Is there a way of doing this? HX Stomp plumbing question

Lewy

So...I have an amp with a series FX loop and the goal is to be able to put some fx from the stomp in front of the amp and some in the amp's loop.

4 cable method you say - and that works great except in an ideal world I'd also be able to put the Stomp in bypass and have my signal path going guitar -> front of amp instead of what I get with 4CM which is guitar into amp fx loop return.

Is this doable?

Sporky

Not in full bypass without external hardware (basically a double true bypass thing), but if you had a patch or snapshot with everything bypassed it probably wouldn't make a lot of difference.

Lewy

Sporky said:

Not in full bypass without external hardware (basically a double true bypass thing), but if you had a patch or snapshot with everything bypassed it probably wouldn't make a lot of difference.

Thanks! What form might such a hardware thing take? I have a Patch Kommander loop switcher thing knocking around somewhere....would that be any use?

Sporky

I think you'd need two independent TB loops each with in, out, send, and return, but turning on and off at the same time. I think you've invented the 8 cable method:

Sporky

Actually, I think that's just a stereo TB looper - loop 1 and loop 2 being left and right respectively, in which case this'd do it with some TRS to twin TS cables.

https://www.lehle.com/en/little-lehle-iii

Someone should check my working though!

fretmeister

Bright Onion could build that.

Lewy

Amazing. Thanks so much!

Sporky

Also it's probably completely obvious but it's annoying me - Loop 2 should have "In" written top left where the arrow is coming from the amp's Send

Nerine

Does the signal have to flow like that through the HX Stomp? 

I.e. the Out Jack has to be used for loop return rather than amp input? 

robinbowes

I'm pretty sure you should be able to do 4CM something like this (untested, I have a Rack):

Roland

This from page 4 of the Helix Stomp manual:

What’s wrong with:
Guitar to Helix input L/mono (11)
Helix Send (18) to Amp input
Amp FX Loop out to Helix Return L/mono (18)
Helix Output L/mono (12) to Amp FX Loop Return

Lewy

Roland said:

This from page 4 of the Helix Stomp manual:

What’s wrong with:
Guitar to Helix input L/mono (11)
Helix Send (18) to Amp input
Amp FX Loop out to Helix Return L/mono (18)
Helix Output L/mono (12) to Amp FX Loop Return

Because when you bypass the HX Stomp you get your guitar straight into the Amp's FX loop return, not the Amp's input. That's the thing I'm trying to avoid

Roland

Why not have null routes through the Stomp rather than bypassing. That’s what I used to do with a GT-8

Lewy

robinbowes said:

I'm pretty sure you should be able to do 4CM something like this (untested, I have a Rack):

No signal when the HX Stomp is bypassed. Aim is to be able to cut the HX Stomp out of the loop completely and still have guitar going into the front of the Amp. I'm assuming that the Send and Aux In L need to be active to make the setup in your diag work, and they'll be inactive in bypass. Thanks anyway!

Think I'm either going to either a) explore the hardware option as per Sporky's post or b) let go of the romantic notion that there's any material, audible benefit in removing the HX Stomp from the signal path as opposed to just turning blocks off.

Lewy

Roland said:

Why not have null routes through the Stomp rather than bypassing. That’s what I used to do with a GT-8

The thinking was that the only digital pedal in my chain is the Stomp so by being able to put it in true bypass I'd have an all-analogue signal path when the Stomp's not needed- just because, really. 

Sporky

I'd certainly try option B before spending money. 

Lewy

Sporky said:

I'd certainly try option B before spending money. 

Indeed....who do I think I am...Mick Here?