Boss GL-100

[rabidgerry]

So I have this boss unit which is quite the rare item.  It's basically a load of boss analogue circuits from their pedals up to 1989 shoved into a rack unit.  I've always like this unit however I quit messing with it when I ran across an issue with the output which I could never figure out.

Basically once you dialled in your sound there would be clipping on top of your signal if you raised the master level up too much.  Now I need to check this out again but from memory, it seems like this master level had to be set lower than, well lower than you'
d expect simple to get a clean signal (clean as in no extra clipping distortion on top of you already distorted tone).

No I will have a play around with this unit again just to make sure, but I wanted to throw the situation out here to see if anyone might have any ideas as to what might be causing this weird clipping.  Perhaps a certain component might need replacing or something?  I dunno, but always worth picking you guys brains over this type of thing.

Thanks

Gerry

[MarshallJMP]

I have the service manual if you want it?

[rabidgerry]

I have these also.  Perhaps you gave them to me before.

Anyways I wouldn't know where to begin with that.  Upon some more playing around I think I have it sussed, will a little.  Basically the Master volume has to be set just right otherwise you just end up blowing whatever device you have the GL-100 going into.  But these means the actually perceived volume using some settings sounds really low just to keep it clean.

The other weird stuff is drops in volume and what to me sounds like somehow signal bleeds into other paths in the circuitry and then causing weird changes in setting when i actual fact none of the settings have been changed.

I was fooling around with this going into my Peavy Rockmaster clean channel.  Some nice sounds can be had.  I just wonder if it was fully up to scratch would it be useful to me?  No bypass mode which is also a bit shit.

[rnolan]

Hey RG, any possible internal issues aside... the master is actually the output level control (duh I know), but it's probably better to think of it like the input and output level controls on say a 1/3 oct eq unit, or any rack fx unit for that matter, wait that's what it is....  So the input and output level controls are so you can adjust for unity gain so the unit isn't boosting or cutting your overall signal albeit the sound has fx on it now, so obviously not like the master vol on an amp.  So if the fx you have dialed in are boosting the volume (cumulatively as well) then you'll have to back off the master to suit.  It's worth visiting each fx it goes through (internally) and getting their inputs and outputs right ) just as you'd do on a pedal board with them all in separate boxes.