Where to connect effects to my amp?

[schenkerguy]

Ok, I've been into home recording for a long time but never really was into playing live much. Now I'm thinking of getting into that and just bought a Traynor YCV-80 2x12 tube amp. I love the amp! However, I'm wondering where to connect the effects...

This amp has an effects insert jack, and also send and receive jacks with level controls for both the send and receive. I've always just connected my many pedals BEFORE the input to amps in the past, but thought it would sound better to have chorus/delay/flange etc AFTER the preamp section.

First thing I noticed was a lot of crackly distortion.. the level being sent from the preamp to the power amp sections was way too high for the inputs of the pedals. The distortion pedals were way way too distorted, etc. Hmm! If I kept the gain level low in the preamp the level was ok, but I can't get the nice tube breakup with the pre gain at 2! When I connect through the send/receive jacks it's ok, but still I can't push the power amp section very hard.

I'm thinking that distortion type pedals should be BEFORE the input, and modulation pedals should be in the insert. Where would you connect a wah? Since I like the sound of adding things like chorus/univibe etc to a guitar track after I record it, I would think these things should be after the gain section. What does everyone else out there do? Any comments appreciated!

 

[Tadpui]

I've got the same amp, and after messing with the effects loop for a bit on the first night, I ended up just putting everything between my guitar and the input to the amp.

From what I understand, put dynamic effects first, eq next, delay effects last...and I'm not sure about the wah. Back when I had a wah, it was my only effect so it didn't leave much mystery about where to put it. I'd think that you'd want it after compression and distortion but probably before delay effects.

I've heard of putting eq in the effects loop, but I gave up on trying myself.

And actually, its not the preamp gain that'll give you the tube breakup, it's the master volume and the preamp volume that'll do it. I keep my gain at 3 or so, and get lots of distortion by putting the preamp vol at about 8 and the master at or above 5. Loud as hell, but it sounds sooooo good

Then, step on that boost channel and stand back!

Also a tip about that amp: I hated the distortion the first night I played with it. Until I discovered that the treble knob is basically a presence knob. I keep mine down to about 2 and it takes that grainy harshness out of the distortion. Compensate by upping the mids to about 6, and I turn on the scoop feature and I really like the resulting sound. Without the boost, its very dynamic and classic sounding...going from almost clean to crunch depending on how hard you play. I step on a compressor/sustainer to get a good lead tone, and step on the boost when I want to pretend that I'm Randy Rhoads' inept little brother.

Good luck!

 

[noisedude]

Put wah in between the dynamics and the atmospherics ... reverb and EQ are up to you. That's my favourite anyway, to hear a reverb or delay react to the wah is great.

I've always preferred not using the effects loops, can't think why off the top of my head but it might just be that simplicity of plugging it in in front of the amp ... ?

 

[schenkerguy]

Thanks for the replies!

I guess the main reason I want to use the loop is that I use the distortion from the preamp section of the amp, so I think modulation type effects would sound best AFTER the distortion.. if I used only pedals for everything I guess there wouldn't be a problem.

 

[noisedude]

Ah yes, that was the reason. The distortion on my Fender amp is shit. Thanks for reminding me!!

Well I guess you should give your loop a whirl and see how it sounds then!!

 

[TexRoadkill]

I've never really thought about it before but I wonder if some amp effects loops are setup at line level? That would explain why the signal is so hot. You might have better results using a rack mount fx processor that is set for line level.

 

[noisedude]

My Fender is adjustable, I remember that much, though the numbers escape me now.

 

[schenkerguy]

Exactly.. I'm wondering why my DOD analog delay pedal is distorting, and it occurs to me that it's supposed to have a guitar plugged into it, not a line level signal... However my Boss C-2 chorus pedal sounds great, and is much harder to overload.. in fact the chorus effect sounds better and it's less noisey, a Zoom 505 box also sounds good in the loop, but all distortion pedals sound like crap!

This is all probably individual taste and experimentation, but just wondered what other people were doing.

 

[krimson]

If your using pedals then put them befor the amp. If using racks, then put them in the effects loop. Pedals aren't meant to see line level signals like racks are.

Experiment with your pedals that gets the sound that you want. You should keep buffered efffects later in the chain and true bypass early in the chain...but YMMV....

 

[Moonrider]

s...

This amp has an effects insert jack, and also send and receive jacks with level controls for both the send and receive. I've always just connected my many pedals BEFORE the input to amps in the past, but thought it would sound better to have chorus/delay/flange etc AFTER the preamp section.

First thing I noticed was a lot of crackly distortion.. the level being sent from the preamp to the power amp sections was way too high for the inputs of the pedals. The distortion pedals were way way too distorted, etc. Hmm! If I kept the gain level low in the preamp the level was ok, but I can't get the nice tube breakup with the pre gain at 2! When I connect through the send/receive jacks it's ok, but still I can't push the power amp section very hard.

I took a peek at the online manual for the amp, and the effects loop uses balanced, line level signals in and out. You'll probably need to use a rack type unit, since most pedals don't generate that type of signal.