But What IS Negative Feedback?! [HX 3.6 Elmsley]

Cooked up an hx stomp preset showing off the extremes of what you can do with the Line 6 Elmsley model in Helix 3.6. The Negative Feedback control allows you to dial in or out that "hi-fi" kind of EQ that Negative Feedback gives you.
Download the preset: www.buymeacoffee.com/bradspau...

[@KleyDeJong]

Good Stuff Bradley! I have designed and built several tube amps. Negative Feedback (NFB) is a really useful tool and is found in MANY classic tube amp designs.
Think of the guitar signal traveling through a guitar amp like water flowing downstream in a river. NFB takes the river current at the very end (the speaker output jack / Output Transformer secondary) and then trenches a path back and around that joins the river somewhere in the midstream. So you're allowing some of the signal to fold back on itself.
You are accurate that the end result is to reduce gain, but it also helps flatten the frequency response so the amp is less mid spiked and more hi fi / flat in nature. It also changes the onset of distortion. Amps with lots of NFB stay cleaner longer, whereas no NFB distorts earlier and more gradually.
Presence and Depth controls are interesting because they basically place tone stack controls (like bass and treble) within the NFB loop. So you're adjusting how much of the signal is allowed to feedback at different levels throughout the EQ spectrum. With presence at 10 and depth at 0 you are allowing none of the high frequencies to feedback and be suppressed, but allowing lots of bass frequencies to feedback and be suppressed.
A 5E3 Tweed Deluxe is a classic example of an amp that has NO NFB at all. A Silverface Fender Twin Reverb is an amp with high NFB. I personally love making NFB variable either with a pot or a switch. It is a very simple mod that can really make a simple amp more versatile while not sacrificing any tonal purity.

[@ksharpe10]

Interesting, would like to know more of what was in the Silverface Twin that did the NFB, was it to do with the Master Volume control??? I had one of the 1st year Twins 1973, that had the master vol. control, mine did not PUSH/Pull, it was useful with that powerful an amp. for small gigs, and Basement playing of course, If I cranked an amp. like that, my Father would have Thrown me outta the house for sure.

[@benburnett8109]

Excellent description.

[@GCKelloch]

If the amp section is compressing and generating harmonics, doesn't GNFB just reduce the generated harmonics without reducing the compression? Might it increase compression?

[@KleyDeJong]

@@ksharpe10 It is controlled by the value of resistor used in the nfb loop.

[@ksharpe10]

@@KleyDeJong THANKS.

[@olzzonscorner]

Great sound 😊 And nice to hear others using this amp. It's really one of my favorites. And while the NFB does it's things, the parallel distortion also helps it keeping the clarity in the bottom end, and being able to "sparkle" 😊

[@benburnett8109]

"negative feedback" is actually the result of a bad video. Like if more people dislike your video than like it; it is considered "negative feedback" It has nothing to do with The Helix. Or this Elmsley that you speak of.
Great playing. Your channel popped up in my feed and and I'm glad it did.

[@bradspaulding]

😂👏👏 hopefully that’s turned down for THIS video 😬

[@paulschlachter4313]

The Elmsley's negative feedback doesn't sound like it would on a normal tube amp. No negative feedback makes a power amp sound scooped - high negative feedback makes it neutral sounding. The Elmsley does the opposite of that and weird things in the middle.
Bias is also weird on this amp.

[@bradspaulding]

This is contrary to my own experience and the research I've done, but I'm no expert! 🤷🏻

[@ksharpe10]

Nice DEMO, why does no one mention that this is obviously a FRUIT name amp. model??? iS there some Taboo going on, no mention of real names??? IS there a Mezatone/magnatone in the FRACTAL with all those Amp. models I would think one could be. would love to hear a demo of one, if there is: Think Neil Young Cowgirls in the Sand sound. Very Metallicy/glassy sound. KILLER FOR BLUES, esp. using the pitch vib/trem.

[@bradspaulding]

TBH...I had no idea what flavor this was... 🙈

[@JInfinity7]

Line 6 avoids the real names so they don't get sued

[@ksharpe10]

@@bradspaulding The Current designer of ORANGE amps. hence the Fruit name I said. Brad Where are you???

[@jwuonog]

I had no idea it was an Orange. I thought the "Mandarin" was the Orange-based amp and the Elmsley was a Line6 original that can't really exist in real life. I could be wrong and getting it confused with one of their other newer amps....

[@ksharpe10]

@@jwuonog I only guessed it, because the Orange amp. designer is named Aimsley, It may not be, either way it keeps them from being in any trouble.