What should I hook the Firehawk up to?

[Kevinw679]

I own a marshall MG 50 CFX and the Q acoustics 2020i speakers. Could I wire the Firehawk to both or should I only wire it up to one?

https://marshallamps.com/products/amplifiers/mg-carbon-fibre/mg50cfx/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Q-Acoustics-2020i-Graph-Pr/dp/B006H4E1XU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1445290733&sr=8-2&keywords=q+acoustics+2020i

[NBell]

Hi Kevinw679,

 

I would recommend your 2020i's which will give you a stereo spread, and since they are flat response you will get great dynamics and no added color to your tone. 

 

When/if you use your Marshall MG 50, I would recommend switching the Firehawk's output mode to 'Amp Out' by the little push switch next to the balanced outs of the Firehawk FX. 

 

When going into the front of any amp, make sure to make it as clean and flat as possible so all amp modeling will come through with as little color to the Firehawk's tone as possible.  Keep in mind that when using a guitar processor with any traditional amp (such as your Marshall) you will hear and feel many characteristics of the amplifier you're plugging into. 

[oddbeck]

Well, you might also consider plugging the firehawk into the send/return of your amp. This is called the "four cable method". As long as I've had FX units with send/return I've always connected it using the 4 cable method (4CM). This way you can have the preamp-stage of your amp connected into the firehawk and then use it instead of an amp model from the firehawk. You can then have effects from the firehawk to shape the sound which way you want.

 

Having it connected in a 4CM setup involves the 'FX Loop' being enabled pr patch so you can switch it in and out at your own will, and also pr patch.

 

I love using the 4CM, and have had killer sound with my Randall and also with my Laney IRT, which is more of a british sounding beast.

 

I can also add that if you want to have your preamp in a patch you should turn of the amp modeling for that patch, not have it in "amp" mode, and also have it in 'stomp' mode. (If I recall correctly)

[Kevinw679]

Well, you might also consider plugging the firehawk into the send/return of your amp. This is called the "four cable method". As long as I've had FX units with send/return I've always connected it using the 4 cable method (4CM). This way you can have the preamp-stage of your amp connected into the firehawk and then use it instead of an amp model from the firehawk. You can then have effects from the firehawk to shape the sound which way you want.

 

Having it connected in a 4CM setup involves the 'FX Loop' being enabled pr patch so you can switch it in and out at your own will, and also pr patch.

 

I love using the 4CM, and have had killer sound with my Randall and also with my Laney IRT, which is more of a british sounding beast.

 

I can also add that if you want to have your preamp in a patch you should turn of the amp modeling for that patch, not have it in "amp" mode, and also have it in 'stomp' mode. (If I recall correctly)

Hey, thanks a lot that really helped, so would I need one cable going from the fx send left mono on the firehawk to the return on the marshall and then the send on the marshall to the fx return left mono on the firehawk? I also don't understand the last sentence

 

Also, I would prefer if I could run the amp/cab setting on the firehawk or would that ruin the sound?

[oddbeck]

Here's the cabling:

 

1) Firehawk's FX RETURN LEFT/MONO connects to your amp's SEND on the back side
2) Firehawk's FX SEND LEFT/MONO connects to your amp's guitar input, in other words where you would normally
connect your gitar into the amp
3) Firehaw's LEFT/MONO (1/4" OUT) connects to the amps 'RETURN' jack on the back side
4) Your guitar connects into the 'GUITAR IN' on the firehawk.

Those four steps is why it's called "Four Cable Method". This means that you have to enable the 'FX LOOP' in the Firehawk for the preset you want to have the amp's sound. You will then get the sound from the preamp of your amplifier into the firehawk, which then again will send the sound through your poweramp-stage of the amplifier.

Previously I said that the switch for "line / stomp" mode should be in 'stomp' mode, but that was wrong. It should be in the
'LINE' position, the same goes for the 'output mode, it should be in 'LINE' mode too. This makes sure that the sound from the preamp section (the crunch/distortion/clean sound) isn't altered - or at least as little as possible.

Now I'll explain about the amp/cabinet setting of your firehawk. This must be turned off, in other words no cabinet and no amp enabled. This is because you are already sending the sound from your preamp-stage in the amplifier through your Firehawk FX where you then can add effects (Delay, compressor etc). The firehawk then sends the sound back to your amplifier and through the amplifier's cabinet.

 

You're now able to setup the presets the way you want to.. For example:

 

Preset 1A might be with the FX LOOP enabled and amp/cabinet disabled, you will then get the active channel from your amp into the firehawk.

Preset 1B might have the FX Loop disabled and amp enabled but cabinet disabled. You will then get the sound from the 'preamp' section of the firehawk through your amp, but no cabinet emulation
Preset 1C might have the FX LOOP disabled, amp enabled, and cabinet enabled. You will now get the sound from the 'preamp'  section of the firehawk + the cabinet emulation through your amp.

 

I don't like to have cabinet emulation enabled as I feel the cabinet sound should come from my cabinet and not an emulation that's sent through my cabinet.

 

But you're able to do whatever you want, the equipment is all yours anyway :)

[Kevinw679]

Here's the cabling:

 

1) Firehawk's FX RETURN LEFT/MONO connects to your amp's SEND on the back side

2) Firehawk's FX SEND LEFT/MONO connects to your amp's guitar input, in other words where you would normally

connect your gitar into the amp

3) Firehaw's LEFT/MONO (1/4" OUT) connects to the amps 'RETURN' jack on the back side

4) Your guitar connects into the 'GUITAR IN' on the firehawk.

 

Those four steps is why it's called "Four Cable Method". This means that you have to enable the 'FX LOOP' in the Firehawk for the preset you want to have the amp's sound. You will then get the sound from the preamp of your amplifier into the firehawk, which then again will send the sound through your poweramp-stage of the amplifier.

 

Previously I said that the switch for "line / stomp" mode should be in 'stomp' mode, but that was wrong. It should be in the

'LINE' position, the same goes for the 'output mode, it should be in 'LINE' mode too. This makes sure that the sound from the preamp section (the crunch/distortion/clean sound) isn't altered - or at least as little as possible.

 

Now I'll explain about the amp/cabinet setting of your firehawk. This must be turned off, in other words no cabinet and no amp enabled. This is because you are already sending the sound from your preamp-stage in the amplifier through your Firehawk FX where you then can add effects (Delay, compressor etc). The firehawk then sends the sound back to your amplifier and through the amplifier's cabinet.

 

You're now able to setup the presets the way you want to.. For example:

 

Preset 1A might be with the FX LOOP enabled and amp/cabinet disabled, you will then get the active channel from your amp into the firehawk.

Preset 1B might have the FX Loop disabled and amp enabled but cabinet disabled. You will then get the sound from the 'preamp' section of the firehawk through your amp, but no cabinet emulation

Preset 1C might have the FX LOOP disabled, amp enabled, and cabinet enabled. You will now get the sound from the 'preamp'  section of the firehawk + the cabinet emulation through your amp.

 

I don't like to have cabinet emulation enabled as I feel the cabinet sound should come from my cabinet and not an emulation that's sent through my cabinet.

 

But you're able to do whatever you want, the equipment is all yours anyway :)

One last thing, regarding the part where you explain fx loop enabled and disabled, if it's disabled isn't that the same as just normal wiring, so without the 4CM setup?

[oddbeck]

One last thing, regarding the part where you explain fx loop enabled and disabled, if it's disabled isn't that the same as just normal wiring, so without the 4CM setup?

Yes, as far as I can tell, it's practically just the sound from your guitar, bypassing the preamp-stage of your amplifier , going into the firehawk and then out through the poweramp-stage of your amplifier.

 

This means that you can - if you do want to, have an amp setting enabled on the firehawk, and then "kick in" the FX Loop (in other words your preamp) to get your preamp into the mix.