I recently got the Beatbuddy and am having an issue with the volume in the effects loop. I have it at the end of my signal chain and the Beatbuddy is way too loud. I can even hear it with the volume all the way down. It works fine if I put it before the guitar input. I haven’t been able to update the firmware as I need to get an SD Card reader for my Mac (never though I’d need one of those again!). I read a post on the forum that said the firmware update helped make it quieter - although I wonder if that was the same issue as mine works fine before the guitar input.
I am running it through the effects loop of a Friedman Runt 20. Don’t want to run it through a PA or separate amp at this point. Are there any suggestions?
I assume you can’t adjust your loop sensitivity (some amps do have a line/low level switch) If you have a boost or EQ pedal that includes a volume, you could add that after the BB to take the volume.
Thank you for the reply! Unfortunately, the guitar is not loud enough compared to the Beatbuddy so if I reduce the volume with an EQ pedal after the Beatbuddy, it won’t help. I would need to boost the guitar before the Beatbuddy and then reduce the volume of the Beatbuddy + guitar after the Beatbuddy. A lot of extra pedals/steps…My amp doesn’t have a boost for the effects loop either.
I also tried both outputs on the Beatbuddy and they are the same volume.
Thanks for the thoughts! Not sure what you mean by putting the guitar into the loop and the BB in the front of the amp. I need to have the guitar go into the front. The pedal boar mixer could be an option - although it’s not super cheap…Was hoping there would be a simpler solution…
Okay, I think I get it: You’re running your guitar into the front end of your amp, out through your FX-Out into the Beat Buddy, and back in through the FX-In, effectively using the BB as the mixer. And you can’t turn down the BB enough to accommodate the low level of the guitar in the loop.
If that’s the case, read on…
The level on your loop is way lower than I would expect, and you MAY have a problem with either it or your cables. Let’s eliminate that first: Plug the cable you have inserted into your FX-Send directly into your FX-Return (i.e., just connect the two). Your volume should not change at all vs. nothing plugged in. If it’s way quieter, try the other cable. If that fixes it, the problem is the cable; if not, the problem is your loop (although that might be a design “feature” of that amp).
If that checks out, there is one more thing I can think of off the top of my head that will or will not work, depending on where the switch is for your FX loop (on the Send or on the Return): Try plugging a cable into the FX-Return but NOTHING in the FX-Send: If you still have guitar at the speaker, you can plug the BB directly into the FX-Return without involving the guitar at all. Nothing plugged into the FX-Send, problem solved.
Now, most guitar amps switch the loop into line at the Return, but some do not. If your loop switch is at the Send, you’re golden; if not, we’ll have to think of something else. Let us know…
Thanks for the detailed diligence ideas! I tried the cables, hoping for a bad one, but no luck unfortunately…they are all good (never thought I’d pray for a bad cable!). The second suggestion won’t work unfortunately because I have other effects in the effects loop like reverb and a looper.
However, in trying your ideas, I just realized something. My master volume is before the effects loop. I did some research and I guess that is a design choice some amp manufacturers use. So basically, to get around this I just need to turn up my amp! HAHA.
If I want to keep overall volume lower, I put what serves as a volume pedal after the BB as suggested above (I have The Accountant by Fairfield Circuitry - awesome little pedal BTW if anybody is looking for a really cool and versatile compressor) and I can then use that to lower the overall volume. And If I want to turn up my guitar in the mix I either turn down the BB or turn up the master volume.
Thanks to all the help on this one. Awesome forum - Problem solved!