Anybody run a Xotic Super Clean buffer and booster?

[Ascension]

I absolutely love my Zinky Blue Velvet combo but don't use it as much as I would like. The reason is Bruce designed those amps to run rack effects at line level, so the loop sucks. If you run any cable run to and from the amp, it absolutely kills the tone. Sounds like you drop a blanket over the amp. I wonder if one of these would offset that with the EQ and adjustable boost? I traded my Mesa Subway for an F 30 combo and am just not gelling with the Crunch side of the F 30. I had a short head for a while and really liked that amp, but for whatever reason I just can't seem to get the same feel and tone out of the combo. If I can get the effects loop situation worked out on the Velvet, I would sell the F 30 and just run it.

 

[Mincer]

Is it a series or parallel effects loop? I have a parallel one on my Blue Angel, and it really is very transparent.

 

[jeremy]

series

 

[Ascension]

Is it a series or parallel effects loop? I have a parallel one on my Blue Angel, and it really is very transparent.

It's series. The level was set by Bruce Zinky for rack mount line level effects, as he expected these amps to be used by pros mostly in the studio. When you run a short cable to and from a pedal in the loop it's ok, but any decent run it looses all the high end and sounds like you drop a blanket over the amp. Bruce did a 50 watt Velvet head with a modded pedal friendly loop for the former guitarist for Casting Crowns, and we talked about it for my combo, but I never got it done. I could have bought that 50 watt head a few years ago and should have.
I ordered a super clean last night off Reverb, so will see if this works, if it doesn't, I can still use it elsewhere. A regular buffer didn't do much to help, so maybe the adjustable booster plus the buffer with EQ will do the trick.

 

[Mincer]

Could the amp be modded to accept more common pedal effects? I get designing an amp for the studio, but if that isn't your main use, it might be possible to mod the amp.

 

[Ascension]

Could the amp be modded to accept more common pedal effects? I get designing an amp for the studio, but if that isn't your main use, it might be possible to mod the amp.

Yes, but I would need to send it back to Bruce, and when he could get to it is a ? I can use the booster in other ways with another rig if this doesn't work, Thought it was worth the shot for around $100. Doing what I do with the modern worship stuff, I really need my time based effects in the loop and after the amp preamp and already have a buffer on my board that this will replace. The little Zinky is a fantastic amp but isn't getting as much use as it should simply because of the loop issue.

 

[Ascension]

Got the Super Clean a couple of days ago. It helped a LOT with the Zinky and now my loop is usable. Wound up running the mid and high mid-boost and with the gain at about 9 o clock on the Super Clean, that got the highs back and also got rid of the volume drop when I connected the loop. This one was a big win on this amp. Have gotten a chance to play with the Super Clean with my other amps yet, but it is intriguing.
Now I'm wondering about the Super sweet and what it could do in the loop on my other rigs?
These are really cool little tools though.