What Delay Pedal For Parallel EFX Loop??

[GMello]

my dc has a parallel loop too, but the mix control goes up to 100% and it acts pretty much like a serial loop at that point. I use a digitech digidelay with no issues and I am saving for the new eventide delay.

But I wonder if the loop on your amps could be modified to go to 100% wet or even with a series/parallel switch??

 

[acidguitar]

HI there, first post... I had my MTR parrallel loop modded into a series loop due to using mainly older stomp boxes. I run a DD-5 (with tap tempo) in the front and back (never at the same time though!) to produce different delay responses. The series loop allows you to get a great delay that works after your gain stages and thus giving you a great lead tone that doesnt compound delay. The one in the front allows me to get a powerful repeat for riffing (use sparingly and cut your gain in channel 3 with your guitar volume). Either front or back delays are fine for the Clean channel.

 

[pipedwho]

The DC series parallel effects loop says 0 to 100% on the chassis, but from the circuit, it can't really get past about 95%.

The trick with using digital effects in parallel loops is to either set the loop to 95%, or make sure that the dry signal on the effects box is off, and then dial in the mix with the parallel loop control knob.

The worst case is to set the mix level to 50% and still have the dry signal coming through. Due to the slight delay introduced by the digital/analog conversions, the phasing will create a nasty comb filtering sound.

Also, not all 'digital' delays have a digital dry path. Just the ones that are fully digital like the Echo Park, DD-20, Nova Delay, etc.

BTW, I've modded my DC-3 with a switched mix pot that lets me switch the loop to full series when the pot gets to the end of its travel and clicks the switch.

 

[jtb226]

DD-6 here, parallel loop of a 3-ch Triple. No issues, works fine.

+1 except a Dual Recto. Works perfectly for what I use it for.

 

[GMello]

The DC series parallel effects loop says 0 to 100% on the chassis, but from the circuit, it can't really get past about 95%.

That's strange because I use a volume pedal through my DC loop and with the mix set to 100% it completely mutes the amp when it is on heel down position, which makes me think that I actually have 100% of the signal passing through the loop.

 

[TheRazMeister]

I tried the Visual Sound H2O product through my RECTOVERB's effects loop with the knob turned completely to the right (90% wet) and there was no discernable tone suck and the unit sounded great. I only use delay as a glorifed reverb for my solos but still like to hear the decay bounce about 6-7 times.

 

[pipedwho]

The DC series parallel effects loop says 0 to 100% on the chassis, but from the circuit, it can't really get past about 95%.

That's strange because I use a volume pedal through my DC loop and with the mix set to 100% it completely mutes the amp when it is on heel down position, which makes me think that I actually have 100% of the signal passing through the loop.

A normal pedal will have a constant output impedance, for example 2.5k ohms which ends up getting 'mixed' with the full 25k of the mix pot, for about 90% pedal and 10% dry. The higher the output impedance of the pedal, the further away from 100% it will get. On the other hand, if your pedal was able to manage a zero ohm output impedance, it would be able to get to 100%.

Likewise, when the mix is set to 0%, there will still be some effect bleed through the loop - eg. a parallel loop is really 5% to 95% when the loop is active.

A volume pedal behaves a bit differently to a constant impedance output buffered effect pedal. When the volume pedal is all the way 'off', it puts a very low impedance (pretty much zero ohms) across the output which will completely cancel out the 'parallel' resistance of the mixing pot.

The ideal is to have the mix pot go to infinity - ie. switched out of the loop - when the mix is set to 100%. This is an easy mod, and gives you a series loop by adding an extra switch, push-pull pot, or other switched pot.

 

[acidguitar]

The loop in the MTRand MDR were primarily designed for rack systems. Speaking with the Mesa guys at Mesa/ Boogie Hollywood, they advise to mod the amp head (which they can do) into a series of you want to run stomp style delays (regardless if they have the facility of +4db). I did just that and it's night and day. Rememer time based effects should be run after the gain stage(s) for a best result, this is why you put them in the loop. Most Stomp delays need to be in a constant path (series) to produce the best result. In the event of a parrallel loop, they tend to sit way too far back behind the gain stage(s), regardless of your mix. This has been my finding. (Honestly, I've only tried the BOSS delays, DD3, DD5, DD6 and DD20. My preferences are the DD5 and DD20. I'm sure you can get much better delays, but I think the Boss ones do the job just fine).

 

[greg_moreira]

I use a Keeley modded AD9 delay with good success in mine. And....I do have some digital effects that Ive stuffed in the loop as well to see how they act(various digital units)......and it always gives me that hollow, "phased" sound thats been mentioned already.

So, I have a point of reference here, being that I have tried digital and analog stuff in the loop. The digital stuff doesnt sound terrible, but it doesnt sound right. And the digital issues are much more apparent when comparing the digital unit VS the analog unit side by side. The analog delay does not present any of these issues. Id venture to say analog is the safe bet for using in the loop.