small amp for looping

[kcolyar]

Any suggestions on small combo or pre amp for recording or looping experiments. Volume not a concern I only play in my bedroom at this time. I want an effects loop and clean clear tone. Currently I have a Crate BX75, works fine but no effects loop. Any pros or cons as to using headphones versus playing thru the combo??? Any help is appreciated, I live 2 hrs away from the nearest music store, so getting to play thru an anp before purchase is not a reality very often.

 

[kcolyar]

What is this a dumb question? I was just hoping for some info from all of you pros at looping. I guess I should have asked which is better Bass A or bass B to get a response.

 

[coreyfyfe]

You seem to be asking several different things. If you're looking for an amp with an effects loop built in, your best bet is to look up an amp you like and check out its specs. If you already have effects you like using, you could look into a true-bypass looper or something similar with a blend control, but that would be a question that could be answered better over in the effects forum. As far as headphones/through the combo, it wont matter much if you're the only one listening, but I'm sure anyone else in the area would be happy if you had head phones.

 

[bongomania]

"Looping" usually is used to mean recording something and then playing it back in a continuous loop. You seem to be asking about an effects loop, which is a totally different thing. Read this: http://www.ovnilab.com/articles/fxloop.shtml to understand more about how a loop is used, to help you determine whether you actually need an amp with an effects loop. Also go over to the Effects forum and search on the word "blender" for info about mixing your clean signal with an effected signal, using a pedal instead of buying a new amp.

 

[RickenBoogie]

And don't be so bitter. That's never gonna help your cause.

 

[kcolyar]

Thanks for the replies. I understand what an effects loop is and does. What I want to start doing after not playing for about 15 years is; get a looper, some effects and play. I just dont know of any good combo amps out there. The problem is I have been out of the market for a while, have never used effects with a bass. I am fascinated with the idea of looping to help me write songs. I just wondered if some of the pre amps out there would be better than running effects before the amp I have now. There just seems to be a ton of experience on this forum and I was hoping to save myself some trouble. Thanks again!!

 

[bongomania]

A looper per se has nothing to do with an effects loop, unless it is a line-level device OR the fx loop runs at instrument level. Additionally, there is absolutely no benefit to running a looper after the preamp rather than in front of it, again unless you have to make that call based on the levels that are optimal for operation of the specific looper you choose.

IOW your first task is to find a looper that you can afford and that does what you want. Search over in the Effects forum on "looper" and "looping", and also check out the loopers-delight forum: http://www.loopers-delight.com/loop.html

Your second task is to determine whether the looper you choose runs most optimally at line level or instrument level.

Your third task is to pick an amp. If the looper runs at instrument level, then any amp will do. You do not need an fx loop in that case. If the looper runs at line level, then you need to find an amp which has an fx loop, and you need to verify that the loop runs at line level- not all of them do.