Zoom A3 problem

[larrymags]

I have the 'Zoom A3' DI/effects box. My problem is with the 'Pickup' Level. No matter how low the knob is, the Level LED comes on causing some distortion. It's using the AC not batteries. I'm using a Breadlove with the built-in piezo pickup. The guitar level is around midway and goes to the 'A3'. With the 'Pickup' level almost off i'm losing some good gain to pass on.

[guitaniac]

What color is the LED? Its supposed to come on green. You aren't overdriving the circuit until it turns red. Even then, you wouldn't hear distortion until its in the red much of the time that you're playing.

Have you checked the battery in your guitar? A low battery can cause a distorted signal coming out of the guitar.

If there is something wrong with the A3's pickup circuit. You can try plugging your guitar into the compound mic input for the mic channel. It also has adjustable gain and can be routed to go through the last two effects only, through the last effect only or bypass all the effects. (I can't recall if you can route the mic channel through the guitar modeling effect, but you can definitely route the mic channel either through or around the other two effects.)

You can run either an XLR plug or a 1/4" plug to the mic input. Be advised that its a tight fit with a 1/4" plug - tighter than with the regular 1/4" jack.

When I blend the Baggs Lyric with a UST, I like to route the pre-EQed pickup signal through the mic channel (set to bypass all the effects) and send the Lyric signal through the pickup channel to be processed with both the graphic EQ effect and the parametric EQ effect in series (the guitar modeling effect is turned off). I do it this way because the Lyric needs a lot more EQ processing (in my particular case) than the UST.

In any event, the mic input will accommodate active pickups and some passive pickups. Its worth a try if there's a problem with the pickup channel.

[lschwart]

Originally Posted by larrymags

I have the 'Zoom A3' DI/effects box. My problem is with the 'Pickup' Level. No matter how low the knob is, the Level LED comes on causing some distortion. It's using the AC not batteries. I'm using a Breadlove with the built-in piezo pickup. The guitar level is around midway and goes to the 'A3'. With the 'Pickup' level almost off i'm losing some good gain to pass on.

How do you have the "pickup type selection switch" set?

Louis