Re: [Harp-L] AAaaarrrgh! - P 255!!!!!

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

46long Blake wrote:
<So I got my RP 255 all loaded up with Richard's badass patches, it sounded
<great with headphones..and I took it to the gig....
<
<Nothing - no signal whatsoever into the PA....unless I turned the output
<knob up to 100 percent...which only got me a tiny tiny crappy signal - not
<worth it....
<
<tried plugging the mic directly into the PA - not through the Digi. Worked
<fine. Sounded like crap, but worked fine. Tried two different instrument
<cables - one trusty, one brand new...nada. So, any hope / help you Digitech
<users???? What am I doing wrong?

I've already sent Blake a detailed reply offlist, and since this is on harp-L now I think it's a good idea to tell everyone what I told him.

By the way, I ALWAYS tell my buyers NOT to take the RP to a gig for the first time without trying it in rehearsal first, and to have a backup plan for the first gig.  This is standard operating procedure for ANY piece of new gear.  The backup plan for most FX is just to take the thing out of the chain, but since a device like the RP IS the chain, you need to make sure a) that you have it working in rehearsal, and b) that you have a backup on the very first gig.    

My guess is that the likeliest reason this RP didn't work on this gig is that the RP was connected to the board via a single XLR cable, which would produce exactly the symptoms Blake describes here.  In any case, for those who were wondering, this is an example of how I work with my customers when there's a problem. My goal is not just to sell patch sets, it's to get harp players up and running with a batch of great sounds. 

What follows is the entire text of the message I sent Blake a few minutes ago.
*************************************************************
Well, that's no fun.  I'm sorry you had that experience.  Let's fix it.

This is what I'd do in your situation:

1)  If you were running an XLR output from the RP using only one of the XLR outs, that's your problem right there. You have to use BOTH of the XLR outs or NEITHER.  I have made this very mistake on one gig--fortunately for me, it happened during soundcheck, not on the gig itself.  The result was just as you described it in your message: barely any output from the RP.  I repeat: you must use BOTH of the XLR outs or NEITHER.  On almost all my gigs, I use one 1/4" out to the board for this very reason.

2)  If that's not the problem, then plug the RP 1/4" MONO (left) output into your regular amp and see if you're getting a sound out of your regular amp.  If you are, then the problem is in your PA, not the RP.  (Don't worry if it doesn't sound the same as it does though your headphones. That's to be expected when you run the RP into a tube amp.)  If the problem is in the PA, then it's probably about running the RP into a Lo-z input on the PA instead of a hi-z input, or having the gain set incorrectly on the PA, or some other similar issue.  But let's leave that for now--if you're getting an output from your regular amp, then it's not an issue with the RP, and we can talk about the PA setup later.

3)  If you're not getting a strong output from the RP into your amp, then do the following IN ORDER: 
- backup the sounds you've already entered into the RP using the DEVICE/BACKUP function in Digitech's X-edit2 program.  This will create a bulk load file containing all your personal settings.  I REPEAT: BACK UP YOUR SOUNDS BEFORE TAKING ANY FURTHER ACTION.
- do a FULL FACTORY RESET on the device, using the instructions in the RP255 manual as a guide.  A full factory reset fixes most of the issues that arise with the onboard electronics.
- Test the RP with your amp using the 1/4" mono (left) output from the RP, using the factory patches.
- If you've got output from the RP at this point, load the backup file back into your RP using the DEVICE/RESTORE function and play through one of your patches.  If that works, you're done.  If not...
- Connect your RP to the computer via USB and bring up one of your patches in X-edit2.  Look in the upper right corner of the display to see what the volume level for the patch (as opposed to the device) is.  The RP lets you set volume levels for each patch separately, which is great for matching levels, not great if you inadvertently set the volume to zero.  Set the volume level as high as it will go, save the patch into the RP, and test again with your amp.  If that does the trick, do the same for the other patches you've created (and make sure to check the patch volume level for the patches you create from now on.)

I'm around just about all weekend and will reply to messages from you within a few hours at most.  Try this stuff and tell me how it's working and we'll take it from there.

By the way, who did you buy the RP from?  If it's someone like musiciansfriend or zzounds, then don't worry--you've got a 45-day money back guarantee, and if we can't get this RP working they'll send you another one.

Regards, RH 
*********************************************************

  

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