Noisy effects loop on HX Effects

[Steven_Anthony]

I just got my HX Effects about two weeks ago and this is my first multi effects. My plan was to use this on a small fly board. I've got my Dunlop Crybaby followed by a Xotic EP Booster in de front. I wanted to use a fuzz (and maybe an overdrive) in the loop, so I'm able to turn it on and off with the HX and place certain effects (like a phaser) in front of it in the chain.

 

Sadly, this doesn't seem to work as I intended to, and I'm wondering if I've got a faulty unit. When I put a fuzz in the loop set to instrument level, I got noise, loud squealing and feedback. When I set it to line level only the noise it's left, but it's so loud that it makes it unusable. It's only workable when I put in in the front, after the EP Booster.

 

Without the HX Effects there are no problems or noise with the fuzz. In this case I'm trying it with the Mythos Golden Fleece, but I get the exact same issues with the DOD Carcosa. I've tried different power, guitars, amps and everything else as well. I recorded the different setups so you can hear the issue:

 

 

Ofcourse I also filed a ticket with Line 6 about this, as well as emailing the store from where I bought it. But maybe someone here can chime in on this. I decided to keep the HX Effects after trying it without using external pedals, but these issues are a dealbreaker for me currently, so I'm pretty bummed out.

[phil_m]

Have you tried effects other than fuzzes in the loop? What happens if you just run a jumper cable from the send to the return?

 

Some fuzzes don’t like being a connected to low impedance outputs, but there shouldn’t necessarily be that much noise. What blocks do you have after the FX loop block?

[Steven_Anthony]

On 10/11/2022 at 6:39 PM, phil_m said:

Have you tried effects other than fuzzes in the loop? What happens if you just run a jumper cable from the send to the return?

 

Some fuzzes don’t like being a connected to low impedance outputs, but there shouldn’t necessarily be that much noise. What blocks do you have after the FX loop block?

I haven't jumpered them yet. I also tried my EHX Soul Food in the loop. Not as noisy as the fuzzes, but also not useable. 

 

I've got a Crybaby and an EP Booster going in the front end of the HX. The first block in the HX is a phaser, then the effects loop with the fuzz, followed by the Teemah (only for lead boost), slapback delay, longer delay, reverb and tremelo. Nothing crazy really.

[phil_m]

On 10/11/2022 at 2:46 PM, Steven_Anthony said:

I haven't jumpered them yet. I also tried my EHX Soul Food in the loop. Not as noisy as the fuzzes, but also not useable. 

 

I've got a Crybaby and an EP Booster going in the front end of the HX. The first block in the HX is a phaser, then the effects loop with the fuzz, followed by the Teemah (only for lead boost), slapback delay, longer delay, reverb and tremelo. Nothing crazy really.

Try bypassing the Teemah and see if the noise floor decreases.

[Steven_Anthony]

The Teemah is bypassed most of the time, but when I turn it on, it doesn't make a difference. Though I did notice that without the fuzz, the Teemah gives me a big boost for solos. When I put the fuzz before the Helix I can't get a lift, but that might be a headroom issue... although it also doesn't cut, because I have set the Teemah mid-boosty.

[k-grimm403]

This is a faulty unit. I had a faulty unit when they first came out and it did the same thing but with only one of my pedals. I sent it in and they had it fixed and back to me in like three days. (Free of charge) There is a pinned topic about this on the first page of this forum.

seems odd they would still have the faulty units out in the wild though. Did you buy it used?

[codamedia]

I second the words of @k-grimm403

 

I bought an HX Effects when they first came out and the returns had a noise issue. That issue has since been addressed by Line 6, but some stores could be sitting on old (original) stock.  

 

https://line6.com/support/topic/32964-hx-effects-audio-artifacts/