Serial loop mod on a 3-channel DR

[Baba]

Howdy, been lurking for a while here, a bit o history on me, my first stint with a Boogie was a Rectoverb head a few years back, but I was running it through a Marshall 1936 2x12 and wasn't happy with the sound, so I sold the head. Fast forward to spring 2005, I picked up a used '97 2-channel DR and found my tone. I sold that to a friend so I could pick up a 3-channel model for more flexibility.

A good friend of mine who also has a DR and I have been kicking around the idea of modding our FX loops to serial because of the questions that have been covered here about the parallel loops. I want to hear from the folk who have done this and what their opinions are. Do you like it better? Does it adversely affect the amp at all?

I run mine with a Rocktron Intellifex and simply cannot use the loop anymore, there's a strange phasing sound going on, no matter where the levels are set (I've tried them everywhere).

 

[tele_jas]

I modded my Tremoverb (dual rectifier) from Parallel to serial and I never looked back. I rarely ran too many FX live, but for recording I could actually get a great chorus, phaser, and delay..... I could even use a BBE if I wanted to, where with a parallel loop, I couldn't really get the FX to sound like I wanted them to, and I got that "out of phase" thing going on too.

No, it didn't affect the way it sounded... But if I was running thorugh a cheap FX unit, I could hear a bit of degeneration or some static/hiss. Thats where the parallel loop is nicer for using with cheap/poor FX, it doesn't really degrade your sound.

If you call boogie and talk to tech support, they'll send you the schematics for your amp and you can take it to a knowledgable amp repair guy and he should be able to mod it for under $75 (mine was around $50). A couple of wires have to be re-routed and one of the FX jacks has to be swapped out for a "shorting jack". My amp guy said it was very easy for him.

I now have a Road King, and it has Parallel and serial..... so I'm happy!

 

[Baba]

Not sure if anyone cares, but I got it back, awesome! I bought a Rocktron Xpression, a series loop is where it's at for me. I don't wash my tone, but I like a tad of reverb, some delay on my solos, and a chorus/delay here and there, but I let the chorus really come through.

If any one of you want your tones to be strong AND have a good amount of FX going on, modding the loop to serial is the real deal.

 

[tele_jas]

Cool man, congrats!!

 

[spearsbill]

Does changing from Parallel to Serial disable the "Solo" boost function?

 

[Baba]

Nope. You don't have the choice of turning the FX loop on or off, or assigning it to any channel, but I'm still able to switch the boost in and out via midi the way I normally do it.

 

[GuitarCarr]

I have a rectoverb 50 and am thinking of doing the same thing. What happens to the FX loop level dial ? Does it no longer work? Exactly what differences do you see with the change?

I use a Rocktron Intelliflex in the loop how will the change effect that?

 

[Baba]

GuitarCarr, my DR has a send and a mix control for the FX, I'm not sure if the rectoverb is the same, on mine, the mix control doesn't work anymore, so your Intellifex's levels will determine how strong the FX are in the signal.

As far as the change, with parallel loops, the signal is divided into two signals, the dry sound and the effected sound, then mixed back together before the power amp, with a series loop, your ENTIRE signal is run through your FX unit, therefore any changes in the FX will be really strong, whereas with a parallel loop, FX are more subtle.

 

[GuitarCarr]

Thanks! The rectoverb only had one knob for the loop. Its the mix nob. So i guess it will be disabled if I change loops. I am going to do it I think.