Which sucks tone more, effects in front or fx loop?

[ol4t]

I've been sitting here jacking with the loop on my Roadster. I'm not sure, but it seems to me when I turn the loop on, no effects, it changes the overall tone more than than the effects just put in front. I have a tu-2 tuner, barber tone press, barber direct drive, boss chorus, dd6 delay. The chorus and delay aren't as full, but I can give up a little on those effects. Opinions?

 

[Machine Gun]

Back when I owned a Mark IV, I ran everthing through the front: delay, chorus, flange, wah... I thought it sounded much better. The only thing I ran through the loop was a phaser which I thought sounded a whole lot better there. I guess it just takes alot of playing with it to see what suits you. I'm sure different brands of effects will probably be different too. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[ursinus]

when using floor pedals, it is better to go before the amp because their range is usually -10 db whereas most rack effect are +4 db and work better in the loop. hope that helps.

 

[ol4t]

Thanks for the reply. I guess I'm asking if the fx loop itself is worth the sound drop. There's a considerable difference when it is switched to the on position. Is it worth the solo, tuner out and effects enhancement?

 

[ol4t]

when using floor pedals, it is better to go before the amp because their range is usually -10 db whereas most rack effect are +4 db and work better in the loop. hope that helps.

I believe this, now. I've never had rack effects, I've been thinking about the T C Electronics G's and the Rocktron xpression.
I'm not sure if I want the switch in the on position.

 

[ursinus]

Thanks for the reply. I guess I'm asking if the fx loop itself is worth the sound drop. There's a considerable difference when it is switched to the on position. Is it worth the solo, tuner out and effects enhancement?

If you use rack effects in the loop, you shouldn't get a drop in volume if you have your loop level adjusted properly. I don't recommend using floor pedals, because you will get a drop in volume regardless of how you set the loop level. You will then have to increase the master volume on the front panel and that will introduce noise.

 

[ursinus]

when using floor pedals, it is better to go before the amp because their range is usually -10 db whereas most rack effect are +4 db and work better in the loop. hope that helps.

I believe this, now. I've never had rack effects, I've been thinking about the T C Electronics G's and the Rocktron xpression.
I'm not sure if I want the switch in the on position.

I had a gmajor, but I sold it to get the roadster+ other trades. The G-major was awesome in the loop of my MKIV. I hope to get the G-Force next June of 07 and will give a report then...

 

[ol4t]

Thanks for the reply. I guess I'm asking if the fx loop itself is worth the sound drop. There's a considerable difference when it is switched to the on position. Is it worth the solo, tuner out and effects enhancement?

If you use rack effects in the loop, you shouldn't get a drop in volume if you have your loop level adjusted properly. I don't recommend using floor pedals, because you will get a drop in volume regardless of how you set the loop level. You will then have to increase the master volume on the front panel and that will introduce noise.

I can compensate for any volume drop with the level control knob, it's not so much volume, it seems the effects and tone of the amp are changed.

 

[user 1198]

I definately notice some tone loss when I activate the loop on my Lone Star, It's subtle, but it's there, so I put all of my effects in front of the amp. The only problem is that delay and modulation effects don't sound so good in front of the amp when the amp is on the Drive channel, although they sound great on the Clean channel.

 

[Storm]

I'll hopefully be getting my G-Major next week and I'll let you know how it goes.

Ciao ...

 

[eliot323]

I've also noticed a change in the tone when using (non-rack type) FX through the loop - I think they all sound better through the front.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

My advice....don't worry about "tone suckage" so much....a lot of guys spend forever looking to get their sound and optimal tone out of there amp. You keep worrying about all this stuff, and you forget about the most important part: PLAYING!

My point....get what you need (pedals, etc.), set it up, and get the best sound you can with that setup. If your sounds requires a flanger, what good is better tone without the flanger? Do the best you can with it!

I hope that made sense.

 

[Machine Gun]

Well said!

 

[Janglin_Jack]

I agree that the most important item is playing. It can be easy to get sucked into a lot of needless tone concerns. I felt my Lonestar lead channel was too dark. It was accentuated by the use of the FX loop. Right now I am putting everything in front until I can get the lead channel right.

I think if you have good effects and cables, going in the front is just fine.

Jack

 

[6L6C]

I at one point and time had a bit of a gear addiction J
My rack gear always sounded great in the loop some gear would color the tone slightly but I had a few pieces that didn’t had to spend a little time to set them up get the proper balance but after that no problem. Some of the gear that did not color was Lexicon (no surprise there) but the Rocktron Intelliflex was awesome (a niece piece of gear but not thousands of dollars). TC Electronics is another that is no surprise.

Something like the Alesis Quadraverb colored the sound (up front or in the loop) to the point if you kicked it out of the loop big tone difference, however the Quadraverb II was allot better and acceptable for me to use.
The only things I won’t put in the loop is my Dunlop rack wah,

For Triaxes owners I found this: as you know the Triaxes preamp has a effects loop but I always though it sounded better to go TRIAXES>EFFECTS PROCESSOR>2:90 POWER AMP. There was something about that loop I cant even say it altered the tone but something was different. Any of my heads if I used the loop with a GOOD processor no problem with the tone.

Most stomp box’s always sound better up front IMHO
But there again setting up gear is like playing itself, it is an art.
It has allot to do with the players vision (AND BUDGET)

As a few of you have said (ibanez4life SZ! Janglin_Jack) its about the playing (and your so right) I use to spend to much time obsessing with programming and change gear like sox

 

[Chad]

I'm pretty much an all pedals guy and I've ran them in the loop of my 2 chan DR Solo for years, and the tone doesn't bother me a bit. I really can't tell much of any difference between having the loop on or off. I think it's all in how you set things up....and the pedals you use. I have true bypass and well-buffered pedals in the loop.

 

[ol4t]

Thanks guys for your posts. I realize when I play out the difference between the loop on and off is not really noticeable. Like a lot of people, I don't play out often enough and spend a lot of time being a "bedroom rock star".
This thing about the loop wasn't really about where they sound best, take all the effects off your amp, plug in straight, turn the fx loop on and off. Then hook up all your effects in the front, compare to no effects, just straight in. In my set up there is much less loss in the second experiment.
As much as I love the sounds I can get from this Roadster, I don't want to throw a towel over the cabinet while I'm naked, rocking out at one in the morning, in front of my imaginary fans! :shock: :lol:

 

[Bikedude]

I had nothing but problems running my effects thru the loop. When I started going into the front end, everything sounded better. LSC 1X12

 

[CudBucket]

I run delay, noise gate and EQ in the loop. The rest up front. Sometimes I may put the chorus in the loop as well.

 

[shnapper]

All I have and I really can't think of any other effects I'll need are all run through the loop.

I only got the Wah from hell because G.C. owed me store credit LOL. I loitered around for 2 hours last night and bought the pedal out of exhaustion LOL. If there is tone loss I can't hear it, I would bet no one listening to you jam complains either. Maybe and just maybe I'm getting a tad of tone suck from the two wha's being in front of my Memory man, but I spent a few hours today dialing it all in and I like it.

The salesman in G.C. tried to sell me a BBE sonic maximizer to finish off my loop, but I passed. This is the reason I went with the 4 channel amp, if I can't find my tone with 4 channels(technically 8 W bold/spongy) then I'm gonna quit playing LOL

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