HX Stomp cabling challenge

[EvilBlood]

Hi,

I'm a new user of HX Stomp.

I've added HX stomp to my pedalboard to remove cables and pedals and have a backup in case of faul of my real amp.

I've connected HX with 4cable method to the amp.

 

Signal path is: Guitar -> Buffer -> PolyTune -> HX L IN -> Overdive BLOCK -> FX SEND -> AMP INPUT -> AMP SEND -> HX RETURN -> DELAY BLOCK -> HX OUT L -> AMP RETURN

 

Ok..all works, no problem.

 

My dream and goal is to put all the connection to HX stomp one time for managing different situation and work on preset blocks to make the goal.

 

For example

1) FOH + Power Amp (or Amp Head return) out at the same time

2) 4 cable method

3) Only FOH

4) Only AMP Input ( so no AMP send/return, no delay, reverb etc..only guitar and overdrive)

 

I was able to manage the point 2 and 4, (when i had single pedals).

Overdrive delay and booster was 3 different pedals. OD goes direct into input and Delay/Booster into one pedal loop (switchable).

the scope is to ON/OFF the Amp FX loop so i can choose to connect all the cable if i need the send/return or not or insert delay/boot at the same time with one single switch and stuff like that.

 

Any suggestion for HX stomp? It's impossible to do this? 

I hope i was clear.

 

Thank you.

Daniele

 

[rd2rk]

No, not really clear, but I'll give it a shot.

 

First - are you aware that placing things between the guitar and the HXS Input disables (unless they are TRUE BYPASS) the Auto Impedance function? 

This only matters if you use HXS FX that require that the pickups be loaded at lower than 1M such as certain fuzzes such as the Arbitrator.

It's also irrelevant if you're using a wireless which always loads the pickups at 1M.

 

If you want your physical amp's tone (which includes its poweramp) to go to FOH, you need a Reactive load between the amp's speaker out and its speaker with a LINE OUT to the HXS so that you can add a cab emulation/IR without which it will likely sound nasty at FOH, and not in a good way.

 

The usual workaround is to eliminate the physical amp's preamp by using an HXS amp which can be toggled by turning the FX Loop ON/HXS amp OFF and vice versa. 

This allows you to use the physical amp's (helps with typing to know the make/model of the amp) pre and power amp/speaker when using it by itself and HXS amps when you need FOH. Again, a RL with Line Out is best of both worlds.

 

Hopefully that was clear?

[Schmalle]

You can output the signal for the amp on the left channel and a cabinet emulation for FOH on the right channel:

• put an IR or Cab block last in the signal chain
• move it to Path B (action button)
• in the mixer block (circle symbol) pan A hard left and B hard right

You'd need to find a cab sim / IR that matches the sound coming from your cab. And be aware of the fact that i.e. the presence and depth control on the amp is usually after the FX loop - hence they will not affect the signal to FOH.

 

I hope i was clear. ;)

[EvilBlood]

Thank you guys for reply.

 

@rd2rk For point 1) pedals before HX input are true Bypass

 

I try to explain better.

 

I want to use my real amp connected to real CAB (and with a RedBox to send the signal to the fOH) with HX just for Input/Send&Return effects (delays, reverbs, drives, compressors, etc)..this is not a problem by creating a Patch with settings for 4CM.

 

In some situation, i might need to not use real amp (so full HX stomp sound to FOH and on my monitor for reference back from FOH mixer) or connect to a Head poweramp available at the venue or jusy put an overdrive and some effect (from HX of course) in from of real amp connected to real cab and with a real mic etc.

 

I want to do all of this things without disconnecting and change cabling to HX already connected.

 

 

Yesterday i was able to do something but cannot reply because my post was on approving pending.

 

Actually i have HX stomp cabled on pedalboard in 4CM configuration. From HX, i go into a Patchbay where put all my cables to and from Real Amp.

 

I've created a Patch dedicated to 4CM.

So flow is

 

Guitar -> Buffer ->Tuner -> HX L Input 

--> Drive Block

    --> FX Send/Return Block -> HX Send -> Patchbay  -> Real Amp INPUT

From REAL AMP SEND -> Patchbay ->HX RETURN L

         --> Delay Block -> Main Output Block -> HX L Main Output -> Patch Bay -> Return of the REAL AMP

 

After searching and see some video on YouTube, i've create another Patch, without change anything on physical cabling on HX and real amp(just take off the Send/Return cable on the real amp).

On new patch, put a Drive Block and a Send Block L into the B signal chain (in 4CM the HX send is always connected to the INPUNT of the real amp).

I've to check if i do some settings here because now i don't remember.

 

So the last action is to create a patch with all sound coming from HX using the R output connected to a D.I. Box (because is not balanced) and to the FOH and play with other routing things.

 

Thank you.

Daniele

 

 

 

[rd2rk]

It sounds to me like this:

 

Guitar -> Buffer ->Tuner -> HX L Input 

--> Drive Block

    --> FX Send/Return Block -> HX Send -> Patchbay  -> Real Amp INPUT

From REAL AMP SEND -> Patchbay ->HX RETURN L

         --> Delay Block -> Main Output Block -> HX L Main Output -> Patch Bay -> Return of the REAL AMP

 

With the Redbox (H&K amp?) to FOH (or back to the patchbay and then to FOH) is all you need.

Since the Redbox has speaker emulation there's no need to come back to the HXS for that unless you really dislike the emulation, in which case you can save two blocks on the HXS by using an IR loader after the Redbox and disabling the emulation on the Redbox. I'm not sure if the Redbox 5 external version has the ON/OFF switch for the emulation and you still didn't specify the amp you're using... I just guessed the H&K since it's the only amp I know of with built-in Redbox. Well, my Catalyst has speaker emulated XLR out - different implementation but same principle. Minus the patchbay I'm doing the same thing you're (I think) trying to do.

[EvilBlood]

On 2/12/2024 at 8:43 PM, rd2rk said:

It sounds to me like this:

 

Guitar -> Buffer ->Tuner -> HX L Input 

--> Drive Block

    --> FX Send/Return Block -> HX Send -> Patchbay  -> Real Amp INPUT

From REAL AMP SEND -> Patchbay ->HX RETURN L

         --> Delay Block -> Main Output Block -> HX L Main Output -> Patch Bay -> Return of the REAL AMP

 

With the Redbox (H&K amp?) to FOH (or back to the patchbay and then to FOH) is all you need.

Since the Redbox has speaker emulation there's no need to come back to the HXS for that unless you really dislike the emulation, in which case you can save two blocks on the HXS by using an IR loader after the Redbox and disabling the emulation on the Redbox. I'm not sure if the Redbox 5 external version has the ON/OFF switch for the emulation and you still didn't specify the amp you're using... I just guessed the H&K since it's the only amp I know of with built-in Redbox. Well, my Catalyst has speaker emulated XLR out - different implementation but same principle. Minus the patchbay I'm doing the same thing you're (I think) trying to do.

 

Real amp is an ENGL IronBall.

RedBox is connected to the HEAD and to the Cabinet. Sound Engineer put an XLR cable to te H&K red box without put a mic on real cab. Real Cab is only for my stage reference (because i don't want anything into stage monitor..99% of time are really bad). In this way, i have no problem with mic that are not correctly placed, is moved, crushed etc and Soung Engineer is happy.

 

I will prepare a draw of my pedalboard with HX stomp with all cable and how can i manage the different goal with different patch. So i think that would be better for other users in the same situation.

 

The only problem now is that i try to create a full HX stomp rig and send to the HX R Out (and for now into my audiocard)..but i receive only the Guitar raw signal..no amp, no cab, no effects...and audio card input is connected to HX stomp OUT R. Main Output Block is total R panned...i have to check why don't work.

 

Daniele

 

 

[EvilBlood]

On 2/13/2024 at 11:51 PM, EvilBlood said:

The only problem now is that i try to create a full HX stomp rig and send to the HX R Out (and for now into my audiocard)..but i receive only the Guitar raw signal..no amp, no cab, no effects...and audio card input is connected to HX stomp OUT R. Main Output Block is total R panned...i have to check why don't work.

 

 Problem solved..i've plugged the guitar into dedicated input on my audio card and not in the input of HX Stomp :D

 

[EvilBlood]

So i've attached a schema of HX stomp on my pedal board and all the connection with patch bay.

In this way, i can play with preset and connection to PatchBay to arrange the below scenarios without connect or disconnect anything from HXStomp

 

1. 4CM with a real amp

2. Stomp pedals in front of an amp

3. Use the Return of an amp

4. Go straight to FOH

5. FOH and PowerAmp (or return of an amp)

 

 

Nice!

[rd2rk]

If you replace OUT R>DI Box>FOH with REDBOX LINE OUT>FOH then this works, otherwise you're not getting your amp's power amp sound to FOH, just the preamp and FX. 

[rd2rk]

On 2/14/2024 at 3:41 PM, EvilBlood said:

 Problem solved..i've plugged the guitar into dedicated input on my audio card and not in the input of HX Stomp :D

 

 

I'm not sure how this solves the problem, or even what problem it's intended to solve - what exactly are you referring to as your "audio card"?

Is the "audio card" input Instrument level?

How does the guitar signal get back into the rest of your signal chain?

Your complete signal chain is only available at the REDBOX Line Out. 

If you want that complete signal chain to FOH as well as into your computer for recording then you'd need to split the REDBOX XLR (I use a simple XLR Y-Splitter) and take one side to FOH and the other to a proper Audio Interface. If your computer's "audio card" has an XLR Input then that works.