# Where do you connect your pedals?



## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

Perhaps this has been discussed before, but where do you place your pedals in your setup and why?


----------



## dufe32 (Feb 5, 2007)

Through the amp's input because that's what's working best with my current amp. I don't think delays, flangers, phasers "should" go in the fx loop, they sometimes work better in front of your amp, you have to experiment with every new amp you get. In other words, choose the configuration that you like, there is no "have to" or "should" in my opinion, you'll only find out by experimenting.


----------



## Stevo (Apr 3, 2008)

My delay goes through my FX loop. I prefer delay after distortion (which I am using from the amp) so the FX loop is the best tonally. Dirt, wah, boost and fuzz go up front. With the boost especially, it is nice to hit the front of the amp a little harder for solos.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

A good starting point:


Time based effects like chorus, flange, delay, echo, as well as rotating effects generally work best in the amps effects loop. 

Wah, overdrive, distortion, compressor and volume pedal should go between the guitar and the amps input.


Season to taste.


----------



## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

just don't have the option of putting them in the effects loops on any of my amps. They don't have them.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Like Ripper, all my amps have never had effects loops, so I've always gone with out front. Seems to work fine for me.


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Milkman said:


> A good starting point:
> 
> 
> Time based effects like chorus, flange, delay, echo, as well as rotating effects generally work best in the amps effects loop.
> ...


Well that may explain why I've never really liked using the effects loop.
On my Roland I have Chorus on the amp.
And mostly I've plugged in distortions, and now a Wah.

I don't use the phase shifter & flanger much.

I'll either have to check that out or sell/trade those ones.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

hollowbody said:


> Like Ripper, all my amps have never had effects loops, so I've always gone with out front. Seems to work fine for me.


Sure it does.

If your amp had an effects loop you might STILL not prefer the sound as I recommend. It comes down to taste.


For a clean sound that makes the most of time based effects a loop is my first choice.


----------



## Lemmy Hangslong (May 11, 2006)

front end allways for me... though the loop works well for time based stuff I still prefer going into the preamp/front end.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Milkman said:


> Sure it does.
> 
> If your amp had an effects loop you might STILL not prefer the sound as I recommend. It comes down to taste.
> 
> ...


I've tinkered with the FX loops on amps at rehearsal spaces and stuff, but really, it wasn't serious enough to warrant an opinion one way or the other from me. I don't really use chorus and flange too much, and my delays are just really slapback.

I actually was tinkering with the idea of putting an FX loop in my JTM and making it footswitchable, so I can take the delays off my pedalboard and leave them next to (or on top of) the amp, but I haven't made a real decision yet.


----------



## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

I use a multi-effects unit (Digitech GNX-4) with its own onboard pre-amp. Going into the main guitar jack is a bad idea as you are doubling up pre-amps (one on the board and one in the amplifier). This basically sounds like crap. I always run the pedalboard into the Return jack of the effects loops, by-passing the amp's pre-amp circuit. This works very well for me.

On some amps with effects loops, if you have a A/B switch, you can plug your guitar into that, one side (A) into the pedalboard/effects loop and the other (B) direct into the front of the amp. This, to me, is the best of both worlds.


----------



## Samsquantch (Mar 5, 2009)

Time based effects such as chorus and delay in the loop, and looper pedals at the end of the chain in the loop. Dirt pedals into the front of the amp.


----------



## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

Although I do have a few pedals I usually just go guitar to amp. When I do use pedals, I put them in front of them amp and have never even tried the fx loops.

Some interesting responses here, I will definitely try the FX loop with my time based effects.


----------



## LowWatt (Jun 27, 2007)

I like my delay and modulation before my dirt. I don't like them sounding pretty, so no loop for me.


----------



## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

I've always just stuffed everything up front....keeping the time based effects to the back of the pedal signal chain - this has really be more about quick plug in vs having to mess around with multiple cables going to and from the amp....but I might give the loop a try once my YCS50 comes in - I'd be curious how the effects level settings on that amp will change the sound of the delay, flanger etc


----------



## zurn (Oct 21, 2009)

I agree with Samsquantch, wah, eq, compressor, boost, dist, fuzz etc before amp. Delay, chorus, flanger, phaser etc in the loop. Oh and I also put my Digitech JamMan (looper) at the end of the effects chain in the effects loop cause if you don't, the loops will be recorded without the effects going through the effects loop.

Like others mentioned, there are not rights and wrongs for effects placement, it's a question of taste. The best is to experiment as much as your can and figure out what sounds best to you. I still haven't found a permanent place for my effects thats why I still cant tie down my pedals with velcro , I move them around too much


----------



## hookedonphonics (Jan 17, 2010)

This is really interesting to read, and something that I've never really thought about. I usually just throw everything in front of the amp but I'm really not satisfied with my distortion right now. Having said that, most people seem to prefer dirt in front of the amp but still worth messing around with to see what I get.


----------



## Samsquantch (Mar 5, 2009)

hookedonphonics said:


> This is really interesting to read, and something that I've never really thought about. I usually just throw everything in front of the amp but I'm really not satisfied with my distortion right now. Having said that, most people seem to prefer dirt in front of the amp but still worth messing around with to see what I get.


What pedal is it?


----------

