School me on fx loop

[Clint 55]

Looking for any techniques you guys might have to offer on what pedals to put where to improve the sound or any other general knowledge.

 

[Demanic]

Re: School me on fx loop

I use a 31 band graphic EQ in the loop of my Randall.
Generally, modulation and delay work better in a loop. Drive, wah etc work better in front. Compression and boost can go either way, depending on what sort of sounds you are looking for.

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[Clint 55]

Re: School me on fx loop

Thx, I'll try my eq and delay before then in the loop and see if I notice a change.

 

[Hsb]

Re: School me on fx loop

Ive tried my eq before and after my loop, didnt care for it in the loop, so of right now only delay and reverb run thru the loop, od, eq and phaser hit the feont of the amp. Had the phaser in the loop for a while and switched up a few days ago.

 

[Demanic]

Re: School me on fx loop

I use my eq in the loop to fine tune the pre-amp before it hits the power amp.

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[NegativeEase]

Re: School me on fx loop

Any time based effect is going to sound better AFTER the preamp stage ie in the Fx loop.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: School me on fx loop

Would the built in reverb be in the loop?

I have my bluez driver and tuner in front. Footswitch for the amp's spring reverb. Then eq, delay, and my crappy behringer reverb set to hall in the loop. It's goin good!

 

[Demanic]

Re: School me on fx loop

I would think that the stock reverb would have to be in the loop. But probably always at the end of it.

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[PFDarkside]

Re: School me on fx loop

Any time based effect is going to sound better AFTER the preamp stage ie in the Fx loop.

...except when it sounds better before? I’ve come to prefer “analog” modulation before the amp (phaser/vibe, flanger and even chorus a lot of the time) then “digital” modulation in the loop (digital chorus, rotary, etc.). I do prefer delay in the loop most of the time, but a short analog style delay can sound good before too. (I’m just obsessed with 60’s and 70’s tones, even EVH on the early albums.)

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: School me on fx loop

...except when it sounds better before? I’ve come to prefer “analog” modulation before the amp (phaser/vibe, flanger and even chorus a lot of the time) then “digital” modulation in the loop (digital chorus, rotary, etc.). I do prefer delay in the loop most of the time, but a short analog style delay can sound good before too. (I’m just obsessed with 60’s and 70’s tones, even EVH on the early albums.)

Yeah, definitely there are always exceptions for what you might fancy, but as a starting point for avoiding muddy or noisy tones, you want to start with the principles that give you the most succinct foundation to evaluate tones -which is doing things that keep the S/N ratio as good as possible, keep unity gain through the circuit (until you want to experiment with that), and keep effects that have a waveform shape, size, or repetition that is electrically "difficult" for circuits through as few of points as necessary to amplify them.

But hey, we wouldn't have preamp distortion if rules were followed right? So start with the best way on paper and then deviate one variable at a time to start to know what happens when you go for it.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: School me on fx loop

Yeah, definitely there are always exceptions for what you might fancy, but as a starting point for avoiding muddy or noisy tones, you want to start with the principles that give you the most succinct foundation to evaluate tones -which is doing things that keep the S/N ratio as good as possible, keep unity gain through the circuit (until you want to experiment with that), and keep effects that have a waveform shape, size, or repetition that is electrically "difficult" for circuits through as few of points as necessary to amplify them.

But hey, we wouldn't have preamp distortion if rules were followed right? So start with the best way on paper and then deviate one variable at a time to start to know what happens when you go for it.

Yes, great points.

 

[Demanic]

Re: School me on fx loop

Yeah, definitely there are always exceptions for what you might fancy, but as a starting point for avoiding muddy or noisy tones, you want to start with the principles that give you the most succinct foundation to evaluate tones -which is doing things that keep the S/N ratio as good as possible, keep unity gain through the circuit (until you want to experiment with that), and keep effects that have a waveform shape, size, or repetition that is electrically "difficult" for circuits through as few of points as necessary to amplify them.

But hey, we wouldn't have preamp distortion if rules were followed right? So start with the best way on paper and then deviate one variable at a time to start to know what happens when you go for it.

Succinct
Now there's a word that one doesn't read too often.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: School me on fx loop

Really the only thing I put in the effects loop these days is delay and reverb. I usually keep my phaser in front, and I don't particularly use any of the other "loop" effects all that much.

 

[Demanic]

Re: School me on fx loop

I may just try my MT-2 in the loop.

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[Aceman]

Re: School me on fx loop

I run most all chorus, flange, delay, and reverb in the loop. Note that I said "most."

Also - what kind of loop? Series or Parallel?

Series Preamp signal > 100 wet > Power amp

Parallel Preamp Signal >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Power amp
............................... > effects 0-100% wet>>>Power amp

They both have their benefits. For example, EVH had a mega- reverb on his guitar, but it was blended with a parallel direct signal. If you listen to just the reverb side, it is almost uninterpretable. Together, it is a clear, crisp and cool sounding!

 

[Mincer]

Re: School me on fx loop

Looping pedals are great in the loop, especially if you get distortion from the amp. If you get the gain from a pedal (like me), it works well before the amp.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: School me on fx loop

I may just try my MT-2 in the loop.

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Otherwise known as "The Magic Metal Sauce"

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: School me on fx loop

Succinct
Now there's a word that one doesn't read too often.

I had to really dig that one up.

 

[devastone]

Re: School me on fx loop

I had to really dig that one up.

I was impressed.

I agree with pretty much everything here, delays and reverbs in the loop, modulation is a dealer's choice. Chorus works very well in the loop, I usually put phase and flange in front because, well, that's what Ed did.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: School me on fx loop

The other thing is that loops are notoriously inconsistent in how they work with different pedals and rack effects. Impedance differences at the send and return, signal level, how much dry signal passes at 100% wet, amongst other things that I don’t even know about. Basically, if you run into issues it may only be one of the pedals in your setup, and you may need a buffer to adjust impedance, a pad to reduce overloading or an adjustment to effect and amp mix level. Don’t expect plug and play, then if you get it, be happy.