FX routing question

[shreder75]

hey guys...I just got a B-52 AT-100 tube head (thing rips!) and I'm looking into some FX...my previous rig, which I still have and am going to end up keeping I think..can't hurt..is a Vetta..so setting up FX and whatnot was always easy...

I'm looking to get a floorboard of sometime...probably the Boss M-50 (I think that's it..it's blue)...it's more or less a whole array of boss stomp boxes in one unit..and has an expression pedal..that can be used as a volume, wah or real time paramater changer...

anywho..I was wondering, what would be the best way to hook this into my amp? into the guitar input of the head or through the FX loop?

if I were just a studio musician I would get something rack mount...but I've been there and now that I'll be gigging out in the next couple of months, I'm going to need something that I can access from my feet..

I won't be using any of the distortions...primarily be using the chorus, delay, reverb, maybe some flange or reverb as well as the volume/wah pedal...

anywho, I'm sure one of you guys have experience with a setup like this....I'm using my amp for clean and dirty and I don't want the unit to 'color' the tone...

thanks in advance!

 

[sooperunkn]

Re: FX routing question

I'd say the FX Loop but the wah will probably sound like shee-ite.

 

[shreder75]

Re: FX routing question

yeah, that's the same thing I was thinking in regards to the wah..what to do, what to do...

 

[lex666]

Re: FX routing question

I use my Korg into the main input on my amp, not the fx loop. It sounds okay, but I think the korg was designed to work into the main. I have tried it into the fx loop and it sounded like crap. Try the Boss into both inputs and see which sounds better with the effects you plan to use.

 

[B2D]

Re: FX routing question

A few points of advice...

I would NOT get the ME-50 that you mentioned. It's an OK-sounding unit but the problem is that when you switch patches the sound cuts off for about 1/4 of a second. If you're gonna be using this thing live on gigs you're not going to want ANY interruption of the sound. I was looking for a good floorboard and I thought the ME-50 might have suited me but when I found out about that I thought it was totally unacceptable and moved on.

Some effects multi units have dedicated loops so you can stick the wah, compressor, and distortions in FRONT of the amp and then run the choruses, delays, etc in the effects loop. basically like this:

guitar > fx unit > amp > fx send into multi unit > fx return out from multi unit > amp > speakers.

Geddit?

If you're not gonna be using the distortions then that frees up some choices. If you don't want the tone to be colored a whole lot then whatever you get, make sure you TURN OFF any distortion/overdrive settings, global eq, speaker cab or mic simulators, or preamp sounds. That way you'll have JUST the effects and if you wanna change the sound slightly with an additional preamp or EQ you can.

I have a GT-5 that I use purely as an effects engine and it works very well. I picked it up used at Guitar Center for pretty cheap.

Hope that helps.

 

[shreder75]

Re: FX routing question

that actually helps alot, BD2...your GT-5..do you run that right into the main?

and it looks like from that chain you have it set up both in the amp main AND the fx loop...interesting

 

[lex666]

Re: FX routing question

A few points of advice...

I would NOT get the ME-50 that you mentioned. It's an OK-sounding unit but the problem is that when you switch patches the sound cuts off for about 1/4 of a second. If you're gonna be using this thing live on gigs you're not going to want ANY interruption of the sound. I was looking for a good floorboard and I thought the ME-50 might have suited me but when I found out about that I thought it was totally unacceptable and moved on.

My Korg does this too when I switch patches, but I found a way to work around it. If you're just gonna turn effects off and on within a patch, use the 'individual mode' to turn the effect on or off, instead of switching between programmed patches. The delay is no longer there in individual mode. I hope this works the same on your Boss.