Stereo Valve Amp problem

[msmitham]

I have just bought an Orange Rocker 32 Stereo Valve amp (2 x 15 watt amps in one cab) and have a Helix LT. The four cable method doesn't seem to work! Can anyone please advise on send and return blocks, plus cabling into send and returns on amp?

[spaceatl]

Are cabled like this? More information on what you tried would actually be helpful in attempting to answer your question.

 

gtr->LT gtr in

LT FX Send (mono block)->amp input

amp send (mono) -> LT return (mono block)

LT 1/4 outs -> amp stereo fx return

 

tons of posts here on 4cm....

[rd2rk]

Separate Send/Return Blocks not necessary:

 

Gtr>LT Gtr In>effects(mono)>FX Loop1

LT Send1>Amp In

Amp Send(mono)>LT Return1>effects(stereo)

LT 1/4" Outs>Amp Stereo FX Returns

 

Kinda confusing the way they have the FX Loop marked on the Orange.

[theElevators]

What's so confusing? 

 

Ok, ok, the stereo amp thing!  No, the amp is not in stereo.  It has 2 speakers and each speaker has its own power amp.  Left power amp, and right power amp.  That way you can use the left return and a right return on it and hook up your processor to the orange amp so that it outputs your signal in stereo.  Or use some weird stereo ping-pong delay pedal in the effects loop.  Or do that Wet/Dry 80's chorus.  It's pretty neat actually, not a lot of amps have dual L/R returns.  Think if it as you having 2 FRFRs: the left one and the right one. 

 

 

 

 

 

Now!  If you want to take advantage of this wonderful Orange preamp sound in your Helix.... Here's the 4 cable method you can follow.  Again, IMHO, running these cheap amps in the loop makes no sense, because Helix has a huge variety of onboard amps that can sound just as good, if not better:

 

The amp has an input.  The amp has a send (mono)

 

On the Helix, set up a send 1 block, and a return 1 block

 

You need 2 cables:

 

1) Helix.Send1 <-> Orange.Guitar input

2) Orange.Send <-> Helix.Return1

 

 

Then the other 2 cables are "implied":

3) from guitar to the Helix

4) From the Helix to the FRFR or whatever you use.  You can send the left and the right to Orange itself.  Then it'd be "5-cable-method" due to stereo. 

To clarify, you'd be sending your mono signal from the Helix to the preamp of the Orange, then getting the signal back, adding whatever stuff you want to it on the Helix such as IRs, reverbs, stereo ping-pong delay.  And then you will be sending the left/right mix back to the power amp of the Orange by plugging 2 cables from the Helix output to the Return Left and Return Right. 

 

Make sense?

 

[codamedia]

On 9/23/2021 at 10:42 AM, msmitham said:

The four cable method doesn't seem to work!

 

4 Cables will get you MONO, 5 will get you Stereo. 

 

Do everything a 4CM tutorial will suggest but instead of a single cable going from the LT output to the Amp return, you need to run both the LEFT/RIGHT outputs on the Helix to the LEFT/RIGHT Returns on the amp. 

[rd2rk]

On 9/23/2021 at 2:01 PM, rd2rk said:

Separate Send/Return Blocks not necessary:

 

Gtr>LT Gtr In>effects(mono)>FX Loop1

LT Send1>Amp In

Amp Send(mono)>LT Return1>effects(stereo)

LT 1/4" Outs>Amp Stereo FX Returns

 

Kinda confusing the way they have the FX Loop marked on the Orange.

 

 

[spaceatl]

On 9/23/2021 at 4:01 PM, rd2rk said:

Separate Send/Return Blocks not necessary:

 

Gtr>LT Gtr In>effects(mono)>FX Loop1

LT Send1>Amp In

Amp Send(mono)>LT Return1>effects(stereo)

LT 1/4" Outs>Amp Stereo FX Returns

 

Kinda confusing the way they have the FX Loop marked on the Orange.

 

seems pretty clear to me....mono preamp, stereo power amp...Left only is mono...pretty consistent....At least the LEFT isn't placed on the right like the TC Electronic stuff...lol!

[msmitham]

On 9/25/2021 at 2:10 AM, theElevators said:

What's so confusing? 

 

Ok, ok, the stereo amp thing!  No, the amp is not in stereo.  It has 2 speakers and each speaker has its own power amp.  Left power amp, and right power amp.  That way you can use the left return and a right return on it and hook up your processor to the orange amp so that it outputs your signal in stereo.  Or use some weird stereo ping-pong delay pedal in the effects loop.  Or do that Wet/Dry 80's chorus.  It's pretty neat actually, not a lot of amps have dual L/R returns.  Think if it as you having 2 FRFRs: the left one and the right one. 

 

 

 

 

 

Now!  If you want to take advantage of this wonderful Orange preamp sound in your Helix.... Here's the 4 cable method you can follow.  Again, IMHO, running these cheap amps in the loop makes no sense, because Helix has a huge variety of onboard amps that can sound just as good, if not better:

 

The amp has an input.  The amp has a send (mono)

 

On the Helix, set up a send 1 block, and a return 1 block

 

You need 2 cables:

 

1) Helix.Send1 <-> Orange.Guitar input

2) Orange.Send <-> Helix.Return1

 

 

Then the other 2 cables are "implied":

3) from guitar to the Helix

4) From the Helix to the FRFR or whatever you use.  You can send the left and the right to Orange itself.  Then it'd be "5-cable-method" due to stereo. 

To clarify, you'd be sending your mono signal from the Helix to the preamp of the Orange, then getting the signal back, adding whatever stuff you want to it on the Helix such as IRs, reverbs, stereo ping-pong delay.  And then you will be sending the left/right mix back to the power amp of the Orange by plugging 2 cables from the Helix output to the Return Left and Return Right. 

 

Make sense?

 

Perfectly! Used 5 cables and there it was....... Many thanks to you and Codamedia...

 

Now I have to try to crack the clean/dirty channel change on the amp using the Helix LT!