To loop, or not to loop..??

[mccart125]

What are your thoughts on running modulation pedals through the effect loop??

My current amp doesn't have an effects loop, but my new E Dyne will be here Friday.

Most purist swear by running Mods through the loop but some still do not..

Thoughts??

 

[Daxman73]

For the most part, it's a matter of taste. They'll work in both locations, but vary in sound and performance. The brand can have an affect on it as well to a small degree. I can go either way for the most part, but I prefer my EH Small Stone out front. I have my Boss CE5 through the loop, although I've run it out front and it sounded just fine, with little difference. That's what I mean about brand, some brands seem to perform differently in different locations. At least in my experience. And that's also true for different effects like flanger, ring modulation, etc...Sure the standard rule of thumb is to put them through the loop, but experiment. Many guitarists don't adhere to this and have had great success. As a side note, if you end up liking the effects out front, you can bypass the loop and get a better/puer tone by removing the effects loop circuitry. Hope this helps.

 

[mccart125]

Thanks.

In the docs that came with my Electra Dyne, Boogie suggests that only high end rack devices should go through the loop. All other pedals should go through the front.

Though that was interesting. I will be experimenting.

 

[Daxman73]

I believe that's just their way of saying the "better" the product you put in the loop, the better results you'll attain. And really, if you think about it, it's true for most everything. With very few exceptions, the cheaper product, the worse the result. A good quality pedal will work just fine.

 

[KiwiJoe]

Yes, conventional wisdom suggests modulation pedals in the loop, but try it out front, too. Conventional wisdom also states modulation after dirt, so if you use your amp's OD, putting your modulation and delays in the loop takes care of that. There are guys out there who like their chorus or flanger before their dirt, so, none of this is written in stone. Experiment and find out what works best for your ears.

Personally, I have my EQ, chorus, delay, and reverb in the loop and just my wah out front with my Mini Rec, and that works for me. As always, YMMV.

 

[mccart125]

Yea. Loving the loop in the ED..

Sounds so much better.

Amp has been on the fritz lately though.. Have a call into Mesa to help trouble shoot. Probably tubes.

 

[arkohandler]

I personally prefer all my mod effects going through the loop, plus I love how most Mesa's have the independent volume control if you will in the back of the amp. I've notice some effects that I have they don't have their own volume control can sometime tend to be loud. I'm more of a subtle player, so this gives me more control. Overall I have to agree with everyone, it is purely up to you but mod effects have a tendency to color your sound a bit but if that's your sound then it doesn't matter. Main point is to have fun with it and be yourself. Good Luck!!

 

[kdorsey]

It really is personal preference. If you gig, the added complexity of a 4 cable system eventually gets old with little benefits. If not, then knock yourself out! But for gigging, I put it all on the pedalboard out front.

 

[bigfoot]

have OD and gain pedals in front, and my compressor in the loop but with the mix at about 50%.

initially I did this because my compressor (vintage ibanez cp9) has a low end roll off that is too prominent, so I wanted to mix the dry signal with the compressed signal to help retain the original low end and tone (parallel compression). it sounds great!

i think it ultimately depends on your amp, and the pedals you are using. there are no rights or wrongs.

 

[MrMarkIII]

The real question is "Modulation before or after dirt?"
If you are using amp overdrive, modulation pedals in the loop will be post-dirt. The same would apply to running dirt pedals > mod pedals > input of a clean amp.
If you run the amp clean, mod pedals out front might even sound better, as the amp could roll off any harshness or tame that too-intense pedal. Dirt into modulation just sounds more complex, because all the extra harmonic content generated by the overdrive/dirt/distortion/fuzz gives the mod pedal more to play with.