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Old 02-14-2020, 05:37 PM
darylcrisp darylcrisp is offline
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Default "no effects loop" on the back, what will that impede?

some of the small amps I've been looking at do not have an effects loop-the reviewer mentions this but doesn't go into any detail. I'm assuming "effects" being pedals for reverb/chorus(others?).

on these amps(most are 12 to 15 w and single channel), the reverb pedals are used along with the other 3-4 pedals the reviewer has plugged into the front.

so what does having an effects loop do for you vs plugging in along with other pedals on the amp front?

thank you
d
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Old 02-14-2020, 05:53 PM
srbell srbell is offline
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The effects loop comes between the preamp and power amp stages of the amp. This lets you use the preamp to get overdrive/distortion and tone control settings before effects that are in the effects loop. Pedals used in front of the amp come before any tone shaping the preamp provides.
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Old 02-14-2020, 06:06 PM
Paleolith54 Paleolith54 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by darylcrisp View Post
some of the small amps I've been looking at do not have an effects loop-the reviewer mentions this but doesn't go into any detail. I'm assuming "effects" being pedals for reverb/chorus(others?).

on these amps(most are 12 to 15 w and single channel), the reverb pedals are used along with the other 3-4 pedals the reviewer has plugged into the front.

so what does having an effects loop do for you vs plugging in along with other pedals on the amp front?

thank you
d
srbell is right. What this means, basically, is that you want effects in the loop that you don't want affected by the preamp. Example: the lead channel on my Mesa gets its distortion from the preamp circuit. I don't mind my delay pedal in front of the preamp on the clean channel, but IMO a delayed signal going into a heavy gain stage sounds like crap. So, I put delay in the loop so that the distorted signal goes into the delay rather than the other way around. Honestly, I think most effects sound fine in front of the amp. And if you play clean or with fairly mild distortion even delay I think is fine there. But for convenience, since I already need to use the loop for delay, I go ahead and put phaser and trem there too.
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Old 02-14-2020, 08:40 PM
alnico5 alnico5 is offline
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I have not been impeded for the 50 plus years I haven't had one.
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  #5  
Old 02-14-2020, 09:04 PM
darylcrisp darylcrisp is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by srbell View Post
The effects loop comes between the preamp and power amp stages of the amp. This lets you use the preamp to get overdrive/distortion and tone control settings before effects that are in the effects loop. Pedals used in front of the amp come before any tone shaping the preamp provides.
thank you and I understand it now.
d
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Old 02-14-2020, 09:06 PM
darylcrisp darylcrisp is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paleolith54 View Post
srbell is right. What this means, basically, is that you want effects in the loop that you don't want affected by the preamp. Example: the lead channel on my Mesa gets its distortion from the preamp circuit. I don't mind my delay pedal in front of the preamp on the clean channel, but IMO a delayed signal going into a heavy gain stage sounds like crap. So, I put delay in the loop so that the distorted signal goes into the delay rather than the other way around. Honestly, I think most effects sound fine in front of the amp. And if you play clean or with fairly mild distortion even delay I think is fine there. But for convenience, since I already need to use the loop for delay, I go ahead and put phaser and trem there too.
thank you for the further info and example. I'm starting to understand more of this.
d
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Old 02-14-2020, 09:34 PM
Dru Edwards Dru Edwards is offline
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Hey Daryl, good responses provided above. I like an effects loop but it isn't a deal breaker for me ... well, perhaps on a gigging amp but not a good small wattage amp. I do find a difference when playing with gain and including a delay or chorus pedal in front of the amp vs in the effects loop.

But, our guitar heroes back in the day played live without an effects loop and we all crave those tones, like the Marshall JMPs on the 70s or the original JCM 800s of the early 80s.
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