New VH-4 owner, loop question

[slaktarn]

I got my new VH-4 last week, and it sounds AWESOME!!!!!!! Thank's Peter for designing such a fine amp!

A question: is it possible to switch the serial loop (not the inserts) ? I tried to connect a effects pedal to the Send2 output and the Serial return, and when I switch off Serial2 from the front panel the sound cuts out. Is the Send2 just supposed to work with the parallel return?

regards
/Tobbe

 

[duesentrieb]

Switch the parallel instead and crank the mix to full (=serial).

Congrats.

 

[slaktarn]

Switch the parallel instead and crank the mix to full (=serial).

Congrats.

I tried that but with the parallel loop volume knob cranked the loop is not 100% wet so it doesnt work as a serial loop...

From the manual:
3.2.1 Loops, Sends, Returns
The Loop System consists of “Send1”, and the switch able/programmable “Send2”.
“Return A” with parallel or serial option and “Return B” ( VH4S only)

To me, that sounds like one has the choice of using send2 with either serial or parallell return. Is there anything wrong with my amp or is the manual incorrect (or me misinterpreting it).
I read the manual prior to buing the head and was under the impression that the serial loop could be switched, so if it can't I have to buy an external switcher...


regards

 

[musemark]

The Midi Switchable Send 2 can only be used with the parallel loop, (50% dry, 50% effects with the parallel loop on 100%)

I found this out when I bought mine, nothing wrong with the sound cutting out if you send it back thgrough the serial loop, its just the way it was designed, hope this helps

 

[Ventura]

Perfect timing - I was just dickin' around with my VH4S on Friday/Saturday setting up the Send2 programs for the Columbus. Albeit my efforts resulted in a popped tube and a blown fuse, the Parallel Loop is really the way to go. It doesn't muck up the tone of the Diezel nearly to the degree a Serial Loop would. Do you have some aversion to the Parallel loop?? Are you hellbent on the Serial instead, and if so, why?

All I can tell you, with the Send2/Store simplicity of programming the amp, the Parallel Loop and its minimal detriment to the true tone of the amp is THE way to go.

Peace,
V.

 

[steve_k]

Perfect timing - I was just dickin' around with my VH4S on Friday/Saturday setting up the Send2 programs for the Columbus. Albeit my efforts resulted in a popped tube and a blown fuse, the Parallel Loop is really the way to go. It doesn't muck up the tone of the Diezel nearly to the degree a Serial Loop would. Do you have some aversion to the Parallel loop?? Are you hellbent on the Serial instead, and if so, why?

All I can tell you, with the Send2/Store simplicity of programming the amp, the Parallel Loop and its minimal detriment to the true tone of the amp is THE way to go.

Peace,
V.

Another slick trick with the VH4, and my favorite set up is to run a couple FX in the channel insert of channel 3. This is where my VH4 stays and I like to leave a subtle delay on most of the time just to fatten things up. Jump a short lead from SEND2->PARALLEL RETURN and use the mix volume to control the FX loop as a Midi switchable boost. The channel inserts can be your best friend and robs nothing from the tone or output levels. An awesome little morsel of functionality that Peter added to the amp.

Steve

 

[Ventura]

Perfect timing - I was just dickin' around with my VH4S on Friday/Saturday setting up the Send2 programs for the Columbus. Albeit my efforts resulted in a popped tube and a blown fuse, the Parallel Loop is really the way to go. It doesn't muck up the tone of the Diezel nearly to the degree a Serial Loop would. Do you have some aversion to the Parallel loop?? Are you hellbent on the Serial instead, and if so, why?

All I can tell you, with the Send2/Store simplicity of programming the amp, the Parallel Loop and its minimal detriment to the true tone of the amp is THE way to go.

Peace,
V.

Another slick trick with the VH4, and my favorite set up is to run a couple FX in the channel insert of channel 3. This is where my VH4 stays and I like to leave a subtle delay on most of the time just to fatten things up. Jump a short lead from SEND2->PARALLEL RETURN and use the mix volume to control the FX loop as a Midi switchable boost. The channel inserts can be your best friend and robs nothing from the tone or output levels. An awesome little morsel of functionality that Peter added to the amp.

Steve

Slick indeed - but where are your FX if you're just using a short jumper from Send2 to P. Return? For a channel insert, you need the FX, no? If so, where in the scheme of things have you played your delay and so forth? I'm just getting into the slickness of this amp - and loving every moment/sound of it. But I'm a little miffed that something popped after setting up my pedal board while on Standby. I programmed everything, through the Columbus, including a MUTE on one of the lesser used stomp, and when I flicked it to RUN - it popped and the fuse was fried. So be it. It's getting sorted.

PM me if this is too lengthy and boring a reply - but there may be others wishing to tap into this slickness as is yours truly

Thanks Steve,
V.

 

[steve_k]

Steve...........

First, did you get your fuse sorted out and back up and running? All sorts of strange things happen to some of the Diezel's, but knock on wood I haven't had anything.

Say you want a delay for CH3. From CH3 insert SEND to the Delay IN then OUT from the pedal to CH3 insert return.
Jump with a short 1/4" TS plug SEND2 to PARALLEL RETURN. The delay pedal will stay on all the time. And, it will only be available on CH3.
Find a switch (for ex. 11) on your Columbus to program CH3 clean, FX loop off, insert off. The is your dry, clean CH3.
Find another switch (12), with CH3 selected on the amp, press Channel insert and store. This will be your CH3, unboosted delay.
Find another switch (13), select CH3, INSERT and SEND2 and store.

Now, you don't have to be concerned about impedance levels between line/instrument inputs and volume changes with the FX loop. Kick on SEND2 for some boost. I use an MXR Delay which is an analog clone and it gets some real nice tape echo (all digital) with some shimmer.

If you want to get some real room filling echo, kick that fucker in on CH3 with a big swell and boost with SEND2 and play something like Pink Floyd - Time and watch people wet themselves.

Hope this helps.

Steve

 

[Peter Diezel]

Stevie,

I just wrote a long post about "strange things happen to some of the Diezels"
but I did delete it. Anyway, I´m glad to be here and help customers out.

 

[steve_k]

Stevie,

I just wrote a long post about "strange things happen to some of the Diezels"
but I did delete it. Anyway, I´m glad to be here and help customers out.

Just had about an hour on my VH4. Haven't played it in a few months. It still sounds as good as ever. Had to check the inserts and parallel loop to make sure I wasn't telling the guy wrong. Gonna be playing the next couple weekends and I think I will run the VH4 along with my Mark IIC+ or Mark III. Going to set them up this afternoon with a AB/Y splitter and put them to the test. I have never had one problem with the VH4 which came direct from you, or the year old used Herbie I bought. I always try to plug into a power conditioner in my rack and am not sure if that has anything to do with it, but, knock on wood, I am problem free. Sounds though like there's a lot of electrically induced problems.


Steve

 

[Ventura]

Herr Diezel und Stevie!!

Thanks to you both... Yes indeed Peter, you were on my situation amazingly quick - thank you. I'll let you know when the parts arrive. Stevie M'Man, thanks for the in depth description. Once my V gets back up and running, I may pick your brain. As for electrically induced issues, I am quite certain that's what happened to me... As for the fuse, I immediately replaced the SB fuse, and the amp is running "ok", but it's hissing/humming more than before the pop, and the #2 power valve isn't as "blue" or as "bright" as the other 3, but still a little blue and a little bright, if that makes sense (it's by no means DEAD in the water, just not working with a full deck so it seems).

My only concern with the whole matter is, I have NO issues with my Diezel gear - never had, never will... And tubes do pop now and then. I just don't want to do anything to jeopardize the circuity in the amp. Setting up a Columbus to Parallel Loop a board of 6 FX shouldn't be that hard, but it was something in that set up that caused the pop. My guess is, there was some additional voltage going through the lines when the amp was on standby/mute - as I had my FX board loaded up and powered on. After programming the Send2/Store functions for each channel, along with a separate stomp switch for MUTE, the amp was in MUTE mode. I flicked the Standby to RUN and that's when it popped. So if there was any back surge of additional voltage, which could very well have been, it went from the open circuit in Standby mode to a closed circuit in Run mode, and then had NO where to go as the whole amp was MUTE. That might have been enough to confuse the power section... If Peter or anyone else wants to give me their opinion on this, go for it. But something tells me, had the amp NOT been on MUTE when I closed the circuit and put it into RUN mode, things would have been fine. I mean, typically, there's a guitar and a cord - this time around I added a new Parallel Loop configuration, 6 separately powered stomp boxes (including a V-Wah by BOSS which is a powerful pedal), AND a mute. That's a lot of change to take place while on standby.

Regardless - it's in dormancy mode right now until I get it fixed up. But by no means am I upset... If anything, more surprised and stoked on the immediate level of care the Diezel family offers its users

Namaste,
V.

 

[slaktarn]

Perfect timing - I was just dickin' around with my VH4S on Friday/Saturday setting up the Send2 programs for the Columbus. Albeit my efforts resulted in a popped tube and a blown fuse, the Parallel Loop is really the way to go. It doesn't muck up the tone of the Diezel nearly to the degree a Serial Loop would. Do you have some aversion to the Parallel loop?? Are you hellbent on the Serial instead, and if so, why?

All I can tell you, with the Send2/Store simplicity of programming the amp, the Parallel Loop and its minimal detriment to the true tone of the amp is THE way to go.

Peace,
V.

Hi.

The reason I wanted to use the serial loop was because I have a Boss GT8 that I want to use the effects in.
I have song I use tremolo in and I think that effect works best in the serial loop, and since the GT8 colors the sound a bit I wanted to bypass the gt8 when I dont use it, but since the serial loop cant be switched I cant do so...

 

[FourT6and2]

Herr Diezel und Stevie!!

Thanks to you both... Yes indeed Peter, you were on my situation amazingly quick - thank you. I'll let you know when the parts arrive. Stevie M'Man, thanks for the in depth description. Once my V gets back up and running, I may pick your brain. As for electrically induced issues, I am quite certain that's what happened to me... As for the fuse, I immediately replaced the SB fuse, and the amp is running "ok", but it's hissing/humming more than before the pop, and the #2 power valve isn't as "blue" or as "bright" as the other 3, but still a little blue and a little bright, if that makes sense (it's by no means DEAD in the water, just not working with a full deck so it seems).

My only concern with the whole matter is, I have NO issues with my Diezel gear - never had, never will... And tubes do pop now and then. I just don't want to do anything to jeopardize the circuity in the amp. Setting up a Columbus to Parallel Loop a board of 6 FX shouldn't be that hard, but it was something in that set up that caused the pop. My guess is, there was some additional voltage going through the lines when the amp was on standby/mute - as I had my FX board loaded up and powered on. After programming the Send2/Store functions for each channel, along with a separate stomp switch for MUTE, the amp was in MUTE mode. I flicked the Standby to RUN and that's when it popped. So if there was any back surge of additional voltage, which could very well have been, it went from the open circuit in Standby mode to a closed circuit in Run mode, and then had NO where to go as the whole amp was MUTE. That might have been enough to confuse the power section... If Peter or anyone else wants to give me their opinion on this, go for it. But something tells me, had the amp NOT been on MUTE when I closed the circuit and put it into RUN mode, things would have been fine. I mean, typically, there's a guitar and a cord - this time around I added a new Parallel Loop configuration, 6 separately powered stomp boxes (including a V-Wah by BOSS which is a powerful pedal), AND a mute. That's a lot of change to take place while on standby.

Regardless - it's in dormancy mode right now until I get it fixed up. But by no means am I upset... If anything, more surprised and stoked on the immediate level of care the Diezel family offers its users

Namaste,
V.

The presence of pedals in the loop shouldn't put any more or less strain on the amp, regardless of standby/mute modes...

 

[Ventura]

This I am aware of, and completely concur with, but as mentioned, it seemed to be something about this combination that created the pop. I'm not going to fret over it (no pun intended), it is what it is and shit happens. But I believe it was the introduction of new circuits and their independent power through a virgin loop and a newly established MUTE switch that ALL conspired to take down my power valve and fuse. It was probably hanging on by a thread and this just tweaked it so.

V.

 

[FourT6and2]

This I am aware of, and completely concur with, but as mentioned, it seemed to be something about this combination that created the pop. I'm not going to fret over it (no pun intended), it is what it is and shit happens. But I believe it was the introduction of new circuits and their independent power through a virgin loop and a newly established MUTE switch that ALL conspired to take down my power valve and fuse. It was probably hanging on by a thread and this just tweaked it so.

V.

 

[Ventura]

What can I say, a self admitted conspiracy theorist. It's always:
The Man
Big Brother
Tapped Lines
Government
Secret Police
Hidden Agendas
Ulterior Motives
Political Undercurrents
and in the case of music gear and computers....
GREMLINS!

V.