Effects Kill your tone when Bypassed?

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Im not sure if im crazy but i notice a difference in my sound when my effects (are off) in the loop when bypassed. It just sounds a little flatter than when im plugged directly in to my rig. Is it possible to make two lines one for my bass to go directly into the amp and the other to go effects then amp?

 

[Mon Rominee]

Yes, it's called an A-B box. A simplified "effects loop" if you will. If your effects are not true bypass (hard wired jack to jack when unit is off) it will sound different, yes.

This is all moot in light of your amp having an effects loop...in that case,use it.

 

[wingnutkj]

Some effects sound different in an effects loop than they do inline ahead of the amp though.

Lazlo - check out http://www.loooper.com/ - several Talkbassers (including myself) have had pedals made by Dave.

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Thanks guys,

wingnutkj if i wanted to bypass say 3 pedals i would want the 3 loooper right ? Getting a little confused just want to make sure which one to get

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

or no, i would get the A/B box....

 

[wingnutkj]

A Loooper basically acts as a true-bypass switch for your pedals. You can have more than one pedal in a Loooper's loop. You can probably get by with a single loop for starters. My rig uses a single Loooper:

bass -> loooper in -> Q-Tron -> Big Muff -> Tech 21 XXL -> looper out -> Amp

A 3-Loooper would give you a lot of flexibility and control over your pedals - for example, you could put your effects into "banks" - filters in loop 1, chorus/flangers in loop 2, distortions in loop 3 and so on, or you could isolate rarely-used really noisy pedals. There are a lot of possibilities, but it could get very complicated (and expensive!)

An A/B box lets you direct your signal between 2 different outputs or inputs - if you had 2 basses, for example.

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Thanks wingnutkj, just ordered a single looper

 

[Kheos]

A Loooper basically acts as a true-bypass switch for your pedals. You can have more than one pedal in a Loooper's loop. You can probably get by with a single loop for starters. My rig uses a single Loooper:

bass -> loooper in -> Q-Tron -> Big Muff -> Tech 21 XXL -> looper out -> Amp

A 3-Loooper would give you a lot of flexibility and control over your pedals - for example, you could put your effects into "banks" - filters in loop 1, chorus/flangers in loop 2, distortions in loop 3 and so on, or you could isolate rarely-used really noisy pedals. There are a lot of possibilities, but it could get very complicated (and expensive!)

An A/B box lets you direct your signal between 2 different outputs or inputs - if you had 2 basses, for example.

so if would have an active and a passive bass, could I do this with an A/B box?

bass1---[ ]----active
bass2---[ ]---passive
where the [] is the A/B?

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

I believe an A/B box would let you do this

Bass (active)------------
Bass (passive)----------- [ A/B ]----------- Amp

Or the other way with 2 amps and one bass

*both basses are plugged into the a/b box

 

[Kheos]

I believe an A/B box would let you do this

Bass (active)------------
Bass (passive)----------- [ A/B ]----------- Amp

Or the other way with 2 amps and one bass

*bothbasses are plugged into the a/b box

but not both?
so I'd have to plug either both in the active or both in the passive input on my amp?

 

[modflea]

On some amps, if you plug something into the active and passive inputs it automatically makes them both passive inputs anyway. At least that's how it was with my old Peavey amp.