# FX loop level drop
**URL:** https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/fx-loop-level-drop/17269
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [February 12, 2025, 10:42pm UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/fx-loop-level-drop/17269 "2025-02-12T22:42:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@frnak](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/frnak)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2025, 10:42pm UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/fx-loop-level-drop/17269/1 "2025-02-12T22:42:27Z")
I’m a brand new Quad Cortex user so hoping I’m just doing something wrong or there’s a setting I’m missing. I’m testing external pedals in the loop, and no matter what I do I get a massive level drop when I engage the fx loop 1 on snd/rtn 1 (same when I do it in stereo on 1+2). Now I’ve isolated the issue to the QC by just running a patch cable from the send straight to the return, and I get the same level drop. I’ve even pumped up the return level to +12db, which I’m sure I shouldn’t need to do.
Any ideas? I’ve read through other similar issues but don’t see any solution that fits my case…
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### Author:  [@frnak](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/frnak)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2025, 10:59pm UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/fx-loop-level-drop/17269/2 "2025-02-12T22:59:23Z")
Ok I think this was a matter of dialling in the return level in the Cortex Control, which is separate from the one I can set on the block and I didn’t know about.
Is it indicative of some kind of issue on my end that I need to set it to +6db on the global level, and +6db on the block level to get unity going through the loops?
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### Author:  [@bluzdog](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/bluzdog)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2025, 4:08am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/fx-loop-level-drop/17269/3 "2025-02-13T04:08:35Z")
you can adjust all levels in the I/O settings on the QC by using two fingers and pulling down from the top of the screen if you want to do it without using Cortex Control.
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### Author:  [@SelfTitledLP](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/SelfTitledLP)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2025, 7:07am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/fx-loop-level-drop/17269/4 "2025-02-13T07:07:39Z")
that’s very strange since the FX loop on the QC is actually known to boost the signal, so I find myself keeping the volume lower on it. There’s a specific level people have found in this forum for the volume boost it usually has.
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### Author:  [@frnak](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/frnak)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2025, 8:53am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/fx-loop-level-drop/17269/5 "2025-02-13T08:53:28Z")
Good to know, thanks!
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### Author:  [@frnak](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/frnak)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2025, 8:54am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/fx-loop-level-drop/17269/6 "2025-02-13T08:54:14Z")
> [@SelfTitledLP](#):
>
> the FX loop on the QC is actually known to boost the signal
Yeah that’s why I’m wondering if this is indicative of some kind of hardware issue.
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### Author:  [@SelfTitledLP](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/SelfTitledLP)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2025, 2:33am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/fx-loop-level-drop/17269/7 "2025-02-14T02:33:37Z")
It’s possible. I feel like most people asking about the fx loops usually need to turn it down because of the clipping it could cause from boosting the signal
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### Author:  [@MP\_Mod](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/MP_Mod)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2025, 4:04pm UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/fx-loop-level-drop/17269/8 "2025-03-03T16:04:47Z")
@frnak , can this thread be closed now? It appears you discovered your PS was not set to the correct voltage etc? Thanks!