Designing a Brand New Effects Loop! Let me Know your Wishlist!

  • Thread starter Thread starter glpg80
  • Start date Start date
Jack Luminous said:
The perfect loop already exists, it is this device :

P1010005.png

%E5%90%8D%E7%A7%B0%E6%9C%AA%E8%A8%AD%E5%AE%9A.png


It is a parallel loop with kill dry, bypass function and send/return levels. It can handle pedal levels as well as rack gear. Put this in an amp and it will be perfect.
Click to expand...
Unless you want to gate...
 
I prefer to add an iso transformer going to the key of the gate rather than messing with the tone of the loop.
 
OK I get it ! Just an additional inline insert for the gate is needed in the loop before the parallel part. That's exactly what I do ! I have an AMT noise gate in line just before the loop interface.
 
Jack Luminous said:
The perfect loop already exists, it is this device :

P1010005.png

%E5%90%8D%E7%A7%B0%E6%9C%AA%E8%A8%AD%E5%AE%9A.png


It is a parallel loop with kill dry, bypass function and send/return levels. It can handle pedal levels as well as rack gear. Put this in an amp and it will be perfect.
Click to expand...

Yeah this is exactly why I have no plans of now going down the path of parallel functionality within the loop. There’s external options that exist already for those that want it and I have to prioritize the tone, feel, and transparency of the loop from the amp’s/players perspective, not the effects.

I can go down the path of parallel mixing and I even have a circuit in mind to do parallel mixing, but with high gain amps, it’s best I leave that as a separate problem. I may decide to offer a tube based outboard parallel mixer that accepts balanced XLR or phono single ended and offer that as an option.

The hard part has always been getting really low voltage out of really high voltage tone and it still sound and feel the same with the loop unbypassed. That is my priority. I also will be offering balanced out options for those that want it.
 
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Clipping circuit is designed and simulated for the return stage for single ended as intended. I design for a boatload of headroom on my effects loop return stage so if it’s clipping it’s way too hot of a signal. An LED will show clipping if you’ve set the threshold correctly for line or instrument and you’re sending a Vpp voltage that is twice the rated amplitude standard for instrument level or line level respectfully. That’s when the return begins to asymmetrically clip which will sound really bad given I’m using FETs.

Here’s an example showing the asymmetrical clipping at 3.5Vp input when line level is specified at half that value at around 1.75Vp. The vertical line is the immediate current draw through an LED.

IMG_6259.jpeg


This clipping circuit is intended for single ended return of line or instrument level.

On my todo list is to design a balanced return circuit and the associated line level clipping circuit. I don’t think I’m going to bother with an instrument level clipping circuit for balanced XLR return since most gear that’s balanced XLR isn’t instrument level to begin with? At least it doesn’t make sense to me to provide it unless you believe it’s necessary
 
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