An idea for Mesa

I was thinking that maybe in the future Mesa couldn't incorporate a function on thier amps that allows the hard by-pass switch to be foot switchable to bring in the fx loop. The down side would be having to re-match your loop level every time you adjust your volume. But lets face it, in both my Mesa's the FX loop is a massive tone suck even with nothing connected just by having it engaged to use the output and solo features. Just an idea that I'm sure Mesa could radically improve on but if there was a way to be able to switch between that pure tone by-pass enables and having the loop would be a huuuuuuuuuuuge improvment ! I'm sure it's been said before and if anyone could do it it's Randall Smith.

Maybe I am misunderstanding your post, but if you are suggesting that Mesa offer a footswitchable fx bypass, the Mark V has it.

Yes. Completely by-passable though. So no output or solo pots in the signal chain. At the moment you can only activate the loop on and off.

The way the Rectos are made includes the Output MV control in the loop circuit. That is going to make balancing bypass/active a ***** to balance, since 2 stages and the MV are gone from the signal path. Since the Output relies on a preceding tube stage to work effectively, it would have to be moved to a post-P.I. to do the same sort of job and that kind of circuit introduces its own set of issues. While it doesn't work perfectly, the way it was done for the Recto is actually pretty cool.

Which Recto do you have? If it's a parallel loop, change it. The suck goes away. I have an essay on getting a better sound with it active: https://warpedmusician.wordpress.com/2015/11/09/improve-the-tone-of-a-recto-while-the-loop-is-on/

+1000

I simply can not use the fx loop on my stiletto. the tone sucking is soooo bad that soon i turn it on the wonderfull tone goes away . . .

afu, it's a multi watt recto my mark v is the same. It's the magical tone switch if don't need an fx loop.

barryswanson said:

afu, it's a multi watt recto my mark v is the same. It's the magical tone switch if don't need an fx loop.

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I know your pain and I feel it too. That's why I increase the Send and decrease the channel volume. Turning the Send up allows a person to keep the channel volume nearly as low, or just as low, as when the loop is bypassed. It helped my sound by a massive amount.

I did it by:

• Setting the bypass tone.
  Turning up Output to Noon.
  Switching the loop on.
  Turning up the Send until the loop volume and sound is close to the bypassed sound.
  Small adjustment to channel volume can be made, now.
  The Solo can also be used to partially defeat the treble boost on the output; turn it on and set it very low to add beef.

The downside is pedals probably can't be used in the loop, because the signal is too high, but pedals really aren't for loops. However, any modern processor worth a **** has input gain to match unity gain with the output of the unit. Turning it down and readjusting it for the new Send level will enable this trick to work.