Bluemoon78

Hey everyone.

I have a marshall TSL100 and really like the versatility of the switchable effects loop, but I have a problem. When I switch on the effects loop, the volume drop is too much to ignore. I'm not using bad quality cables and even if I only have one pedal in there its still a big drop.

Does anyone know if the head can be modified or if there is a trim pot that can be adjusted or do I have to buy/build a micro amp or something to compensate.

Cheers

Guv'nor

I do not think it is a matter of modifying anything. You are doing something wrong or the amp needs assistance because the volume shouldn't vary.

Bluemoon78

I'm pretty sure I'm not doing anything wrong. Effects loops are pretty simple. I'm just curious whether this is a trait of the TSL series or if it is something unique to my amp.

tsl100watt

Hi, I am experiencing the same issue with my tsl100. Wether i connect a rack or stomp box, the volume is too low, almost as if its faulty. I also had a problems with the effects loop on my old Peavy 5150. On that amp it was the connection for the 'loop' switch on the footswitch needed to be resoldered. Every time i tried to use it apart from a huge crackling sound like a faluty guitar lead only 10 times louder it would also have a significant volume drop.

Should i bring it into a technician or can something anybody can help me trouble shoot it beforehand. I dont suspect the footswitch in this case as it appears to be ok.

swood413

yea man, i have the exact same problem. i have the tsl100 and its an amazing amp, but ive recently started experimenting with running my podxt through the effects loop to get some variation in my sound. problem number one is the volume drop. it gets rediculously low, to the point where using it live is out of the question. but then sometimes if i fiddle with the pod or amp volume, the signal bursts in with a bang and works at full volume like i assume it should. but then it cuts back out at random times and the foot switch fx controller always cuts the volume again. a previous poster said he gets a bunch of static like a faulty guitar cable, and i get that as well. i think there could be a common problem w the fx loops here. im confident there isnt a bad connection in my pod, so its gotta be something to do with the amp fx loops. any ideas out there? anyone else experiencing the same problems?

dakotaplaysguitar

Ya i have a TSL 100 head and i am having the same problem, WTF! such a volume/tone drop. i emailed marshall hopefuly ill get a responce, any ideas on what i could do to not have a drop in tone when i put the FX loop on with my crunch/ lead channels?

DPG

dakotaplaysguitar

hey i kind of figured out a way to fix this...

i bought a MXR Micro amp pedal

it is a boost pedal (and its really cool)

u can use it in front of the amp (as a boost, or crank it for a little more overdrive) or u can run it trough the FX Loop which WILL FIX YOUR PROBLEM

set the pedal at about around 10 oclock (give or take for your specific sound) , this will make a volume increase but will not eat your tone, it will actually give u a small boost,

Hey its better to have a + in tone then a -

if u have any questions u can email me at Dakotaplaysguitar@gmail, just mark it as TSL FX loop question

i can diagram it out and have a demo of it to send out such as youtube, or pics

hope this helps- Dakota (playsguitar)

swood413

thanks man! ill def look into that and i really appreciate the help!

Tumbling Dice

I have had the same problem with my TSL effects loop to a certain extent. However, I re-read the directions and realized that I need to have the "loop level pushswitch" (on the back of the amp next to the ins/outs for the effects loops) set to the correct setting. If you are using floor pedals, the directions say you should the loop level switch pushed in. If you are using pro rack effects with higher power you should have the switch in the out position. I have regular pedal effects and I tested the effects loop with the switched pushed in and out, and the volume difference was greater when I had the switch pushed out (which would be incorrect for my setup since I have floor pedals). So maybe you have the loop level set incorrectly. However, even if I have the loop level button set correctly there still is a slight difference in volume on the crunch/lead channels. I wonder if this is due to the fact that your signal gets weakened when it goes through an effects chain. So this means that when you blend in the effects loop you are blending in a weaker signal perhaps? I guess that's why they have effects loops in the first place. Also, even when all my effects are off, if I engage the effects loop, the sound of the amp gets a little more trebley. Maybe that's just reflecting how the effects loop colors the sound (due to signal loss as it travels through all the connectors and pedals)? Perhaps I would experience the same change in tone if I put the effects in front of the amp instead of in the effects loop? Does this make any sense? I guess what I'm saying is, maybe the change in volume and tone when I engage the effects loop is not the amp's fault? Maybe it's just the nature of what happens to a signal when it travels through a bunch of effects pedals? Does anyone know?

alfonso

Hello, I have a TSL 100 too,

I think there is a compromise in the design that leaves me unhappy. Now, what I'm saying is not exactly related with the sensitivity issue mentioned above.

The fact is that in theory, like in mixing desks, effects put in an effect loop should be those like delays, reverbs etc. that should just run along with the unaffected dry signal. Let's take the delay, for example. You might want to regulate the repetitions level and obviously keep the main signal unaffected in level. This isn't actually possible. The fx loop balance control on the front panel is quite useless for me. If it was just an fx return level that would have been logical. The big problem is the inevitable level difference of the main sound level when the fx loop is switched on or off.

The only decent way to have a consistent result is to turn the balance full right in an "insert" configuration and program a dry level inside the effect box or using a little mixer to manage a serious send-return circuit that mixes the effect as an independent level.

Well, if this was implemented inside the head, leaving the dry signal as is, in its path, unaffected in level and tone, that would have been a clever design.

Just my 0,02€

alfonso

I'd add, having this design on the fx loop wouild be nice: a separate volume control for the dry signal and for the wet one. This way all the options could be manageable. I would give up the second loop for such a feature on just one.

Any opinion?

swood413

i agree. i would prefer a series loop rather than parallel. and as much as they say you can make it a series loop by putting the mix at 10, i just dont really buy it. i just dropped my amp off with a tech yesterday because there is obviously a connection problem, no theory or faulty cable or pedal setting. just plain old connection. ill let you know if the guy figured it out and if he had anything useful to say to the tsl fx loop user community.

xmatthewx

Hi there, i'm not too good with knowing much about amps, but i'm on the verge of buying the TSL100. I use a four cable method (parallel FX loop) with my Boss GT5. I've been reading on this forum, and on others about a few problems with the looping.

When using parallel FX looping, will I have any problem here? I obviously want to get as much volume out of the 100w amp, but also have the option to control the volume,

Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time!

Bluemoon78

Hi xmatthewx,

not sure if your still looking into buying a TSL, but I use a GT-8 through this amp with the 4cm method. The problem we're talking about here will not cause any issues with that setup. The problem is only apparent when you use the footswitch to turn the loop on and off.

So for what you propose i would recommend this amp wholeheartedly.