Loop button not doing what I expect

Stage & Studio ZMACS
1

I have a Boss TAE in the Switched Loop of my ZMACS. Regardless of the state of the Loop LED the signal is routed through the TAE. Is it possible to take it in and out of the loop?

2

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Photo showing the Switched Loop in use.
Should I hear a relay when I click the Loop button? I do not.
My goal is to be able use the amps without the TAE in circuit on occasion.

3

Welcome to the forum!

Does your ZMACS have “V2” in the rear panel serial number?

Thanks,

Dave

4

Yes. It was purchased new yesterday.

5

Hi Crafty,

The V2 ZMACS loop button controls the remote bypass switching of the Fryette Power Stations only. The ZMACS itself has no relay bypass for the attenuator loop. You would have to use a Power Station and a TRS speaker cable to use that functionality. I hope that helps and clears up any confusion.

Thank You,

Terry

6

That is pretty disappointing. This is not obvious based on the marketing and manual. Did this change with v2?

7

Hi Crafty,

The V2 manual does note the changes that were made. Both manuals are available on our website with the V1 manual having a section that points to the V2 manual just in case you’ve downloaded the incorrect one.

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The changes were necessary and the unit is still compatible with most attenuators on the market.

I hope that helps.

Thank You,

Terry

8

so I was going to buy this with the intention of using a captor X 8 ohm for attenuation in the switched loop so I could use midi to switch it in and out when necessary. after seeing this, I guess I’m just curious if there was a problem with the original in that regard so I dont waste time trying to find an original unit.

9

There was no problem with the original one functionally.

There is a problem with a patent claim from another company that purports to have originated the switchable loop idea.

So for now, we’ve modified the operation of the ZMACS loop so it will operate the bypass function of our Power Station PS-2 and PS-100 remotely.

Apologies for the inconvenience.

Dave

10

That suggests that the relays are still in circuit and there is just a firmware problem that may be addressed in the future when licensing or cooler heads prevail. Can a man dream?

11

so basically via a speaker cable connected to the PS100 it gets into Bypass mode? Connection wise is the v1 and v2 are still the same so instead of bypassing the loop is the PS that bypasses itself? didn’t know Power stations had this functionality!

12

That’s correct. You just need to use a TRS speaker cable for the Attenuator Loop return when using a Power Station PS-2 or PS-100.

Dave

13

Thanks for the quick response. Zmacs on the way.

So I plan on getting a ps2a in the future, but for now I need to know if I keep the captor x in the normal loop, since it only attenuates down to a certain level, is it safe to disconnect the speaker out from captor when playing silent(as i do now with current setup with headbone vt)? And when i get the ps 2a and install in switching loop, I will be able to attenuate volume all the way down when needed while using the full power output on captor x.

Thanks