Need help configuring Mesa MKV + Roland Jc-120 in stereo!

[Useful Idiot]

Can anyone educate me on how to configure a Mesa Mark V and a Roland Jc-120 in stereo for my clean signal?

Basically I would love to have the MKV Channel 1 + Jc-120 in stereo as my clean signal and be able to switch to just the MKV Channel 3 as my distorted / lead signal back and forth freely.

Im very new to this, I really don't know where to start or what to buy.. I guess this would be a good place to ask, any help would be very kind!

Many thanks!

Chris

 

[OldTelecasterMan]

I have been working in a 3 piece band for 8+ years so running a stereo system is the norm for me. I have done a few different configurations over the years.

Ok.. Are you going to employ a Stereo Chorus pedal to "Stereo" the amps? If that is your plan then here goes. And... because you want to disengage the second amp for drive you will have to use the FX loop.

Set the FX engaged to only the "Clean channel"... Use the FX send from the Mark V to the Chorus pedal send the Left side back to the return of the Mark V. Send the Right side to the other amp. On my Boss SuperChorus CH-1 the left and right act like a sort of balance when you adjust the "E-Level" This function will be different or possibly not there depending on the chorus you use. I also have a Strymon Ola chorus and it has no left/right balance ability. Also you could opt to leave the chorus in the circuit all the time and just disengage it (turn the chorusing off) and keep the second amp on as it would pretty much sound like your Mesa. Then for dynamic points and leads you could engage it.

Here is my new stereo rig. It's a bit complex but it works very well. As I have just completed it this year I am now in the design phase of racking everything and as of today I will be using a Voodoo Labs Ground control and a GCX audio switcher. The deal with the 4 cabs is the top 2 cabs are direct from the amp with the delays from the loop and the pedals I have in front of the amp but no chorus or reverb. The bottom two cabinets have Chorus and Reverb. I blend the bottom cabinets with the top. I made this rig because I liked the big sound but I didn't like the way my guitar stopped sounding like my guitar when the chorus was engaged. I recommend the Strymon Ola chorus as you can get a great big sound without all that Swooshy oscillation from amp to amp. The Strymon has "Mix" and "Tone" controls plus you can have two different settings of chorus to choose from, one you save (favorite) and one you set just like any pedal and true bypass.



Here is the wiring setup.



Pedal Board



Also when you get into more than one amp connected together sometimes you get noise problems notice the Nady ONE HE-1 Hum Eliminator.

Stereo rigs are great sounding but a lot of work and they can get very expensive.

 

[Useful Idiot]

Wow this was a great read! thanks for taking the time to post this, especially with the wiring diagram.. a lot to digest!

My gear at the moment is - [Mesa MKV Head] - [2x12 Cab] - [Roland Jc-120]

The chorus effect I am using is actually in-built in the Roland Jc-120 which is a hefty solid state combo amp, if i could take your diagram as a general guide I'm guessing I could replace the left hand side stereo power amp with my Roland Jc-120 Combo but use the effects loop instead of the line out (slave out?) :

Assign effects loop only to channel 1 on back panel of MKV -> [Mesa Mark V effects loop send -> Roland Jc-120 Combo -> Effects loop return]

So in essence when i use the Mesa footswitch to:

CH 1: --- i will get MKV clean mixed in with the Roland in-built clean chorus, sound will come out of the 4x12 Cab + the Roland Combo (Stereo?)

CH 3: --- i will get just the MKV Channel 3, sound will just come out of the 4x12 Cab

Any pros or cons with using either the slave out versus effects loop out?

Ill try my best to draw a diagram, its hard even for me to follow without a visual representation (I'm pretty much clueless about this)! Was inspired by a local band that played a song with just clean chorus guitars.. the audience just stopped and stared as the stereo sound was just so big and filled the room, was just amazing to hear..

All the best!

 

[OldTelecasterMan]

The slave out is an output only. You can never return the signal to your amp. Also it is always on so for your application the effects loop would be the ticket because it is switchable on or off.

I do not understand exactly how the signal sends and returns work on your JC-120. So I really cannot assist in the connections to achieve your desired result with the JC120. You may have to get a piece of paper and draw it up. I did that with the rig in the picture. Mainly I did that so I could figure out exactly what I needed to make it work. There were hours of reading, lots of youtube gear videos to watch and gear reviews.

There are lots of things you can do. Have you ever looked into an amp switcher. A friend of mine had a Roland JC120. A very nice sounding amp especially for Chorus clean tones. Rather than doing the stereo thing you may want to look at a switcher. I have never tried one but MXR makes pretty good stuff and they make a MXR M196 A/B Box. You could just switch from amp to amp.

The equipment, sounds, tones, effects, guitars and amps. It's addictive. Take a watch of Peter Frampton Rig https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0RyXfjjOfg

 

[Icarusuki]

If it were me, I might go a different route.

I would suggest a Voodoo Labs GCX Audio switcher and Ground Control unit.

The Audio switcher would allow you to use either or both amps, as well as control the Mark V head via MIDI. If you use pedals, they can be placed into separate loops, and controlled via MIDI as well.

I used a GCX/GCP to combine and switch between a Mesa Boogie Roadster, Mark V:25, TriAxis, and Marshall JVM410H, so that I could use any channel on any amp by pressing one button.

Buying the GCX/GCP set new is pricey, but not too bad on the used market.

If band for the buck is a consideration and you don't mind pressing two switches, I would likely just get a good quality ABY switch, rather than mess with the loops.


ETA: IIRC, the JC120 only choruses one speaker (so the chorus effect happens "in the air" when the sound coming from the effected speaker and dry speaker mesh). I would imagine that when using both amps, the JC-120 won't send the chorus effect to the Mark V. Thus, it may be that only one speaker will be chorused out of all of them.


~Icarus

 

[OldTelecasterMan]

ETA: IIRC, the JC120 only choruses one speaker (so the chorus effect happens "in the air" when the sound coming from the effected speaker and dry speaker mesh). I would imagine that when using both amps, the JC-120 won't send the chorus effect to the Mark V. Thus, it may be that only one speaker will be chorused out of all of them.

One of my friends had one of the JC-120 amps, I don't recall anything about one speaker chorus one dry. I also just went to Roland's site and http://www.rolandus.com/products/jc-120/ flatly states " Operating in true stereo, the JC-120’s chorus still provides a tonal experience like no other, filling the stage with amazingly lush, immersive sound."

My suggestion of the MXR M196 A/B Box was to be able to see if the stereo chorus direction or amp switching direction would be best for the least amount of money. As anyone knows... How much money does it take to have an awesome guitar rig? answer... all of it, and then some.

 

[Icarusuki]

Gotta love their marketing vocabulary!

"The JC chorus effect is also the result of its specialized design. By using two dedicated power amps, one of the two speakers plays the direct tone, and the other speaker generates the tone with periodic pitch modulation. These two tones are mixed in aural space creating the beautiful chorus sound. The characteristic sound produced by this unique design is called “Dimensional Space Chorus”. This is the world’s first Chorus effect which made its debut onto the music scene with the launch of Roland’s JC-120 Jazz Chorus back in 1975."

http://www.rolandus.com/promos/jc_40_years/

 

[OldTelecasterMan]

Well the information was a bit misleading. Good find.

Amp switcher!