Question about effects pedals

[bachsteady]

So I have a new pedal MXR classic overdrive. I bought it mainly to give the Rhodes patches on my Yamaha s90es some bite. Sounds good with the pedal connected. Anyway what I noticed is when I switched the pedal off and went back to the piano patch I use the tone sounded different, not as good basically. Once I disconnected the pedal and went straight into the ev powered amp via a mixer the sound I had remembered came back. What I was wondering was is there a way to keep that piano sound good without having to disconnect it every time I want to use it from the effects pedal.Is it possible the pedal while not engaged is affecting the tone of my piano patch? I hope that makes sense.

 

Thanks

[vortmaxx]

If you have an open channel on your mixer, you could try an a/b box.

[KuruPrionz]

I am not familiar with that pedal but it was originally intended as a guitar pedal. The input impedence and gain it "expects" to process is profoundly different than what the output of a keyboard provides.

 

If it is not a "true bypass" circuit, when it is turned off it is running through a circuit that has an impedence mismatch with your keyboard.

 

If you are using a mixer, you might try running the pedal through the effects loop and tweaking the send and return volumes on that effects loop in the mixer.

That should allow a mixture of your original sound and the sound of the pedal, you can still switch the pedal on and off and it shouldn't have as much effect (if any) on the sound you were getting with just your keyboard.

 

Hope this helps! Cheers, Kuru

[CEB]

If you really like the pedal get a passive single loop switcher. Leave you MXR on all the time. Punch it in and out with the switch. There are a lot to choose from. Here is a random example.

 

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/OC1L--one-control-1-loop-box

[Piktor]

The Yamaha s90es has an assignable out, no? Why not route the Rhodes patches to one output (with MXR in that line) and piano patches to the other output? Of course, you will need a mixer or multichannel amp. At least that's how I do it with a Motif Rack es.

[Doerfler]

I just did a little research on this pedal as I wasn't familiar with it. Seems that it is not true bypass, meaning even when it is disengaged, it is still going to color the sound of whatever is passing through it to a degree.

[CEB]

Yes that is why you use a loop switcher. ... Or mid the pedal to be true bypass.

[bachsteady]

So my options are....

1. A/b box

2.run the pedal through effects loop on mixer

3. Passive signal loop switcher

4.use the assignable out the Yamaha es

5.mid the pedal to be true bypass... not sure exactly what that means.

 

Are any of these the same thing just worded differently. Not sure which way to go, kind of want the easiest and best sounding option.

 

Thanks Austin

[Doerfler]

5.mid the pedal to be true bypass... not sure exactly what that means.

 

it is a typo. Was meant to be "mod", not "mid". Mod short for modification, as in modify the pedal to be true bypass

 

I am certain it was a typo because Ed knows more about pedals than I do, and I know quite a bit.

[MAJUSCULE]

Your easiest and lowest-cost options will be 2 or 4. All options should sound more or less the same (aka much better than currently) without getting down to debating cables and connectors and such.

[bachsteady]

Thanks to all for your suggestions!!

[CEB]

To mod the pedal you will need to remove DPDT switch and replace it with a 3PDT switch. I have a MXR Phase 90 I thought about doing it to but I just live with it. I would have to cut into the PCB and hope I don"t accidentally cut into a trace. I would just take it to Mark at the Luthier Shoppe. I ain"t got the time to do it myself and I would probably break it.