What does adding the effects loop do to your tone?

[theroan]

I've seen here that a lot of guys add the effects loop to a channel, even if there's nothing in it. What's the advantage or tonal difference from doing this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Heritage Softail]

Some would say an effects loop takes away a bit from your tone signal. On the MKV, you can switch the loop out, eliminate it. It does make a difference in the tone to some ears. Are you going have an amp modded to add a loop, add a loop level knob?

 

[theroan]

No I'm not planning anything like that. I just want to know why you would turn on the effect loop in a channel when it takes away from your tone? Unless it's got a buffer or something that adds something nice to it.

 

[dmcguitar]

regarding the Mark V and other mesa amps like the Roadster... the loop circuit has to be engaged to allow for solo and master volume knob, as well the possibility of using the loop. so you can have nothing plugged in but want the master..

or maybe someone uses an effect on just one channel, the circuit needs to be on for that.
now it wont matter if the individual channel has the loop in or out, since the tone change comes from the circuit as a whole

 

[arvee72]

I was quite disappointed when I discovered what the loop does to my tone. (sounds more compressed to me)

I Hard Bypass the loop and run an effects send from the slave out for my wet cabs.

It would have been nice if there was a way to remotely toggle the loop Hard Bypass.

 

[DrummerChas]

If I'm not running anything through the loop, I tend to run it in hard bypass. It does seem that when the effects loop is on and no effects are running, the tone is a little more compressed and has a very slight lag compared to HB. I asked a Mesa rep about it once and he said it had something to do with the power, how it is phased or something like that, so that in hard bypass the amp seems to react a bit quicker when playing. Still I find myself consistantly using the loop for delay and other time based effects and with all that going on, the very slight tone difference just isn't that noticeable to me.

 

[scott7d]

One thing I've noticed people doing with the loop, even if they aren't running effects, is using it to crank the master very high and really get the tubes blazing, but then use the output adjustment to play at volumes that are still reasonable. Some people even max out the master volume this way, and then adjust output according to taste. I usually hard bypass my loop and play around 9:00-10:00 with the master depending on the venue and the mode (channel 3, 90 watts) but at practice tomorrow, I am going to try my master around 12:00-1:00 with the loop and adjust the output to taste. See if I am missing out on anything :twisted: :twisted:

 

[arvee72]

From the manual:

"NOTE: It is normal to experience some amount of change to the sound when using the EFFECTS LOOP. Normally this is minimal and most often appears as a subtle roll off in top end characteristics...."

"NOTE: Engaging the EFFECTS LOOP circuitry adds a substantial amount of circuitry and this additional circuit reverses the phase of the entire amp. This is no cause for alarm and if we hadn’t told you of this, you probably would never have known. Sonically there is no difference other than the incredibly subtle difference in the sound the circuit itself adds."
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YMMV :|