AD-150 and AD-100

Log Out | Topics | Search Moderators | Edit Profile

Author Message Heynicerack Username: Heynicerack Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2006 - 7:24 pm:    I just got myself an AD-150. Sounds very nice but I'm surprised at how poorly it copes with a bit of volume. I've tried tweaking the trim pots as best I can but no success as yet. I'm finding it hard to position it in my guitar effects chain due to this problem. Any other AD-150 or AD-100 owners have an opinion about the capacity of these units to handle a bit of volume without sounding like a distortion pedal? Any tips or opinions would be appreciated. M.K. where are you? Also a user manual and/or schematic would be a great help in working out the purpose of the various trim pots. I've found a schematic for the AD-100 and AD-80 (as well as plenty of other old Ibanez gear) on this page http://www.schematicheaven.com/effects.htm but no luck with the AD-150. Michaelkaufman Username: Michaelkaufman Registered: 11-2002 Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2006 - 8:30 pm:    I no longer own an AD-150, however, I never had any problems with the one I had. What do you mean by 'how poorly it copes with a bit of volume'? Is the sound distorted or colored with larger amounts of gain? Maybe there's an issue with the unit? One option would be to use a loop box and use the AD-150 in it's own loop w/ no other effects. I have an Ibanez AF-9 and I 'front-end' it with a TS-808 and have that combination in its own loop so that this combination is separated from all other effects. It sounds just like a Mutron III! Here are some loop boxes w/ built-in bypass: http://www.loop-master.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=21&osCsid=0d5596abc1d9979c5 fa36e4bb915c00a I've also used an Ashly Limiter/Compressor to limit the amount of gain in the middle of an effects loop. By doing this, you can limit (ie: cut back) the gain going into the next effect. I find that chaining effects and regulating gain is a very difficult process. If anyone has tricks, please let us know! btw, here's a reference to the trim pots: http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/Data/Ibanez/AD150_Analog_Delay-1.html tnx, mk Heynicerack Username: Heynicerack Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2006 - 11:42 pm:    Thanks heaps for the quick reply ... Basically the delayed signal distorts even running just a guitar into it, with no pedals and stock pickups and with the input volume on the AD-150 trimmed right down. Without pulling the input volume way down it also starts to distort the original signal as well. How does that compare with the one you used to own? I haven't tried it with a microphone yet but I guess if it distorts with just a mic plugged in then I definitely have a problem unit. There seems to be very little info around and I'd do anything short of a sexual favour (well maybe if you threw in a few beers)in return for a service manual, schematic or even an owners manual. I'm hoping the answer lies in the trim pots but there's so many of the little fellows inside and they all interact, so many combinations. You're right about the bypass loop, it's probably the only place it can live happily. The drawback there is the cost of the loopbox plus something to pull down the volume before and something to boost it again afterwards. Very disapointing at this stage since I sold my DM2000 to pay for it. Michaelkaufman Username: Michaelkaufman Registered: 11-2002 Posted on Friday, March 31, 2006 - 3:16 pm:    It really sounds like there's an issue with the unit. Other good Ibanez delays: Analog: AD-9 (pedal) AD-80 (pedal) AD-202 (rackmount w/ other effects) AD-230 (rackmount - the best!) Digital: SDR-1000 or SDR-1000+ (rackmount) I'll let you shop around... mk Michaelkaufman Username: Michaelkaufman Registered: 11-2002 Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 8:21 am:    SDR-1000+: http://www.qksrv.net/click-1802666-10381315?loc=http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI .dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D7405027166 Heynicerack Username: Heynicerack Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 6:18 pm:    Got the AD150 singin' now. Amazing what a couple of days tweaking trim pots can do. If anyone has a similar problem these are the main tweaks that fixed it ... The input clipping indicator needed calibrating. Did this by selecting -20db setting on the front of the unit and playing a -20db kick drum sample out of my computer into the delay, tweaking the trimpot located just behind the LED until it lit faintly about -23db and fully at -20db. Dialled front of the unit up to max input and output volumes then tweaked the internal volume trimpots so that the max volume possible with a -20db source signal is just at clipping, also now set for unity gain. The upshot of those two tweaks is that if the volume from my guitar and other effects is too loud for the delay to handle the clipping LED will light up and I know to reduce the volume that I'm punching into it. No more clipping distortion. There are also two interanl pots marked 'Bias'. I'm not sure what their purpose is but one seemed to make no difference and the other needed to be very finely tuned to eliminate distortion. This seemed to be the main cause of the distorted sound. The earth wire inside the mains plug was hanging on by a thread. I fixed this up and it made a big difference to the background noise. I guess that it wasn't getting the proper protection from electro-magnetic interference. Now it sounds like the great warm analog delay that I expected it to be. My tweaking will continue with the repeat and clock time pots, it's amazing the way the character of the delay can change by adjusting these. Michaelkaufman Username: Michaelkaufman Registered: 11-2002 Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 8:23 pm:    Those old Ibanez analog delays are kick-•••. So sweet, full & warm, aren't they! mk Heynicerack Username: Heynicerack Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Thursday, April 06, 2006 - 9:04 am:    ETC ............ Heynicerack Username: Heynicerack Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 12:00 pm:    Thanks for the tip on the Loop Master boxes. I snagged a triple box off ebay at a great price. Absolutely mindblowing improvement to tone and all my so-so pedals sound fantastic now. The AD-150 gets its own loop. I dial the input volume down to avoid clipping then run it into one side of a 2 X 15 rack eq (also dirt cheap off ebay) to boost the volume back. That way I still get plenty of boost to overdrive my amp and keep unity gain with everything else. The AD-150 is now officaly worth its weight in gold. And I've got a DDL coming in the post ... I won't do the million grin thing again but it would be appropriate. Thanks Michael you are indeed a legend. Michaelkaufman Username: Michaelkaufman Registered: 11-2002 Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 2:51 pm:    How much did you pay? I've been trying to get one but they haven't been cheap. mk Michaelkaufman Username: Michaelkaufman Registered: 11-2002 Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 2:53 pm:    Legend?? Michaelkaufman Username: Michaelkaufman Registered: 11-2002 Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 2:57 pm:    Let me see if I understand correctly: you have the delay on a loop by itself so that no other effects are going through the delay. All of effects loops merge together before going out to your amp? When I get my loopmaster, I'll need to test it that way. Right now, my effects are first and then they go all through the delay. I'm not sure which is the best way to do it. Of course, everyone has a different opinion on how to run their effects loop. mk Heynicerack Username: Heynicerack Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 10:23 am:    It was a Buy It Now for US$65, I logged on just when it got listed and jumped straight on it. Bargain. This is my chain ... PUE5 with Shin-Ei fuzz+Boss octave+Boss eq in the loop. I love using the preset function to flick instantly between the PUE5's distortion and the loop/fuzz combined with the PUE5's compresser. Snarling Dogs Blue Bawls distortion/wah. Loop Master triple ... A bunch of modulation effects in the first two loops (with a spot reserved for the L-Series digital delay when it arrives) and the AD150 in the last loop. That loop goes ... Send > AD150 with input volume down and output vol maxed > Dod stereo rack eq set flat and just using the gain boost to bring the signal back to the orginal volume > return to loop. Then into the other half of the Dod rack eq for a bit of polish and volume boost, then into an old Dod rack spring reverb and finally into my amp. Using the LoopMaster the effects from the first two loops still go through the AD150, just like they would if were running them in a line joined by patch leads. The difference is when I don't want them on they are switched out of that line and don't sit there sucking all the life out of your tone. The other big advantage is that with one stomp, rather than two, I'm running through the AD150 plus the eq so I don't get big dips and spikes in the volume while I'm changing over mid-song. The Snarling Dogs wah has a built in volume boost that even set at minimum is still too loud for the AD150 to handle, so when I want wah I can now just flick the AD150 out of the line and replace it with the spring reverb. Magic. Hope that all makes sense ... Michaelkaufman Username: Michaelkaufman Registered: 11-2002 Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 12:40 pm:    Very nice price...you beat me to it. If you see another one, let me know. mk Heynicerack Username: Heynicerack Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 11:18 pm:    I tried to use your email link but it didn't work ... If you still want a loopbox, try this guy. Solid quality and way cheaper than anybody else does them. I've bought three off him becuase I'm greedy! http://www.ant.stormsong.org/maxx-play46/index.html He may be out of stock, in which case use his email link and he'll custom make them for you at the same price. One very cool dude.

Add Your Message Here Post: -Color- Black Red Green Blue Yellow Purple Orange Cyan Gray White -Font- Arial Courier Symbol Times Verdana -Size- Smallest (-2) Small (-1) Normal Large (+1) Largest (+2) Enter Item number: Username: Posting Information: This is a private posting area. Only registered users and moderators may post messages here. Password: Options: Enable HTML code in message Automatically activate URLs in message Action: