Delay pedal in FX loop = slight distortion & very dark repeats. Advice?

    Hmm. So I read that the Carbon Copy gets a bit dark through FX loops and is rectified some what with using an 18v power supply.
    The clipping type distortion/aliasing seems to be also profile specific. Some profiles work great, other don't...volume levels all the same too.
    Hmm, wonder why that is?

    I did a little experiment. Main output into MXR carbon copy, carbon copy into audio interface = no clipping type distortion/aliasing + more pronounced delay repeats. What's up with the fx loop then? Is there a setting I'm missing somewhere?

    I use a TC G-Force in the FX-loop. the Kemper take effects better than my real amps! its darker on my favourite tubeamp than on my Kemper. On the kemper its more defined! I guess it depends what you feed your Kemper with!

    Try playing with pedal volume vs. loop volume. Maybe you're overloading something.
    Looking at the specs, it's also safe to assume the Kemper expects a line level return signal and i'm pretty sure your MXR doesn't do that.

    "But dignity is difficult to maintain
    stamina requires constant upkeep
    repetition is boring
    and you pay for grace."

    Boy it's really annoying, like something is running too hot on the inputs of the pedal or fx loop. Sigh. Was planning on buying a bunch of pedals but now I'm worried. Had similar problems with the Axe FX II's fx loop too! Part of the reason why I got rid of it.

    I can't answer regarding the Carbon Copy because I don't have one but I can comment a little bit on FX loops.


    The 'pedals sound dark' in an FX loop is usually the cause of an amp manufacturer not buffering the FX loop properly. Basically, when you're building an amp, you can either


    a) Not have an FX loop
    b) Have an FX loop and do it properly so that it will take pedals 'right'
    c) Have an FX loop done 'on the cheap' and not buffer it properly so that pedals will either work perfectly or not, depending on the pedal.


    Now, the Carbon Copy has a 1 meg input impedance which is great news for a pedal which is going in front of an amp. It's also good news if it's going in an FX loop that is 'done properly'. If it goes into an FX loop done 'on the cheap' then the amp will struggle because the signal will be killed.


    In the Kemper, the FX loop is 'done properly' in terms of the impedance so the in my opinion you shouldn't have a problem. But clearly you do.... I cannot explain that. All I will say is that on the Kemper or the Axe or any other digital device, you have an extra stage of D/A and A/D conversion going on. If you keep with all the FX in the Kemper then you've got A/D conversion at the very start then D/A at the very end. If you use the FX loop, it's having to do the same thing again so as it can use the FX loop. Maybe there is some weird artefact that the carbon copy causes that is 'part of its sound' that then gets more pronounced in conversion? I am fishing completely here.... I've used my Strymon Timeline in the loop and it's been fine. And that's despite the fact that with that in there I'm going through 3 sets of A/D and D/A conversions because it is also a digital device ;)

    What kind of loop configuration do you use, loop distortion / loop mono?
    In case of loop distortion, the boost of any previous effect is applied to the send of the loop (Reference manual 3.0 page 80) and may be driving your delay too much.

    Quote from Corstroe

    What kind of loop configuration do you use, loop distortion / loop mono?
    In case of loop distortion, the boost of any previous effect is applied to the send of the loop (Reference manual 3.0 page 80) and may be driving your delay too much.


    Loop mono. I've also got no other effect on besides the delay.

    Well by reducing the level by -3db in the cabinet block I've gotten rid of the overloading distortion thingy! I would like to lock the cabinet volume at this level but of coarse it also locks the whole darn module. Tried putting an EQ before the mono loop to bring down the level but it doesn't do the trick...
    Hmmm....