Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

What makes the most sense to me is a line selecter/looper pedal. They're true bypss, so your guitar goes straight to the amp, you hit the pedal and your effect chain is added (meaning you can preset pedals to be on). More uses than an effects loop and when the effects are off you have true bypass again!! WOW!

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

So, Rid are you saying that you dont like any of your pedals in the EFX loop, even delay, but you always run your pedals with a buffer first in line?

 

[aleclee]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

Line level and parallel!!

Line level? Whatever. As for parallel loops, there are some processors where you don't want any dry signal passing (e.g., EQ) and the latency in some digital processors gives you a lovely comb filter effect when used in a parallel loop.

Effects loops?! NEVER! Run everything straight in! Think about it: you've got a couple gain stages in your amp to gradually increase the gain and tailor the sound, then you drop it all the way back down in one stage to send, and all the way back up again on the return.

I've never used an effects loop. Ever.

There are a lot of people who think that FX like delay and modulation sound like doo doo when applied before overdrive. Maybe putting everything up front works for you but there are good reasons to run FX post-distortion.

There is no advantage to using tubes in such an application to the best of my knowledge.

The rationale is that the pickups see the same type of load that they have when run straight into an amp. I'll grant you that if the buffer doesn't color the tone (bad assumption but that's a different discussion for a different day) there's no difference between the output of a tube buffer or SS buffer but a lot of folks believe that the tone of a pickup loaded by a tube input stage is noticeably different from one loaded by a transistor or op-amp.

 

[Mephis]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

Loops where made for linelevel stuff, that is running parallel...well if it is going to sound any good though!!
Pedals have no buisness in a loop as far as I am concerned, unless something in and output is being added to the pedal, plus correct impedance!

I took your advice and put all my pedals on the front end.

Wow, it does sound a lot better!

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

Aleclee, finally someone that sees it my way. Delay and reverb sound like garbage into an amp with any gain. For all you pedal gain people maybe it's fine but I actually like my amp's gain and therefore need a good effect loop to put delay in. Since Mesa designed it correctly with adjustable send and return levels I have nothing to worry about, it sounds fine with pedals.

(I do prefer phase and chorus before distortion, but to suggest someone shouldn't be able to put a chorus pedal in the loop is ignorant. Effects loops should be versatile enough to accomodate them)

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

Delay and reverb sound like garbage into an amp with any gain.

The only instance in which I'd disagree is if you're doing that Dead Kennedys thing, where you put the delay pre-gain, so the repeats clean up. Otherwise, when you're going for "traditional" uses of them, of course delay, reverb, and mod effects go in a loop.

 

[Young Angus]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

Messed up??
Maybe they just made it the way they should??
Line level and parallel!!
I think guitar players had a collective blackout....nobody remember the 80's??
Racks, linemixers, CAE ruling the world!!
As Joelap pointed out, the internal signal is at linelevels, and has a different impedance, why degrade that to seriel at mere musiclevels??
That is not going to get one "good" sounds, not if you compare it to how it should be!

This sounds like why Mr. Soldano made his SLO's only with the effects loop at line-level (did I get it right?) which is why the loop doesn't like pedals much.

I actually just had my SLO's loop modded so that it could take normal pedals (I only want to use a delay) in the loop...who here thinks (or knows) that this will degrade the tone of my SLO?

 

[jmcorey]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

What is "line level," and why does that mean it does not go well with pedals?

Thanks

 

[James Rock]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

The whole thing about using buffered pedals like boss first. Hasnt anyone noticed that boss buffers are ****! They kill tone as much as a wah does in some cases. Thats why proper buffer where invented to even make up for these buffers but after saying $240 on a buffer is way too much!

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

^spoken like a true teenager
Don't get hung up in all that stuff man!!
With parallel and at line levels, using a linemixer, your signal never looses that direct feel!!
As the effect is mixed upon the "clean" signal, leaving the original signal unaffected, just like in a PA setup, in seriel the "clean" and wet travels together as one signal, as the "clean passes through the effectmachine, thus it will loose something of that kick it had, with parallel the signals travels side by side, just to use a easy to see picture, the "clean" signal never passes through any effectbox and will be unaffected by that...
Better than mooh trypass

 

[jmcorey]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

The whole thing about using buffered pedals like boss first. Hasnt anyone noticed that boss buffers are ****! They kill tone as much as a wah does in some cases.

+1

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

The whole thing about using buffered pedals like boss first. Hasnt anyone noticed that boss buffers are ****! They kill tone as much as a wah does in some cases. Thats why proper buffer where invented to even make up for these buffers but after saying $240 on a buffer is way too much!

Not unless you've got a lot of them in your line at the same time. I'd be very impressed if you could tell the difference between one or two boss pedals and straight into the amp. I can't, and none of my buddies can . . .

 

[jmcorey]

Re: Does using the effects loop decrease dynamics?

Not unless you've got a lot of them in your line at the same time. I'd be very impressed if you could tell the difference between one or two boss pedals and straight into the amp. I can't, and none of my buddies can . . .

Maybe I stand corrected....