Please help! Major issues when using my FX loop on the Mark VII or Roadster

[sean106ESP]

Hi folks, I can't tell if I am being a total tool... or I have something seriously wrong. Whenever I stick ANY effects in the loop of my Mark VII or Roadster, it sounds terrible. I have used Mesa Loops in the past but to be frank, not for about 10 years. I have been using Diezels and the effect in the video below worked fine in the loop of the Diezel VH4 parallel loop. It was a delay pedal and sounded fantastic. Same with any time based effect or chorus.

But whenever I run pedal in the loop of my Mark VII the delay is majorly screw up (listen below) and the chorus sounds totally off and warbly. Experts let me know what you think. Going to next try the exact set up with my VHX and see if I have the same issue (I sold my VH4 once I fell in love with the VHX) but what the heck am I doing wrong?

For the video below the FX loop level knob +- is set right at noon.... TC Electronic Flashback delay is set to go from Send to Input and return to output. I have tried other cables as well.

Looking forward to your thoughts! Thanks so much in advance!

 

[sean106ESP]

Updated video... now it gets really weird. The EXACT same set up in my Diezel VHX has zero problems.

 

[domct203]

In that first video it sounds like you have ‘kill dry’ on, which is how it would be used in a parallel loop. The Roadster has a serial loop. Check your DIP switch settings in the pedal (see pg 22 of the Flashback manual) to make sure ‘kill dry’ is off.

Dom

 

[Appleridge]

This is a dumb suggestion prob, did you try flip flopping the cable inputs? I run a carbon copy on my mark iii, iv and v with no issues. If I plug the cables in the wrong way (which I do 95% of the time initially) I get similar results as you are experiencing. Beyond that, it’s gotta be the pedal I guess right? No way you have two bum effects loops on 2 heads.

 

[sean106ESP]

In that first video it sounds like you have ‘kill dry’ on, which is how it would be used in a parallel loop. The Roadster has a serial loop. Check your DIP switch settings in the pedal (see pg 22 of the Flashback manual) to make sure ‘kill dry’ is off.

Dom

View attachment 897

Thanks Rob! A friend literally just emailed me the same diagram but from a TC video turning the Kill-Dry off. Going to try today.

Thanks!

 

[sean106ESP]

This is a dumb suggestion prob, did you try flip flopping the cable inputs? I run a carbon copy on my mark iii, iv and v with no issues. If I plug the cables in the wrong way (which I do 95% of the time initially) I get similar results as you are experiencing. Beyond that, it’s gotta be the pedal I guess right? No way you have two bum effects loops on 2 heads.

Yes I changed the cables and ran them in different ways just for a goof.

I think the issue is what Dom posted above as another expert PM'd me the same thing...to change the Kill dry switch to off

 

[domct203]

Wondering how you made out here?

Dom

 

[sean106ESP]

Wondering how you made out here?

Dom

Actually nothing... I opened up the TC Delay pedal and flicked the internal switches messing with the kill/dry switches etc. The TC Delay and Chorus still sound so "wrong" or "bad" in the loop.

However when I bought a Boss Super Chorus and MXR 10 Band EQ through the loop for channel 1 clean, they sound great. I am just guessing at this point the series loop cannot accept certain pedal types.

I tried the same TC Delay and even a TC Reverb and they sound great in my Diezel Parallel loop but awful in the Roadster loop. Going to try the Kill Dry switches again to see what I can do. Stay tuned and thanks!

 

[domct203]

Most of the time it’s a level or impedance issue, and the Roadster’s FX Loop level is pretty high, more of a ‘line level’ signal. Might be clipping the pedal input. How high do you have the channel master? Is the FX Loop level set to noon (midway)?

When you switch just kill dry on and off there is no noticeable difference? Did you have the DIP switches the same way as the third diagram in that pic?

Dom

 

[sean106ESP]

Most of the time it’s a level or impedance issue, and the Roadster’s FX Loop level is pretty high, more of a ‘line level’ signal. Might be clipping the pedal input. How high do you have the channel master? Is the FX Loop level set to noon (midway)?

When you switch just kill dry on and off there is no noticeable difference? Did you have the DIP switches the same way as the third diagram in that pic?

Dom

Hey there, so I tested it again and no dice. So weird... kill dry is set to off and it still is doing the delay issue and I even tried my TC Hallf Fame reverb pedal also with the Kill dry off. I messed with all the levels on the pedal, loop level on the back of the head and even the masters and master output.... still sounds horrible.

BUT with a Boss super chorus and MXR 10 band EQ channel 1 sounds great. (I don't use those FX on the dirty channels)

Any thoughts? Maybe just the TC stuff is not compatable with Mesa loops?

 

[domct203]

How does the Boss Chorus sound with a dirty channel?

You might be right, the TC pedals just might not work well with your Roadster’s loop.

Dom

 

[sean106ESP]

How does the Boss Chorus sound with a dirty channel?

You might be right, the TC pedals just might not work well with your Roadster’s loop.

Dom

How does the Boss Chorus sound with a dirty channel?

You might be right, the TC pedals just might not work well with your Roadster’s loop.

Dom

Boss Chorus and MXR 10 Band sound great in the loop. MXR Chorus, TC Delay and TC Reverb do not.

maybe I need an analogue delay pedal? (Not an expert on pedals) Maybe an MXR Carbon Copy Delay would work?

 

[dlpasco]

Hey, Mesa Sean!

I've got a flashback delay that I used for a bit with my VII and it sounded fine. I've used it in my Road King II as well.

I'm not sure what is going on in your particular situation but I'm happy to chat sometime if it'd help.

 

[Throttlegtr]

Just some thoughts that may help from messing with my Mark VII combo. I run a TC Quintessence into the front input with no problems (but that's where a harmonizer should be placed - not in the loop). I've got that, a wah, volume pedal MXR mini boost, compressor and gate all running into the front end (not in that exact order) but the last thing in the chain is an Xotic Super Clean (running at 18 v) with the internal buffer always on (dip switches inside). I get all the distortion I need from the amp itself, but I use the MXR and the Xotic as lead boosts (since the amp lacks the Solo from the V90). In the fx loop, I've got a ton of modulation pedals (phase, flange, chorus, rotary) as well as delay and post fx volume. In the VII, the fx loop input is already buffered from the factory - you may want to add a buffer at the end of your fx chain. Lastly, I have the input and output level knobs on the back panel of the amp set at 3 o'clock. I don't know if any of this will help, but I thought that it might be worth mentioning. YMMV. Good luck!