herkness Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Just picked up the 150 on Friday, and am trying to decide if it will meet my needs. In general, it sounds like a great idea, but may not be ready for prime time yet. Hopefully the limitation of a single preset bank on board can be updated through a future firmware update, to make it more gig-friendly. A couple of questions for you guys who may have more hands-on experience with it than I... 1) When I plug in a FPV Express MKII, I hear a low hum. Has anyone else noticed this? 2) With the app docked, only the volume on the pedal works. To be able to select presets, you must undock the app. Is this correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeDogInKC Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 On #1, yes, I have the same issue. Unplugging the FBV completely removes the hum. On #2, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "undock the app". However, I have the same issue. I've noticed that if you change a preset/patch and save it, the ABCD buttons on the FBV quit working. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herkness Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 Wanted to look a little further into the hum issue, to see if I wanted to keep this amp. Went to the local GC to do some comparison testing with my MKII, the store's MKII, Shortboard, 150 and 75. In summary, there appears to be a design issue with the Express/150 combination that shows itself as a light hum when the pedal is connected. It is not present with the Shortboard/150, nor is it present on the 75 with either pedalboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joebobhenrybob Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Thank you for the research! The nearest GC is an hour and a half away. I ordered my 75 online and haven't opened/used my FBV. Good to know it's unlikely to hum when/if I decide to keep the 75. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herkness Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 In general, the 150 sounded great, but I just get the feeling that it's not ready for primetime yet. Returned it yesterday and picked up a Fender Mustang III. After having the Spider III and the Amplifi, the Fender is a breath of fresh air. For the price point, it seems a much more serious piece of gear. And they have an actual manual! ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joebobhenrybob Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 It seems that way ... not quite ready for prime time, but hey, like SNL it's great in its own way. It's fun for early adopters willing to accept some early kinks or those expecting more of a Bluetooth Boombox with benefits. That said, the launch seems to have enough gaps to frustrate those hoping for something more polished and gig-proof. Glad you found the right gear in the Mustang III. I've been very happy with my Fender products (circa early and mid 90s). I'll likely keep the 75 as a way to contribute to the tone community. If the experiment fails and that Line 6 drops support, so be it. If it succeeds, hopefully, those tones can be migrated to an Amplifi HD (or whatever marketing decides to call it... hopefully, something more searchable). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryhamilt Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Wanted to look a little further into the hum issue, to see if I wanted to keep this amp. Went to the local GC to do some comparison testing with my MKII, the store's MKII, Shortboard, 150 and 75. In summary, there appears to be a design issue with the Express/150 combination that shows itself as a light hum when the pedal is connected. It is not present with the Shortboard/150, nor is it present on the 75 with either pedalboard. Do you think this is consistent across the board? That there is a hum present when using the express with the 150? I was considering purchasing one to use with my 150, but if there is a hum…then it's a no go. I would go for the Shortboard, but, as I understand it, the Shortboard can't turn the individual effects on/off, correct? So, I really can't justify the Shortboard. Would a future update allow for the Shortboard to turn the effects on/off? Is that even possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlyg Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 There is something going on between the FBV jack and midi. I sure would like to know what it is and if we can make an adapter to use a midi board with the Amplifi. I didn;t have the hum with a 150 and Express, don't have access to a shortboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonny666 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Does the FBV Express MKII expression pedal control the wah effects of the Amplifi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeDogInKC Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Does the FBV Express MKII expression pedal control the wah effects of the Amplifi? Yes it does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmjmeyers Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 So someone here took their Express, used the stores, tried out and seemed to indicate the hum exists with the 150. Someone else here replied that they don't have a hum with their Express used with the 150. This seems inconclusive, which is it? Is ths express to be avoided or is this a take your chances, you may have a hum or you may not situation? I am interested in the Express for the wah. Comments indicate made out of plastic or not built the greatest perhaps but I don't want a huge massive board on the floor, just enough to use the wah and switch between 4 presets upward/downward. So is a flawed combination or not Express + 150? Anybody call Line 6 Support about it and if so did they confirm this as a problem? Not having even looked at this Express in the box does it come with the connection cable for the amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmjmeyers Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Picked up an Express MKii floor unit. With the 150 there is a hum I would say no worse than a large tube head sitting there idling type hum. Worked great for A,B,C,D presets and the tuner and as Volume Pedal. Volume Pedal seems to be the default, midi CC settings are right for Wah but can't seem to get it to become a Wah, even with a tone preset on via Ampliiy App that has a Wah turned on and Volume turned off and then that preset selected. Wah can't be moved in position like others can in the app. Does this App my tones preset have to be stored to the amp before the Wah will work? What is the trick to get the Express to go into Wah mode with Wah LED on and all? To solve hum via 75 is not a solution unless you like the smaller cab and smaller speaker. Playing high gain enough the hum is not bad but not being able to seem to get Wah to work is a problem. Any help on how to get Wah to work/get Express to act in Wah mode? I might keep and not return the Express floor unit if if the wah would work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmjmeyers Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Found this, why this info is so buried, I just do not get it, should be easist info to find! There is a switch under the front of the expression pedal. I have pressed on it but I guess it requires massive downward pressure to activate. Oh joy I can try out the wah now, which is why I wanted the Express in the first place. The hum is no big deal, just like having a tube amp sitting there, I know it should not hum but its something I can accept if the wah works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmjmeyers Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Just reporting that I decided to return the FBV Express MKii and ordered a shortboard instead. It sounds like a ground loop hum to me but not knowing any techincal details I don't want to risk my 150. I have found a few Spider amp posts that also talk about hum as soon as the Express is plugged in, but no resolution for them either. Seems when the complainer doesn't respond in time they close the support case. Since no one opened a case for the Express, me too in that... I will go the route of least resistance. I don't like a big plus size floor board and preferred the Express size board, hopefully the shortboard in the flesh won't be all that big. None in the stores, had to order it on line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
variax-grinder Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I just picked up an FBV Express MkII and plugged it into my Amplifi 150. I have the same problem with hum :-(. It is very annoying and I will have to return the FBV if the problem persists. Alternatively, return the 150 and get the Amplifi 75 in stead, since other users indicate that the FBV Express works without hum on the 75. Still, Line6 should address this as soon as possible - In my opinion this is a serious problem, because I can not use the 150 for gigging without the foot-controller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Line6Tony Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Hello, all. We are sorry to see some of you run into this issue. This is an issue that we recently were made aware of on some early AMPLIFi 150 units, and we have implemented a solution for it. Our authorized service centers can perform the repair. Alternatively, Line 6 can perform the repair if an RMA is generated. As both scenarios offer the repair under our one-year warranty, please ensure you can furnish a copy of your proof of purchase, a requirement for warranty service. Please see our Service Page for repair process details. Thanks for your patience and your patronage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efxtr Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Dear Tony, thanks for answer. Is it generic error for a batch of the product? I mean is it possible to predict via serial number whether a particular device might have this issue before trying it with FBV? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 I would open a support ticket and include your serial number in the information, or call Line 6 directly (see Contact Us below). It this issue is specific to certain serial numbers they will be able to tell you if yours is affected. Then you will know whether you need to bring it to a service center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverfla Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Line6Tony ~ Guitar Center gives me 30 days to swap out for dissatisfaction. Rather than have my week-old Amplifi 150 repaired, I would just as well swap it out. If you could provide the Serial Number break to know if they have another one "post fix", that would be much easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efxtr Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Update: I just received express MKII and I can confirm that there is no any noise or humming (even with high gain patches). I bof ought mine in Turkey and probably it's not one of the units of earlier batches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tfostevec Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 I bought my Amplifi 150 in May at Guitar Center and just bought the FBV Express MK2 today. They work great with no issues! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodrigocmn Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 I have the same problem regarding switching effects when the remote app is connected. Has anybody managed to change effects when the remote app is connected? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efxtr Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 I have the same problem regarding switching effects when the remote app is connected. Has anybody managed to change effects when the remote app is connected? yes: http://line6.com/support/topic/8183-pedal-fbv-express-disabled-when-iphone-connected/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodrigocmn Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Ok! I've got an official response from Line 6 support saying that (currently) the FVB Express MKII does not work when the remote app is open. This feature will be available soon in a firmware update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdrew34 Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 I have the latest firmware for Amplifi and it still does not work with a brand new FBV Express pedal when the app is open. I can't seem to get a straight answer thru the Line 6 help tickets on whether the issue was/is/should have been addressed. Frustrating ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camsobalvarro Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 I just bought a Amplifi 150 used. It's really in perfect condition and works beautiful. HOWEVER, I plugged in a FBV Express MK2 and I'm getting the hum you guys talk about here. Is there a solution a user can do? Warranty's not an option for me since I bought it 2nd hand I suppose, but this "is" a manufacturing issue as I understand it. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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