Can I use the ML10X to add stereo loops to my modeller? Plus reconfigure 4 cable model?

Morningstar Gear ML10X
1

I’ve maybe got an unusual setup here and think I’m looking for a kind of patchbay I think.

My problem is that I have quite a lot of gear and am always reconfiguring the setup which takes time. It would be so much easier if I could just plug all the cables into one device and use midi to configure.

I have a Morningstar MC8 already

Here’s my equipment:

  1. An amp head that has an input, a mono effects loop, and a line out.
  2. A Quad Cortex (amp and effect modeller) with a stereo effects loop
  3. Some other stereo effects pedals (delays, reverbs)
  4. I’ve got some drive pedals, but I don’t think that they are relevant to this (maybe they are)

Different setups:

  1. 4 cable model using quad cortex into the amp head (this uses one mono loop of the quad cortex and mono effects loop of amp head)
  2. The amp head (input to line out) in the mono effects loop of the quad cortex - I then sound the audio out of the main outs of the quad cortex
  3. Quad cortex standalone with a stereo pedal in the stereo effects loop (if I have more than one pedal I don’t mind daisy-chaining the stereo audio)
  4. Scenario 2 plus a stereo pedal in the loop (I can’t do this at the moment as I have no more loops)

Every time I do one of my scenarios I have to move some cables around. Would I be able to get the ML10X and just leave it all plugged in, select a preset and go?

Side question about the ML10X - is it normal to send the guitar audio into the input of the ML10 and route everything from there?

Not sure if I’ve explained everything clearly. Thanks for any guidance.

2

Hi,
what do you use to monitor the QC’s output?
I think that’s possible IF you can split and rearrange the stereo loop of your QC to two mono loops in different positions in the internal signal chain of the QC on a per patch basis. If this can’t be done or if it’s a global setting I can’t think of a way to do this.

3

The QC has stereo outs which I then send into another small mixer to either go to stereo monitors or headphones.

Yes, the QC can configure the effects loop to either be 2 mono loops in different positions or one stereo loop on a per patch basis.

4

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5

Just been thinking this through.

Does the ML10X always require the signal to go from input to output? or can you route signal from any return to any send?

I haven’t got it all worked out, but if I plug the ML10 into the stereo loop of the QC then it should effectively expose all of the other loops to the QC loop as though they were connected. From there I can just connect/disconnect the ones that I want to use. Does that sound right?

6

It’s a quite complicated setup. I’m not sure if I would do it this way. I’d do it the other way around and plug everything into the ML. I think that would be more flexible. For example you could do:
OD>QCmono>PreAmp>QCmono>Out
or
OD>PreAmp>QCmono>QCstereo>StereoFX>QCstereo>Out
You could even add a split anywhere after the pre amp to power amp in. Which basically gives you a wet dry wet setup.

7

Thanks.

I think I need to draw more diagrams.

8

I have now drawn what I assume would be the right connections.

Would this allow me to do what I want?

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9

Is there a reason why you would use the line out of your Amp? I’d just use the fx send.

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You will probably run into ground loop issues though. Some kind of isolators might be needed. Lehle has a really good and small one.

10

Thanks. I wondered about ground loops or even if I could blow everything up if I didn’t configure it properly!

The amp line out has got IRs built into it and in theory the sound of the poweramp. So it’s different to the effects send. My amp head has got a built in load so I can use it that way for silent playing out to my mixer to headphones.

I have also just had another thought that I can use another one of the ML10X sends to go to a 2nd guitar amp for stereo sounds or just having 2 options.

I was also thinking that I could use the setup to put an effect into the effect loop of the amp before coming back to the QC, but I think that is redundant as I can always put it into the loop of the ml10 before or after the QC.

11

You’d have one loop left to connect the line out, but you couldn’t add more FX to the setup. I don’t think you could blow stuff up, but on a second thought there might be an error in my diagram. But I can’t put my finger on it. It’s quite a challenging puzzle you’ve created :wink:

12

Looking at your diagram I realise that I have not put in a send to the QC input. In theory, I can configure presets on the QC to take input from return 1, but that creates a mess and is not the correct overall logic, so I need to add a send to the QC input.

I also notice in my diagram that I could use loop 2 twice as 2 mono loops and then free up another loop. I was just sketching it out to get my head around it.

Going by the morningstar youtube video all of these ml10x presets would need to be in advanced mode as I am taking a mono input and then making it stereo.