Self Attenuation per Joe's video

I’m confident that I missed something here, but I’m trying to run a preamp to line in, “jump” the speaker out to amp in per Joe’s video below, but am getting no signal from the XLR or the 1/4" line out.

I’ve tried it a number of ways. XLR out to XLR input on my interface, 1/4" out to XLR on interface and 1/4" out to 1/4" DI input on my interface. I’ve also tried different cables between the speaker out to amp in, just to make sure I don’t have a bad cable (at least, assuming they’re not both bad).

Any clues?

  • Thanks

Using the Power Station’s Self-Attenuation Feature for Silent Recording

Hi Bob,

Welcome to the forum!

Ok, so I’m assuming you used a speaker cable from the “SPKR Out” to the “Amp In” and set the impedance to match. You’ve set the line out level where it should be for your set up, it comes at zero from the factory. You’ve got good cables that work. You’ve set the levels for the line in, power section of the Power Station, and the levels on your preamp. If you’ve done all of that, we need to look at possibly trying the effects loop return instead of the line in and see if that changes anything.

Let me know if all of that looks right, and we’ll move on.

Thank You,

Terry

Hi Terry,

As you were probably typing your reply, I realized that I wasn’t using a speaker cable so I switched it out, but still no signal.

My PS2 doesn’t have a line level pot, it’s got an LP filter toggle.

Will try the loop return now…

No go plugging into the fx return. I toggled low and hi for the loop input, nada.

Hi Bob,

Sorry about that, I was working with a PS-100 right before this. Brain was still there.

Ok, let’s try again. With a cabinet, does everything work as it should?

Thank You,

Terry

Yep, it sounds glorious with a cab. My tinnitus has been thanking me for a couple hours now.

Edit: Just for kicks I plugged my GPDI out (tried both) to the line in and fx return on the PS2 and no go there.

Ok perfect. So you switch the speaker cable to the “Amp In”, put the switch on “operate” and get nothing?

Just so we try everything, set the voicing switches to flat, turn of the low pass filter, and place a jumper cable between the send and return of the effects loop.

Thanks,

Terry

Sorry, just saw the edit. GPDI was a no go while plugged into a speaker or in SA mode?

Yes, speaker out to amp in using a speaker cable.

Instrument cable to either Line In or Fx Return, nothing.

I’ve set the switches to flat and tried both operate and standby, no signal (it appeared Joe was in standby for his video).

Just jumped the fx send/return, nada.

Hi Bob,

If you have a chance, please record a video showing the whole setup. I’ll see if I can find another reason this wouldn’t work.

Thank You,

Terry

Will do - I just tried the speaker out from my GPDI to the Amp in to make sure Amp in wasn’t messed up and it works.

Do you want a video or just pictures of how it’s configured?

Video is best. Yeah if you look behind Joe when he’s playing after showing the set up, the unit is in “operate” while he’s playing. I’ve done this with the PS-2A and PS-100 numerous times, I can’t think of a reason it wouldn’t work with the PS-2 off hand but I’m looking.

Thanks,

Terry

Here you go.

Edit…
… removed moved troubleshooting vid…

While we’re at it… once this works, will the same output go to both the 1/4" and XLR line outs? I’d prefer balanced to balanced but I thought the manual indicated the XLR tapped in somewhere different than the 1/4" does (sorry, I’m not technical…).

Hi Bob,

Was the power off on the unit? The unit must be plugged in with the Power and Operate buttons on. Just checking…

Thanks,

Terry

Yes, power is off. I did plug it in and turn on the power, leaving it in stanbdy to try it just to see if maybe it needed power in the circuitry but there was no signal then either.

Since Joe had it off though and since that’s how silent mode works, it’s been off for all of this except that one on-standby test.

Lets try that real quick and see if that was the issue. If it is, I’m talking to Joe about that part of the video. Totally unintentional.

I’m not sure I understand. Try what?

We need to plug the unit in, turn on the power button, then put it in operate. See if that gets things going. If that doesn’t work at all we’ll move to something else.

OK - so without a speaker plugged in, with power on and in operate it’s fine? I think it is but I haven’t actually used it that way and am not completely familiar with that functionality… just want to make sure.