Struggling to Add an External Boost Pedal to My HX Stomp

[guitarbloke1980]

Trying in vain to add an external boost pedal (TC Spark Mini) to my HX Stomp rig.  But I just can't get it working properly.

 

I'm running in 4CM, into my tube amp and I have an FX loop block in my HX Stomp's path (FYI my block path is pretty simple :  FX Loop L/R - Noise Gate - Delay - Reverb)

 

A few of things to clarify - 

• My goal is to get a clean volume boost - no added gain - and I want to use an external pedal, not the HX to boost the signal.
• WITHOUT the boost pedal plugged in, everything works absolutely perfectly.
• Plugging just the boost pedal into the front of the amp (and not using the HX at all) works perfectly

 

This is how it's wired up - 

 

• Guitar --> HX Stomp IN
• HX Stomp OUT  --> Volume Pedal IN
• HX Stomp Send --> Front of Amp
• Amp FX Send --> TC Spark IN
• TC Spark OUT --> HX Stomp Return L/Mono
• Volume Pedal OUT --> Amp FX Return 

 

What happens is I get absolutely no signal - UNTIL I switch on the TC Spark Mini.  If I turn the Spark off, then I once again have no signal at all.

 

Have I wired things up incorrectly, or do I need to use a different type of FX block on the Stomp maybe?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

PS - I know I can set up a boost within the HX, but I want to use an external boost that I can tweak on the fly if necessary - I can just nudge the control with my foot whilst playing.

 

[SaschaFranck]

On 8/6/2024 at 6:29 PM, guitarbloke1980 said:

Have I wired things up incorrectly

 

Yes, completely. I don't even know where to start because pretty much everything is super messed up (it's not even wired up for 4CM to work properly).

 

Try this signal chain:

- Guitar to HX In

- HX Send to Spark

- Spark to Amp Input

- Amp Send to Volume Pedal Input

- Volume Pedal Output to HX Return

- HX Out to Amp Return

 

This should work.

 

 

 

[guitarbloke1980]

On 8/6/2024 at 6:51 PM, SaschaFranck said:

 

Yes, completely. I don't even know where to start because pretty much everything is super messed up (it's not even wired up for 4CM to work properly).

 

Try this signal chain:

- Guitar to HX In

- HX Send to Spark

- Spark to Amp Input

- Amp Send to Volume Pedal Input

- Volume Pedal Output to HX Return

- HX Out to Amp Return

 

This should work.

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for this!  I think I got myself into a bit of a muddle when I tried to introduce the boost pedal and wound up messing up my chain big time.  

 

I'll give it a try tonight :-)

[SaschaFranck]

Fwiw, if I was you, I'd try to get the most basic 4CM setup running first. That'd be:

 

- Guitar to HX In

- HX Send to Amp Input

- Amp Send to HX Return

- HX Out to Amp Return

 

Make sure it really works that way and make sure to adjust your levels properly - there's plenty of things you might have to deal with.

- Loop levels on the HX. There's global settings (instrument and line level), I recommend using instrument level for a start). Then there's the levels on the loop block.

- Loop levels on your amp (in case they can be adjusted). And if there's a serial/parallel option, make sure to go for serial.

- Output level of the HX.

 

Try to find a setting so your amp sounds like your amp without anything connected. This might take quite a while already as pretty much everything interacts with pretty much everything else, especially in case you're dealing with a tube amp. There's also some compromises you might have to deal with (as you, say, can't, switch any loop sends and returns to line/inst individually).

Once that's working fine, insert your Spark. IMO there's two positions for it: In front of everything (hence before the HX input) and in front of the amp (hence inserted after the HX send). From my experience, it's worth checking which sounds better.

Then insert your volume pedal. If you want to control your amp's input (so you could as well change its gain), place it after the HX send before the signal hits the amp input (in case the Spark is sitting there, too, check out what sounds better). The more typical position however would be to place it in the amp's loop before the signal goes into the HX return (this is what I described in my previous post). That way, you'd control the overall volume without cutting off reverb/delay trails, perfect for swells and such. You won't be able to use, say, an HX gate to denoise your amp that way anymore, though.

As said, there's plenty of ways to skin this cat, but all of them have the simplified 4CM cabling from above in common, so I'd start there.