reverb in the loop

Jetfire

So after all my ponderings about reverb pedals, is there any reason why a pedal wouldnt sound as good in the fx loop?

octatonic

Impedance.

Jetfire

May need to explain that one..

ICBM

It will work fine as long as the loop signal level and pedal signal level are compatible.

If it works properly it will usually sound better than in front of the amp, unless you're after that chaotic Neil Young distorted reverb type sound.

Jetfire

I was thinking of either the RV-7 which a lovely gentleman on here has offered me or Im going to Brizzol today so I may drop into PMT to try one of the Zoom 70CDR things.. Either way, its going into the Mesa Boogie Mark 4 via the effects loop as Im too lazy to jump onto 2/3 things at ones to get reverb and delay and a clean channel.. 

ICBM

Mesa loops can sometimes be a problem with pedals. The loop level is quite high and varies depending on the amp settings - it comes after the channel masters and before the output level control, so running the masters high and the output low gives a much higher loop level than the other way round. The models with a Send level control are a bit more adjustable, but still not ideal.

I don't think this applies to the MkIV which I think has a series loop, but there's also an issue with the parallel loops on many models and some FX units - those which digitise the dry signal path as well as the effect - that the Mesa loop Mix control is very crude and doesn't go to 100% wet, so you can get a problem with latency in the dry signal causing a 'comb filter' type effect.

I'm not sure about the Zoom, but a friend of mine had constant problems with his Rectoverb and Boss pedals in the loop until I modified it to reduce the loop level.

digitalscream

Those Zoom units (MS70CDR) can handle line level loops, or so the documentation says. In fact, they're the only one of Zoom's stomps that can (including the multi-effects units like the G3, G5 etc).

I shall be getting one to go in my Jet City's loop, because it's another one where the level varies between anything from slightly above instrument level to line level and a bit beyond.

EDIT: By the way, the particle reverbs in the MS70CDR sound absolutely amazing. At a quarter of the price of the Strymon units, it seems that they're phenomenal value.

Maxi

Harwire pedals should be ok in the loop theyre designed to take it .

RV-7

JayB

Hi, 

I used a Mesa MkIV for a long time so hopefully this may be of some help. Either unit should work well. As ICBM says the MKIV has a series loop and your individual channel volumes (R1, R2 and Lead) act as 'FX send levels' and the Overall Master volume acts as the overall 'FX return'. 

I used to balance the 'wet' signal from the fx unit on Rhythm 1 channel. If you set your lead channel master roughly the same (or as is normal just a little lower than R1) the balance on each channel worked really well. I used all sorts of things (as you do) from rack units (Rocktron Intellifex, Yamaha SPX90 etc) through to boss reverb and delay pedals and that method seemed to work well.

Hope it all goes well for you too :-)