Boss VE-8 EQ and Hiss questions Bose L!C

[meb]

Hello All. I purchased a Boss VE-8 30 days ago, because I was interested
in checking out some harmony and looping possibilities. I managed to
use it at my last gig to throw in a few harmonies and it did pretty good.

I have a couple of issues I hope someone can help me with. I use
a Bose L1C or L1mod 2 both usually with the T1. It would be nice to
eliminate the T1, but when I use the XLR outputs from the VE-8 I
get a hiss thru the L1C when I convert it to TRS. Does anyone
else have this problem? Solutions?

The other confusing thing is setting the EQ via the VE-8. I hit
exit/Loop and get an E9 in the display. I cannot find any default
parameters to compare to, and/or tell if I am saving anything when
I fiddle with the knobs. What am I missing?

Right now, my chain is
Guitar to Red-eye with VE-8 in EFX loop) and XLR to T! to L1C via TRS
plus Mic to VE-8 and to T1
(The Red-eye is there for the Boost + I sometimes use a passive pu.)

This makes for a CLUSTER of cables which may be ok for a large gig,
but seems crazy for a small one.

Thanks in advance for any ideas or guidance.

[RockerDuck]

The VE-8 Does have a hiss thru PA systems using the XLR out. I couldn't get Boss/Roland to answer my phone calls about this. It has no output control other than the global volume. I found that if you lower the volume on the VE-8 and turn it up on the mixer it helps. If you use the 1/4 out to the mixer there is no hiss.

[dcopper]

I have a VE8 and run it into BOSE S1 - no hiss from the XLR outputs.
Maybe just lucky?

[meb]

Thanks RD....it seems our findings are in sync. So, I guess we call the hiss
a 'feature'. :-)

I just 're-tried the VE-8 direct to l1C 1/4" to TN input and Mic to mic input
and hiss was very low and even usable. I figured out enough about EQ to
increase my Guitar sensitivity to 60. Otherwise the volume was very weak.
I have no idea what the default setting was.

dcopper..I have read about others with success with the VE-8 and S1 pairing.
I wonder if it could have something to do with the combo jacks on the
S1, vs 1/4" and xlr inputs on the L1C.

[JakeStone]

I am getting the same thing....

XLR out of the VE-8 into the S1 Pro and HISS..
Line out of the VE-8 into the S1 Pro - HISS GONE.

Any advice?

[Methos1979]

I get some hiss from VE-8 1/4" out to S1. I live with it because in the venues I play at no one can hear the hiss. I have not tried using the XLR out so maybe I'll try that just to see what that sounds like. I only notice it when playing at home in the quiet.

As for settings, I have to bump up my guitar input to 85 (K&K passive pu) to get a good sound level. For the EQ I generally have to dial the mids way down to around 10 or so and the bass and treble down to around somewhere between 20 and 30. The low cut I have at at 16 (highest setting) and the mid cut and mid Q at the lowest settings (20 and 0.5, respectively).

I have the Acoustic Resonance in the light off position but dialed up around 11 o'clock on the AR knob. Even though in this position (light off) the AR is supposedly off, I have found that dialing it up does change the tone in a more subtle way then with any of the light-on positions. Reverb is off for guitar. I use the plain 'ole Chorus (Ch) dialed up around noon on certain songs.

My guitar and wife's vocal level output is between 10 o'clock and noon depending on the room with the S1 dialed up to the midway detent. Bass and treble on the S1 is down around 25%, reverb off, ToneMatch off. I dial up some reverb for the vocals on the VE-8.

I have minor tweaks to guitar tone based on the two guitars I use and saved to memory positions 01 - 04. I recently lost all my saved memory after hitting the initialize (in) instead of the normal memory save (looks like an upside capital A and lowercase r). While initially horrified at this, I took the opportunity to do a factory reset and start from scratch. I'll report back after trying to use the XLR out instead of the 1/4" out.

[JakeStone]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

I'll report back after trying to use the XLR out instead of the 1/4" out.

Thanks for your details!

As for the "Hiss"..

1) small amount that I am getting using the LINE OUT of the VE-8 is totally acceptable.

2) Using XLR out is very noticeable amount. So I wonder if it is a setting within the VE-8 that needs attention.

3) When I used a TRS cable (Line out of VE-8 to the Bose S1 Pro) I got the same amount of HISS as the XLR.

4) When I used a standard instrument cable (line out to S1) the Hiss goes away.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by JakeStone

Thanks for your details!

As for the "Hiss"..

1) small amount that I am getting using the LINE OUT of the VE-8 is totally acceptable.

2) Using XLR out is very noticeable amount. So I wonder if it is a setting within the VE-8 that needs attention.

3) When I used a TRS cable (Line out of VE-8 to the Bose S1 Pro) I got the same amount of HISS as the XLR.

4) When I used a standard instrument cable (line out to S1) the Hiss goes away.

Same here. XLR out is WAY more hiss than standard 1/4" line out. Never tried (don't own) a TRS 1/4" out. Weird.

I keep hoping for an updated VE-8 with some new features. I'd love to have dual XLR inputs (for two mics) and also a dedicated loop stop button so as not to have to double tap for stop.

[JakeStone]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Same here. XLR out is WAY more hiss than standard 1/4" line out. Never tried (don't own) a TRS 1/4" out. Weird.

I keep hoping for an updated VE-8 with some new features. I'd love to have dual XLR inputs (for two mics) and also a dedicated loop stop button so as not to have to double tap for stop.

Thanks Methos for verifying ..

What about adding a Boss FS-5U foot switch to remedy the looper?

Thanks!

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by JakeStone

Thanks Methos for verifying ..

What about adding a Boss FS-5U foot switch to remedy the looper?

Thanks!

Maybe. Thought about it. I've owned a few loopers and just never got good enough with them. I'm a cowboy chord player. Can't solo to save my life so for all intents and purposes a looper is useless for me anyway with a few exceptions. On occasion I'll add some percussion up front but even that is a challenge. Like the harmony function, I find a little goes a long way.

[meb]

I just gave up on xlr from the VE-8 and reconciled myself to the 1/4" I
had to up my gain to do so though. A work-around I found was to
just put the VE-8 in the effects loop and run XLR from my Venue or Redeye
Twin directly to my T1. Yes, that's a lot of gain stages, but my preamps
(sunnAudio stage, Venue, Red-eye ...) sound better on guitar than the VE-8.
It is also a few extra cables.... BTW, I switched the Redeye to the RedEye
Twin which has a gain stage.

I also have a Boss Acoustic Singer Live that I can successfully use the XLR out
without hiss. I even convert the xlr to trs into my Bose L1C without hiss,
fwiw. I just consider it a stripped down VE-8.

The FS-5u does great to provide 1-punch loop stops, but the catch is that
I use the same slot for the harmony switch. It is hard to get my size
13's to reliably hit the center button and only the center button. The
resulting lock-up would be somewhat embarrassing live.

Really though, I like the VE-8 more than you would think from all my
ramblings here.

[MarkF_48]

Just tried my VE-8 into an Alto Trouper with both an XLR to XLR and an XLR to TRS (which I normally use). For both cables there was no perceptible hiss. Did not try a TRS to TRS or TS to TS cable.

Page 7 of the Bose S1 Pro manual shows the 1/4" input being an unbalanced input connection, so no need to use a TRS cable, just a TS instrument cable.
"Channel input: Analog input for connecting microphone (XLR) and instrument (TS unbalanced) cables"

The Line outs of the VE-8 appear to be a TRS type looking into the jack, but the manual makes no reference as to if they are balanced or unbalanced, but I'm guessing unbalanced. All the images in the manual show TS type cables for connection, so a TS cable to the S1 Pro would be the proper cable to use.

The L1 also has an unbalanced configuration on the 'Line' inputs from the block diagram link below, so TS cables on the L1 as well.
https://toonz.ca/bose/wiki/images/5/...lowDiagram.png

Anyone tried different positions of the GND Lift switch on the back of VE-8 when using XLR's? This is more for hum, but might affect hiss(?)

[JakeStone]

Originally Posted by meb

The other confusing thing is setting the EQ via the VE-8. I hit
exit/Loop and get an E9 in the display. I cannot find any default
parameters to compare to, and/or tell if I am saving anything when
I fiddle with the knobs. What am I missing?

This is an important page on EQ from the Boss VE-8 user guide.

Note: E9 on display is Eq mode.
Use the #s 1-8 and their respective knobs or buttons to adjust each parameter. It took me a couple times to get this!

Also read last step 3. to save or return to default values.

Hope this helps!