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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
 Posted - 03/04/2006 : 21:51:32
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Yesterday I had this idea. What if I connected the ME-50 into the effects loop return on my amp & use it as a preamp straight into the Ampeg's power amp?
Wow!     
Suddenly, all those distortions that just weren't quite right sounded great! All the harshness & shrill high end is gone.
I've been quietly hating the MT-2 model, thinking it's the worse distortion of the bunch. But, straight into the power amp, it's one of my favorite now. The DS-1 sounds great, too. The BD-2 has a nice bite that sounds good now, not harsh. And the Fuzz Face and Big Muff sounds have a use to me. Even the fuzz octave & the square wave sound cool. The Guv'nor sounds great. On and on it goes....
I've spent a couple of hours last night & this morning with it and I'm amazed at the difference.
So, what I've learned is that the clean channel of my Ampeg VL-503 sounds great for clean stuff (I have now changed my EQ on it and dimed the power amp EQ's - Presence & Resonance), but it just doesn't work with distortions in front of it.
The 2nd channel is an OD channel. (Channel 3 is heavy distortion) I've always had channel 2 setup for a bluesy type OD (mid boost, rolled off highs), but now I've set it up for a clean sound with the same basic EQ and that also sounds good with the "pedals" in front of it. Straight into the power amp still sounds better, IMO, though.
So, if you're trying different pedals into the clean channel of your amp (like most people do) and don't like the sound, try the effects loop or the distortion channel if you've got those options.
And my opinion of the ME-50 has gone up even higher. 
Grace and peace,
Steve
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2006 : 20:47:21
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I took a look at the schematic for the amp and put 2 & 2 together about this bright clean channel. I had noticed before that the volume pot for the 1st channel had a cap across it, but it didn't click with me. There is a 120 pF cap from the "high" side of the pot to the wiper. This has the effect of letting high frequency signals go "around" the volume pot. So, in essence, they are at full volume all the time.
Fender does this on amps that have a "Bright" channel or a Bright switch. My amp doesn't give me the option of choosing it or switching it in or out. I will remove that cap & see what I think with that setup.
All these little things that nobody tells you....
Grace and peace,
Steve
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2006 : 23:49:14
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It may have some effect even if it's bypassing the pot.
Together with the resistance to ground the cap will form a high pass filter where the cut off frequency are given by 1/2piRC. R will likely vary depending upon the position of the volume control. At high volume, R will be big and it will filter off some of the brightness while at low volumes R will be less and the cut off frequency may be higher and the amp brighter. |
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2006 : 04:47:38
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The bypassing of the pot is the effect. It lets the frequencies above that cutoff frequency go on to the next stage of the amp at full level. Only with the pot all the way down will the high frequencies be shorted to ground (the wiper goes to ground and the cap is attached to the wiper). The lower the volume setting is, the more highs will bypass the pot & go on to the next stage at full strength. At the other end of the spectrum, if the volume pot is turned up all the way, the cap is no longer in the circuit. I checked this by turning the volume pot all the way up and then using the amp's attenuator, which functions like a master volume, to keep the volume at a reasonable level. This sounds much better.
That cap's gotta go. 
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2006 : 10:52:07
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| That makes sense. It sounds a bit like how loadness works on a stereo hifi amp. At low volumes it boosts some frequencies to compensate for the ear's sensitivity curve but at high volumes this isn't necessary. |
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2006 : 02:25:00
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| The cap went away last night. Much better now. |
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I learned something today
