HX Stomp Output 2 distorted

[keslu]

I'm wondering if Output 2 of my HX Stomp has an issue.. The sound is always slightly distorted. To test it out I recorded a clip now without any blocks, using only Input 1 and leading Output 1 & 2 to an interface where I put them at roughly the same volume. The results are attached. The waves of Output 2 look like they are cut off on the upper side..

To troubleshoot further, I also connected the headphone output to two separate inputs of my interface using an insert cable (Y stereo to two monos). I also recorded directly through the USB of the HX stomp using it as an interface. In both cases the resulting clips for Input 1 and 2 are identical (as they should be).

Latest firmware 3.5 installed. I'm sure my device has had this issue for a while on earlier Firmwares (bought it new and started with version 2.92) but I only now made this test (didn't use much stereo so far). I was hoping the firmware updates would resolve it..

Any ideas on what I could do? Thanks in advance

[codamedia]

Further testing...

1. Did you swap the cables leading from the Stomp to the Interface? Does the problem follow the output of the stomp, or the cable?
2. The same applies to the input of the interface... swap the two inputs and see if the problem follows the STOMP output, or the Interface input.  (I see you sort of did this, but not quite)
3. If it does end up being the output of the Stomp, have you tried cleaning it?

[mgrosslein]

I'm having the same issue with mine.  I did a factory reset then made a preset with just a rivet 120, input pad on and hit a few chords on my les paul (see attachment).  Did the same with an A30.  It sounds really bad?  Sounds to me like a fet is clipping.  When I plug headphones into the HX it sounds similar, I think that rules out a lot of possible issues with cables/interface/recording clipping etc.  Turning down master volumes or adding an EQ block with -6db or so improves things but I can't see how that should be necessary?

[keslu]

Thank you for your replies. I finally had time to test a bit more.
 

1. swapping the cables:
   The cables are fine, I switched them out with the same result.
    
2. swapping the inputs:
   I can rule that out too, the problem is definitely the Stomp. Nothing else connected, directly into the interface, always the same result. The headphone output gives me a clean signal on both 1 and 2. 
    
3. If it does end up being the output of the Stomp, have you tried cleaning it?
   I did not, not sure how to go about that. But as I mentioned the problem has been there from the beginning so I do doubt that it would be that - seems like a software/firmware issue thing to me.

Other things I tried in the mean time:
Changing presets / resetting to factory settings / changing Output level (Inst / Line) / using different preset slots
So far nothing helped unfortunately..

What I did find out is that it only seems to happen (or become apparent) at a certain gain level. The higher, the more noticeable. 

I bought the pedal new around September 2020 and encountered this issue in November that year already, when it unfortunately ruined a live session. I still have those recordings.

As I mentioned, just by comparing the sound waves it is very clearly visible how Output 2 is compressed or cut off at the higher side - the lower side looks identical.
I am attaching two more images I made with one of the factory presets. I used DIR: JazzRiver - I removed the stereo effects and added some gain to make it more clear.

[Schmalle]

After all I've read it's probably a hardware problem. Likely the output 2 is defective. Looks like a faulty supply voltage in a push/pull output driver stage, but that's just a guess.

[keslu]

Hello Schmalle, thanks for your answer.

 

Is this something I could narrow down further? Do you mean the Output is physically / permanentally damaged or just that it doesn't receive enough power?

 

I am using a Voodoo lab power supply and not the original one for pedalboard reasons. I don't have the original power supply at hand to test it out right now (but in a couple of weeks I will)