Boss DD3 Distorting in loop?

[J.L.C.]

I'm running a new DD3 in the loop of a boogie mark iv. The first note is fine and sounds great, but the first and sometimes second repeat distort/clip if I play with anything but a super gentle attack. This on a very clean channel so the clipping is all from the pedal/loop and sounds pretty bad.

 

Anything I can do here?

 

Is the pedal faulty? I've got lots of warranty left is there's a chance another one might not do this.

[willburford]

Well, I can't think of anything besides a faulty pedal.

[Crxsh]

Maybe turn down the effect level? Change the battery?

[danut]

The pedal is not faulty. When put in an FX loop, the DD-3 just can't handle very dinamic clean stuff without clipping. It is primarily designed to see an instrument level, not a FX send level. It's not uncommon for a digital delay that takes 9V (not a lot of headroom) to clip when fed with a preamplified signal.

 

First of all, try to adjust the FX send level of your MKIV. Back it off until clipping disappears. If that is not an option, you either have to lower your clean channel gain/volume accordingly or use a clean boost/OD/comp in front of your MKIV, on the clean channel. I noticed a rather strange thing with the DD-3 in the loop: it was clipping, of course, an uncompressed clean signal, but, as soon as I kicked on a TS-9, set cleanish, in front of my preamp, the clipping disappeared, although the level increased. Basically, the more you compress that clean signal in front of the amp, the less clipping you will have in the DD-3. And don't crank that effect level way past 2 o'clock!

[Johansolo]

not sure if this is the same as the above post...but ive had issues with runing pedals (-10db) in Fx loops whihc are line level (0db to +4db)

 

the problem being that the line level signal from the amps fx send is too much for the pedals -10db input.

 

i found a solution but placing a DI box inbetween the fx send and the pedals input with the DI box set to pad down the signal.

 

There is also the ebtech line level shifter which does this job but its pricey.

[J.L.C.]

Thanks for all the info guys.

 

Do most people run digi delays in front of the amp if they tend to clip in the loop?

 

I'm an effects n00b and have been playing just guitar+amp up until very recently.

[melx]

 

Thanks for all the info guys. Do most people run digi delays in front of the amp if they tend to clip in the loop? I'm an effects n00b and have been playing just guitar+amp up until very recently.

 

 

I would guess that almost all compact stop boxes are designed to be between your guitar and amp because that's how most people use them....leave the loop for rack effects, outboard reverbs or whatever.

[danut]

There are, also, stomp box delays engineered to take up to 18V, for increased headroom.

[kyrreca]

I've used both a DD-3 and other digital delays in the loop with absolutely no problems.

[J.L.C.]

It might be the somewhat weird loop on the mark iv as well. The channel output/master is also the effects send level. So if I want any kind of volume on the clean channel, it sends a fairly hot signal to the loop.

 

Is it possible to mod a pedal to handle more voltage?

[skitzy]

i just run everything in front of my amp

[Taylor.]

I've used both a DD-3 and other digital delays in the loop with absolutely no problems.

Me too. I'm guessing it's just one more little detail to dial in on the Mark IV.

[hecticone]

Me thinks he's running the effects loop too hot. Where do you have the send of the loop set at?

[J.L.C.]

 

Me thinks he's running the effects loop too hot. Where do you have the send of the loop set at?

 

 

That's the issue, the channel master also works as the effects send. It's clipping if I have it set at anything above 1. Set at 1 the channel is just too quiet and hard to balance with the other 2 channels.