Guitar effects loop help?

Question:HOW DOES THIS WORK?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: HOW DOES THIS WORK?

There are two different types - parallel and serial. Serial are more popular than parallel, but you should be aware of both.

A signal enters the amp, goes through the preamp circuit (gain and EQ), then goes to the effects loop. The signal goes through the effects loop, where it can be put through whatever effects you want, then comes back to the amp.

If the effects loop is serial, it comes back into the amp and goes straight to the power amp, which amplifies the signal and sends it out to the speakers.

If the effects loop is parallel, it comes back to the amp and is *blended* with the original sound. There will usually be some kind of a mix or loop vol button in the back by the loop return.

There are advantages to each method depending on the application. If you want a very wet sound (ie, you pitch-shift in your effects loop) then you want a serial loop. Sometimes you want a parallel loop if you use a lot of delay effects and want the ability to limit them pretty low in the mix.

In general you don't want distortion in the effects loop, as added gain will usually create extra harmonics in the power amp section that will directly lead to feedback. Sometimes a slight volume boost is okay, but not always. Usually delay-based and modulation effects sound best in the effects loop, but it's really a matter of personal preference. Anything that adds noise usually shouldn't be in the effect loop - even noise gates and compressors are pretty iffy in the effects loop. Use to taste, your mileage may vary.

If it helps to think of it, reverb in your amp is like a parallel effects loop - you blend in amounts of it but you don't run your whole signal through reverb. Your amp's tone controls are kind've like a serial effect loop - your signal will always be affected when you turn the "Mids" knob, for instance.

Hope this helped.

Saul

A loop takes the signal from the pre-amp circuit on the amp, sends it to the effect, then takes it back to the amp, before the power amp circuit. This is different than using a "stomp box" because the signal being run through the effects is from the pre-amp instead of the guitar pick-up.