HX Stomp - dual mono effects loops?

[kevinseelbach]

I recently bought an HX Stomp.

 

I had hoped to be able to connect the effects loops to two, independent chains in order to use the HX stomp to control routing to one or more outboard distortion pedals (KoT, heavily modded BD2). 

 

Here’s what I tried:

 

HX stomp - stereo send jack- 1/4” TRS- dual 1/4” TS - each of these connected to inputs of my overdrive pedals. Output from pedal A-HX stomp return L, output from pedal B-HX stomp return R.

 

I was able to get the signal routing, but - it’s still stereo, and thus, only affecting one side of the path. I had hoped that I would be able to treat everything “before the amp emulation” as mono, and then it becomes stereo after the amp/cab blocks. Worst case scenario, I was hoping for a utility type block that would sum the FX Loop L (or FX loop R) into a mono / dual mono signal, if placed immediately after an FX loop.

 

I assume my problems are exacerbated since I am using HX stomp in stereo, rather than just having a single mono cable out. 

 

So, what’s the trick to this - is there an easy solution, or should I just stick the dirt in front of the HX? It would be nice to leave the dirt on all the time and control switching at the HX (in conjunction with any additional midi controllers or foot switches I may add in the future).

[phil_m]

I'm not totally clear as to what you're doing here. Are you using the two mono FX Loop blocks? Everything going into the amp/cab block will be summed to mono, so I don't understand your "it's still stereo" statement.

[kevinseelbach]

50 minutes ago, phil_m said:

I'm not totally clear as to what you're doing here. Are you using the two mono FX Loop blocks? Everything going into the amp/cab block will be summed to mono, so I don't understand your "it's still stereo" statement.

Fair enough. 

Here's a few screenshots to explain.

By "it's still stereo", I mean, when I turn on either pedal, it only affects either the left or right sides. 

I've read that HX is stereo once the input signal enters the device and everything is treated as stereo after that. If that's the case, I guess I'm trying to get around it. The signal shouldn't be stereo until it reaches a stereo effect. Guitars don't have a plug on them for left and right. Distortion pedals, fuzzes, overdrives don't have stereo input and outputs. The only common usage for stereo is time-based effects / modulation and amp/cabinet modeling, and that's all after the fact. 

Is it not possible to run two mono loops, independently, without treating them as Left and Right loops? Safe to say, I don't just want my distortion on one side.

 

Block 1: FX Loop L- connected to a King of Tone

Block 2: FX Loop R- connected to a BD2 pedal

[Kilrahi]

49 minutes ago, kevinseelbach said:

Fair enough. 

Here's a few screenshots to explain.

By "it's still stereo", I mean, when I turn on either pedal, it only affects either the left or right sides. 

I've read that HX is stereo once the input signal enters the device and everything is treated as stereo after that. If that's the case, I guess I'm trying to get around it. The signal shouldn't be stereo until it reaches a stereo effect. Guitars don't have a plug on them for left and right. Distortion pedals, fuzzes, overdrives don't have stereo input and outputs. The only common usage for stereo is time-based effects / modulation and amp/cabinet modeling, and that's all after the fact. 

Is it not possible to run two mono loops, independently, without treating them as Left and Right loops? Safe to say, I don't just want my distortion on one side.

 

Block 1: FX Loop L- connected to a King of Tone

Block 2: FX Loop R- connected to a BD2 pedal

 

I don't yet know why it might be doing what it's doing for you . . . but absolutely it's supposed to be able to do what you're trying to do.

 

The FX block you have selected is clearly a mono FX block and so I'm confused as to why it's panning one left and the other right. 

 

If I get a chance I'll mess with something similar tonight and see if if I run into the same problems, or if I can figure out what might be causing it. 

 

Edit:

 

As a test - and it would be useless in practice because it eats up too many blocks, but can you test doing the same thing but with the mono send R return R and send L return L blocks split? 

 

I'm curious if all the mono blocks act stereoish, or if it's just the FX send/return. 

 

[Kilrahi]

I assume what you're trying to do is what is advertised below starting at the 3:00 minute mark:

 

 

[phil_m]

1 hour ago, kevinseelbach said:

Fair enough. 

Here's a few screenshots to explain.

By "it's still stereo", I mean, when I turn on either pedal, it only affects either the left or right sides. 

I've read that HX is stereo once the input signal enters the device and everything is treated as stereo after that. If that's the case, I guess I'm trying to get around it. The signal shouldn't be stereo until it reaches a stereo effect. Guitars don't have a plug on them for left and right. Distortion pedals, fuzzes, overdrives don't have stereo input and outputs. The only common usage for stereo is time-based effects / modulation and amp/cabinet modeling, and that's all after the fact. 

Is it not possible to run two mono loops, independently, without treating them as Left and Right loops? Safe to say, I don't just want my distortion on one side.

 

Block 1: FX Loop L- connected to a King of Tone

Block 2: FX Loop R- connected to a BD2 pedal

 

Go to Global Settings>Ins/Outs, and on Page 2 of that menu, set Return Type to "Return". I believe it is set "Aux In" by default. So what's happening is the outputs of your distortion pedals are being sent directly to the left and right returns. Setting it to "Return" will make the loops behave as you're expecting.

[kevinseelbach]

2 hours ago, phil_m said:

 

Go to Global Settings>Ins/Outs, and on Page 2 of that menu, set Return Type to "Return". I believe it is set "Aux In" by default. So what's happening is the outputs of your distortion pedals are being sent directly to the left and right returns. Setting it to "Return" will make the loops behave as you're expecting.

Well, as soon as I hooked it all up again it worked as expected... Hm. Maybe I had the cables miswired last time I tried this. Or I was drunk. Mods can delete this to avoid confusion - but thanks phil_m!

[Col72]

Just had this exact problem.  It was down to the two outputs from the pedals were going into the wrong return.  As soon as I swapped the outputs over everything was fine.  Hope that helps people with similar issues

[Tcw1981]

Hi, I. Trying to do exactly the same, could i use a standard patch cable from the last pedal in the chain back into the helix stomp? And which input on the helix do I use?

Thanks