Simplifiying Connections

[chung3j]

I'm looking to simplify my pedalboard connections to relieve my OCD for stage clutter. I've always hated the idea of having separate cables for send and return to the effects loop, so I was thinking of combining them in a box to a stereo TRS cable and breaking again at the amp. If I had the send and return share a common ground, would I be getting noise from ground loop or whatever? What if I went further and used a 4 pin XLR so I can include the instrument send, with common ground? I remember reading that people have noise problems if they share power supply between effects loop and front end effects.

Thanks

 

[flobass]

Hi. I don't know if this helps your question. I too hate to use extra cables for the fx loop of my amp. My solution was a Basswitch IQ DI. This is just great, because you can just bypass all your effect when you don't need them. No need for special cables or ground loops. Just use some high quality cables and you'll have a fantastic sound and no trouble!
Greetz, Florian

 

[cheapbasslovin]

The simplest thing to do would be to avoid your effects loop altogether and go bass >effects >amp. If you've already experimented with all of that and really like using your loop, then a TRS cable should work, although there may be some crosstalk between send and return over long distances (I don't know how significant this crosstalk would be, it could be negligible).

Another solution is to get some cable wrap from radio shack or home depot and bind together a pair of cables with that. Looks like this:

I've done this and it works very well.

 

[gillento]

+ 1 on both above:

I have my effects in front of me switching an routing them with a RMI Basswitch's parallel and serial loops.
This allows me tailoring me FOH sound with the Basswitch and using the amp strictly for stage sound.

 

[ga_edwards]

Sounds like you need a loom cable. Something like the pedal snake:
PedalSnake.com
You can send and return and carry power to you pedal board too, all down one cable.