LSC Effects loop conversion?

[mdortona]

Hi!

Has anyone converted their LSC effects loop to a serial loop? If so, what were your results in terms of sound? Any advantages/disadvantages? Currently, I'm finding that my LSC loop is sucking tone and volume. Replaced the V3 preamp tube too. Helped a little. Here's my set up:

Boss Tuner--> Boss DD3---> Boss CE20--->Boss GEq7--->Loop

Any help or advice is much appreciated. Thanks!

Matt

 

[thirstypirate]

It already is a series loop.

How do you have the send level adjusted on the back of the amp. If it's not right it will kill your tone whether there are pedals in the loop or not.

 

[mdortona]

Originally, I was running it at 12 Noon and then ran it full blast. Running it full blast helped a little volume wise, but was overloading the CE-20. Thanks!

Matt

 

[Octavarius]

Well.. perhaps it's your effects, then? Try unhooking all the pedals and run the effects loop empty and see if that changes anything with the loop on vs. hard bypassed.

A parallel loop would have a mix knob at the return stage to mix the effects (100% wet) with the direct internal dry signal split from the send out. This loop is serial and has an additional send knob which is there to help you match up signal levels with your external processors/effect units.

 

[mdortona]

Hi Octavarius,

Actually, that was crossing my mind too (re: the effects). I have a sneaky suspicion that the CE-20 may be the guilty party.
We'll see. Thanks!

Matt

 

[plan-x]

Boss Tuner--> Boss DD3---> Boss CE20--->Boss GEq7--->Loop

To many Boss's. Ha ha. They're tone suckers. Delay and Chorus should go in the loop and possibly the EQ also, but not the tuner.

 

[thirstypirate]

Originally, I was running it at 12 Noon and then ran it full blast. Running it full blast helped a little volume wise, but was overloading the CE-20. Thanks!

Matt

I run mine at about 1 but the consensus on this board when this issue has come up in the past seemed to be running it between 12 and 2. I have a Boss RE-20 that doesn't work well in the loop of my LSC but out in front it's fine. They probably have similar, if not the same, buffers in them. Good luck figuring it out.

 

[mdortona]

Thanks, I'll give it a shot.

matt

 

[Erim]

My CE-20 was a terrible tone sucker. All my boss pedals had to go once I got my LSC. For whatever that's worth I'd check that first.

 

[mdortona]

I'm getting a bad vibe about this....... :shock: :lol: . Seriously, what effects are you using now Erim after ditching the Boss stuff?

Matt

 

[Steve73]

Another option would be to get a looper like a Loopmaster or Keeley's Japanese Apartment and have all of your pedals out of line until you need them. You could have this in your Effects Loop or up front. At the very least, you could find by trial and error what the pedals are that are killing the tone.

 

[Quetapasao]

You can check out the Minimix ( http://www.suhrguitars.com/tonetools.aspx) by John Suhr . It's a mixer that converts your loop in parallel . For me the good thing of having a serial loop it's that I can put the volume pedal in the loop and it doesn't affects the gain ( for that I prefer using the volume know) , but it works good for controlling the volume after the preamp section , and also for volume swells .

 

[ja22y]

I don't find that the LS fx loop 'sucking tone' at all. It's basically another gain stage. Some people like it for the additional gain and some people don't. Did you try without the pedals but w/ the loop enable? If it sounds right then the issue is w/ the pedals. Boss are not true-bypass, you'll hear the difference if more than a couple are in the chain. The EQ7 is a hissing snake, atleast mine is.

 

[mdortona]

First off, thanks to everyone for their help and advice! Here's where things stand:

I eliminated the Boss CE-20 chorus and the tuner from the efx loop and there has been a noticeable improvement. At the moment, all that is in the loop is a DD-3, GE-7, and new Deltalab Chorus (which is true bypass). I may remove the GE-7 since I use it so rarely.
I pretty much liking what I hear and it worked well this evening at rehearsal. Nonetheless, I still plan to try some of the suggestions folks have given me and listen to the results. Next order of business is picking up a reasonably cheap true bypass wah-wah pedal.

I am still playing with the idea of seeing what kind of results I get with running a GT-6 or GT-8 into the loop using the 4 cable method. Anyone doing this?

Thanks again!

Matt

 

[ja22y]

First off, thanks to everyone for their help and advice! Here's where things stand:
I am still playing with the idea of seeing what kind of results I get with running a GT-6 or GT-8 into the loop using the 4 cable method. Anyone doing this?

Thanks again!

Matt

I've tried to use the gt-6 in the loop but no matter what, it just doesn't sound right. I matched the input level/impedance and all that. It sounded better in front and I think that it was designed for that. IMO the gt-6 makes a bad amp acceptable and makes a good amp bad.

 

[mdortona]

Ja22y,

Were you running out of the GT6's main outs or running out of the GT6's send and return outs?


Matt

 

[ja22y]

Ja22y,

Were you running out of the GT6's main outs or running out of the GT6's send and return outs?


Matt

I tried both. It was awhile ago but as I recall I don't think the gt-6 send/return can be used as it was meant for the gt6 to send to another gear.
Overall I never like to use digital fx in a serial loop, because your wonderful amp and guitar can only sound as good as the that box that you use in the loop. The AD and DA converters in the stomp or most multi-fx are not of every good quality. Plug a few of these boxes in and your signal now is being converted back and forth several times for nothing. Yike!!! So if you use the serial fx, make sure the fx are high quality. I prefer analog fx over digital but that's just me.

 

[mdortona]

Thanks!