Tertiary Pedalboard...Tech Help Please...

[Surfysonic]

Here's my third pedalboard, a Warwick Rockboard 4.2 Quad B, with my Fender pedals and a Warwick Rockboard PT-2 Calibrated Chromatic Pedal Tuner.



and here is the underside with my Truetone 1 Spot Pro brick. It's not an ideal fit, but works fine as I don't plan to move the board from its current location.



With the exception of the Fender Tre-Verb pedal, all the pedals are typical 9v 100mA pedals. The Tre-Verb is a 9v 310mA pedal. I have it plugged into a 9Vdc 500mA port.

The issue I am having is this: with all pedals off/disengaged, the guitar/amp is not engaged. Only with the Tre-Verb's Reverb switch engaged, does the other pedals, guitar/amp become engaged (work). Also, if I turn down the Dwell knob on the Reverb side of the Tre-Verb, all volume from the other pedals/guitar/amp are affected. I have plugged the Tre-Verb in both 9Vdc 500mA ports of the 1 Spot Pro brick with the same result.

Essentially, the Tre-Verb seems to be the main power draw/gateway of the whole board. As it currently works, it's not really viable because if I want to disengage the Tre-Verb's Reverb or even turn down it's Dwell (similar to a Level/Volume on other pedals), it quiets the whole board/amp/guitar.

While not shown, I also had a DigiTech TRIO (the original version without the Ditto) on the board as well. This pedal is a 9v 500mA pedal and was plugged into the other available 9Vdc 500mA port on the 1 Spot Pro. It worked without issues I'm having with the Tre-Verb. I removed it for now to simplify the board to resolve this Tre-Verb issue.

I've taken the Tre-Verb off the board and the guitar/amp and other pedals engaged without issue. My great Sherlockian deductive powers tells me all issues are with the Tre-Verb.

The Tre-Verb is comparable to a Strymon Flint (which I've had in the past). The Tre-Verb is a great pedal. I'd like to get the issue solved so that I can actually use the pedal on the board.

Further info FWIW - 1 Spot Pro switches (as shown) are all in the OFF (9) position. There is a blue LED light above the 500mA ports when one/both are used (again, just using one now).

While doing some Google-sleuthing, I found that you can use two 250mA outputs and a current doubler cable or, like what I'm doing, use a 500mA port on the 1 Spot Pro brick. Since I know the 500mA ports work well with an actual 500mA pedal (TRIO), so I'll stick with the 500mA port route.

Alternatively, I tried some of my 9v power adaptors (I don't think any of them go over 200mA output) with the same result.

I decided to buy a 9v pedal adaptor that can handle 310mA. I've put in an order for a 1 SPOT Slim 9V DC Adapter for Powering up to Twenty Pedals (1700mA max) from Sweetwater that should arrive this Wednesday. I'll try using it with the Tre-Verb on its own for even more isolation.

At this point, I'm not sure what else to investigate. If anyone has experienced a similar problem and found a solution or pedal tech pros can spot what I'm doing wrong, please let me know. Thanks!

[sal paradise]

Silly question, have you tried the Tre-Verb connected to the amp by itself?

[Surfysonic]

I realized I hadn't after my initial post, doh! I'll give it a try tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder!

[Bradley-Jazz]

Another silly question - looking at pictures online, the Tre-Verb mono input is the lower socket, but the mono output is the upper one (I.e. different layout to many other stereo pedals). You look to be plugged into both upper ones…? Could that make a difference?

[Futuron]

^ I think that's it. You have plugged your cable into the wrong input. That's all. It should be in "L/Mono In", but you have it in "R In".

Since you've plugged into R In, the pedal has decided that you're running stereo, so when the pedal is off, the output signal will just be what is input to each channel. Nothing is going into L, so nothing will come out of it. Signal is coming into R, but you've nothing plugged in to its output, and will thus hear nothing. When it's on, you've got stereo effects happening, which may be why something is coming out of L even though the dry signal is only coming from one input. And so if you reduce the amount of effect (ie 'dwell'), you are removing ALL output from L channel (because it has no dry signal, only effect.)



But the big question about this pedal, that I still really want to know: is it true tremolo, or is it actually 'Fender tremolo' aka vibrato? (Or bits of both)

[sal paradise]

Another silly question - looking at pictures online, the Tre-Verb mono input is the lower socket, but the mono output is the upper one (I.e. different layout to many other stereo pedals). You look to be plugged into both upper ones…? Could that make a difference?

That’s so weird! Why would you do that? Design 101

[Futuron]

Another silly question - looking at pictures online, the Tre-Verb mono input is the lower socket, but the mono output is the upper one (I.e. different layout to many other stereo pedals). You look to be plugged into both upper ones…? Could that make a difference?

That’s so weird! Why would you do that? Design 101

If you look at it from each side, the L jack is always on the LEFT. It makes sense labelled that way when viewed that way. However, traditionally a pedal is looked at from above, not the side, and in that case having both jacks of a channel further to the front or back makes more sense.

[sal paradise]

Another silly question - looking at pictures online, the Tre-Verb mono input is the lower socket, but the mono output is the upper one (I.e. different layout to many other stereo pedals). You look to be plugged into both upper ones…? Could that make a difference?

That’s so weird! Why would you do that? Design 101

If you look at it from each side, the L jack is always on the LEFT. It makes sense labelled that way when viewed that way. However, traditionally a pedal is looked at from above, not the side, and in that case having both jacks of a channel further to the front or back makes more sense.

Designed by the engineer, forgot to test it with customers.

[Surfysonic]

Thanks, guys, I really appreciate all the input/info! I have it working now.

Right side is plugged into the lower port (L/Mono). Left side is plugged into Output L/Mono. I must have done it correctly when I used the pedal on my old board but completely forgot how it was supposed to go.

But the big question about this pedal, that I still really want to know: is it true tremolo, or is it actually 'Fender tremolo' aka vibrato? (Or bits of both)

Of the three available options on the pedal - OPTO, BIAS, HM - HM (Harmonic Vibrato) sounds closest to my brownface Fender amps like the '60 Fender Vibrasonic's harmonic vibrato I used to own and my currently owned '62 Fender Pro.

The BIAS Shift Tremolo simulates a Vibro Champ or Princeton Reverb's tremolo. The BIAS is a smooth tremolo.

The OPTO (Optical Tremolo) which simulates a Twin Reverb or Super Reverb's tremolo. The OPTO is a choppier tremolo.

[sal paradise]

Whoop, glad to know you’ve got it working.

I often plug my guitar into the output of my board when taking it out of the case. You’re not alone in unforced errors with pedalboards

[Bradley-Jazz]

Whoop, glad to know you’ve got it working.

I often plug my guitar into the output of my board when taking it out of the case. You’re not alone in unforced errors with pedalboards

I do that too - so many plugs, so many chances to mess it up!

Surfysonic, glad you've got it sorted!

[Surfysonic]

Thanks again, guys, much appreciated! I never even thought to check the other side ports.

I watched the Fender Tre-Verb pedal demo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkEV_8WwZZU) after the issue was sorted out. It would have been a big help to watch the Fender demo of the pedal again before creating this thread - maybe I would have spotted the error of my ways.

Anyhoo, it's really a fantastic pedal and I'm glad I'm able to make use of it again.