Am I right with connections?

[MetallikerO]

Hello,

 

Recently I have bought a Firehawk FX unit. I’m running it through the FX Loop of my EVH 5150. I just want to make sure I’m doing it right since I really just want to use the effects of the unit and absolutely avoid the amps and all the other stuff.

 

I don’t want any alteration on my EVH sound. I just turn on the FX button on the EVH foot-switch to activate the Fx Loop during the solos (so the preset I have chose on the Firehawk starts acting). Once I have finished the passage I just turn off FX Button on the EVH foot-switch and come back to what I think it’s the pure sound of the amp. 

 

So the way I’m connecting the unit is the following one:

 

Guitar -> Directly to the EVH amp input

EVH send ->  Guitar In Firehawk 

EVH return -> Output Firehawk (Left/mono one) 

 

Output mode: LINE

 

Am I doing it right? Or am I altering the pure sound somehow? Is this connection right or should I do it in other way?

 

I really want to avoid the 4 cables method since I don’t want to use the amps of the unit. 

 

Sorry but I’m really new with this toy and really don’t want to lollipoped up the sound of which I think is a really great amp.

 

Thank you guys :) 

 

 

 

[Kilrahi]

You're not doing it wrong . . . BUT I'm not sure you're doing it the BEST way.

 

The four cable method is meant to NOT muck up your amp's sound. That's the whole point.  What 4cm allows you to do is have effects before AND after your pre-amp depending on choice. It's advantageous because some effects traditionally work better before (gain pedals, wah, distortion, compression, phaser) and some traditionally work better after (time based effects like delay, reverb). 

 

Utilizing your method you're missing out on one key strength of the Firehawk, which is to have some of its effects prior to your amp.  

 

Here's how a 4 cable method would work on the Firehawk:

 

Cable Setup:

1. Guitar in to Firehawk.

2. 1/4 Cable out of Firehawk FX send mono to guitar in on EVH 5150.

3. 1/4 Cable out of EVH 5150 effects send to Firehawk FX FX return mono.

4. 1/4 cable out of Firehawk 1/4 mono out into EVH 5150 effects return. 

 

Firehawk FX Signal Chain:

1. Effects you want PRIOR to the 5150 played BEFORE the Firehawk FX's amp block.

2. Firehawk FX "FX Loop" block activated and placed before the Firehawk FX amp/cab block. 

3. Firehawk FX amp block set to "clean - no amp."

4. Firehawk FX cab set to "No cabinet." (It should just default to this, but double check by pressing the "cab" choice in the app.

5. Any effects you want to be heard in the loop of the EVH 5150 placed after the Firehawk FX amp/cab block. 

 

That's how I would set it up, and if connected correctly it ought to give you the best of both worlds that are possible. My recommendation would be to at least test it and see what you think because it opens up a ton of possibilities. I do have a few caveats only you can know:

 

1. Whether or not the output is line or amp/stomp is something that depends on the amp of chocie. If Line sounds bad at first then mix between the two. Make sure you're checking for both the FX's loop and the FX's output since they each need to be determined. Still, it doesn't take very long to test.

2. Doing it this way might mean you have to largely leave the 5150 effects loop on or give most of the control to the Firehawk. To me this is a plus, not a minus, but still you may have to experiment a bit here. Maybe your originally way will work just fine turning it on and off again. If you hear a lot of hum don't forget about the FX's ground lift button.