Amplifier Effects Loops

mezzio13 · Post by **mezzio13** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:54 pm

This thought ocurred to me as I was watching the RP1000 demo Mike posted; I have never even pluggec into the FX loop on my Carvin, nor any other amps that I have owned with such a thing. I always put what ever was on the floor through the input and called it a day. What are the advantages/disadvantages of using them?

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:24 pm

For like modulation effects and delay, you get the sound after the amp's preamp section adds distortion or otherwise colours your sound etc.... also, try running a boost through that shit for an amazing volume boost that will kill yuo.

WITHOUT FX LOOP
guitar > FX> preamp > poweramp

WITH FX LOOP
guitar > preamp > FX > power amp

mezzio13 · Post by **mezzio13** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:40 pm

Ah, pretty much as I figured. I just remember the first time I saw one all of my meathead highschool guitar buddies were all saying, "man those are tone killers*", and I never fucked with it.

* since that was before the internet was invented, the spelling is mostly right.

endsjustifymeans · Post by **endsjustifymeans** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:41 pm

I was wondering what the crap the was for on my Sunn...

So effects should go in there, not in the input?

mezzio13 · Post by **mezzio13** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:55 pm

Pretty much like Sloan said, drives, distortions & such before the amp, swirly stuff like delays and choruses go in the effects loop.

Typically isn't amp distortion done in the preamp? So even that would be before stuff in the effects loop.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:55 pm

ARTICLE B0MB

http://www.stinkfoot.se/andreas/diy/articles/loop.htm

Will · Post by **Will** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:06 pm

I like Tremolo and delay in the loop. Trem gets deeper cause it's not being compressed by the preamp; delay decays more naturally for the same reason. Never much cared for any thing else in the loop.

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:50 pm

Some amps give you a choice of level for the FX loop, some don't. That can cause problems if your effect can't cope with line level input.

Also, often the FX loop is after the master volume so any FX noise comes out at full volume no matter what level you're playing at. You may want to make sure you have some kind of volume control before the FX return if your amp is like that.

I built a box that provides a pre-master-volume FX loop for my HH amp, but I still have the line level input problem on the Behringer Rotary Machine RM600 pedal, so I might include an option to drop the level out to the effect and boost it back up again on return.