Volume coming from disabled amp block

[bcowie]

I have downloaded a few patches where I noticed that the volume doesn't cut out completely when I zero the volume pedal. What I discovered was that these patches are dual-amp, with amp B is disabled. (If I try to enable an amp in Amp B I get a DSP limit error, but that's okay).

 

The funny thing is that the volume pedal kills the volume on Amp A, but there's still sound coming through the disabled amp B. When I turn Amp B to "mute" in the mixer, it mutes. But the volume pedal doesn't affect it. I've just muted the disabled amp block, or reset the patch to a single amp path.

 

But now I"m curious.

 

1. Is it normal for volume to be coming through the disabled amp B path? How is this accomplished? And more curiously ... why would you do that?

 

2. Is it possible to assign the disabled amp to the volume pedal? I can't seem to figure out how to do that, since it seems that you have to have an enabled amp in order to go in and assign the volume pedal to it.

[BillBee]

Just guessing here as I don't know what the intention was of the original patch builder (and I don't have HD Edit here so I am going off memory). Perhaps there was a FS assigned to switch amps? He just didn't feel like taking the time to delete the signal path? Who knows - may be he figured the vol pedal would never be zero'ed. :)

 

If the amp is off there is no amp volume control, but the path is still there the vol control will be active when the amp is (assuming it was ever assigned) - I suppose like stacking FX the signal passed through - you can assign parameters to the footswitch but until the FX is active it won't actually do anything.

 

Hope that helps!

B

[MartinDorr]

If the amp B is just bypassed there is still a volume knob and I believe it could be controlled with the pedal.

Wild guessing would be reduced with a posted tone

For example, not clear what inputs are selected and where in the path the volume pedal is.

[BBD_123]

But now I"m curious.

 

1. Is it normal for volume to be coming through the disabled amp B path? How is this accomplished? And more curiously ... why would you do that?

 

 

One possibility is that it was intentional. From the useful MeAmBobbo HD tone guide:

 

There is one exception to this rule, which is if your second amp is actually "amp disabled". This uses no DSP whatsoever. And it'll give you a clean tone, which you can use to reinforce your distorted tone. You want to pan both mixer channels to center and set the clean tone so it is just barely audible. You want it to really just add a little attack because a heavily distorted tone can lose some attack. Most of the time, I don't use this setup; however, because it is difficult to get right and I don't find it really delivers a much better tone. It's easier to screw up than get right. If you do use this approach, try adding some compression and EQ to the channel with no amp; so you don't get too much attack or bright clean tone.

 

>(If I try to enable an amp in Amp B I get a DSP limit error, but that's okay).

 

Another possibility is that the patches were made on a POD HD model with more DSP headroom than yours. I think the B channel just blanks if you open a dual amp patch your kit can't handle.

[bcowie]

One possibility is that it was intentional. From the useful MeAmBobbo HD tone guide:

 

There is one exception to this rule, which is if your second amp is actually "amp disabled". This uses no DSP whatsoever. And it'll give you a clean tone, which you can use to reinforce your distorted tone. You want to pan both mixer channels to center and set the clean tone so it is just barely audible. You want it to really just add a little attack because a heavily distorted tone can lose some attack. Most of the time, I don't use this setup; however, because it is difficult to get right and I don't find it really delivers a much better tone. It's easier to screw up than get right. If you do use this approach, try adding some compression and EQ to the channel with no amp; so you don't get too much attack or bright clean tone.

 

>(If I try to enable an amp in Amp B I get a DSP limit error, but that's okay).

 

Another possibility is that the patches were made on a POD HD model with more DSP headroom than yours. I think the B channel just blanks if you open a dual amp patch your kit can't handle.

Thanks, line6bbd, this makes sense. I'll look into it. 

 

I'm going to hook it up tonight to HD Edit and poke around too. Sometimes is easier to see stuff through the software. But, knowing that this can be done, I suspect that this is what happened. Now it's just figuring out what kind of control I have over that pathway.

[AlexKenivel]

By disabled, do you mean no amp, or there is an amp and it's bypassed? If that's the case, the channel volume will turn into bypass volume, and I believe the default is 100%. Turn it down to zero and the bypass sound will no longer be there.

 

if there isn't an amp in path b, make sure there is no guitar input selected for path b.

 

Or perhaps it's time for a pedal recalibration..