fx loop on=massive volume drop 3 channel Triple Recto

[backyardburial]

I have read a bit about this and the consensus I gather is that I adjust the send control? Problem is with that all the way up, the volume is still massively unequal...I have noticed that when the loop is off, the send increases the vol. anyway. I always thought this vol. knob was only for the effected signal? There is one other weird thing I have noticed...when I first turn amp on I play at a certain vol, then put on fx loop, there is no major level drop, but when I yurn loop off there is a huge boost, loop off means it goes back to quiet again...
Last question just to make doubly sure, My first prdal input goes to return, last pedal output goes to send?
Is it just me, or will you still get a signal if these are switched? I would have thought there would be nothing, but I swear mine works with either combo....sorry for the epic post!

 

[UnderJollyRoger]

Last question just to make doubly sure, My first prdal input goes to return, last pedal output goes to send?

Wrong! The Rectos Send Output goes into the first pedal input, the last pedal output goes into the Rectos Return Input

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

^He's right...that's why you have a huge volume drop!

 

[screamingdaisy]

You also have to factor in the master ouput knob... it's bypassed with the FX loop in bypass, so each channel is hitting the power amp with full power. Engaging the effects loop with the master output turned down will cause a volume drop... which is kind of the whole idea behind it.

 

[backyardburial]

Ok thanks you guys, I still don't understand tho why Im getting vol drop however I have it set up, my effects are set up in this order-
Wah-eq-octave-flanger-chorus-noise suppressor-delay
So according to you Jolly Roger, send output goes to wah INPUT and return output goes to delay OUTPUT?
When everybody talks about "first in chain", my wah is the first here right?
Im sure I have had it set up both ways, send/return going to both different options, I can't see what else I am missing

Screaming Daisy, can you elaborate a bit?
Im not bypassing the FX loop at all, Im trying to use it. And I dont have the master turned down, its on at least 1 or two....or are you saying the difference between loop on vol and loop of vol is less dramatic the higher the master is? That seems crazy to me, unless I have misunderstood
Can somebody clarify- should the "send" control be affecting the volume of my amp when fx is off? (I have the assign knob set to footswitch, so loop is only engaged when the fx footswitch button is on, I should have said this before.....Thanks again

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Yes, the send does effect the overall amp volume, even with the fx loop switched out (but not bypassed, obviously).

It is VERY important that the send goes into the first input, and the last output in your effects chain goes to the return. Otherwise, you are running the signal backwards, which means all the signal you send off in the parallel loop never gets back (or not entirely, anyway), and you'll only not have all your signal.

 

[94Tremoverb]

First, take the wah out of the loop. Wahs do not work well in FX loops usually - 'first in chain' means 'first in line after the guitar', ie between the guitar and the amp, and before any other pedals. There are very few pedals that work well in front of wahs, although compressors and some types of fuzzes can do.

The others should be OK, although personally I prefer Octavers in front of the amp as well (after the wah). The rest of the order is probably about right.

Connect: amp FX Send to EQ input, EQ output to Octaver input ... etc ... Delay output to amp FX Return. Now, make sure all the pedals (including the wah) are OFF, and bypass the loop using the big knob on the back of the amp - not the footswitch. Set the amp up with the sounds you normally use (it may be a bit loud, since the Output Level doesn't work with the loop bypassed). Use the clean sound for the next bit. Turn the loop on, with the Output Level halfway up and the Solo off. Adjust the Send level so that the volume is the same as it was before. Now, switching the loop on and off with the footswitch shouldn't affect the volume.

If you do get a volume drop and/or distortion when you turn the loop on, probably one or more of the pedals is overloading - this can happen, since they're designed for guitar signal levels not loop signal levels (which are higher) - if so, turn down the Send level and raise the Output Level to compensate. If you can't get a clean sound without volume drop at all, start removing pedals one at a time until the problem goes away and you can identify it - some pedals just aren't suitable for loops.

If you've removed all the pedals and you still get a volume drop, there may be something wrong with the loop in your amp.

 

[backyardburial]

Ibanez and tremoverb, thank you very much esp. you tremoverb, appreciate the time you took to do that. I knew someone would tell me not to put the wah in the loop, but I have just been doing it because of the power supply I use, I think I need to get another one to run the pedals in front of the amp...anyway you have given me much to mull over, I will go thru pedals one by one, if you suggestions don't fix my problem...heres hoping tho....
Thanks again all posters

 

[94Tremoverb]

No problem, it's what I had to go through with my Tremoverb to get it to work right - I have a couple of old pedals that are pretty touchy about the level and make the loop sound like cr@p if it's not adjusted just-so. I can never quite get it to the point where the amp is as loud with the loop in use as with it fully bypassed, but it's not an issue for me because I never need it cranked right up anyway.

You may be better running the wah on a battery - traditional wahs draw so little current that you'll get months or even years out of one, and there's no problem of leaving it connected if it's first in line, since unplugging the guitar cable shuts it off. Believe it or not, they quite often sound better on a battery than a power supply too.