Fx Loop

[riverrick]

I have a FX Loop button on the front of one of my amps. Don't have a clue what it's for, or how to use it. Any input would be VERY helpful.

 

[marnold]

Normally you'd put your time-based effects in the loop (chorus, delay, reverb, et al). Many people think it sounds better that way than to put them in front of the amp. I would assume the button might either take it out of the circuit or maybe be a series/parallel switch. What amp is it?

 

[riverrick]

Normally you'd put your time-based effects in the loop (chorus, delay, reverb, et al). Many people think it sounds better that way than to put them in front of the amp. I would assume the button might either take it out of the circuit or maybe be a series/parallel switch. What amp is it?

It's a Marshall JVM 410H. Do I need to hook up something in the rear of amp???

 

[deeaa]

http://www.marshallamps.com/downloads/files/JVM%20hbk%20Eng.pdf

Isn't it in the manual?

 

[t_ross33]

The connections on the back of the amp SEND from the pre-amp to the FX loop which then RETURNs to the power amp. Some prefer certain effects like chorus, phasers and flangers (modulation effects) as well as reverb and delay (time based effects) to be placed after drives, distortions, wahs and the gain and tone controls of the amp. These would comprise your FX loop.

Your amp has the handy feature of disengaging the FX loop altogether which would take "tone-sucking" pedals out of the signal path when not in use. Also, it can MIX the level of the effects in the loop with the pre-amp signal before it goes to the power amp.

A typical signal chain might look like guitar>wah>overdrive/distortion>input/preamp>SEND>modulation effects>time based effects>RETURN>power amp>speaker

Hope that helps.

 

[riverrick]

The connections on the back of the amp SEND from the pre-amp to the FX loop which then RETURNs to the power amp. Some prefer certain effects like chorus, phasers and flangers (modulation effects) as well as reverb and delay (time based effects) to be placed after drives, distortions, wahs and the gain and tone controls of the amp. These would comprise your FX loop.

Your amp has the handy feature of disengaging the FX loop altogether which would take "tone-sucking" pedals out of the signal path when not in use. Also, it can MIX the level of the effects in the loop with the pre-amp signal before it goes to the power amp.

A typical signal chain might look like guitar>wah>overdrive/distortion>input/preamp>SEND>modulation effects>time based effects>RETURN>power amp>speaker

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the info.....it's all greek to me, but I'll play around with it and see what happens....thanks again....

 

[t_ross33]

Thanks for the info.....it's all greek to me, but I'll play around with it and see what happens....thanks again....

I know what you mean... just starting to get the hang of it myself :thwap

Basically, an amplifier has 2 sections: a preamp which has your gain and tone controls and a power amp which takes the signal and sends it to the speaker. Some effects sound better Before the preamp (instrument input jack) and some sound better after. The FX loop lets you put those effects in the signal path between the preamp and power amp sections.

 

[riverrick]

OK got my wah, tuner, distortion, OD hooked up with guitar cord coming from the wah to guitar and another cord from the OD to pre amp out/send is that right???
Now I still have delay, compression and chorus how do I hook those up???

 

[marnold]

Guitar->tuner->wah->distortion->OD->amp instrument input

and

Amp effects send->chorus->delay->Amp effects return

The order of the effects is subject to much debate.

The manual that should have come with it (or that deeaa linked to above) has all this information in it.

 

[markb]

OK got my wah, tuner, distortion, OD hooked up with guitar cord coming from the wah to guitar and another cord from the OD to pre amp out/send is that right???
Now I still have delay, compression and chorus how do I hook those up???

Connect guitar to tuner, then connect wah, compressor and od in your preferred order. Connect this chain the amp input.
Then, take a cable from the send on your amp to the chorus and delay in your preferred order and connect the output of this chain to the amp's return (power amp in) socket.

That's the basic connection done.

 

[riverrick]

Man I give up:mad I did what you said mark ...the first part works fine(tuner wah comp OD) but I get nothing out of the delay and chorus, I'm just a BIG dummy when it comes to all this tech stuff. Thanks to all for your help.

 

[marnold]

Man I give up:mad I did what you said mark ...the first part works fine(tuner wah comp OD) but I get nothing out of the delay and chorus, I'm just a BIG dummy when it comes to all this tech stuff. Thanks to all for your help.

Did you make sure to push the button so that the effects loop is actually on?

 

[riverrick]

Yup!!! I'm sure it's just hooked up wrong....got the wrong cables in the wrong place.

 

[markb]

Troubleshooting fx loops:

1. Connect the amp's SEND jack to the pedal(s) INPUT
2. Connect the pedals' OUTPUT to the amp's RETURN jack
3. Check there isn't a switch somewhere as Marnold suggests. It could be on the panel or on a footswitch. The footswitch might override the panel settings if connected or vice versa.
4. Check to see if there isn't an fx level pot somewhere on the amp (could be front or back. Turn it up full to test and back it off to taste once you get things working.
5 Some really fancy amps have send level controls too. This could be a pot or a switch and could be on the front or back of the amp. For pedals use -10db. For rack units use +4db. These are the usual ranges.

 

[riverrick]

Tried that....still no sound from the last 2 pedals. WTF!!! I don't get it....lol

 

[rylanmartin]

I love this forum....

I have a JVM amp. You want to use the send under the text in the back that says "Serial/Parellel Effects Loop." What I do is set the FX level to -10dB (the little black button pushed IN and not sticking out). Next you need to dial the knob that says "MIX" all the way to wet. If its dialed to "dry" that means none of your amp signal hitting the FX return is being mixed in your amps overall output.

The whole idea of the JVM "fx loop" button is that you can, by using your footswitch, turn your FX loop on or off. You'll notice that delay, reverb, and SOME modulation sound terrible when they hit your amp when it's on a drive channel. In order to run the overdriven signal through your delays, verbs, and mods is with the use of the FX loop. It's just a "hole" in the signal from the amp's preamp (EQ and Drive) and the poweramp (the thing that makes the speakers move).

You also have a "Power Amp Insert/Serial Loop." This is another FX loop that you can set to either always on (button in-active) or always off (button out- bypassed). This one isn't footswitchable.

Using an effects loop simply means you're gonna be running more pedals to and from your amp. You're essentially using the preamp portion of your Marshall much like you would a pedal in your pedal board now....it's just further away from your pedal board.

 

[riverrick]

Yipee:thumbsup I finally got it!!! Don't know what I wasn't doing before .....but it works now:happy Thanks a ton Rylan and everyone else who hepled me through this dilema. what a GREAT forum:applause