MixingLink Questions

[postsmodernism]

Hi all,

I recently discovered the MixingLink and am delighted by the idea of running my vocals through pedals, but I have some questions about how I could fit it into my setup. Some of these might seem a little silly, but I’m having trouble finding any info on the specific questions I have, so forgive me if some of these seem obvious.

Context/Setup: currently I run my guitar -> dirt/color pedals (tuner, envelope filter, fuzz, compressor, overdrive) -> amp -> modulation + looper in amp fx loop. I’d like to throw a MixingLink somewhere in there to add fx to vocals but here’s where my questions arise.

1. Would the best way to do this be to put the MixingLink in my amp fx loop and the time-based fx into the mixing link loop?

2. If so, since the ML is a pre-amp, are there any dangers/downsides to having the pre-amp of the ML directly after the pre-amp of my amp? And outta curiosity, if I were to put it in front of the amp is there any downside aside from having to manage levels?

<span style=”font-size: inherit;”>3. Would I be risking damage to my amp sending effected vocals through my amp in the fx loop? (I know that guitar amps are not tuned for vocal frequency response, I’m just looking out for “never do this” situations I might not be aware of.</span>

4. For those of you with them, if I were to get a cab sim pedal to use with the mixing loop, how does it sound? And would the cab sim take a signal from the “to amp” jack or should it be placed in the ML fx loop?

Again sorry if some of these are silly and more general “how to do audio routing questions” I’m just trying to get a sense of how I could utilize this with my current setup, or if additional gear would be required to route everything properly.

Thanks, and happy jamming,

Nick

[joecozzi]

Hello Nick,

postsmodernism wrote:

1. Would the best way to do this be to put the MixingLink in my amp fx loop and the time-based fx into the mixing link loop?

I do not recommend the MixingLink for this type of setup as there is no way to balance the signal from the amp’s FX loop and the microphone. The input gain control of the ML affects the mic input and the instrument input simultaneously. Unless your amp has a way to regulate the FX send and return levels, this will not be an optimal configuration.

postsmodernism wrote:

2. If so, since the ML is a pre-amp, are there any dangers/downsides to having the pre-amp of the ML directly after the pre-amp of my amp? And outta curiosity, if I were to put it in front of the amp is there any downside aside from having to manage levels?

There is no danger running the ML in the loop as it can handle all types of signals including FX loop, which tend to be line level on most amps, but the gain control on the ML would allow you to adjust the input level of your mic. You would need to be able to adjust the amp’s signal going into the ML. Very few amps have this amount of control. The downside to putting the ML in front of the amp is you’re at the mercy of the amp’s preamp tone controls and gain settings. However, if you’re running it into a clean pedal platform type of amp with good headroom, it will work for vocals.

postsmodernism wrote:

3. Would I be risking damage to my amp sending effected vocals through my amp in the fx loop? (I know that guitar amps are not tuned for vocal frequency response, I’m just looking out for “never do this” situations I might not be aware of.

No, you’re not risking any damage as long as you set levels properly, but I repeat, the input gain control on ML affects the mic and instrument inputs simultaneously, not independently.

postsmodernism wrote:

4. For those of you with them, if I were to get a cab sim pedal to use with the mixing loop, how does it sound? And would the cab sim take a signal from the “to amp” jack or should it be placed in the ML fx loop?

Using cab sims in the loop of a MixingLink is fine for guitars signals. While the MixingLink does a great job of managing operating levels with all types of processors expect to make adjustments to the cab sim levels for optimal audio. As it pertains to vocals, I would recommend against putting vocals through any type of cab sim for the reason you pointed out earlier, guitar amps band limit all signal. You should bypass the cab sim while singing through the ML.

[postsmodernism]

Hi Joe,

Thanks so much for your detailed response, it’s incredibly helpful  I know some of this is probably detailed in the ML documentation but sometimes reading it in technical terms bounces off my brain, so I appreciate you breaking it down.

Re your first and second points about placing the ML in my amp FX loop: my amp is a 30w tube stack (monoprice stage right) that has an adjustable gain switch for the FX loop, with options for either 0db or -10db. In your opinion, would the -10db setting be enough to tame the signal from the amp head preamp? I know I would likely still have to fiddle with the input gain on the ML when switching between guitar and vocals, but I plan to use a looper to layer parts while practicing and could adjust the gain between takes. I’m more curious if this is the “level of control” you’re referring to as something that most amps lack.

Thanks again for your time,

Nick

[joecozzi]

Always happy to help, Nick.

postsmodernism wrote:

Re your first and second points about placing the ML in my amp FX loop: my amp is a 30w tube stack (monoprice stage right) that has an adjustable gain switch for the FX loop, with options for either 0db or -10db. In your opinion, would the -10db setting be enough to tame the signal from the amp head preamp?

This is definitely one of those cases where I would really like to find answers with hands-on experimentation. The ML has a pad switch on the instrument input, too, but the input is designed for a high-impedance signal, not line level. The combo input on the back of the ML is better suited for line level signal like from an amp. That said, MAYBE padding your amp with the -10 dB switch and connecting it to the instrument input might work. The main concern is obtaining the proper gain structure so that there is no disparity between bypassed signals and with the ML signal chain engaged, and balance between mic and guitar. The other variable is maybe this can also be assisted by any level controls present on downstream or in-the-ML-loop effects. Again, it’s a worthy experiment.

postsmodernism wrote:

I know I would likely still have to fiddle with the input gain on the ML when switching between guitar and vocals, but I plan to use a looper to layer parts while practicing and could adjust the gain between takes. I’m more curious if this is the “level of control” you’re referring to as something that most amps lack.

The pad switch on your FX loop is more than most amps offer, but as a self-proclaimed tone ninja, I would want more control.

[postsmodernism]

Okay great to know, and again appreciate you going into such detail. I agree, I ideally would be experimenting with this myself already, but of course I discovered the ML at a time when they’re out of stock haha

But this has all been super helpful and if anything has solidified that it is a piece of an equipment I will be able to make use of, so I will be keeping an eye out for when they become available!

Also gives me reason to get either a) an attenuator for downstream master volume control, something my amp doesn’t have, or b) a cheap volume pedal placed before the FX return to basically do the same thing lmao

Once I get my hands on an ML and test this out I’ll make sure to update this for others!

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