Effects loop ruining a pedal?

[roccster]

Is it possible for an effects loop to destroy a pedal?

I have been running my Strymon Flint in my ef. loop, and suddenly it started to produce alot of noise, static white noise. Then it choked the signal making the output verry low. Finally it just stoped completly. I mannaged to get the pedal replaced but now the replaced pedal is acting weird as well.

For reference, I have been running both a Line6 M5 and a TC Flashback in the loop, these pedals is running just fine.

Cheers!

 

[japetus]

I don't think that could happen. Could it be something concerning the way you are powering the pedal?

 

[Oblivion DC]

Yeah that's not what killed your pedal. Think about it. If something in the amp "went wrong" and was able to kill your pedal, it would also kill any components in line after the pedal. That would include the amp itself and any other pedals you had in the loop.
Your power supply is the more likely culprit.

 

[roccster]

Yeah that's not what killed your pedal. Think about it. If something in the amp "went wrong" and was able to kill your pedal, it would also kill any components in line after the pedal. That would include the amp itself and any other pedals you had in the loop.
Your power supply is the more likely culprit.

Yea that sounds logical, I am trying to meassure the send-signal from the eff. loop, but my multimeter just says 240mv, so how do I meassure the signal, and what numbers am I looking for?

Thanks for your input, guys!

/ Richard

 

[Oblivion DC]

Try swapping out the loop tube for a known good one and see if that makes things right.
I'm assuming it's a tube driven loop.

 

[roccster]

From the manual:
fx loop – back panel
The Atma has a buffered series effects loop between pre and power amp. Connect the send to the input
of an effect and the return to the output. The loop circuit is completely out of the audio path as long as
nothing is plugged into the send jack. The send signal still feeds directly into the power amp as long as
nothing is plugged into the return jack. This can be useful if you just want to send the preamp signal to an
external power amp etc…

So that means that the preamp signal is in the send, so then I guess it has to be tube driven since the preamp is?

 

[conjurer_of_riffs]

Does you new pedal work OK running in front of the amp?

 

[roccster]

Yesterday when the pedal was acting up I tried it infront of the amp (guitar-pedal-amp), and the pedal didn´t work as It should. I then put it back in the eff. loop, and all of a sudden everything was ok. It have been working since, but this is what happened with the first Flint as well, it worked ok for a while then it startet to give away alot of white noise, and after that it started to remove the effect (the volume that is), until it went completly silent. At first I thought there was something wrong with my powertubes, because of the noise and loose of power, then I just pulled out everything in the loop and infront of the amp and everything was ok, thats how I figured out it was the Flint in the first place. Now I just need to figure out if it is the eff. loop that does it, but as Oblivion says, then it should have messed with more things then just he Flint, or the Flint is just more sensetive.

Having that said, I would like to meassure the send signal in some way, but how? As I said earlier, the multimeter picks up mv readings, and that can be pretty much anything.

 

[Oblivion DC]

See if this helps you at all.

These are two separate items to go over.

http://freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=14893

 

[roccster]

Today it gave in completly. I think I better get a reading on the fx. loop if I am going to have any luck with the warranty...

 

[Oblivion DC]

So the pedal is no longer working? Even in front of the amp? Weird.

 

[roccster]

So the pedal is no longer working? Even in front of the amp? Weird.

Reading the manual it clearly says:
Max Input Level +8dBu

So I guess knowing the dBu on the fx-loop is a good thing. Now I going to get hold of some one that have a tool for this to see if my level actually is higher the 8dBu.

 

[Oblivion DC]

I know some loops run hotter and are better suited for rack gear but I've never heard of the hotter signal burning out the input of any device. Seems like that would be something they'd mention in the users guide.
Good luck dude.

 

[roccster]

I know some loops run hotter and are better suited for rack gear but I've never heard of the hotter signal burning out the input of any device. Seems like that would be something they'd mention in the users guide.
Good luck dude.

My thoughts exactly, first you would think that Bogner should have mentioned their hot FX-loop, and how it should be used with rack effects, and second, Strymon should really point out that their pedals die if used with anything hotter then 8, not just act strange. Strymon do mention about their input signal though. So cant say much about that.

 

[roccster]

Talked to Bogner, the hot loop is only on their Shiva model, not the others (including the Atma). Also tried to meassure the loop yesterday and the reading as really low.
However, there is something not right but we haven figured it out yet.

 

[baron55]

So the pedal is no longer working? Even in front of the amp? Weird.

Reading the manual it clearly says:
Max Input Level +8dBu

So I guess knowing the dBu on the fx-loop is a good thing. Now I going to get hold of some one that have a tool for this to see if my level actually is higher the 8dBu.

Line Level (rack gear, etc) is +4dB and guitar level is around -10dB or even slightly lower. So even if the loop is hot, it shouldn't cause issues unless there is something else amiss. Could be an issues with the input jack ground. As with many pedals, when you plug a guitar in, it completes the power supply ground allowing the pedal to work. There may be a connection issue with the switching jack to ground on the input side.