Without knowing your goals, looks fine to me. I assume you plan to do more with the ZMACS after this? Otherwise, you don’t NEED the ZMACS with this scheme. Not sure if you already own one.
My goal is to use the gear for recording but also to audition Amps/cabs live. I have several heads and at least four different cab/speakers. This was just to get the basic wiring understood before adding more gear/issues!
I’m currently testing the Synergy as the main amp with a Metropolous JTM Blag Flag as the first option through one cab.
I’d torn this rack apart the other day while it was working, and split out the Synergy as a grab-n-go 4sp rack, but I now get a lot of squeal out of it. I set the output switch to LOW and that helped just a little. I dialed back the output level on the front if the SYN2 and the SYN5050 as well. When I tried the Metro it was unusable with the same squeal, only much louder. Still an issue. Turning down the Master did very little. I believe there’s some issue with feeding the PS-100 which leads me back to the Zmacs.
I’ve swapped out the two preamp feed cables as well as the amp out speaker cables, and checked all other relevant wiring as well.
Whenever there are problems like this, it’s always good to introduce things one at a time to see where your problem originates. If I were you, I would start with something very simple, make sure it works, then introduce the next thing, etc.
For example, Guitar → ZMACS Input (front) → ZMACS To Amp Input 1 → Synergy Syn2 Guitar Input (front or rear). Now, from there, you could either send the Syn2 DI Output → DAW INPUT or you could do Syn2 Main Out → Syn5050 → Cab. I would test a simple setup with the ZMACS like this and make sure you get the expected result and then introduce the next thing.
I do want to confirm because I may have made a poor assumption in one spot. Above, you mention…
There is no Preamp Out 1 on the ZMACS. So, I assumed here you meant To Amp Input 1. I just want to confirm that that is the case.
Try the simple setup outlined above and let us know what happens. I would take the Syn2 Main Out → Syn5050 → Cab route because (assuming that works) your next step would be Syn5050 Speaker Out → ZMACS From Amp Output 1 along with ZMACS To Speaker Cab 1 → Cab. Etc etc.
One other question, you are of course using the “Use First” output jack on the Syn5050, right?
Yes I am using B Channel as the diagrams labeled it as LEFT, which is typically also MONO. I used the B channel PREAMP IN and CAB out (Use First) jack.
Pretty much the setup is wired as described, but I can disconnect the 2nd amp. Odd that is worked fine previously and the only thing I could figure it was a cable error. I will disconnect the XLR from the PS-100. I had previously grabbed signal from the SYN2 for that purpose, but was only testing using the amps + cabs live using the Zmacs. I alone-checked that my signal cable is proper and all A.C. Signals are using Speaker Cables.
Future plan was also to incorporate the GPDI AND then the PLIR.
And lastly I was thinking PREAMP OUT (AMP IN) as those first set of jacks on the Zmacs essentially sends the GTR signal to the PREAMP/AMP IN, which to me makes those output jacks as I understand it.
I will try bypassing the Zmacs CAB wiring in favor of SYN5050 direction cab, while using the Zmacs strictly for the purpose to testing the first jack (To AMP IN) to verify signal is passing through the Zmacs to the SYN2 > SYN5050 > SPKR CAB as suggested later today.
Thanks for the thoughtful and detailed checks. I’ve done stuff like this since Bonsmassa’s first Bloodline tour where he got me hooked on rack switching craziness! But it’s always a tat of my mental endurance because these tools let my
mind get to free!
So, I finally got back to testing - it appears to only be an issue when using the PS-100. I used only the Zmacs and had zero issues with volume or squeals.
I will change out the two speakers cables next.
But in the meantime the PS-100 is not switching between its channels nor processing the FX in the loop (PATCHMATE). I set the switch to LO for now.
I’m also using the upper set of jacks on the Zmacs as depicted on pg 11. The amp ON was lower output vs switching on the STANDBY switch.