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[Kevin_Abadie]

Hello everyone !

I am a hobby guitar player and over the years I have had several amplifiers and pedals but now for the first time I bought a rack unit : the mighty MP-1 !

It seems that my unit is on version 2.01. It is an american unit that I use with a step-down transformer. It is pretty neat and not too noisy (except for that scratchy volume knob one the front panel). The original tubes have been replaced by the previous owner for some JJ ECC83.

For the moment I run it in the FX loop of my Marshall 2525H when in mono. I have read on this forum that to make the best use of its wonderful chorus, it was best to run it in stereo.
Since I only have 1 amp with an FX loop for the moment, I have tried to run it straight into my UAD Apollo x6 and to use IRs (Bogren Digital - SaucyAndErotic IR) and it sounds pretty cool as well !

Anyway I am really thankful to be part of this community and I am looking forward to learn more rack gear stuff from you guys !
Happy days 

[Harley Hexxe]

Hi Kevin, 

    Welcome to the Forum. A little bit of DeOxit in the volume pot will take care of that noise in it.
    Many of the Forum members like the JJ's for the MP-1's.
    Yes, it is true about the Chorus in the MP-1, it does make your guitar sound like it's ten times bigger than normal, but even so, there are eccentric guitar players like myself who find the thick, lush, and deep Chorus in the MP-1 is not enough, so we add more with other outboard Chorus effects on each channel to create a tri-chorus effect. ( I use a couple of S-1000's or .64i  to do this ).

   When you say you use this preamp in the effects loop of your Marshall, are you saying you use the Send from the Marshall to go into the MP-1, then come back into the Marshall at the Return?

    What are you looking to learn about rack gear? Are you prepared to go down that rabbit hole? 

Harley

[rnolan]

Hey Kevin, welcome to the depot  , let the rabbit hole begin LoL.  If you want to stop having to use the step down transformer you could possibly source a MP-1 240v tranny from someone here if they've done the MDRT change, or you could do the MDRT mod (http://www.marshalljmpmodshop.net/).

[Kevin_Abadie]

Hey Harley, thanks for the deoxit tip ! I will do it for sure
 
And yeah that is what I meant by running the MP-1 in the effect loop of the Marshall. But over the weekend I have been enjoying a lot going stereo into my interface (+ IRs within my DAW) to enjoy that lush chorus (paired with the Solid State for some lush Rush tones  ).
It seems like you are taking it 10 steps further with your setup !
I was wondering about a thing though (and if this was answered already on this forum, just let me know and I will find it on my own ). The Fx loop of the MP-1 being mono, what is the best way to run external stereo fx ? (I don't have much rack gear yet but I have many great pedals I could use for the moment)

Thank you rnolan for the transformer tip, for the moment all works well but if somedays that step-down transformer starts being too noisy, I'll follow your advice !

[Harley Hexxe]

Hey Kevin,

    Yes, I'm sure this question has been answered in 1000 different ways on the Forum here, but we don't mind. That's what we do here. We love talking about gear and different ways to set it up.

     For the original MP-1, I've run my stereo effects processors right from the preamp outputs of the MP-1. You can set the output level from the knob on the front panel of the MP-1, or you can use the input level controls on the processors. (At least my Eventide and Lexicon processors have input level controls). In my opinion, this works out great because your Chorus is coming out of the MP-1 already split, and now, you're running the Chorus in a 2 channel stereo field, where the effect really shines. I would only use mono effects in the MP-1 loop because if I am not mistaken, the MP-1 will split that into two channels when the Chorus is engaged. So it's like putting your Stereo Chorus pedal very late in the chain. Personally, I prefer my delays to be after the Chorus effect. That way, the guitars still have the thickness that the Chorus gives it, and I can use different delays in each channel to manually create a ping-pong delay effect when I want it. I was doing that way before I got the Eventide or Lexicon gear.

   Speaking of effects loops, do you realize that the tone you are hearing when your MP-1 is plugged into the effects loop of your Marshall 2525, is the Marshall preamp feeding into the front of the MP-1 preamp? You may want to keep an eye on the input LED of the MP-1 so you don't overload it on the front end. With an amp like the 2525, I would just plug the mono output of the MP-1 into the Return jack of the Marshall. That way, you are just using the power amp of the Marshall and the speakers, the Marshall preamp is bypassed.  I've never run any of my ADA preamps into a Marshall before, but I have run all of then into the inputs of my old Fender Twins. They are loud and clean amplifiers that are all tube and they do take the ADA's very well. I used to use four of them, but now I'm down to two.
    Of course, I still have dedicated power amps and ADA Split-Stack Speaker Cabs too. (I know. I have too much gear and I still get G.A.S.).

Harley

[Dante]

Welcome to the Depot, Kevin!

Glad you're already enjoying the new toy. You have questions? We have answers! haha

[Kevin_Abadie]

Oh boy, you are right Harley, I was doing things wrong with the effects loop ! Lucky that I did not damaged both units ! I will connect it as you mentioned from now on 

And thank you as well for explaining the way you connect external effects, I will try in the coming days to hook up the UAFX Golden reverberator as it has a nice hall settings that may sound great with the MP-1 !

Thank you Dante ! I'll shoot questions if I have some and cannot find answers

[MarshallJMP]

Hey Kevin

Welcome to the depot!!

[Harley Hexxe]

Oh boy, you are right Harley, I was doing things wrong with the effects loop ! Lucky that I did not damaged both units ! I will connect it as you mentioned from now on 

Hey Kevin,

      I don't believe you would have caused any damage to the Marshall at all. The outputs of the MP-1 are line level, so there was no danger of causing harm to your power amp section. And if I recall correctly, the MP-1 is a bit more robust on the front end too, so this is why I suggested keeping an eye on the input level LED. That would let you know if it is seeing too much on the input because it will turn red. But you will know by the sound too because that will not sound good when overloaded.

     After all, Nuno Bettencourt used a couple of Boss pedals into the front of his MP-1, and a Boss Distortion is basically a preamp in itself. He also used a Boss graphic EQ, and a noise gate into the front of the MP-1 also at the time of Pornograffitti.

     Either way, it sounds like you are well on your way to enjoying your MP-1, and heading into a deep rabbit hole. When you see Alice, tell her I said 'Hi' and thanks for all the great memories

Harley

[rnolan]

Hey Kevin, as Harley says, there's lots of posts about patching and staying stereo, e.g. I use a small mixer and run it like a PA so the fx (run of the mixer fx sends and return down 2 channels or fx returns) are mixed in in parallel and I maintain analogue guitar signal all the way to the speakers (with some digital fx mixed in).  The MP-1 loop is serial and uses a dual ganged pot (turning up send level decreases return level and vs versa) to balance the gain structure (for either inst level mono fx OR line level mono fx) if you combine line level and inst level fx in the MP-1 loop you are asking for gain troubles  .  Another trick is the stereo headphone out has a couple of capacitors to reduce the top end (like a very basic cab sim) and you can use this to feed your DAW inputs or even direct to full range powered monitors.

[Kevin_Abadie]

Yes it seems like everything is fine and now it functions as it should, and sounds great ! I'll let Alice know for sure 
Thank you for the useful information rnolan, a mixer might be a good solution in the future, and the stereo headphone out is something I will give a shot !

[Peter H. Boer]

Hi Kevin, welcome to the Depot.

Peter
The resident bassplayer 

[Kevin_Abadie]

Hi Peter ! Thank you for the warm welcome