Tone degradation from Fx Loop

[DaveyJack]

Is it normal that the amp suffers from tone degradation when Fx Loop engaged? I only have a Digiverb in my loop. Could it be caused by this unit?
Or can it be one of my cable that is broken or simply bad?

Does any of you already experienced this?

Thank you

 

[MusicManJP6]

Unless your pedals are true bypass, you will experience some tone degradation.

 

[Platypus]

I think it's related to the issue in your other thread

Check your V2 preamp.. even brand new tubes can go bad or be bad right from the factory due to shipping.

 

[MusicManJP6]

You mean the problem with the white noise?

Losing tone when using an fx loop is pretty common unless the amp has a series loop...

 

[WillPlayForFood]

I agree with both Platypus and Musicman. Effects loops are NOT free of tone suckage. Some amps are worse than others, I think. The tube issue is also an important thing to watch. Experiment, see what helps. Run your guitar directly into the amp...Guitar --> cord --> Amp and see how that sounds. If you like that and get tone issues when the loop is engaged, then there you have it. Good Luck!!

 

[ToneAddictJon]

With series loops you have to make sure you are using quality pedals/fx units, because it's actually running the full signal through them then into the power section.

 

[scottywompas]

I get a little tone degridation with my old Ibanez delay although oddly enough my $15 fab chorus sounds great in the loop.

Scott

 

[phaboo]

I've always lost tone in an effects loop. I have no idea why the effects can't pass the dry tone without messing it up, but they manage it. For some reason bypass modes are often the worst--unless the unit has a hard bypass (ie, engages a relay to physically skip the unit) the suckage is intolerable.

I finally gave up on the loop thing. I have a rack full of flashing lights, so I took the final out from the preamp (this won't help if you have a combined head, of course) and ran it into a rackmounted mixer. I feed effects from the mixer's aux sends, setting the effects for full wet, and bring the results back through the mixer's other channels. I set the levels for the effects through expression pedals on an Ultrafoot.

A lot of work, but I can have effects AND tone and set the mix on the fly. It's nice with the expression pedals because I can choose the effects between songs, setting the mix to zero. Then the effects are there, just not in the mix. When I need one, I can fade it in or out with the expression pedal. Since the dry signal never goes through the effects, it's unchanged no matter what effects are used.

 

[DaveyJack]

I think that my basic problem is that I don't set the amp right first, so this is normal that I have problem with the loop. The dry signal doesn't even sound the way I want

But, I'll fix my settings and I post you again guys.

Gotta try other settings, I've got the amp for about a week and a day today. I'm still a boogie noobie ( wow, nice rhyme though....)

So thank for all your tips guys. I'll consider them all.

 

[phaboo]

Have you checked if your patch cables are wound right-handed or left-handed? Your cables need it be wound in the same direction as the electron spin (clockwise in the northern hemisphere, counter-clockwise in the southern) or the resulting impedance difference can cause severe signal degradation.

 

[DaveyJack]

Can I solve this problem by interchanging the cables sides?

 

[phaboo]

Can I solve this problem by interchanging the cables sides?

Well, only if you have bi-polar, multi-directional cables. They're very expensive, though, and don't come in lengths less than 372 feet (due to government restrictions and the earth's magnetic resonance).

 

[DaveyJack]

So, what would be the best solution if this is my problem?

 

[MusicManJP6]

Haha. That all sounds kind of funny to me. I've NEVER heard of how a cable was twisting making a difference. Not to say it isn't true, but I have just never heard that before. How would one tell which way a cable is twisted when buying?

 

[DaveyJack]

Well, I've bought a cable that had an arrow on it, and it said that you had to get your signal in this direction. Is it what you are talking about?

 

[fpoon]

Would you experience any tone loss with, lets say, the G-Major in the Mark IV's loop?

 

[phaboo]

Haha. That all sounds kind of funny to me. I've NEVER heard of how a cable was twisting making a difference. Not to say it isn't true, but I have just never heard that before. How would one tell which way a cable is twisted when buying?

Uh . . . I'm totally messing with you.