Hey Brach, thanks for the reply. I want to be clear in that I don’t think there is anything “wrong” with your design. I am having an issue, and am hopeful that you can help me understand what’s happening. Also, I would hope that confronting stange issues like this could help you understand the circuitry even better than you already do.
I absolutely love the Quaverato and I really hope we can figure out a way to solidify its spot on my board.
I have tried every single conceivable routing scheme, in every conceivable order, in every conceivable combination, and changing/swapping every conceivable variable. Typing a highly detailed description would take hours, so you’ll just have to trust me when I say I’ve tried it all.
I had to build a true bypass single looper in order to remove buffers and opamps completely from the equation, and here’s what I’ve found:
– the issue in question is a roughly 20% jump in volume, and will be referenced to as the JUMP henceforth. It is DEFINITELY not an issue of certain amplified frequencies or the nature of modulation effects, etc etc etc. It is a highly noticeable, quite substantial jump in volume (by real-world stage performace standards, not bedroom mouse-fart levels)
– the Quaverato is the only pedal that I can add to the signal chain that causes the jump. With the Quaverato removed from the signal chain, no combination of any of my vast collection of pedals result in the jump.
– the jump only occurs when an opamp is activated downstream of the ON Quaverato (whether through buffer or otherwise. True Bypass pedals only activate issue when they are ON)
– the jump only occurs when output of the Quaverato is connected to my 8 channel loop controller (Joyo PXL LIVE). The Quaverato does not need to recieve signal from the looper, only sending signal to the looper to cause the jump. (Ex: guitar->Quaverato IN-[]-Quaverato OUT->loop 7 RTN-[]-loop 8 SND->delay IN-[]-delay OUT->loop 8 RTN-[]-looper out->amp). (nothing else is connected to the looper, anywhere). I feel like this is an important discovery that at least tells us that the issue definitely does not originate on the input side, but is isolated to the output side.
-the jump does not occur when loops containing active opamps are off/inactive (as in disengaged—-the loop is out of the circuit)
-The jump only occurs when the Quaverato is ON, it’s output is connected to the PXL LIVE via an on/activated/engaged loop, and there is an active opamp introduced in the circuit downstream of the Quaverato.
-The jump does not “seem” to occur if there is an active buffer/opamp connected to the output of the Quaverato before the PXL LIVE. But specifically, the jump is always ON regardless of additional opamps/buffers introduced/unintroduced downstream.
I don’t specifically know if there are buffers/opamps within the PXL LIVE, but there are no potentiometers on the unit to control level, and the signal level/strength at the output is indiscernible from the signal at the guitar’s output. I can’t help but assume there are buffers present.
The jump is a problem because sometimes there will be buffers/opamps in the signal path post-Quaverato, and sometimes there won’t. It would be fairly undesireable to experience a 20% jump in volume between using the Quaverato by itself, and using the Quaverato with reverb or delay. I’m sure you can forsee a problem here.
You may be on to something; I may have to permanently connect a stand alone buffer to the output of the Quaverato to sort of perpetually keep it in JUMP mode. I’d like to avoid this if at all possible, for several reasons.
Synopsis:
The Quaverato’s output is reacting with the combination of the PXL LIVE and downstream opamps/buffers.
Any suggestions for solutions are welcome, but I would really like to understand what exactly is happening….regardless of whether it’s a truly fixable issue, or nature of the beast grin-and-bear-it, or whatever. For me, the practical solution is secondary to understand exactly what is causing such a crazy reaction.
What do you think is specifically causing this issue?
I have multimeters and the ability to use them, but I don’t exactly know what to test for or how to interpret the readings. I’d be happy to take any measurements upon your request.
Thank you for your help!