Effects loop, rack and pedals

[Step]

Hi there, I have an SWR workingman 15 Combo amp, and this amp has an effects loop

now, I read in another thread that putting pedals in a built-in effects loop is bad, since these run at instrument level, and racks often run at line level, which is what the effects loop runs at.

my amp also has an EFX blend that runs from wet to dry

my question is: running pedals through a built-in effects loop, does this hurt anything be it pedal, bass or amp?

and second, would it be worth it just so I can use the effects blend?

thx for the help, I'm a bit stuck on this one

 

[four2oh]

use your amp's EFX loop for line level effects only.

get a blender pedal for your EFX pedal chain (ie. Xotic X-Blender or Barge Concepts).

 

[Step]

use your amp's EFX loop for line level effects only.

get a blender pedal for your EFX pedal chain (ie. Xotic X-Blender or Barge Concepts).

the question isn't exactly the what should I do, but rather, the why.

so: why should I only use line level effects, does it damage something?

 

[JanusZarate]

Don't worry - no harm is possible.*

Guitarists use effects loops on their amps all the time, even for pedals, because there is a general preference for relying on preamp distortion as opposed to pedal distortion. With bassists, it's a different story.

However, many pedals don't "like" the output of an amp's effects loop, and they'll distort or even decrease your preamp output. But again, there's no harm to your pedals - just unpleasant distortion in many (but not all!) cases. If it doesn't sound right to you, just take it out of the loop. Simple as that.

In short... it narrows down to what the pedal is designed to handle. By convention, the vast majority of rack effects are designed for effects loops and line level signals. Pedals... not so much.

The pedals that usually work best in an effects loop are standalone ambient effects like modulation (chorus, flanger, etc.), delay, tremolo, etc. - but not all such pedals will work well. It's all a matter of your setup.

*There are a few ways to make stuff go horribly wrong... but if you figure those out, you'll destroy your amp without even using the effects loop.

 

[Jazz Ad]

It doesn't damage anything.
It just sounds like crap and steals most of your tone's headroom and gain.
A Boss LS-2 or Barge are a much better idea.

 

[RickenBoogie]

+1 to all that's been said. Some pedals, especially gain type fx, can make a horrible squeeling sound when put through the fx loop of an amp. You won't like that at all.

 

[Step]

ok, thanks, now I know enough

I might even try it sometime, just for the heck of it

 

[masaki_v]

Should a compressor be run in an effects loop?

 

[bongomania]

Check the FAQ linked in my sig for a detailed answer.

 

[masaki_v]

Check the FAQ linked in my sig for a detailed answer.

You're awesome. Thank you!

Now...which compressor in your list did you like the best?