ADA Depot - A Forum To Support Users of ADA Amplification Gear

ADA Preamps => Original MP-1 => Topic started by: darralld on January 02, 2014, 09:11:49 AM

Title: Pedals with MP-1
Post by: darralld on January 02, 2014, 09:11:49 AM
Who uses pedals? What kind? How are you running them, in the loop or in front? Do they color the tone? The rack gear that I have tried so far I haven't liked what they have done to the tone of the MP-1. Looking for other options.

Thanks,
Darrall
Title: Re: Pedals with MP-1
Post by: rnolan on January 02, 2014, 07:57:30 PM
This is a broad topic, one thing I've noticed is that everyone has their own unique setups (surprise surprise  ;) ).  You can run pedals in front of the MP1 but need to be careful (as anytime you run pedals) with the gain structure (ie which order you put them in).  Depending on the pedal, you can run them in the loop but again gain structure is the main issue, pedals are generally designed for guitar level signals (millivolts) and the loop and rack effects generally line level (~1 volt).  Mixing rack and pedal gear creates major gain miss matches but you could, for example, use some pedals in front and a rack effect in the loop (eg wah pedal in front, decent delay & reverb rack unit in the loop).  If you just had pedals in the loop, the MP1s loop has gain adjustment but I wouldn't do it that way.  When I bought my MP1 I wanted to get away from pedals so it was all tidy in a rack.  Also rack effects are generally much better quality (& more expensive) than pedals, they also generally can be controlled by MIDI so everything changes at the press of one button.
I started a thread a while ago about how do you connect your gear, there are some good ideas in those posts (http://adadepot.com/index.php?topic=117.0).  There's also a post from MJMP with pictures of his rig(s), I can't quite find where it is though.  MJMP has a pretty full pedal board which I assume he runs in front, some setups can get fairly elaborate.
Title: Re: Pedals with MP-1
Post by: GuitarBuilder on January 02, 2014, 08:20:26 PM
Generally preamps like the ADA MP series and Rockman Sustainors work best with the guitar plugged in directly.  This is not to say you can't use pedals, it just isn't ideal.

The effects loop is a good place to insert pedals.  If your pedal doesn't have line level in/out capability, you should use a level shifter, like the Ebtech:

(http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg481/GuitarBuilder/Rockman/llssplashbanner_zps8106eba4.jpg)
Title: Re: Pedals with MP-1
Post by: darralld on January 03, 2014, 05:25:18 AM
I was thinking along the lines of a tube screamer in front. Just to use as a boost. Very light drive setting.

Darrall
Title: Re: Pedals with MP-1
Post by: Dante on January 03, 2014, 11:34:33 AM
I have used a tube screamer in front of my rig for years. It doesn't give you much of a volume boost, but it does put a little hair around the tone for solos.
Title: Re: Pedals with MP-1
Post by: rnolan on January 03, 2014, 09:34:43 PM
Mmm, I'm at odds with why you would put an additional gain stage in front of an MP1, if you want a boost just change patches to a "boosted" one.  If there was a particular tone from a distortion device you really wanted then sure but otherwise it's bad gain structure.  However, each to their own.
Title: Re: Pedals with MP-1
Post by: GuitarBuilder on January 04, 2014, 09:22:37 PM
Try a straight buffer/boost instead of the tube screamer.  I think you'll like it!
Title: Re: Pedals with MP-1
Post by: MarshallJMP on January 05, 2014, 07:28:14 PM
Back in the 90's i used a wah and a boss GE-7 in front of unmodded mp-1.I set the eq as a mid booster (reversed smiley).That worked very well altough it added a bit of noise,but my boss noise suppressor could handle that without a problem.