Using amp head through other amp fx loop

thecolourbox

Hello, a potentially silly question as i think i know the answer. I have an fx loop equipped amp head, could I use the head's fx out to the fx loop in of my Hot Rod Deluxe or should it still be plugged into a cab? I cant use it at the moment as i have no cab so was wondering if i could safely use it through that. But i think it sounds not a good idea to not have a cab load! Thanks all

ICBM

No, if the first amp is a valve amp it's not safe unless you have some way of muting the power section or a dummy load for it. The FX send usually doesn't break the signal path to the power amp, so the power amp will still be producing an output.

You'd be better to run the amp directly through the speaker of the HRD - there might be enough cable length to do this even without an extension if you undo the cable tie on the speaker cable and put the amps back-to-back, but I doubt it… the cable is pretty short. Really you need an extension cable with a plug on one and and a line socket on the other - you can make one fairly easily, but many line sockets are poor quality and not a good idea for speaker cables - I would only use the Neutrik locking one.

If the first amp is solid state it should be safe.

octatonic

The amp head still needs a load on it- either a speaker box OR a dummy load.

If you don't you will either trip the fuse OR ruin the output transformer.

ecc83

I would like to point out that most of the Blackstar range can indeed be used in this way, i.e. as a "pre amp". Simply switch the amp to standby and turn the master pot to zero (as an added precaution) then the FX out and emulated outputs become available for PA, recording or anything else that takes your pleasure. N.B. There is always the possibility of a hum loop but that is just "life"!

Note too that if any(valve!) amplifier has FX pre master volume it is quite safe to keep that at zero and simply plug in a shorting jack. In the very unlikely event of a "blast thru" the amp might pop an HT fuse but no permament damage will occur.

 

Dave.

impmann

Thanks for that Dave - that's useful to know about the Blackstar amps! :-)

thecolourbox

Excellent thanks, i thought that might be the case. I knew that about the Blackstar as i used to have one, which i traded in for the HRD.