Help with Amp settings?

Sporin

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So I bought a Line 6 Spider IV 15w amp for my Eleuke and I've never been able to get a clean acoustic sound out of it.

I'm having the same exact issue with my new Islander and it's Pono Passive Pickup.

Even with all the dials down to off I still get reverb and phazer sound. I've tried every conceivable option of dial positions.

Any ideas? All I want is clean, clear, amplified ukulele sound.

SOUND SAMPLE: http://ukemafia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/sporinreverb.mp3

I'd like to be able to amplify for playing in church, possible future coffee house gigs, etc.

I'm about ready to put it up for sale and save up for a good acoustic-focused amp.

spideriv.jpg
 
Try holding the tap/tuner button down and see if the effects don't go away.

Excellent idea, I just tried it and it does make them go away but it also makes the amplification go away. Basically it just enters me into Tuning mode (which I don't use)
 
My ukes with active pickups an an eq are no problem. I just dial in the eq until the amp is clean, then adjust amp from there. For a cheap fix, check out Behringer eq on Amazon for use on your passive pickups
 
Try this. Turn the amp off. Push down on the "Clean" button and turn the amp on holding the "Clean" button down as it powers up. This brings the amps factory presets back. It is possible you may have somehow set a custom preset w/effects into the amp on the clean channel.

Factory Reset
Reset the factory programmed states by holding the Clean Channel button
down on power up. Warning: This will erase all your custom sounds,
so be sure you want to start fresh before you do it!
 
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Not sure if you're ready to look for a new amp, but I just got the same ukulele (MT-4 w/Pono pickup) and I just tried it outside (because I'd rather wake the neighbors than my family) through my 60w Fishman Loudbox Mini. To my simple ears, it sounded nice 'n' clean (and LOUD). The amp also has a mic and aux inputs, and is under 20 lbs. (and usually goes for $299).
 
Does the instruction manual give any suggestion? Maybe in the troubleshooting section?
 
I've gone through all the troubleshooting stuff in the manual and online. I've tried the reset as WhenDogsSing suggested previously, I'll try again today to make sure I did it right. I haven't actively set any presets as I don't know how to do that. :)
 
I purchased that very same amp along with a vox mini3. We also have a Vox-VT20. I never use the line 6 I leave it to my 10 yr old electric guitar rock, it is very crunchy sounding.
The vox amps have effects that give you distortion but also a great clean sound when you want it. I wish I could tell you what to do with the spider to get it to sound cleaner but I just don't think it is built for that.
Vox is good and clean and so is Rolland.. I hope you figure it out but if not. I am sure it will sell and you can replace it with an amp that will serve your needs. Marshall makes some good clean sounding amps too.
 
I had one of these Line 6 Spider IV 15 watt amps a while back. The "Clean" channel does give a very clean sound if it hasn't been preset with effects by the user. If the amplifier doesn't return to a true clean sound with no effects after trying the "reset to factory default" instructions in the operating manual, my guess is that the amplifier is defective and should be returned, if possible, for exchange or repair.
 
New discovery! The distortion matches the tap/tuner light pulses!!

I pulled off the 2 effects buttons to make sure they weren't assembled out of phase or something (making "off" not really off). but the way they connect there's really no other way for them to be.

I noticed when I strummed again I got clean sound but I had to have the master volume way up (normally I don't get it up past 1/4). I realized the tap/tuner light was completely off.

I turned the amp ff and on again and played with it some more and realized the unwanted reverb pulses exactly match the tap/tuner light's blinking.

Now if I can just figure out how to get it turned off and staying off.
 
Another update! I dug around the Line 6 Communtiy forums (very unintuative btw) but I found this...

Feb 1, 2012 6:10 PM
How do I get straight amplification (no effects) from a spider IV 15 amp?
I have turned all effect knobs down to zero, have it set on clean channel, and still I have echo and reverb sounds coming from the amp. I have performed the reset to factory presets, but to no avail, it doesn't change the sound. I am a rookie guitar player, just looking for clean amplification. Help!

You should not be getting BOTH echo and reverb, as they are on the same control circuit - one or the other. After selecting the Clean channel by hitting the A button, 'wake up' the B F/X knob by touching it, then turn it counter-clockwise down to Zero. If you are still getting an echo or reverb sound, then there is something defective in the amp and you will need to get it to an authorized service center: http://line6.com/service_centers/

So I tried this, turned on my amp, plugged in my uke, it was already ont eh clean channel and the effects knobs were both at zero. But the tap light was flashing and I was getting matching reverb on my strum. So I turned each effects knob up a bit then down to zero and the Tap light goes out and the reverb disappears!!!!
 
I cannot tell you what a relief this is, you guys have been a HUGE help in figuring this out and pointing me in the right directions. :)

I may still sell this at some point as I don't think I ned anything this big (I'm having a little buyer's remorse over the Roland MicroCube) but now at least I know I can hook this thing up and USE it. :)
 
After you get used to using it, you'll probably like it better than you would the Roland Microcube because it has a larger speaker that will provide you with a more fuller sound than the Roland.
 
Yeah, I'm definitely going to give it a chance now that I can get the sound I want out of it. I bought it because it was extremely well reviewed for the $100 amps.
 
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