Basic newb questions

GN gurus-

- Input jacks on the front. There's a High and Low. In the owners manual High is described as 'standard guitar output', Low is for 'very high output instruments'. Is there any scenario where guitar would be considered 'very high output', like if you have a bunch of pedals in front? The difference is not real clear.

I don't know much about the high & low input jacks except that when I bought my ESP Ltd with active pickups I was told to use the low input. I can't tell you why as it wasn't explained to me.

- My Roland has an effects loop ( 1 send, 2 return stereo ). I've been reading that people put some effects directly after the guitar then some on the loop: what does the loop do? Sounds like it's just a pass-through for the dry signal anyway. What am I missing. Why not daisy chain everything and plug in the front?

You put effects directly in the signal chain when you want to affect the entire signal. IE: compressors/gate. These are most effective when the entire signal is affected.....heh. For example. If you're using a gate to eliminate the hum while you're not playing, It would be pointless if only part of the signal was gated.

Effects loops allow you to controll the amount of effect that is added to the signal while allowing you to maintain the integrity and the tone of the original signal. This is best for delay and modulation effects with the exception of wah or Leslie emulators.
- How do you get stereo input back in on the return loop with stomp boxes daisy chained with single patch cords? It does say Mono on one, but what would both loop stereo returns be used for?

You can't get stereo return with a mono effect or mono effects return. These are great if you have a stereo delay(IE:ping pong delay). Many choruses as well work in stereo.

You put effects directly in the signal chain when you want to affect the entire signal. IE: compressors/gate. These are most effective when the entire signal is affected.....heh. For example. If you're using a gate to eliminate the hum while you're not playing, It would be pointless if only part of the signal was gated.

Effects loops allow you to controll the amount of effect that is added to the signal while allowing you to maintain the integrity and the tone of the original signal. This is best for delay and modulation effects with the exception of wah or Leslie emulators.

Makes sense.. sorta. How about an example: my assumption is if you have pedals directly in the chain, and pedals plugged into the effects loop, they are all in the chain all the time anyway before the sound is 'amplified'. Or do the pedals in the loop get bypassed, say if there not 'on'?
You can't get stereo return with a mono effect or mono effects return. These are great if you have a stereo delay(IE:ping pong delay). Many choruses as well work in stereo.

Interesting, didn't know there were effects with stereo outs, I found some chorus and flange stomp boxes with dual outs.

Thanks for replies everyone.

GN gurus-

- Input jacks on the front. There's a High and Low. In the owners manual High is described as 'standard guitar output', Low is for 'very high output instruments'. Is there any scenario where guitar would be considered 'very high output', like if you have a bunch of pedals in front? The difference is not real clear.

I don't know much about the high & low input jacks except that when I bought my ESP Ltd with active pickups I was told to use the low input. I can't tell you why as it wasn't explained to me.

The output from active guitar pups is more akin to that of an electronic instrument (e.g., keys), and it can be very close a line-level spec (IIRC, something <1k ohm output impedance and as much as 2 Vp-p into a 10k ohm load [audio input]). That is appropriate for the "Low" amp input if one wants to avoid overdriving the input to the amp -- in this case, a reasonable assumption for a Roland Jazz Chorus amp. The "High" input is tailored to passive guitar pups which have several k ohms output impedance and generally "like to see" a load approaching 1 M ohm.

For the for the active EMGs, using the Low input will prevent severe overdriving of the amplifier's input (preamp stage), which might not sound so nice if a solid state amp, as is the Roland JC.

Passive guitar pup signals can be converted to the equivalent of line-level signals by an effects pedal, but especially for newer pedals -- many of which have true bypass, this is only while the effect is "on". Obviously, no one switches amp inputs depending upon pedals' on/off states, so common sense prevails: If it sounds good in "high" under all playing conditions you favor, then use "High" ... and if "Low" is better, go that way. Just don't crank the amp WAY up while testing your sound versus configurations.

Or do the pedals in the loop get bypassed, say if there not 'on'?

Absolutely. The effects loop would be considered a "true" bypass. Again maintaining your signal integrity and most importantly, your tone.

Or do the pedals in the loop get bypassed, say if there not 'on'?

Absolutely. The effects loop would be considered a "true" bypass. Again maintaining your signal integrity and most importantly, your tone.

Almost there.. thank you for your patience. :lol: Not sure I'm phrasing the question right, but..

What triggers whether the effects loop is used or not? The original signal goes in the front - but if you have anything plugged in the effects loop, doesnt the amp pass your signal through the loop first, even if any pedals you have are off?

What would be the difference between putting all the pedals in front to begin with?

Or does the amp shape the sound first, with any settingseffects on the amp, before sending to the effects loop?

I may have answered my own dumb question.

Think of the effects loop as a rest stop on a highway. Some "cars" may go to the rest stop to relieve themselves or whatever but the rest of the cars just keep on goin. It's like a secondary signal path similar to an auxiliary send on a mixing console.

Basically, the idea is to put any effects, which boost or distort the signal (compressor, overdrive, etc), before the pre-amp - the pre-amp is, itself, an "effect that boosts or distorts the signal" - and any that modulate the signal (e.g. echo, delay, flanger, etc) after the pre-amp (in the effects loop).

https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=227

EDIT: The article got to the heart of my question -

"Some amps have a series others a parallel effect loop. With a series effect loop, the guitar signal (=your sound) comes from the preamp of your amp, "leaves" your amp through the send jack, runs through the inserted effect and comes back through the return jack. 100% of your signal goes through the effect. Many people have found that their sound suffers (great tube amps and - perhaps cheaper - digital effects => maybe loss of sound).

The solution was the parallel loop: with the control, you control how much of your original signal leaves the amp and passes through the effect. The "remaining" signal stays in your amp, preserving much of your sound, and is "joined" again by the signal coming back from the effect, now with effects on it. So you can mix the dry (without effect) and the wet (with effects) signals"

So, since my Roland JC has no control for 'mixing' the loop, it's a series effects loop? And what's happenig is..

guitar -> amp input -> amp pre-amp -> effects loop -> speaker out. And any sound coloring on the amp itself (EQ, effects, etc) would color your sound at the pre-amp stage before going to the effects loop -> speaker out?

Sorry I'm beating this to death, but understanding the order is key to experiementing with all the toys I'm buying..:)

So, since my Roland JC has no control for 'mixing' the loop, it's a series effects loop?

yep