Effects loop sound quality recommendations

[Deedee]

I just bought a G Major 2 and an ISP Decimator that I'd love to run through the effects loop on the Mark V, but the sound quality difference between my usual hard bypass setting and the loop are so drastic on channel 3, that I find it unusable. I know this topic has been covered quite extensively, but I haven't really been able to find adjustment recommendations to get the effects loop to sound closer to hard bypass. I can live without using it, but I'm losing a lot of functionality from the G Major by running it straight into the amp and would appreciate some feedback.

Thanks

 

[APEMAN]

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[Deedee]

I ordered a bunch of short Evidence Monorail cables for the interconnects, but I haven't gotten them yet, so I'm using junky cables for the time being. That said, prior to buying the rack gear, if I turned my fx loop on with nothing plugged in, it sounded the same as it does now with stuff in the loop, it loses all balls. The change in channel 3 with the loop turned on with nothing plugged in is not at all subtle and renders the loop unusable, the same goes for when I have my G Major and Decimator plugged into the loop. I know that it's even listed in the manual that some sound change is to be expected, but this is pretty extreme. Once I get the new cables, I'll try that, but considering it sounded the same with nothing connected to the loop, I don't expect it to make much difference. I've heard of people changing out the fx loop tube, but haven't heard news of results, I'm curious about this too.

Thanks

 

[mesa metal]

I ordered a bunch of short Evidence Monorail cables for the interconnects, but I haven't gotten them yet, so I'm using junky cables for the time being. That said, prior to buying the rack gear, if I turned my fx loop on with nothing plugged in, it sounded the same as it does now with stuff in the loop, it loses all balls. The change in channel 3 with the loop turned on with nothing plugged in is not at all subtle and renders the loop unusable, the same goes for when I have my G Major and Decimator plugged into the loop. I know that it's even listed in the manual that some sound change is to be expected, but this is pretty extreme. Once I get the new cables, I'll try that, but considering it sounded the same with nothing connected to the loop, I don't expect it to make much difference. I've heard of people changing out the fx loop tube, but haven't heard news of results, I'm curious about this too.

Thanks

i use my gmajor in the loop with the output and input knobs on the major at 3 oclock,,i adjust the loop send levels in back of the amp while switching the loop on and off at the pedal until the volumes are almost even(using the master volume knob),,,then i switch on the solo boost and leave it on,,that seems to give back some volume that was taken out of the circuit in the first place.......hope this makes sense
better cables do make a difference i use all mogami inst.cables and cbi interconnects..

 

[screamingdaisy]

Try running channel 3's master down around 9:00-9:30 and turn the master output back up to compensate for the change in volume.

 

[cherbst]

+1 for screamingdaisy's settings, I found CH3 to be very hot, and would clip anything in the effects loop if I went far past 9:00. Set like this with 2 stompboxes I hear no difference, even with a long amp to pedalboard round trip.

 

[SteveO]

Try running channel 3's master down around 9:00-9:30 and turn the master output back up to compensate for the change in volume.

That's the ticket.

 

[Deedee]

I just tried some of those changes and saw some pretty positive improvements. I turned the channel master to about 9:30, the fx loop output to about 2:00 and the input on the G Major to max, then controlled the volume through the master output on the amp and the tone is as close to hard bypass as it's ever been. I really appreciate the help guys, with some tweaking I'm sure I can get it to a place where I'm happy with the sound. My only other issue now is since I'm using the loop now, I connected channel 2 on my Decimator, but when I turn it on even with the threshold at 0, the sound gets muffled, but I'll go over those settings and cabling tonight.

Thanks!

 

[farren]

The only thing in my loop is a GM2, but I was able to fine tune the input/output level on it to where it's perfectly transparent. The total cable run is about one foot and they're good George L cables. Input level on the GM2 is 2:50 and output is 3:30 (yes, it's that precise ). The FX level on the amp is in the noon indent (never felt the need to mess with it). I did some A/B testing with it in and out of the loop and it's truly transparent.

The Mark's FX loop is widely regarded as very high quality, so when met with problems I would first suspect devices in the loop's level settings, cable quality and even device quality after ruling out, of course, the most common cause of all tube amp problems: tubes.

 

[mule#1]

So funny to find this thread! I got on here tonight to look for this very subject. I am not running anything through the effects loop but was using it for the solo boost. When its not in Hard Bypass it looses thump and urgency. I will try some things I've seen here but this amp is so much better when the loop is bypassed. The manual says it adds another stage of gain. Ears don't lie and I listen back to live recordings before I engaged the loop and I like it much better.

Anyone know where other threads are about this?

 

[mesa metal]

The only thing in my loop is a GM2, but I was able to fine tune the input/output level on it to where it's perfectly transparent. The total cable run is about one foot and they're good George L cables. Input level on the GM2 is 2:50 and output is 3:30 (yes, it's that precise ). The FX level on the amp is in the noon indent (never felt the need to mess with it). I did some A/B testing with it in and out of the loop and it's truly transparent.

The Mark's FX loop is widely regarded as very high quality, so when met with problems I would first suspect devices in the loop's level settings, cable quality and even device quality after ruling out, of course, the most common cause of all tube amp problems: tubes.

totally agree and im starting to like the loop more now since its dialed in..the in/out levels on the gmajor work really well..
do you have the GM2 on top of the amp...

 

[farren]

Yep, got mine sitting on top of a couple wooden blocks on either side of the handle of my Mark head. I pretty much never touch the GM2 itself since I control it from Vyzor on the PC or my USB footswitch, and I never move it, so it doesn't have to be too secure. It vibrates a little, no doubt, but the adhesive damper material I line my PCs with is on the top and bottom of the blocks so it never vibrates audibly.

Hard, maybe impossible, to beat the GM2 for the money which is one reason you see so many of them. I'm usually surprised when I meet someone who has never had a GM/GM2 in their loop at some point