RM4 into RM50.....mods sound way different

[withmittens]

Well, I picked up an RM4 on this forum. Thanks LRStrat. Solid sale

I've got the RM4 going into the series loop of the RM50 while I wait for an A/B switch and a couple of mods to complete the 6 channel beast

right off the bat I notice a huge difference in headroom and harmonic. By bridging both parallel loops and using the Effect knobs in tandem, along with both Master knobs, I am able to wildly vary the headroom on these mods. At first I hear less headroom and thought I would get a more saturated sound, then I spent some time adjusting and found a good spot where my cleans jump with life, slight crunch sounds really come forward and have a nice glisten to them with ever so slight work distortion and dynamics...

questions.......

What is the ideal config for this setup? My mods have new life the way I am doing it but is there something I'm not considering for a better sound, if in fact it can get better? And this is the best my MTS rig has sounded yet.

 

[JKD]

I used to run this exact setup with a loop switcher (Voodoo Labs GCX) putting the RM4 into the series loop of the RM50 but this was before I discovered the parallel loop bridging technique.

By balancing out the master volume on the RM4, the modules sounded more or less the same in the RM4 compared to in the RM50 assuming that the RM4 and RM50 has similar performing tubes in the v1 of the head and the second tube in the RM50 (tube loop driver) is tested/working

Jumping the parallel loop adds another gain stage to the equation (the tube driver for the loop) and you are doing it twice if you jumper the RM4 loop and balancing it on two mix controls right?

I would honestly try and dial a good sound without parallel loops jumpered and then just use the parallel jumper/mix control on the head. Egnater was never happy with the loops on the rack mounts, to the point where he removed them in later M4s for a purer tone.

 

[MarcoR]

I found when I ran this setup with a MOD50 and RM4, the RM4 master volume had to be about 100% for its modules to match the volume of the modules in the head.

 

[ricky]

This sounds intriguing. I have never thought it could be done. Could anyone who has done this pm me and maybe send me a diagram of what this would look like (i.e. what goes into what, where, etc.) ?
Six modules would kick major ***!

 

[LRStrat]

Glad the RM4 arrived safely!!!

 

[MarcoR]

This sounds intriguing. I have never thought it could be done. Could anyone who has done this pm me and maybe send me a diagram of what this would look like (i.e. what goes into what, where, etc.) ?
Six modules would kick major ***!

Here is a diagram I did a while back. It uses a Axess GRX4 Router/Switcher to toggle between the amp and the RM4 via midi. Not show in the diagram (RM22) is that you could use the 4th loop of the GRX4 in switching mode to control the channels of an RM50 via midi.

 

[withmittens]

Glad the RM4 arrived safely!!!

meant to let you know, thanks

 

[ricky]

Marco, I pm'd you on this...

 

[MarcoR]

Marco, I pm'd you on this...

I never got it. Nothing in my inbox and it's not full.

 

[ricky]

Marco, Please check again. I re-PM'd you...

 

[MarcoR]

Got it, I'll hit you up tomorrow. I'm on kid duty all day today.