FX loop line level issue

B

bratfink

Member
Hi all,

This might sound like a rookie question but here goes anyway:

I have been messing around with different configs for the EG in my rack and I have settled on a combo that will give me the best of all worlds, but there is one small snafu.

Here is the run down.

Loop 1 Harmoniser
Loop 2 Dynamic Filter
Loop 3 buffer
Loop 4 OD
Loop 4 out to Marshall JMP-1 pre amp

Loop 5 in from pre amp fx loop send
Loop 5 Flanger
Loop 6 phaser
Loop 7 EQ
Loop 8 nothing
Loop 8 out to pre amp FX loop return (y cable to L&R).

Pre amp output L to loop 9 in
Loop 9 send to behrigner modulizer input 1
Behrigner modulizer output 1 to loop 9 return
Loop 9 out to Univerb input L

Pre amp output R to loop 10 in
Loop 10 send to behrigner modulizer input 2
Behrigner modulizer output 2 to loop 10 return
Loop 10 out to Univerb input R

Univerb output L to power amp input L
Univerb Output R to power amp input R

Loop 11 out Univerb defeat jack (bypass)
Loop 12 Power amp voice switch jack

Now here's the problem:

All of the effects I put in loops 5-8 kill the sound to an inaudible level. Now I know that the these effects are instrument level, but any combination of flicking level switches on both the pre amp (fx loop and main) and the Behringer makers absoultely no difference to the level.

I kinda like the effects that I have (flange and Phase) thus wanted them in the loops, so replacing them with line level effects isn't desireable. Would an active DI box solve this issue by boosting the level back up?

Any suggestions would be welcome.
 
Can you boost the level returning to the amp using the EQ's master level control? If that works, you might want to add a clean boost into loop 8 and use it whenever you're using any of the pedals in loops 5-7. If boosting with the EQ does not help enough, I suspect that something else is wrong.
 
I tried that. It makes about as much difference as switching the level switches (none).

Should I be looking for a problem in the FX loop level switch on the JMP-1? Since I would have thought flicking it would have at least done something?

Or is this something more mundane like a bad wire? (although it shouldn't be, I put the multimeter on all of them before I started).
 
silly suggestion but worth a try

set the JMP fx out to -20db not +4db and if I remember correctly this must be done with the amp off

also check the effect level setting is set to 12 whcih will make the loop serial rather than parallel
and replace the y cable to the fx return with just a std cable to the L return
 
I'll give each of those suggestions a try. I had no-idea about switching the level with the unit switched off, but that would explain why it's does nothing when I switch it when it's on.

I already had the FX signal set to wet (12) in the patch.

I'll try the removing the Y, but that will deactivate the RH output as well so I will lose stereo out.
 
It shouldnt from memory, I have an earlier rackmount marshall pre-amp and the pre-amp outputs stereo even if you feed a mono signal through the loop you still get stereo out from the preamp
using the splitter isnt giving you a stereo signal it may actually be part of the problem
 
Your first suggestion did the trick! It doesn't say anything in the JMP-1 destructions about thaving to turn the unit off the switch the level.

everything works exactly as I intended! Thanks!

Now I have all the channels figured out, I need to figure out how to program the mastermind to get it to all change together.

I will try removing the y cable for the fx return, but it does say in the JMP-1 destructions that the fx return right activates the output right.

Thanks again.
 
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