HX Effects + Dual Rec squealing at gig volumes

[rscherry]

New to playing with a band and the HX Effects, sorry if there is an obvious answer to this.

 

I recently picked up HX Effects to use with my MESA Dual Rectifier multi-watt head.  I spent some time setting up the effects I wanted at home (bedroom volumes of course) and everything sounds great.  However, when I turn up my amp at band practice to get over the drummer, I get a terrible squealing sound, very high pitched type of feedback.  The squealing occurs when I turn up the output volume, even if I have the guitar volume all the way down, so it is not feedback coming through the pickups.

 

I'm using the 4 cable method with a pretty standard setup:

 

guitar > HX Effects > noise gate > red squeeze > Minotaur > FX Loop > chorus > simple delay > glitz > 10 band graphic > noise gate > speaker cab

 

The problem only happens when I'm playing through the clean channel (channel 1).  In this snapshot I have all of the effects on except the Minotaur.   For my distortion channel 3, I turn on the minotaur and turn off all the effects in the FX loop (chorus, delay, reverb) and I have absolutely no issues at any volume.  Levels on the effects are all set to zero except the red comp (+3.0, the Minotaur (+7.0) and the EQ (-3.0).

 

I added the 10 band equalizer (rolled off the highs) and the second noise gate to eliminate the squealing, which works, but they are definitely impacting my tone.

 

I'm at a loss on what to try next-   I've fiddled with most of the settings to no avail.  Could this be gain staging?  If so, how might I adjust to get rid of the issue?  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  

 

 

[z3albw1rr]

On 6/10/2022 at 5:51 PM, rscherry said:

The squealing occurs when I turn up the output volume, even if I have the guitar volume all the way down, so it is not feedback coming through the pickups.

My first thought when I saw this is this sounds like a signal flow issue. In the old days if you plugged in a tape deck to a stereo system, but then monitored the recording input, it could create a feedback loop - crazy loud - and not like guitar feedback like we like - and not really like PA (microphone) feedback even (closer), but this kind of loud, annoying, electronic squeal.

 

That would tell me that possibly something is going on with your 4CM routing. Something is feeding back into something it shouldn't be.

 

On 6/10/2022 at 5:51 PM, rscherry said:

The problem only happens when I'm playing through the clean channel (channel 1). 

Which is kind of unusual. That then sounds like something in the FX loop settings.

 

Are you using the Helix to channel switch your amp too?

On 6/10/2022 at 5:51 PM, rscherry said:

or my distortion channel 3, I turn on the minotaur and turn off all the effects in the FX loop (chorus, delay, reverb) and I have absolutely no issues at any volume.

 

 

Yeah, and the difference there is the FX loop is bypassed (or, is it bypassed, or do you just turn the effects off?)

 

So that's leading me even further to believe the settings there, or how you're doing it might be the issue.

 

On 6/10/2022 at 5:51 PM, rscherry said:

 

I'm at a loss on what to try next-

 

Well, my first thing is always to just take everything out of the path.

 

Try plugging guitar directly into helix, and helix into the input of your amp and see. If that has no problem, then add things back in one at a time.

 

Then go back and try 4CM and add things back in one at a time - you have to narrow down what exactly is causing the problem.

 

[rscherry]

I am using the hx effects to channel switch the dual rec, through a voodoo lab control switcher. 
 

I am not turning off the FX loop, just turning off the individual effects in the hx effects. 
 

I think you are right about just taking effects out and adding them back in one at a time. I’ll try that next time I have the ability to really crank up the volume.  Thanks for the feedback!