Delay in front of the amp?

[Mllerrin]

If I simply switch to the clean channel will it not matter if my Delay is in the effects loop? Or will it still sound like crap?

I ask because I really don't want to pay more for the 50w Head Version of my amp. I like the idea of being able to leave an extension cab at practice, but still bring an amp home to practice with easily.

I heard an idea of using a Hotplate as a load box but that requires me getting a power amp, not to mention the hotplate itself. I don't want to mod the amp.

Any suggestions?

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Delay in front of the amp?

I like having a delay infront of distortion now and again, but it all depends on you you use it. It seems to be better with mild gain. You have to keep the level and # of repeat settings WAY down or it just sounds like a wall of distorted echos . . . if you play around with it for a while though you can get some cool sounds.

The echo will sound pretty much the same if you're on the clean channel either infront of the amp or in the loop.

 

[J Moose]

Re: Delay in front of the amp?

I heard an idea of using a Hotplate as a load box but that requires me getting a power amp, not to mention the hotplate itself. I don't want to mod the amp.

Any suggestions?

Huh?

You don't need a power amp to go with a Hotplate or any kind of soak... they go between the power amp (or speaker outs) & cabinet.

Overall, none of your questions are that clear...

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Delay in front of the amp?

Huh?

You don't need a power amp to go with a Hotplate or any kind of soak... they go between the power amp (or speaker outs) & cabinet.

Overall, none of your questions are that clear...

He's saying to use the Hotplate to completely attenuate the signal, then take the line tap out to a delay, then to another power amp. That is far too involved.

Try some analog voiced delays, and as GuitarStv said, watch those levels. If you can find a box to get your distortion, into the delay, into the mostly clean amp, it should sound good. I can not stand a crisp digital delay into a distorting amp, nor any delay into a heavily distorted amp. But in your case, you have to do what you have to do.

 

[Mllerrin]

Re: Delay in front of the amp?

I don't plan on using the delay while the distortion is on at all. Only for clean, although I was planning on a DL4 and looping lines that are distorted but I don't think that really matters.

I'm planning on a Verbzilla to added a little reverb, and add a little flavor to my solos.

 

[scottish]

Re: Delay in front of the amp?

let me just ask a rookie question here about delay since i have never played around with one for more than 2 mins:

from this post i get that:

delay -> distorted amp = bad
delay -> clean amp = good

so how about distortion/od ie a ts9 -> delay -> clean amp?

once again, forgive the probable retardedness of this question

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Delay in front of the amp?

delay -> distorted amp = bad
delay -> clean amp = good

I think this is over-simplifying. Plenty of players have gotten great sounds with delays in front of dirty tube amps. Jimmy Page, Pat Travers, Andy Summers - none of those guys had fancy effects loops in their Marshalls.

I think the thing to remember with delays in front of tube amps (and in this case I mean overdriven tube amps) is that tube amps compress the sound - the difference between loud and soft is reduced vs. how it would sound from a clean amp. When you generate echos in front of the amp, the volume difference between the dry guitar signal and the echos is reduced by amp compression. The tube amp's compression is effectively making the echos louder with respect to the straight guitar. So, to get the right amount of decay, you'll probably run the echo's mix control LOWER on a tube amp that you would on a clean amp.

This is OK on a single-channel amp, whether it's dirty or clean. Just set the echo level where you like it and play.

The problem arises when you put the delay in front of a channel-switching amp. The mix setting for the dirty channel will likely sound all wrong when you switch to the clean channel, and vice-versa. So, you're better off with delay in the loop on a multi-channel amp.

I've been mucking around with dirt boxes lately, into a single-channel Marshall clone that contributes a good bit of my distortion. So far, I'm finding that putting the dirt boxes before the delays, then into the amp works pretty well, and I see no need for an effects loop.

 

[J Moose]

Re: Delay in front of the amp?

He's saying to use the Hotplate to completely attenuate the signal, then take the line tap out to a delay, then to another power amp. That is far too involved.

Oh.

Ok.

In that case using a 'soak' like the Hotplate is the ENTIRELY wrong piece of gear for that kind of thing anyway.

It'd be a good way to blow a lot of stuff up though!!!

Those are meant for speaker levels only, not line level and certainlly NOT guitar level gear!

 

[Bludave]

Re: Delay in front of the amp?

I play thru 2 amps. One has a loop and one doesn't. The amp that has no loop obviously is in front and as long as I keep the gain/volume under control its OK.

 

[aleclee]

Re: Delay in front of the amp?

In that case using a 'soak' like the Hotplate is the ENTIRELY wrong piece of gear for that kind of thing anyway.

It'd be a good way to blow a lot of stuff up though!!!

Those are meant for speaker levels only, not line level and certainlly NOT guitar level gear!

Actually, it works great. There's a line out on the HP that you can run through the FX and into another amp.