Still slightly mystified by this..
I can understand why an effects loop on an amp could be very useful if it's parallel - you can mix the dry and wet sound to your liking. But my JC90 is series. Whats the point of the loop? Just curious what circumstances would make you put certain effects pedals on the loop as opposed to straight it?
Does the preamp interact with some effects and not others? The pre-amp is obviously the factor but why?
"In my dreams your blowin' me... some kisses" - Lets Duet - Dewford Randolph Cox
Found this little article that may answer your questions.
Effects loops give you the opportunity to plug effects between the preamp and the power amp. This is best for modulation (phaser, flanger, chorus, pitch shifting) and delay effects because it allows them to effect the distorted signal as opposed to the preamp distorting them. It also runs a line-level signal, instead of instrument, which works better with most rack mount effects. (Distortions and boosters, etc, usually work better going straight into the guiatr input where they can affect the preamp gain)
Most have output jacks that run to the effects and input that run back to the amp. Regular guitar cable is good to use for these jacks. A few have one stereo jack that has both input and output and require a stereo-plugged "Y" guitar cable with one cable running as the input, one as the output.
Serial effects loops run directly between the preamp and power amp, parallel ones allow you to mix the "wet" loop signal with the "dry" preamp signal.
You may also run the preamp signal out of the effects loop into the effects input of another amp to get a "slaved amp" effect or just to use different preamps with different power amps.
There is no "wrong" way to set effects up before the amp, in the effects loop or both. You just have to experiment with what you like best. Many effects, wah and chorus for example, will sound more dominate in the effects loop. This could be desired or not. I run my wah and Micro-Vibe into the guitar input (slightly overdriven for rhythm), because I like how the preamp's O/D softens, or delutes, each of them. I keep my O/D and Fuzz pedals before each though, so the wah and Vibe and affect and fatten the fuzz tones. I keep my chorus and echo in the effects loop both because I like the way they affect all that comes before it, but also because they are both picky vintage pieces and work better with the line-level signal.
Here is another article on the subject.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Really interesting reads. Apparently there is no right or wrong way. But it brings up some questions..
- The second article mentioned the outputinput on fx loops and how they vary. My JC is -10dBM which is apparently geared for pedals. 'Line-level' inputoutput is geared more towards rack effects. Do people buy amps with this as a consideration, or do they just compensate somehow and wing it?
- The second article also mentioned where the distortion is in your chain makes a huge difference. You play clean, effects location doesn't matter much. But lets say you rely on the distortion of a tube amp (preamp?) as opposed to pedals, it safe to say the loop becomes alot more important on where you use effects on a tube?
domo
"In my dreams your blowin' me... some kisses" - Lets Duet - Dewford Randolph Cox
BillyBoy
I am sure many people do take the effects loop into consideration when purchasing an amp. Myself, I've never really used the effects loop much, just experimented. I just run all my pedals into the instrument input on my amp. For me, it's just a little too much hassle to have distortions and overdrives going into the instrument input and then have the modulation effects going through the loop. If I didn't have to constantly transport and setup my rig, maybe I would do it that way. So everybody is different.
I think the most important thing to consider when setting up your effects is how the order would affect them. That article said for example that you don't want to send a modulation effect like chorus into the preamp, because then the preamp distortion would affect it. But with the chorus in the loop, the chorus effect is added to the sound after preamp distortion. The effect would probably be cleaner. Makes good sense. But there are no rules on this stuff, experiment to find sounds you like. There is no real right or wrong to this. I will often add a Wah pedal last in my chain of effects. It is usually recommended to be first. But I just like the way it sounds at the end. :D
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
