Noise Using a compressor on the FXloop

[Ed_Saxman]

Recently I have been testing some effects placed on the FX loop of my POD HD500, something I had not tried before for reasons that are irrelevant now.

The first one I tried is an Electro Harmonix "Q-tron+", with satisfactory results. No noise and the FX loop gives me the ability to mix dry/wet, great!

The second one I tried is my Rothwell "Love Squeeze" compressor. To my surprise, there is a great added noise when I put the FXloop block before the amplifier block. Noise does not occur when I put the Fxloop block after the amp block, but the resulting sound is not as satisfying.

Unlike what happened with the Q-tron+, the mix level of the FXloop has to be 100%, but then the resulting noise is stronger.

 

— The noise goes away when the FXloop mix level is 0.

— Noise remains entirely when the FXloop block is off (mix level 100%).

— The noise is the same (only that stronger), whether the pedal is on or off.
— Noise is lower when using a low gain amp model (JC-120, Fender) and louder using medium gain models (AC-30, AC-30 fawn). Of course is very loud using a Hi-gain amp model.

I have tried the Love Squeeze both with power supply and with a 9V battery, with the same result.

This pedal is usually not noisy at all. I usually use it for my acoustic guitar connected to a Roland AC-90, or with my electric guitar connected to a Roland Cube 80XL. In both cases it is totally silent, so I do not understand why it's making such noise in the HD500 loop.

 

BTW, I'm using a Variax JTV-89 connected by VDI, so the guitar is not the source of the noise.

Any ideas? Or should I give up using an external compressor on the FXloop of my HD500?

[Ed_Saxman]

how did you set the FX LOOP level switch on the rear panel?... LINE or STOMP?

 

Tried both. In Stomp mode the noise is higher.

 

Edit:

 

More tests I did:

 

—A noise gate placed after the FXloop (pre position) get rid of the noise while is closed. But when opened the noise is, of course, still there.

 

side note: There is nothing but the FXloop in my "pre" chain.

[Ed_Saxman]

... if so, forget the FX LOOP placement for it, and put it instead in front of the POD

 

I thought about that, but then I lose the advantage of using a Variax. It can work for my other electric guitar, though.

 

The downside is that it's a cheap Behringer I-Axe Metalien, my first electric guitar (with a pair of Fender Custom Shop 69 single coils and a Fender Diamond Humbucker that I bought second hand, and installed myself)

I kept the original Behringer electronics, so the sound is not optimal, although it's not bad.

I also think that the Variax sounds better using the VDI than the analog output, so maybe I should think of the HD500+Variax as my digital rig and not add too much to the FXloop.

 

 

The Qtron+ sounds great, and I have ordered a Glab "Wowee Wah" just for that amazing "touch mode" it has. I'll be quite happy if I get these two to work well connected in the Fxloop.

So my Love Squeeze compressor is sadly out of the HD500's FXloop now, but still is useful to me with my acoustic rig or straight to my amps. It improves the sound in a very pleasant way when connected to an amp, but it seems that the HD500's Fxloop is somehow not happy with it (in fact, probably no compressor will work noiseless placed in the HD500's Fxloop, but using a Variax+HD500 without the VDI seems a serious drawback to me).

 

Thanks for your answers, Hurghanico!!! I really appreciate it.