I was just thinking about this. I've always assumed that pedals in front of the amp will suck more tone due to impedance problems than those in the loop. My reasoning was that the signal from the pickups is really low and the signal from the preamp section is higher so would be less impacted. Anyone know if this is correct?
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Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
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Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
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Originally posted by Douglas AdamsThis planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.Tags: None
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Re: Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
Probably not, but effects loops were made for line level rack effects. A lot of regular stomp boxes are expecting instrument level effects.
I run all my pedals in front of the amp. (My amp has delay and reverb and things you would run in a FX loop). I don’t have any loss of tone.
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Re: Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
Originally posted by GuitarStv View PostI was just thinking about this. I've always assumed that pedals in front of the amp will suck more tone due to impedance problems than those in the loop. My reasoning was that the signal from the pickups is really low and the signal from the preamp section is higher so would be less impacted. Anyone know if this is correct?
If you have enough effects in front of the amp without a buffer, it'll absolutely suck tone. A buffer converts the guitar's high impedance signal to low impedance which eliminates tone suck, the trade-off is that it sounds different than plugging straight into the amp.
You can also run into tone suck in the loop if the levels are hot and your pedal isn't expecting that. The loop in my Marshall Jubilee 2555 is like that; the level is really hot, so many stomp boxes sound like a** while rack effects are fine. Buffered loops typically offer a better regulated level than the 2555's extremely primitive loop; in some cases it's even adjustable.Last edited by dystrust; 09-22-2019, 10:39 PM.Originally posted by crusty philtrumAnd that's probably because most people with electric guitars seem more interested in their own performance rather than the effect on the listener ... in fact i don't think many people who own electric guitars even give a poop about the effect on a listener. Which is why many people play electric guitars but very very few of them are actually musicians.
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Re: Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
I've been re-building my pedal collection the last few weeks. Not extensive by any means, but if I plug into all of them (couple fuzzes, volume, wah, couple ODs, delay/verb), there's a very little bit of high end rolled off. If I increase the treble on the amp very slightly, it sounds fine. If I don't, it still sounds fine, just not as bright.“I can play the hell out of a riff. The rest of it’s all bulls**t anyway,” Gary Holt
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Re: Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
I just think well-designed pedals don't do it in either place. Other than vintage pedals, there is always a quieter, better sounding modern option out there.Administrator of the SDUGF
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Re: Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
Originally posted by chadd View PostMy Mesa has two loops and I can turn them off when they aren't in use, so the pedals don't have impact on tone when they aren't in use.Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!
Originally posted by Douglas AdamsThis planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.
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Re: Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
Originally posted by Mincer View PostI just think well-designed pedals don't do it in either place. Other than vintage pedals, there is always a quieter, better sounding modern option out there.
Throw a buffer in and you’re all good.
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Re: Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
My effects loop in the back of my Mesa is parallel, so the signal doesn't go completely through the effects. I never use it, though- I just set it clean (the only channel) and put the effects in front, and get on to playin'.Administrator of the SDUGF
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Re: Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
Originally posted by Mincer View PostMy effects loop in the back of my Mesa is parallel, so the signal doesn't go completely through the effects. I never use it, though- I just set it clean (the only channel) and put the effects in front, and get on to playin'.Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!
Originally posted by Douglas AdamsThis planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.
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Re: Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
I think if the pedal has tone "suck" that outweighs pedal benefit I just don't use it. I don't know that I have ever had this problem enough to care.Originally posted by Bad City
He's got the crowd on his side and the blue jean lights in his eyes...
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Re: Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
Originally posted by Aceman View PostI think if the pedal has tone "suck" that outweighs pedal benefit I just don't use it. I don't know that I have ever had this problem enough to care.
I used a homemade distortion pedal when I started out. My dad’s friend converted some old way into a really buzzy sounding fuzz. Aside from that, I’ve never had a pedal that made me worry about suckage.“I can play the hell out of a riff. The rest of it’s all bulls**t anyway,” Gary Holt
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Re: Do pedals in the loop suck tone as much as pedals in front of the loop?
Originally posted by GuitarStv View PostThat's a pretty cool feature. I've used loop pedals like that so I could kick on three or four effects all at the same time with a single foot switch and it really simplifies playing. My experience is that it can make setup a bit more complicated though. . .
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