To loop or not to loop

[Cobra]

I'm kinda new to this forum, but i've noticed that a lot o' people uses effects loop and complaints 'bout a amp if there isn't one on a amp.

But how important is a loop really? I mean, i never have used the FX loop on my amp, but then again, I'm kinda semi-purist when it comes to pedals and saucing your sound with effects. My worst nightmare would be waking up to a The Edge processed sound. I only use an overdrive, a heavier distortion, a compressor for sustaining sometimes and rare occasions a chorus and a wah. But mostly I use the nice cranked sound of my lovely Marshall.

Do you/do you not use a loop, and if you do for what purpose, and why?

 

[redscott131]

FX loops are great to have (if your marshall has one - I think the stock JCM800 2205 was first Marshall to have a FX loop).

As a general rule......Time based effects (reverb, delay, chorus, and the like) often sound the best in the FX loop. Everything else (overdrives, Wahs, distortion), you throw in front of the amp.

 

[eljeffebrown]

What amp do you have? I jump my loop and set my loop level to about 11 0'clock, it warms my amp up and makes it kill small furry creatures at a hundred paces, so it really depends.

 

[Cobra]

I have a old 2203 and a silver jub 2550

 

[Adrian R]

All of my amps have FX loops and all I usually use in them is nothing more then a BBE Sonic Maximizer. All other effects I use up front. Depending on the effect you are trying to use, sometimes they sound better in the loop as opposed to out front of the amp. OD, boost, and distortion pedals, including a wah, is always going to sound better out front.

I've tried using my phaser and chorus pedal before in the loop..and although it sounds marginally better, imo the additional cords running to and from the amp is more unnecessary clutter on the ground making the slight advantage moot.

Some folks do not like FX loops in their amps as they feel it robs tone. Through my experience, and more recently, found this to be correct, especially with 900 series Marshalls that imo have poorly designed loop bypass circuits. Its a simple fix though with a 2 dollar patch cable...

 

[eljeffebrown]

I have a old 2203 and a silver jub 2550

Honestly, I have always found the effects loop in any amp to make effects sound, well, bad. I think it robs tone from the head and tone from the pedal in essence, it make them both sound weak and flat.

My thought process on it has always been use one or the other meaning,

if you are going to use the loop, use it! get all of your sound and tone from your pedal board and just leave your head to do it's job, power the cab/cabs don't use the EQ, GAIN, nothing just use it for a POWER AMP thats it.

or, run your board in front and use the heads EQ in there with it. chain all the effects and use them in one big 'ol signal path.

one way or the other has always sounded best to me, not together, together they just seem to cancel each other out in the tone depot!

my $0.02

 

[Cobra]

Its a simple fix though with a 2 dollar patch cable...

You mean by put into the send and recive and "short circuiting" the bypass with this cable?

 

[eljeffebrown]

You mean by put into the send and recive and "short circuiting" the bypass with this cable?

Only seems to work on the 900 series amps. sorry brother

 

[Adrian R]

You mean by put into the send and recive and "short circuiting" the bypass with this cable?

Yes, connecting the send are return jacks together with a standard pedal to pedal patch cable. This works wonders for the 900 series amps, but for other Marshalls might not be necessary due to their correctly designed loop by pass circuits.

 

[blues_n_cues]

i've only played through 1 amp w/ an fx loop & it made everything sound "sterile" or the certain effect too "pure" when engaged.
that being said,i only use an od & vox wah w/ a rocktron nitro on occassion.all delay & verb come from the p.a. through side fill,floor monitors & f.o.h. mix
i might add a chorus back in for certain clean things & maybe a flanger strictly for the middle part of "suicide solution" but i fake that pretty well w/ a wah.
i like my effects coming before the amp & the gain enhancing the effect.
but thats just me.

 

[Adwex]

The purpose of the loop is to use certain effects that sound better AFTER the gain stage. Without a loop, there's no way to do that....unless of course you set your amp clean. I can't imagine anyone thinking that delay, reverb, or chorus sound better in front of the amp.

 

[NewReligion]

The purpose of the loop is to use certain effects that sound better AFTER the gain stage. Without a loop, there's no way to do that....unless of course you set your amp clean. I can't imagine anyone thinking that delay, reverb, or chorus sound better in front of the amp.

+1

I'm a loop guy.

 

[Adwex]

I have an effects processor that allows me to completely bypass the preamp in the head, so I can leave it set for dirty, but switch to a clean patch. This way, the processor is going directly into the power amp section of the head, throught the loop return. When I switch back to a dirty rhythm or lead patch, the head's preamp is used. On the lead patch, I have a little volume boost and delay for solos. The delay would sound terrible in front of the preamp.

 

[dptone5]

I recently put my time-based effects in the loop (chorus, delay and reverb). I think it sounds much better than putting them in front of the pre-amp.

 

[Wycked Lester]

For me, DELAY and VERB MUST go in the loop....I think that they sound so shitty in front of the amp that i just wouldn't use them if i didn't have a loop.

I personally like my flanger& phaser before the amp.

 

[blues_n_cues]

The purpose of the loop is to use certain effects that sound better AFTER the gain stage. Without a loop, there's no way to do that....unless of course you set your amp clean. I can't imagine anyone thinking that delay, reverb, or chorus sound better in front of the amp.

let me clarify- just for myself. delay & verb through the p.a. & monitors,
preamp enhancing fx through the front, chorus is for clean only-so can run in line, & flanger is used w/ the wah for certain out of phase effects.
i'm a late 70's &early 80's guy-loops were not an option live. recording-anything was possible.

 

[blues_n_cues]

For me, DELAY and VERB MUST go in the loop....I think that they sound so shitty in front of the amp that i just wouldn't use them if i didn't have a loop.

I personally like my flanger& phaser before the amp.

if ya wanna go "EDDIE" mean streets or unchained the mxr script 90 HAS to go before the preamp.

 

[Wycked Lester]

if ya wanna go "EDDIE" mean streets or unchained the mxr script 90 HAS to go before the preamp.

exactamundo

 

[HOT TUBES 70]

The purpose of the loop is to use certain effects that sound better AFTER the gain stage. Without a loop, there's no way to do that....unless of course you set your amp clean. I can't imagine anyone thinking that delay, reverb, or chorus sound better in front of the amp.

+110 !

 

[papa-seano]

I hate reverb in front of an amp. Its to much. Even dialing it down.
Delay can be overbearing too IMO. Thats one thing that lets my 2203 down, loops are a must for me. Especially the new marshall ones which with a push of a button takes the loop out the circuit. Have one on my VM. Great!