no effects loop

WNxCarmine · July 27th, 2008, 04:33 AM

if your amp doesnt have an effects loop, does it really sound that bad going into the input jack?

MBradford6288 · July 27th, 2008, 06:57 AM

What kinda tone? What effects are you running? Running reverb into a high gain amp sounds awful, but running a delay into a clean or slightly driven amp sounds fine.

YMMV,
Matt

andrenighthound · July 27th, 2008, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBradford6288

What kinda tone? What effects are you running? Running reverb into a high gain amp sounds awful, but running a delay into a clean or slightly driven amp sounds fine.

YMMV,
Matt

can u explain your theory?

iim7v7im7 · July 27th, 2008, 10:34 AM

Hi,

My amplifier does not have an effects loop. For clean tones, I can use any effect in front of the amp (e.g. compressor, boost, OD, chorus, delay etc.). When I set the amp to be on the edge of distortion I do not use time domain based effects (e.g. chorus or delay). I use compressor, boost and OD and still use the amp's onboard reverb. Depending on how much distortion, I sometimes can get away with leaving the delay on, but I normally wouldn't recommend it.

I just have always felt that introducing an effects loop between the preamp and the amp has the potential to negatively impact the tone. On the other hand, many great amps have them and artists we love use them.

My $.02,

Bob

WNxCarmine · July 27th, 2008, 02:53 PM

like a wah or overdrive pedal

TeleBrew · July 28th, 2008, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WNxCarmine

if your amp doesnt have an effects loop, does it really sound that bad going into the input jack?

Does it sound bad to you? That's what really matters.

franchelB · July 28th, 2008, 07:29 PM

I only use the effects loop for my modulation and time-based effects, like chorus, flange, phaser, delay, and reverb. It's used to keep the effects' noise to a minimum.
I plug in my compressor, wah, eq, and my "boosters", like overdrive and distortion "in line" (between the guitar and amp.

RodeoTex · July 28th, 2008, 09:14 PM

Where should a wah pedal be: inline or loop?

Tim Bowen · July 29th, 2008, 02:58 AM

Most folks like wahs early in the chain, after the guitar, not in a loop. There can be some impedance issues when running in tandem with a fuzz, but there are ways around that as well.

Running time-based effects into the loop will surely present a cleaner effected signal, but I have to admit that there has always been something about this approach that's bugged my ear. I guess I'm a hopeless old school guy... most of the records from yesteryear that sound really cool are caveman style, effects straight in. For me though, it's not about retro principle, it's the way it sounds and feels, and I have loads of disclaimers... for starters, time-based effects straight into a multiple gain stage amp sounds like ass... the clipping is of the unpleasant variety.

Anymore, I like playing vintage-style amps that don't have loops anyway, but we're not talking triple rectumfrier grind, we're talking light overdrive. An analog delay merging with the front end of a lightly overdriven tube amp has always sounded cooler to me than does the loop approach. Even the very best sounding digitals can yield artifacts at stage volumes, regardless of routing approaches, which is why I've shied away from them over the years. Similarly, I want pedal trems and choruses and modulators with loads of headroom and fidelity, as they'll be ran 'straight in'.

Silverface · July 29th, 2008, 06:59 PM

Up until the late 70's/early 80's there were NO effects loops - they were really introduced with high-gain amps and some solid-state designs. The idea is to do all your tone shaping - wah, OD, distortion, fuzz (all different effects and incorrect names often used) and such before smacking the signal with huge amounts of gain, then adding time-based effects (reverb, delay, flange, chorus) in the loop to lower noise levels.

In lower gain applications it really doesn't matter, and we played even modded high-gain amps with no loops for years without any problem.

IF you HAVE a loop, try it with the time-stuff in the loop. You may like it that way. If you don't, don't use it.

There's no "rule" that says you must put certain effects only in the loop.

It seems that fewer amps have effects loops nowadays - again, except for extremely high-gain or SS designs where noise could be a problem.

If you play clean you can ignore the loop completely.

July 27th, 2008, 04:33 AM	#1 (permalink)
WNxCarmine TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Provo, Utah Age: 28 Posts: 45	no effects loop if your amp doesnt have an effects loop, does it really sound that bad going into the input jack?

July 27th, 2008, 06:57 AM	#2 (permalink)
MBradford6288 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 141	What kinda tone? What effects are you running? Running reverb into a high gain amp sounds awful, but running a delay into a clean or slightly driven amp sounds fine. YMMV, Matt __________________ Classical music is the kind we keep thinking will turn into a tune. -Kin Hubbard (1868 - 1930) Music makes one feel so romantic - at least it always gets on one's nerves - which is the same thing nowadays. -Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)

July 27th, 2008, 10:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
iim7v7im7 TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: New Jersey, USA Posts: 53 23 Photos	Hi, My amplifier does not have an effects loop. For clean tones, I can use any effect in front of the amp (e.g. compressor, boost, OD, chorus, delay etc.). When I set the amp to be on the edge of distortion I do not use time domain based effects (e.g. chorus or delay). I use compressor, boost and OD and still use the amp's onboard reverb. Depending on how much distortion, I sometimes can get away with leaving the delay on, but I normally wouldn't recommend it. I just have always felt that introducing an effects loop between the preamp and the amp has the potential to negatively impact the tone. On the other hand, many great amps have them and artists we love use them. My $.02, Bob __________________ CS Nocaster>Vovox Cables>Ibanez TS-808HW>AM KOTv.4>Lizardleg Flying Dragon>AM Mini Chorus>T-Rex Replica>Allen Accomplice>1 x 12" Scholz Sugarcone or Heritage Sweet 16> Zaolla Cable>Acoustic Image Clarus IIR>Raezers Edge Nighhawk 10 ER

July 28th, 2008, 07:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
franchelB Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Irving, United States of Texas! Age: 43 Posts: 1,862	I only use the effects loop for my modulation and time-based effects, like chorus, flange, phaser, delay, and reverb. It's used to keep the effects' noise to a minimum. I plug in my compressor, wah, eq, and my "boosters", like overdrive and distortion "in line" (between the guitar and amp. __________________ Feel free to visit my homepage! http://www.myspace.com/francisbalagtas

July 28th, 2008, 09:14 PM	#8 (permalink)
RodeoTex Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,294	Where should a wah pedal be: inline or loop? __________________ Turn it on, turn it up, turn me loose.

July 27th, 2008, 02:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
WNxCarmine TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Provo, Utah Age: 28 Posts: 45	like a wah or overdrive pedal

July 29th, 2008, 02:58 AM	#9 (permalink)
Tim Bowen Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Age: 48 Posts: 3,319	Most folks like wahs early in the chain, after the guitar, not in a loop. There can be some impedance issues when running in tandem with a fuzz, but there are ways around that as well. Running time-based effects into the loop will surely present a cleaner effected signal, but I have to admit that there has always been something about this approach that's bugged my ear. I guess I'm a hopeless old school guy... most of the records from yesteryear that sound really cool are caveman style, effects straight in. For me though, it's not about retro principle, it's the way it sounds and feels, and I have loads of disclaimers... for starters, time-based effects straight into a multiple gain stage amp sounds like ass... the clipping is of the unpleasant variety. Anymore, I like playing vintage-style amps that don't have loops anyway, but we're not talking triple rectumfrier grind, we're talking light overdrive. An analog delay merging with the front end of a lightly overdriven tube amp has always sounded cooler to me than does the loop approach. Even the very best sounding digitals can yield artifacts at stage volumes, regardless of routing approaches, which is why I've shied away from them over the years. Similarly, I want pedal trems and choruses and modulators with loads of headroom and fidelity, as they'll be ran 'straight in'. __________________ "Everyone is different in how they learn, but for me, it's turning the pegs and just playing." - BB

July 29th, 2008, 06:59 PM	#10 (permalink)
Silverface Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hermosa Beach CA Age: 56 Posts: 1,924	Up until the late 70's/early 80's there were NO effects loops - they were really introduced with high-gain amps and some solid-state designs. The idea is to do all your tone shaping - wah, OD, distortion, fuzz (all different effects and incorrect names often used) and such before smacking the signal with huge amounts of gain, then adding time-based effects (reverb, delay, flange, chorus) in the loop to lower noise levels. In lower gain applications it really doesn't matter, and we played even modded high-gain amps with no loops for years without any problem. IF you HAVE a loop, try it with the time-stuff in the loop. You may like it that way. If you don't, don't use it. There's no "rule" that says you must put certain effects only in the loop. It seems that fewer amps have effects loops nowadays - again, except for extremely high-gain or SS designs where noise could be a problem. If you play clean you can ignore the loop completely. __________________ “No Chops – Great Tone” ©