Help with the loop...

[hendrik84]

Hey guys, I've been having some problems with my H9 clipping in the loop of my Mark V when I'm using some pitch algo's. After a lot of testing and trying out different settings, I'm beginning to think the effects loop itself might be the problem instead of the H9.

Sometimes it's like the loop descends in volume and gets really quiet. Not sore if it's just because of excessive overload in the return input.

Anyone had issues with the loop before? Do I have to take it in or is there something I can do to try to fix it myself?

Bonus n00b question: Is it possible to damage the loop with extensive clipping?

Thanks!

 

[firmani99]

IS the H9 a pedal? Does it have an input level adjustment or switch? The loop is closer to line level than instrument level but you might be able to get the level in the loop low enough to work with some pedals. Try playing around with the loop send level. Also the individual channel masters affect the level of the signal at the loop I believe.

I doubt you will do any damage overdriving the loop.

 

[hendrik84]

Yes it's an Eventide pedal.

Yes it has input gain adjustment.

Why would they make the loop closer to line level than instrument level? This is a guitar amp for crying out loud.

I read somewhere that if you turn the loop level much lower than middle it's gonna take away from the sound :/

 

[Authorized Boogie]

This can sometimes be a result of having your channel masters set too high and your main output control set too low. The simple test here is to invert your settings. For example, set each channel master to about 9 O'clock and set your one main output control up to around 11-12 O'clock. This ultimately sends less signal to the FX processor which means it won't overdrive the processors input and you should get a cleaner signal. These settings are merely examples though, you'll still need to fine tune them for your application. The main idea though is to always keep your main output control set higher than the 3 channel masters when running FX to avoid overdriving the input on your processor. (Or vice-versa!)

 

[hendrik84]

Thanks Boogie!

I will give this a try!

One n00b question though; will it not affect my tone? Granted, I'm used to amps that rely more on the master volume than the Mark V. The V seems to be able to coax out some amazing tones even at low volumes. But still, will my tone not be affected by lowering the channel volumes, even though I'm turning up the output volume? I just checked out that Alex Lifeson video and I noticed he has his channel volumes around 12-1 o'clock. Could he aquire the same tone by lowering the channel masters and turning up the output(if he had the loop enabled?).

Thanks again!

 

[SteveO]

Why would they make the loop closer to line level than instrument level? This is a guitar amp for crying out loud.

Most guitar amps place the loop between the preamp and power amp, which is going to be approximately line level. Most decent time-based effects are designed for this signal.

Incidentally, I have three Eventide Factor pedals and none of them has any problem with the signal in the Mark V effects loop.

 

[Authorized Boogie]

The Channel Masters are primarily used for balancing the volume between channels, and are also the source for the fx send signal. There is a fine balance of setting them to send an adequate signal, without too much to overdrive the processor. Thanks!