp and don't want to kill it!

Thanks for your help man... = )

 

[edward]

Chassis slides out w/o a hitch. Turn your cab on its side, undo the 4 chassis screws and the rear bar, and the whole chassis will slide out no prob ...just be careful not to hit or grab a power tube. Remove them if you feel more comfortable. All you need to do the mod is a wire cutter, as small a nose as possible as there's not a whole lot of room to cut in there. Takes a minute to find the resistor and cut it, and how ever long it takes you to remove/replace the chassis. Then enjoy the MUCH better control you will have at low-ish volumes.

Edward

 

[anothersomeone]

Sorry to bring this back up again but it never really was clarified.

When I run by GT6 through the effects loop now, The Volume / Wah pedal among many other effects doesn't really seem to be present until I crank the effects loop volume. Problem is when I do this, my amp has a pretty loud and noticeable hum.

Has anyone else had this problem with the effects loop on the DC-5? Any idea how I can fix this? I'm thinking about making the mod mentioned above this weekend, if there is anything I can look at inside the amp, any ideas would help.

Thanks!

 

[Fxrs]

Even though the mix knob at max says "100%", it's not totally wet, more like 90%, and I guess this can cause some weird sound quality issues.

 

[anothersomeone]

How do I fix it?

 

[Monsta-Tone]

It looks like you could simply remove the wire (actually a circuit board trace) that connects the Send jack to the Mix knob.

This would eliminate any of the original signal at the output of the Loop, and turn the Mix knob into a Master Volume. At this point, you could probably short the Mix Pot by soldering a lead between the middle tab and the tab of the Pot that goes to the Return Jack.

I do not know how this will affect the sound, but it looks like it may work.

 

[anothersomeone]

So are we thinking it's just a bad potentiometer? Can I just change that out? I don't mind the blending knob on the back, I just want to resolve the loud HMMMMMMMM sound I hear with the knob turned up. = )

Appreciate your feedback...

Does anyone else with this amp have this problem?

 

[MusicManJP6]

question - seeing as the F-series amps replaced the DC's, is it possible to do this mod on an F-30? Low volume tone is decent (could be better), but mainly the master volume is hard to get just right coz it is too sensitive. Wouldn't mind to smooth it out a bit...

I guess I can always pull the chassis and see if there is a resistor there to snip...

EDIT: nevermind - it's totally different. Sounds good anyway!

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Sorry, missed that part:

I'm connecting as follows:
guitar -> GT6 input
GT6 FX send - > amp input
amp FX send - > GT6 FX return
GT6 output -> FX return

It's a little confusing to me that you are running the signal from the amp's FX Send into the GT6 FX Return.

Does the GT6 have a Loop? It sounds more like an Insert type of deal, rather than a real Loop.



I don't think it's your amp.

Try this:
Guitar - GT6 - Amp

then

Guitar - Amp - GT6 in the Loop of the Amp.


I am willing to bet, although I have never used a GT6, that it does not like the way you are hooking it up.

 

[Fxrs]

Sorry, missed that part:

I'm connecting as follows:
guitar -> GT6 input
GT6 FX send - > amp input
amp FX send - > GT6 FX return
GT6 output -> FX return

It's a little confusing to me that you are running the signal from the amp's FX Send into the GT6 FX Return.

Does the GT6 have a Loop? It sounds more like an Insert type of deal, rather than a real Loop.



I don't think it's your amp.

Try this:
Guitar - GT6 - Amp

then

Guitar - Amp - GT6 in the Loop of the Amp.


I am willing to bet, although I have never used a GT6, that it does not like the way you are hooking it up.

The GT-6 does have a loop, using the 4-cable method allows one to use the amp's preamp and just FX in the DC's loop, or the amp sims on the GT-6 in the loop of the DC. The problem does lie(I'm pretty sure) with the amp, in that Mesa's parallel loop does not like the GT-6 or GT-8 although some people have good results using them with DR's. I believe this may have something to do with the send/return level controls, where the DC only has a mix knob.

 

[MrMarkIII]

Maybe you're doing this already, but, just in case... Go to page 60 of the GT-6 manual ("Using External Effects Processors"). In order to use the 4 cable method you need to switch the "Overdrive/Distortion Type" to "Custom/External" in order to use the Send/Return loop.
You are probably going to have to adjust each effect's output depending on whether it goes into the front of the amp or in the amp's effects loop. For example, the echo/delay effect output may sound better 100% wet and adjusted by the amp's mix control. Hope this helps.