Recommend an FX unit for a dual recitifer (parallel loop)

[Elpelotero]

I'm not about ready to mod my dual rec to a serial loop just yet. As much of a tone freak as I am, unfortunately the band leader is not and he's a very digital guy (loves his POD, yuck!). He's one of these guys that loves the "do it all" kinds of gear and some wack-a$$ effects from time to time. Sometimes at shows/practice he plays thru the amp while I play another instrument and he insists on having all of his efx set up (i just love the amp's natural sound).

We tried hooking up his pod to the parallel loop one time and it didn't work out so great. So needless to say I feel like throwing his unit on a highway when he plugs it into the mesa's clean channel and clicks the pod's distortion when needed for versatility. *******.

I need to beat him at his own game and end up winning myself in the process. Unless you know how to program a pod so it goes into the efx loop and allows for one-button only channel switching with amp's tone and efx built in, I need an efx unit that will function without tone loss on the dual rec's parallel unit. This way I can run the amp's natural tube tone and color it a little with efx to satisfy both parties.

I've heard horror stories about the gmajor and the parallel loop as well as some other units. Unfortunately a used gmajor is looking very affordable right now. So what do you guy's suggest, aside from taking a bat to this guy?

 

[Wrake]

I'm not a huge FX guy (used to be though). I've tried all sorts of stuff with my line 6 stuff and 3 ch dual recto. Such as...

Pod XT Live as a pre amp through the fx loop - good fx, bad distortion

Pod XT Live through the front into a clean channel - Could never get this to dial in. There seemed to be a lot of tone loss through the Pod. Plus, it put the "FX loop effects" before the pre-amp which sounds bad to me.

Pod XT Live through the fx loop as an effects only unit - Always gave me some wierd phasing noises. My guess here is because the pre amp signal from the amp isn't what's meant to go to the input of the XT. Thats just a guess though maybe i just can't dial in the XT

HD-147 through the fx loop as a pre amp to the recto - no better than the XT live. The high gain channels were very very sterile / fuzzy sounding even with the recto "warming it up a bit". effects were good though.

HD-147 as a power amp for the slave send on the recto - just flat out wouldn't work. This one was more of a "wonder if this would work" type deal. Apparently it won't.

So, long story short (too late), If someone tried to swipe my XT live or HD-147, i'd probably look the other way. And as far as what I use / recommend...I'm a bit of a minimalist at the moment, but I personally like my boss DD-3 in the loop with the following settings:

Channel master - noonish
Send - about 8-9:00 (barely above min as much more will distort the delays)
Volume on the DD-3 - Max
Mix - Whatever sounds good - about 10:00 is where it's set now...maybe a bit less.

If you want to go the processor route then there's not much advice i could give since all my FX needs can be met with pedals (to me a delay is a delay and a flange is a flange). Just be sure to set the processors wet / dry to 100% wet since you're just trying to generate a signal to blend with the "dry" signal. Set the Recto's send to whatever doesn't clip the processor and mix to whatever sounds good (lots of FX or a bit of FX).

You may get some good (or not so good) ideas as far as gear functionality from the harmony central reviews...

Dunno if that helped or enlightened any. If it didn't do anything for you, my apologies for wasting 2 minutes of your life that you'll never get back

Wrake

 

[Elpelotero]

you did help! you just saved me a bunch of time since i won't try any of the above setups! other recommendations are welcome....

anyone who's had success w. an efx unit and serial loop also welcome to post!

 

[FPFL]

anything from Rocktron.

The only knock against the gmajor is the build quality. The Rocktron lines of FX are built like tanks. I've got a 10 year old Chameleon that still runs like it was new and the prices on their newest FX only units are -very- reasonable.

Did I mention that they also sound great too?

Pedals are more convenient for many things but th
e quality of the verbs / delays and FX on the Rocktron stuff is staggering.

-P

 

[Elpelotero]

cool.. i had always heard good things about that brand, but since tc is such a powerhouse, you know, that's where i go first. is your ACE a parallel loop? and what kind of efx do you run thru it?

 

[MesaENGR412]

For a "do it all" unit, you might want to try the Boss ME-50. It's basically a huge chunk of their pedals built into on floor unit, and it's alot cheaper than buying then all separate (and alot easier to carry/set up) I've had experience with Digitech from the GNX 3 to the smaller RP200. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THAT!!! I tried to just run effects with no amp or cab sims (b/c you can turn them off) and it DID NOT WORK AT ALL. When i tried to bypass the FX (both in front of the amp and through the FX Loop) it sucked my tone straight out and deadend the sound terribly. Just some forewarnings to let you know my friend.

Good luck

-AJH

 

[kramerxxx]

I second the Rocktron Recommendation.

I have an older Black faced Intellifex that I have been using for 15 years. It has been moved from my Triaxis/2:90 to a Mark IIC+ and now to my Dual Rec and it sounds great with any of them. The best reverbs for guitar I have heard. I have a TC Electronic rack unit and the reverb is not as lush.

Rocktron doesn't make this model any longer but you can always find them used on eBay. The Expresssion sounds like it would work for you too and it is their latest model, with similar features. It sounds like it is closer to the Replifex, which simulated pedals and rack processing in a single unit. I think Roctron might have cut a few corners with the Reverbs to get the other patches, but that is just a guess on my part. The one thing this unit has that I'd be interested in checking out is the parametric EQ. I understand it is very good for the money. And this unit has a Compressor, mine doesn't.

Hope that helps.

 

[FPFL]

cool.. i had always heard good things about that brand, but since tc is such a powerhouse, you know, that's where i go first. is your ACE a parallel loop? and what kind of efx do you run thru it?

I used Rocktron stuff in the loop of other amps for years, but haven't yet tried it in the loop of my Ace, a buddy has the Chameleon on loan right now. So far the only thing I've tried in the loop of my Ace is a Digitech Jamman (great tool btw) and a Digitech Delay. Both cut some signal at practice but its not so much it'd kill me... but I'm still learning about the loop of this amp. In the studio I hard bypass the loop and use outboard FX at the mixer level anyway.

Generally live I don't use the loop b/c I only need a tuner and a phaser anyway. Verb effects in clubs must be used very sparingly unless you are a noise experimental band IMO.

 

[Elpelotero]

hmm..a lot of praise for rocktron. like i said i thought they were out of style since so many people use the gforce, but i definately will start looking into them.

So the concensus so far is that they function well with a parallel loop?

 

[Anthony1967]

If you were to use a BOSS ME-50, where would you put it?

In the effects loop? (What would the settings be for the parallel loop?)... or between the guitar and amp? :roll:

 

[paleamberglow]

i am also looking for an fx processor to use w/ my mark iv... i haven't played the g-major or the rocktron xpression yet but as far as reviews go , rocktron seems like the best bet ... its also good to know that a lot of mesa techs recommend rocktron gear

 

[Jaroslav]

I think ME-50 will work very well. I used to have ME-30 in my parallel loop. All the effects were set to 100 % wet and the expression pedal on some of them as post volume (to set the mix by foot) and as pre-volume on delay (so that the repeats do not stop prematurely, but fade out naturally. No tone sucking at all and very easy to set up.

I used to have an Intellifex as well. Great sounds, but too complicated IMHO, but great possibilities - 8 voice chorus and 4 voice pitch shifting - one could make a convincing organ sound No flanger (which I needed).

I am going now on the minimalistic path with just delay in the loop. I've had some good experience with Behringer multiFX, so I am waiting for my halfrack FEX800 just to use for delays. Behringer is good as long as you don't want to change patches, then there are very noticeable dropouts.

If you do not use a rack yet, I think ME-50 would be a great solution.