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How do you use a effects rack processor with an amp head?


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  • 3 weeks later...
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I agree with 1001. I've done it both ways...It's different both ways. Going from instrument into the effect then to the amp is going to boost your signal a bit...Maybe a bit much totally depending on what you've got set where. Don't be afraid to experiment!

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Do you plug into the rack effect and into the return of the effects loop of the amp? (bypassing the preamp completely)

 

If you like the amp's built-in preamp, you plug into the amp, and plug the effects rack into the amp's effect loop.

 

If you're using an external rackmount preamp, and just want to use the amplifier's power amp section, you'd plug it in as you described.

 

If you have distortion devices - rack or pedals - those will typically be used "in front" of whatever preamp you're using - this allows them to hit the input of the preamp harder, and make it go into overdrive as well as allowing the distortion devices (fuzzes, overdrives, distortion pedals, etc.) to generate dirt on their own. Things like modulation effects, delay and reverb effects are often used in the effects loop... but there's no hard and fast rules. Some people like to run everything "in front of" the amp, and don't bother with using an effects loop.

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Gain staging is what you have to watch out for. Guitar amp inputs are instrument level which is lower then line level. You want to be sure the output from whatever rack unit you're using has nearly the same output of a guitar pickup using an A/B comparison between the guitar plugged in and the unit between the Guitar and amp. Some units do have true bypass buttons which makes it simple to compare, others don't,

 

If you know what your normal settings are then just set your amp that way and dial up the volume of the rack from there.

 

Not all work well in front of a guitar amp however. If the rack does output line level and say it is a preamp, its really designed to drive a power amp. Having a guitar amp preamp sandwiched in between can make for a high noise level running the amp normal. Allot of this depends on the specific rack unit. Some have a variable output so you can use them in front of an amp and some have a variable output and still its to noisy, or the gain just isn't right when turned down.

 

In those cases you may be better off using an attenuator to drop the units output down 3~6db before feeding the amp input. I know the Alesis Midiverb units sound allot better feeding a guitar amps input. You bring the noise floor down and you can crank the input and output levels up where they should be.

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