Distortion/OD - In FX loop or up front?

[chaosMK]

Where do you guys place your distoriton/OD pedals? I typically run all of my effects (some extra tone shaping off Sansamp BDDI, chorus, etc) blended in the effects loop. What do you guys suggest?

[tech21nyc]

We as a rule don't recommend using our Bass Driver DI in the loop unless you are bypassing your amp's preamp. In general most distortion units, OD's, fuzz etc want to see a guitar signal.
You can use distortion pedals in front of our SansAmp products because they are designed to react like a guitar amp.

In general time domain effects like chorus, reverb and delay work best in an amp's effects loop.

Of course if you put all your effects in the loop and it works for you then it works for you.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by tech21nyc

In general time domain effects like chorus, reverb and delay work best in an amp's effects loop.

The idea that some types of effects work better in the loop is strictly, 100%, based on the fact that guitarists like to use their tube amp's preamp as an OD/distortion, and they like to have that distortion in front of effects like chorus, reverb, etc. just as a taste preference.

But for anyone who does not use a tube amp as their primary distortion effect, i.e. a huge percentage of bassists today, there is no logic to this order.

Additionally, and much more importantly, whether an effect will work well in the loop depends on whether the effect and the loop are able to run at the same signal level! If you have a line-level loop and an instrument-level effect, or vice-versa, it will sound like absolute crap due to noise and/or unwanted clipping.

So the only "generally" that makes any sense to repeat to new learners is that they generally need to identify the levels that work best for their specific effects and their specific amp's fx loop. Only after doing that is it worth bothering with whether you like the sound one way or the other.

[Toastfuzz]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Additionally, and much more importantly, whether an effect will work well in the loop depends on whether the effect and the loop are able to run at the same signal level! If you have a line-level loop and an instrument-level effect, or vice-versa, it will sound like absolute crap due to noise and/or unwanted clipping.

I wasnt gonna jump into this, as I have nothing beneficial to add, but your statement got me curious... so are rackmount effects generally line-level, and therefore better in the loop? Because all of my current effects are floor pedals, and all run in-line into the amp's initial guitar-in. Though if I started getting into rack effects (I have a rackmount amp, why not!) I'd want to run into effects loop for clean wiring and simplicity.

[Extrinsic]

For a long time I had my ODB-3 in front of my amp (fender bassman 250 / 115 combo) but I found it sounds a lot better in the effects loop mixed with my clean signal via amp fx blend.

[Unrepresented]

Originally Posted by Toastfuzz

I wasnt gonna jump into this, as I have nothing beneficial to add, but your statement got me curious... so are rackmount effects generally line-level, and therefore better in the loop? Because all of my current effects are floor pedals, and all run in-line into the amp's initial guitar-in. Though if I started getting into rack effects (I have a rackmount amp, why not!) I'd want to run into effects loop for clean wiring and simplicity.

That's typically how it works, although your effects loop may be adjustable to either line or instrument level.

[chaosMK]

On my Bass 400, I'd just adjust the blend level to whatever sounded good (about 40-50%).

The Sansamp BDDI sounded great in the FX loop on this particular head. You can get a tremendous amount of thick mid/low-mid orientation out of it, probably more so than any other head I've owned or spent a lot of time on. Combine that with a tiny bit of modern scoop/presence and it worked wonders. It sounded way better in my FX loop than in front. I recorded an album with the BDDI in front and it sounded great (Cirrus into a Mesa tube head, can't sound bad), but it was run of the mill.

I've run the BDDI in the FX loop on other heads and it didnt do anything. The sounds I got on my Bass 400 were fairly epic.

[tech21nyc]

As I said if it works and your happy with the sound and the noise level is acceptable then go with it.

Our Bass Driver DI is designed to be fed by bass guitar signal. Our rack mount version the RBI has a line level input on the back of the unit that is better suited for an effects loop. We still don't recommend running a preamp into our SansAmp tube emulation circuit as it degrades your signal to noise ratio and the product will not always respond and sound as it was designed.