Effects Loop vs. Direct

[KenD]

Is there any benefit or detriment to running:

Bass>Pedals>Amp
vs
Bass>Amp>Effects Loop>Pedals

I am considering an amp that touts its tube buffered effects loop as matching the low impedance of pedals with the high impedance of the amp.

Opinions?

 

[Mushroo]

What is the amp? And which pedals?

 

[jefkritz]

Depends on the pedal. Generally, any pedals that react differently based on input volume go between your instrument and the amp. For instance, envelope filters and dirt/od/fuzz/etc. Pedals that don't react differently based on input volume can go either place. For instance, reverb, delay, modulation.

I generally just put it all between the instrument and amp, as I don't want to futz with two separate effect chains each going back and forth to the amp.

 

[KenD]

What is the amp? And which pedals?

Pedals = Mini-Thumpinator, Compressor, Delay
Amp = any tube amp with tube buffered effects loop

 

[Aloe]

guitar amps have FX loops for basically one reason: they often have overdrive.
so, basically the FX loop is a possibility to put reverb after your distorted amp's preamp, not before it.

 

[Mushroo]

Pedals = Mini-Thumpinator, Compressor, Delay
Amp = any tube amp with tube buffered effects loop

Impossible to answer without knowing the identity of your mystery amp. Sorry.

 

[KenD]

Impossible to answer without knowing the identity of your mystery amp. Sorry.

You have misunderstood the question. Sorry.

 

[nilorius]

If using amp send/return You can use amps preamp eq. before fx pedals.

 

[KenD]

If using amp send/return You can use amps preamp eq. before fx pedals.

Good point but depending on whether the FX loop is before or after the preamp section of the amp.

 

[nilorius]

Good point but depending on whether the FX loop is before or after the preamp section of the amp.

Right, well in my life i had 2 amps - fx loop on both after amps eq.

 

[Killing Floor]

Honestly with just those few things you should experiment. You're the judge of the sound. I'd probably go bass-comp-hpf to instrument in and try the delay in the loop. But try a few ways and find your best sound.
I like comp first, some people like it past all the other effects and EQ. But I use compression pretty lightly. The signal from the HPF I suppose could be in the loop or on the instrument line in, never tried that in a loop. Good luck.

 

[SiliconElle]

Personally, I like to have things like filters, distortions and compressors between the instrument and the amp, and I like to have things like reverbs in an effects loop. Other stuff like chorus and delays, I'm less picky about.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

I've never used an effects loops and am therefore blissfully content. To me it appears to be adding unnecessary complexity to your rig with the send & return cables. People claim that it improves modulation....which is also claimed to be "lost in the mix"....so which is it?

 

[nnnnnn]

Good point but depending on whether the FX loop is before or after the preamp section of the amp.

I've never heard of an amp with effects loop before the preamp (except one or two obscure guitar amps that had more than one loop). The whole point is to have the loop after the preamp.

I like overdrive and distortion before chorus, delay, and reverb, so for guitar I utilise the effects loop. I don't like distortion with bass so don't need a loop on a bass amp.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

One of the greatest things about an effects loop is being able to bypass the internal preamp.
If you think about it, a preamp/DI like Tone-Hammer really should bypass the internal preamp.

It worked very well for me when I was using a G-K amp, because I hated the o/d sound of the G-K, but loved that of the Aguilar.

Another nice thing is that you can split your signal out of the effects-send, which I've done often when wanting to connect to more than one output.
(w/o causing a ground-loop)

 

[skycruiser]

One of the greatest things about an effects loop is being able to bypass the internal preamp.
If you think about it, a preamp/DI like Tone-Hammer really should bypass the internal preamp.

It worked very well for me when I was using a G-K amp, because I hated the o/d sound of the G-K, but loved that of the Aguilar.

Another nice thing is that you can split your signal out of the effects-send, which I've done often when wanting to connect to more than one output.
(w/o causing a ground-loop)

Just so I understand, do you mean plugging into the return only and not using the amp input or send?

 

[Hypocrite]

I never saw the point of effect loops, the possible/theoretical benefits wouldn't (for me at least) outweigh the ease of just putting my pedalboard between bass and amp and not having to mess around with extra cables and (even more) complicated routing with my bypass looper. General rule of thumb is that effect pedals go into the amp's input, rackmount effects go to the effect loop.
But as always, YMMV. There are no right or wrong answers, there's only what works best for you.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

I never saw the point of effect loops, the possible/theoretical benefits wouldn't (for me at least) outweigh the ease of just putting my pedalboard between bass and amp and not having to mess around with extra cables and (even more) complicated routing with my bypass looper. General rule of thumb is that effect pedals go into the amp's input, rackmount effects go to the effect loop.
But as always, YMMV. There are no right or wrong answers, there's only what works best for you.

I agree and think it comes down to perceived improvement in tone. Basically a placebo.

 

[KenD]

Some of the answers here have helped to clarify my take on the question. Thank you. In general, broad strokes: pedals that determine which parts of the raw signal will be amplified should go between the bass and the amp. Pedals that determine which effects will be added to the EQ'd signal should go in the loop after the preamp. As I said, broad general strokes.

 

[mattj1stc]

FWIW, there is also the possibility of going bass to pedal to effects return into the amp, bypassing the preamp section of the amp. This is what I do as I prefer to use my VT deluxe as my preamp. Usually, preamp plus preamp doesn’t end well.