FAQ: RG-16 Frequently Asked Questions

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rjmmusic

rjmmusic

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What are the power requirements of the RG-16?

The RG-16 needs 9 volts AC or 12 volts DC. 9 volts DC will not work! The RG-16 draws 450mA of power. If you're phantom powering a MIDI controller, please remember to add in the power consumption of the controller when determining the total power consumption of the RG-16.

The connector is a standard BOSS-style barrel connector, 5.5mm x 2.1mm x 9.5mm. Polarity is unimportant.
 
My RG-16's loops are acting strangely. Some loops turn on, some don't!

This typically happens when not providing sufficient power to the RG-16. If you're feeding it 9 volts DC, this is almost guaranteed to happen. Be sure to supply it with 9 volts AC or 12 volts DC for proper operation. The supply needs to be at least 450mA, more if you're phantom powering a MIDI controller.
 
What changes have been made to the RG-16 since its initial release?

There were a few minor changes after the first year of RG-16 production:

1). The jacks on the rear panel were changed. The new jacks have a mounting screw between each upper/lower jack pair. This was done to further increase the strength of the jacks. However, we've never had a jack failure in any RG-16, new or old. Both jack designs are quite good.

2). The newer RG-16s have an internal ground lift switch, which helps with grounding problems. The older models do not have this switch, but you can lift the ground on these units by cutting a trace on the circuit board. (Contact me if you need to do this).

Other than that, all RG-16s are the same. (Okay, we changed the type of powder coating we used on the boxes, but that's probably not significant).
 
Can you power an RG-16 with a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus?

No, that won't work, unfortunately. You can use a Pedal Power AC, specifically the 9VAC, 1200mA output.
 
Can I bypass the buffer or run the buffer after my fuzz pedal(s)?

The buffer is not connected by default. To use it you need to plug the guitar into the "Buffer In" jack and run a short jumper from "Buffer Out" to the "input" jack (just to the right of "Buffer Out"). If you want to use the front panel input, add a short jumper from "From Front" to "Buffer In"

If you're using a fuzz pedal, we recommend putting the buffer in a loop as if it was a pedal - connect a loop send to the buffer input and loop return to the buffer output. Then you can selectively switch the buffer. You can also put the fuzz in loop 1 and buffer in loop 2, for example, then the buffer will always come after the fuzz and you can choose to turn the buffer on or off at any time.
 
How do I lift the ground on my RG-16?

If your RG-16 is an early model (serial number 200 or less), then there is no ground lift switch, but you can lift the ground by cutting a trace on the circuit board. It's located on the main board near the power jack. See the attached picture. If you're not comfortable modding your RG-16, please contact us or a competent tech to do the work!

If your RG-16 is a later model, there is a ground lift switch inside the case. You need to remove the lid to get at it, and it's near the power jack. It's labeled GND LIFT ->. Moving the switch in the direction of the arrow will lift the ground.
 

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Does the Tuner Output on the RG-16 have a tuner mute feature?

There isn't a built-in tuner mute, but you can use one of the loops to mute. I recommend using one of loops 5 through 8. Connect the loop input to the previous loop, and leave the loop output unconnected. Connect the loop send to your amp. When the loop is off, the sound will be muted but the tuner will still operate. When the loop is on, your guitar sound will come through. You need to be using the RG-16's buffer in order for the tuner output to be active.
 
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