HXStomp FX Loop clipping only with enabled effects

[danleuc]

Hello everyone

 

Sorry for the recurring argument but I couldn't find exactly my case.

 

I use my HXStomp on my pedalboard mainly as Ampsim with some physical pedals in front of it and other effects in the fx loop.

 

I'm experiencing problems with clipping when I activate pedals that are connected in the fxloop.

 

The clipping is only there when I activate any of the pedals within the FX Loop (Fx Block is always ON).

There is no Volume difference when the effects are activated/deactivated.

There is no differeence whether the pedals in front of the hX Stomp are activated or not, I also tried with other AMPs in the preset again there is no difference.

Here the details of my chain. (All in MONO)

Helix Preset: (see Screenshot)

1.    Volume Block
2.    Amp (Brit Plexi Jump)
3. 2 x IR on splitted trails
4.    FX Loop L (Use all in mono)
5.    Reverb

 

Pedalboard
1.    TC Electronic Sub'n'up mini
2.    EHX SoulFood
3.    JHS Packrat
4.    HXStomp IN
5.    HXStomp FX Out (Mono)
6.    Wampler Terraform (Modulation)
7.    Walrus ARP-87 (Delay)
8.    Walrus Slö (Reverb)
9.    HX Stomp FX In (Mono)
10.    HX Stomp Out to DAW or directly through the headphone out to  the headphones.

 

General settings on HX Stomp
In/Out
1.    Input level: Inst
2.    Output level: Inst
3.    Send Return L: Inst
4.    Send Return R: Inst
5.    Return Type: Return

 

Does anyone have an idea how to solve the problem?

[rd2rk]

The exact FX that you have in the FX Loop matters. If one or more of them outputs a LINE Level signal or its Output is just TOO HOT it will either clip the next effect or the Return.

[danleuc]

On 5/19/2023 at 11:26 PM, rd2rk said:

The exact FX that you have in the FX Loop matters. If one or more of them outputs a LINE Level signal or its Output is just TOO HOT it will either clip the next effect or the Return.

This is what I suspected as well. It's strange though because if I change the order a little bit and move the effects out of the fx loop and put them before the hx stomp the problem disappear.

So it doesn't sound like an effects problem to me. An other point is that it does this with any effect I've tried.

Could there be a problem with the general settings or the fx loop block settings/usage?

 

I’m a novice and can not exclude a basics configuration error on my side.

 

I posted above all the details.

[rd2rk]

On 5/20/2023 at 6:04 AM, danleuc said:

This is what I suspected as well. It's strange though because if I change the order a little bit and move the effects out of the fx loop and put them before the hx stomp the problem disappear.

So it doesn't sound like an effects problem to me. An other point is that it does this with any effect I've tried.

Could there be a problem with the general settings or the fx loop block settings/usage?

 

I’m a novice and can not exclude a basics configuration error on my side.

 

I posted above all the details.

 

The FX Loops have both SEND LEVEL (too much might clip the effect) and RETURN LEVEL (too much might clip the RETURN) parameters. Have you tried messing with those? The default of 0db means UNITY GAIN, IOW, OUT = IN, but there's no law says you can't change that - that's why they're there!

[danleuc]

On 5/20/2023 at 5:12 PM, rd2rk said:

 

The FX Loops have both SEND LEVEL (too much might clip the effect) and RETURN LEVEL (too much might clip the RETURN) parameters. Have you tried messing with those? The default of 0db means UNITY GAIN, IOW, OUT = IN, but there's no law says you can't change that - that's why they're there!

Thank you!

That was the issue. I messed a little bit around with this settings in the past, but for some reason i never dared to go below -4/5 db.

At the end the right setting was in my case SEND: -17DB / RETURN: 0DB

 

The problem is now completely gone.