Board wired for Stereo...seamlessly switching to mono

[Rockobeall]

Hello all,

Here is a mockup of my new touring board. I am getting custom patch cables made for it next week so I just want to make sure everything is correct!

My goal is to have the board wired up for stereo at all times and by just changing presets on HX Stomp (will have stereo and mono presets) and pushing Mono/Stereo button IN and Mono Output button IN my board can operate the board in mono with no issues...

Here is my signal chain:
-Guitar to Templeboard 4x mod input
-4xmod to Wah (TS)
-Wah to Drop Pedal (TS)
-Drop to In 1-4 (TS)
-Loop 1 send to HX Stomp input (Pre effects) (TS)
-Loop 1 return to HX Stomp send (TS)
-Loop 2 send to Fuzz input (TS)
-Loop 2 return to Fuzz output (TS)
-Loop 3 send to pulp n peel input (TS)
-Loop 3 return to pulp n peel output (TS)
-Loop 4 send to EP input (TS)
-Loop 4 return to EP output (TS)
-Loop 5 send to archer input (TS)
-Loop 5 return to archer output(TS)
-Loop 6 send to nobels input (TS)
-Loop 6 return to nobels output (TS)
I know most of that is self-explanatory but helps to write it out...
Time for special cables:
-Loop 7 send (Ring Disconnect) to lightspeed input (TS)
-Loop 7 return (TRS) to Lightspeed output (TS)
-Loop 8 send (Ring Disconnect) to morning glory input (TS)
-Loop 8 return (TRS) to morning glory output (TS)
-Loop 9 send (Ring Disconnect) to Tone Job input (TS)
-Loop 9 return (TRS) to Tone Job output (TS)
-Loop 10 send (TRS) to HX Stomp Return L and R (Split cables)... not positive about needing both return L and R?
-Loop 10 return (TRS) to HX Stomp L and R output (Split Cables)...since this is all in front of amp it goes to return 10 and not insert loop 6 as you said in the other forum post?
-Output A and B to 4xMod (TS)
-4xMod to amps

Extras:
-(TS) function switch 1 to JHS red remote on morning glory
-(TS) Dunlop volume mini to expression on HX Stomp

For Mono operation: Mono/Stereo button IN and Mono Output button IN
For Stereo operation: Mono/Stereo button Out and Mono Output button Out

Side comment: I am a bit concerned about the A/D conversion with HX Stomp on Loop 1 will that make my signal digital all the way through loop 10 when it converts back to analog? Do not want any tone suck/loss. If I turn off loop 1 will I lose my whole signal or can I engage loop 1 when using "Pre" effects in the Stomp? Will need to do some testing!

If you made it this far I appreciate it!

 

[rjmmusic]

That looks correct. You will need to have the FX Loop block enabled in every HX Stomp preset for this to work.

If loops 1 and 10 are turned on, your signal will go to the pedal, get converted to digital, get processed, then converted back to analog, then on to loop 2. Loop 10 is the same thing. It's the same as if you had two different digital pedals, one in each loop.

I'm pretty sure (but have not tested) that you can turn off loop 1 and the loop 10 part of the HX Stomp will continue to work.

 

[Rockobeall]

Amazing, thank you! This gives me so much peace of mind.

I guess I will just have to test and see If I like the sound of the Stomp in Loop 1 and if I can turn it off and still operate. I will report back when I test to let others know.

 

[Rockobeall]

Update on the pedalboard here:

The 4 cable method for HX stomp works. Getting my pre effects in loop 1 and stereo effects coming out of loop 10.

Here is my only question. With both push buttons OUT when I use a mono pedal in loops 7-9 and turn loop 10 off… I loose amp B. When i use loops 1-6 and turn off loop 10 I still hear amp B.

Is this what is supposed to happen? I can live with not turning off loop 10 but in perfect world would love to in case I want to turn off all my wet effects quickly.

Also, when I push all the pushbuttons IN everything works fine and i still hear both amps. Guess thats cause its running dual mono.

Last thing, I believe all my cables are working properly but Im getting some noise cutoff on some loops occasionally and it fixed when I wiggle the end of the cables on the switcher. Seems like most of the nuts on the switcher are hand tightened and many need to be tightened up. Do you know the appropriate nut driver size? Wonder if you think the nuts being loose would have this effect on my rig anyway?

Thanks!

 

[rjmmusic]

You need to use mono to stereo converter cables on the outputs of all mono pedals in loops 7-10. Without that cable, and without a stereo pedal active after the mono pedal, the mono pedal output is connected directly to the PBC's outputs, and you get mono output. See this post for more details:
USING STEREO EFFECTS

Regarding the other issue, the nuts are very unlikely to be the source of the problem. They're just there for mechanical stability and don't affect the electrical connection. Are you using solderless cables? I've noticed occasional issues with solderless plugs where the plug doesn't fully open the jack's normal connection, causing audio problems. It's rare, but it happens. If pulling the jack out just a hair fixes the problem, that's an indication that this may be the issue you're seeing.

 

[Rockobeall]

I am using mono to stereo cables on all the mono pedals in loops 7-9.

So even Im using the correct cables, if loop 10 is off, the mono pedals will connect to the line mixer and be mono?

Also, no I am using soldered cables I had made for me. So the quality of the cable should be very professional.. seems like when I wiggle near the connections of the switcher is where the funny stuff starts happening. So thats why I think it might be an unsecured connection. Everything works but occasionally Ill step on a loop and its not working. Still dialing this thing in so more testing to be done

 

[rjmmusic]

I am using mono to stereo cables on all the mono pedals in loops 7-9.

So even Im using the correct cables, if loop 10 is off, the mono pedals will connect to the line mixer and be mono?

Also, no I am using soldered cables I had made for me. So the quality of the cable should be very professional.. seems like when I wiggle near the connections of the switcher is where the funny stuff starts happening. So thats why I think it might be an unsecured connection. Everything works but occasionally Ill step on a loop and its not working. Still dialing this thing in so more testing to be done

If you use correctly wired mono to stereo cables, the pedal output will then be stereo. On those cables, do you have the TRS end going into the PBC's loop return, and the TS end going into the pedal output?

A couple of things to check with regard to the intermittent audio:
- first, try connecting any open jacks with short cables. Typically, that means Out 1-4 to In 5-6 and Out 5-6 to In 7-10.
- check your cables by moving the cable itself, trying not to move the connector at all. If it crackles or drops out, it's likely a cable problem. If that doesn't cause problems, but gripping the plug itself and trying to move it causes audio issues, then it's more likely in the PBC.
- If the above doesn't help, and you're sure the cables are good, then you may have to open the PBC and tighten the screws that secure the circuit board.

 

[Rockobeall]

Ok, so the intermittent audio went away after I tightened up all the nuts with a wrench.

I’m still only have the the left side of audio on loops 7-9 when loop 10 is off. When loop 10 is on I'm getting both left and right.

TS cables are used on the pedals inputs and outputs and TRS cables are used on the send and returns on the pbc.

I did a test to see if my pre post routing was screwing this up somehow and plugged straight into stereo inputs and outputs on loop 10 without the stereo fx loop in loop 1 and the problem was still there.

At this point I’m thinking maybe some on the soldiering might be incorrect. I had these cables made since I’m not good with soldiering gun.

Here is a picture of loop 7 send (left jack) and return (right jack). These both look like normal TRS jacks to me… is the send jack a regual TRS and not ring disconnect??

 

[rjmmusic]

You're close, but you need to wire the tip and ring together on the return plug to make it a mono to stereo converter.

 

[Rockobeall]

Are both of those send and return jacks ring disconnect cables then?

 

[rjmmusic]

Yes, the way they're wired currently, they're ring disconnect cables. The only difference is if the ring is wired on the PBC side or not.

 

[Rockobeall]

So everything is working great now! The only thing I'm noticing now is there is a ton of phasing going on when I switch loop 10 to parallel. I have a feeling that has to do with the HX Stomp pre/post routing I have going on. But just wanted to pick your brain about that. Not a big deal, I was planning on running everything in series anyway but I liked the idea of experimenting with parallel.

 

[rjmmusic]

So everything is working great now! The only thing I'm noticing now is there is a ton of phasing going on when I switch loop 10 to parallel. I have a feeling that has to do with the HX Stomp pre/post routing I have going on. But just wanted to pick your brain about that. Not a big deal, I was planning on running everything in series anyway but I liked the idea of experimenting with parallel.

That's almost certainly the latency of the HX Stomp - the output signal of a digital effect comes out a few milliseconds after the input goes in. Once you mix that with an analog dry signal (which is not delayed), you get a static flanger effect. The only way around this is to use only time-based effects (which introduce a larger, intentional delay) and make sure signal that's coming out of the HX Stomp is 100% wet. For presets where you want to use non-time based effects, you'll need to switch the loop back to series.

 

[Rockobeall]

Thank you.

I can't seem to get the phase invert on Output B the way I imagined.

I would like to set the phase on Output B when I am sound-checking my rig and then have whatever phase I choose to be set globally on all presets on the unit not per preset. Set it and forget it like a traditional ABY switch would behave. I know you can lock a setting when plugged into the computer or go deep into the audio settings menu on the unit but is that the faster way to do this? Maybe on a global preset or something? Some setting I am missing? Seems like a lot of time/work every time you set up to dig through the setting menu and lock whatever phase you pick.

If that is the only way to do it, is there a way to when holding down a button it scrolls down the settings when you hold and not just one button press one click down the setting page?

Thanks! and I promise I'm doing my own research and reading manuals before I come asking a question lol!

 

[rjmmusic]

Sorry, locking the phase requires the editor or getting into the audio settings menu. I didn't imagine it being something that would be used often.

The buttons repeat when adjusting values, but not when moving through a list. I'll look into the possibility of changing that.

 

[Rockobeall]

Is it possible to program or change an FN switch on the Switches page to be the Global Lock for the Output B phase?

 

[rjmmusic]

Is it possible to program or change an FN switch on the Switches page to be the Global Lock for the Output B phase?

No, sorry.

 

[Rockobeall]

No worries, I can still easily set the default phase in the menu.

I am trying to create a button page for my HX Stomp so I can choose which snapshot I want to use per preset. I have the button page on the unit and can change snapshots when I step on the buttons. But I can't get presets to save which snapshots I choose even when storing them.

I can transfer settings from the computer to buttons 1 2 and 3 but it won't actually send the CC message to the Stomp until I press down on the physical button on the unit. I would like it to behave how selecting a loop would. Is there a setting I am missing? Or is this even possible?

I couldn't see how to send CC messages in the settings menu per preset on the actual unit only PC messages. I understand how to send CC messages on the computer but would love to be able to do it quickly on the fly at rehearsal in the settings menu or with a button page.

Thank you once again!!

 

[Rockobeall]

I got it all figured out woooooo!! found an old forum I needed to set the off value to none and make everything on the same group. Thank you!! time to make some music!!