hi. I have been using the Power-Amp PS-2A with a pre-amp pedal with the out from the pre-amp pedal going into the Line-In (with the “LO” for boosting the low level signal). Today, because of a different set up (WDW, with the PS-2A for the dry signal going to one cab, and the two L/R wet into different amps and cabs) I noticed a “problem”. I needed to loop the dry signal just for practice, and I realised that, as soon as I turn the looper on, the sound of the PS-2A gets louder. I then proceeded to check if this was a guitar, pedal or place in the chain thing. After testing, i realised this always happens, no matter the guitar, pedal (i tried different loopers, also different pedals). Also, plugging a guitar directly into the line-in of the PS-2A with a looper in between does the same thing - actually, I am surprised at how quiet the PS-2A sounds when plugging a guitar straight into “line-in” - it really only starts making sound when the guitar volume pot is on “10”! But, if I use a looper (ditto looper) in between, then suddenly, significantly louder again. IS THIS NORMAL? PS: I have used two PS-2A before in a L/R set up, with a looper in the end of the chain, and never had this problem, so I am thinking something is up with my Fryette PS-2A - any help will be much appreciated! Do I need to repair my unit?
Hi Sumpe13 and welcome to the community !
Guitars are a bit too low in signal amplitude to drive the Line In.
I don’t think anything is going wrong here. One of the main difficulties with a Wet/Dry/Wet setup is getting all the levels correct. But you should be able to level match to the bypassed volume by changing the out level on the looper pedal.
Thank you Dan for the response. I suppose the guitar does works as it should - it is still weird not getting anything until the Volume Pot is at a “10” - I wish I could A/B with another unit, but I can’t. And using the looper or a delay pedal: Guitar > Looper / Delay > Line-In PS-2A does get significantly louder (see below)
Regarding the looper, it is not a “loop level” issue, it is simply, that the looper pedal, even when “paused” gives a much higher output. When looper is erased or no looping is going on, then the volume is significantly quieter as when recording a loop or having the loop paused. I tried a delay pedal (Red Panda Particle,) and the same thing happened, it is as if some “buffer” is boosting the signal (even with no delay effect going on). Note: Both Particle Delay Pedal and Ditto Looper are “analog dry through”, therefore, I thought something was getting messed up with the PS-2A - how come it is getting louder? I have Pedals with buffers before (but the results are the same, whether they are engaged or not)
Hi sumpe13,
No, this is not weird. The guitar is not a line-level signal source.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing. The pedal seems to be buffering the signal and adding a bit of gain.
Also, the pedal will have a very low output impedance, so it will have no trouble driving the Line In. However, if the guitar is directly connected to the Line In, it will have a much harder time driving that because their impedances are much more similar. Therefore, you get a voltage divider effect going on, and the signal that actually gets transmitted is lower.
If you want to go into the Line In with your guitar, use a buffer. I was doing this last week with a boost pedal in the FX loop: PS-2 too loud with a tube amp even with minimum volume setting - #5 by dan
With that additional control over volume, you should be able to sort out your Wet/Dry/Wet levels for your rig! I hope so.
Thanks Dan for clarifying things with respect to the guitar thing. I would try using a pre-amp pedal: Guitar > pre-Amp > Line-In, but then I have the problem with the ditto. The booster in the FX Loop is a neat idea, thanks for that 
- i usually ran everything in the front, using the PS-2A as a power amp into a cab OR as a as power amp > Line-Out from PS-2A > recording interface with a Cab Sim.
I found that by using a pedal after the looper, like the Spark from TC Elec., that it corrects the signal difference/or the boosting caused by the ditto looper. It is not ideal, but it resolves the issue for practicing at home - I may reach out to TC Elec. to find out if they explain what goes on with Ditto. For now it seems it is not the PS-2A
It will also work going into the Line In. It could be anything that acts like a buffer: DI box, EQ pedal, boost, etc.
Yes, it is all about fine gain adjustments to just tweak things by ear. Nothing wrong with that.
hi Dan - I reached out to TC Elec. via Musictribe forum - here is a summary of their reply
- the Ditto Looper does not have an intentional boost circuit, but its internal processing may slightly affect the signal level, especially in a line-level system like the Fryette PS-2A. This could push the signal slightly hotter, making it appear boosted on the PS-2A. If the gain increase is significant, try a passive volume pedal or attenuator after the Ditto before it hits the Fryette…OR try using an instrument input instead of a line input to see if that affects the gain structure…Some users report TC pedals behaving differently with certain power supplies. Try a 9V DC isolated power source (already done this).
cheers
Hi Sumpe,
So that is a helpful response. There will be variation in the gain based on variations in components and voltage levels, etc. That has to be pretty much expected in consumer electronics. I think we are converging on the idea of adding an additional volume control before the line out.