How does an effects loop work? and do you really need one?

[capnkid]

The older amps don't have them and the newer ones do what is the diff in just placing your effects between your guitar and amp input?

 

[mixsit]

A) It's a nice way to inject something into the path.
b) It's another normalled' jack that can maybe get a bit iffy' down the road.

And thanks for the reminder. There's a mess of them I've been needing to exorcise on my Pearce.
Wayne

 

[pinkerchook]

effect loop

An effect loop lets you run another signal through both your channels. it doesnt amplfy anything, it just adds the signal<effect> from what ever you have hooked up to the loop. Be carfull not to hook up your loop backwards, there are usualy two jacks to make the loop work, the pre and out.

loops are cool.


--------------------------------x
Epiphone Galaxie 25 112
Epiphone G400 Cherry SG
Boss Ds1

 

[Outlaws]

An effect loop lets you run another signal through both your channels. it doesnt amplfy anything, it just adds the signal<effect> from what ever you have hooked up to the loop. Be carfull not to hook up your loop backwards, there are usualy two jacks to make the loop work, the pre and out.

loops are cool.


--------------------------------x
Epiphone Galaxie 25 112
Epiphone G400 Cherry SG
Boss Ds1

I don't know what you mean by 'it doesn't amplify anything' since its after the preamp. The effects loop is generally a line level path for rack gear.

(and you can go to 'User CP' to add a signature so that is doesn't show up in quotes, and you don't have to paste or type it every time you post.)

 

[hiwatt357]

The older amps don't have them and the newer ones do what is the diff in just placing your effects between your guitar and amp input?

From my experience and from what I've read, distortions, overdrives and wahs tend to sound better going into the amp input and modulation effects (delay, chorus, flanger, etc.) sound better going through an effects loop.

However, it's all a matter of personal preference, so...whatever sounds better to your ears.

 

[ocnor]

From my experience and from what I've read, distortions, overdrives and wahs tend to sound better going into the amp input and modulation effects (delay, chorus, flanger, etc.) sound better going through an effects loop.

However, it's all a matter of personal preference, so...whatever sounds better to your ears.

That's exactly right. Time based FX sound like shit going into the front of a distorted amp. They screw up the distortion very badly.

 

[treymonfauntre]

you wouldn't want a distorted reverb pedal now, would you?

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

I wouldn't buy and amp for live use that didn't have an effects loop if I could at all get away with it.

I've also use the effects loop on an amp along with the effects loop on a pedal board to hook it up so that I could use either the board preamp or the amp's preamp and still have all the effects other than distortion after the pre. It was a fun science project. And the only way I could use amp distortion and the delay on the board.

If you try that, turn the output of your pedal board WAY down when you bypass the amp's pre. When you feed your signal into the effects return it hits your power amp with an open throttle.

-C

 

[andyhix]

I think the most basic difference is that it gives you the option of placing fx units after the amp's built-in fx. For instance, if you have a distortion channel on your amp, using the fx loop allows you to add fx to an already distorted signal. Without the fx loop, distortion (in this example) would always be the last effect in your fx chain.

This was sorta mentioned, already, but, well, you know...I need to up my post count.

 

[Dani Pace]

If you play the way I do (I use two amps) you can use the loops to have different efx on each amp. It's the only way I've found to get a distorted growl from one amp and still have the notes ring clearly from the other.

 

[dragonworks]

can the loop act as a true bypass if the pedals don't have them?

 

[Outlaws]

can the loop act as a true bypass if the pedals don't have them?

That all depends on two things....

1. Is the loop footswitchable
2. Is the amp permanently sending and only controling the return.

That is all shown in the schematic of the amp.