How to boost volume (for solo) using the 4 cable method ?

[mikko]

Hi there, this may be a dumb question but I'll try it anyway :

 

I just recently bought a M13 to use with an ENGL E530 tube preamp, and a rocktron 100W power amp, that runs in stereo.

 

I am trying to find a way to boost my overall volume (not adding any gain or color, just pure volume, which rules out using the volume pot of my guitar, or a volume pedal) to have a solo mode, but I am strugglin with it. I have a separate boost pedal that I can use, or use a pedal Inside the M13 (boost + comp for instance).

 

As I want my saturation to come from my amp (not using any of the gain pedals from the M13), and using the 4 cable method, do you have any recommandations ?

 

how do you manage that in your rig ?

[Rad_Randy]

For a clean, no effect/no coloration boost, I personally go one of two ways:

 

Volume pedal with the "minimum" knob set pretty high, to your "rhythm level" so you are basically pedaling from 7 to 10, and put it very last in the effects loop, just before the power amp.

When the volume pedal is way back there, all the gain and tone shaping has already happened and you are just adjusting the final level, but not wrecking your delicious distortion sound like if the volume pedal is at the front end.

I use a stereo volume pedal between the M13's output and the power amp's input.

OR

I haven't tried this because I just thought of it now, but you could use the expression pedal on the level control of whatever is your channel 4 effect (if your setup is 1>2>3>4).  Since it's digital, it might be a pretty clean volume.  Can't say, A - because I haven't tried it and B - because I'm too greedy to give up that effect slot for a freaking volume pedal.

OR

For more of a 'booster pedal' feel, use an eq set to flat response (all sliders at zero) but raise the EQ's main level. A lot of guitar EQ's will go 6 or 12dB, which is plenty when you're raising it just before the power amp at the end of the effects loop.  If you hear ANY coloration when boosting, like a hint of treble compression or a slight boost in the bass, just balance it to perfection with the EQ sliders. 

 

One of my old Boogie combo amps has a built in EQ with a footswitch, but not a boost switch, so I actually have set the EQ sliders up about halfway between the zero midline and max (with some slight tweakage to make the sound perfect when boosted) so when I want a boost with that amp, I step on the EQ switch.  The preamp section has bass, mid, treble, and presence, so I never knew what else to do with a 5 band eq on an amp that technically has a 4 band eq on the preamp already!

 

But on my M13 setup into a stereo amp like your Rocktron, stereo volume pedal at the end of the loop going into power amp is transparent.