Playing modeller into fx return question

scarry67

I'm enjoying running a Boss ME80 into return of old 80s Award Session Duette - all kinds of nice sounds available and largely better than directly into normal amp input tbh. But does it matter much what amp you use this way e.g. are you bypassing the main tonal features so quality of amp is much less important? In other words, using an ME80 into return of a pricey Vox AC15 would be a negligible improvement? 

crunchman

You would still get the valve power stage on the AC15.  Might make a difference.

If you are happy as is then probably not worth messing around.

scarry67

No. I wonder what the Tech 21 Power Engine offers over normal amps with a return - a purely neutral response presumably. 

vasselmeyer

You'd get whatever overtones the AC15 power amp might impart. In my opinion, the power amp is far less of a characteristic of an amp's sound than the preamp, speakers or cabinet.  Therefore, all things being equal and because you're bypassing the  preamps, any difference in sound you'd hear between the Session and the Vox would mostly be down to the speaker and the cabinet.