I just spent ages going through lots of pointless videos on YouTube about Boost pedals to try to get an answer to one question!
Can I use it to boost my volume for solos.
I know I can do it through the clean channel but I tend to use the dirty channel.
A boost in the front end will just dirty it up more.
Will a Boost be a good idea in the effects loop to boost volume?
Or should I put a volume pedal onto my pedal board (and probably also run that in the FX loops as probably the last pedal?)
Basically, how are people doing it here?
Thanks
Mike
Comments
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Depending on how dirty the amp is.
Mild Crunch, an OD or clean boost pedal in front will give a volume/gain boost. On a heavily driven amp, it'll just make the sound more compressed, and won't lift the volume (worst case it'll cause a volume drop). If the amp is heavily driven, a clean boost (My preference is the MXR Microamp) in the FX loop, which will give a nice volume lift.
Don't put OD or distortion pedals in the loop, as it is possible to damage the amp by doing that.
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Another approach that might work would be to place a foot switch attenuator in the FX Loop (Volume pot in a box with a switch). Set the Volume "low" for unboosted sound and then switch the volume pot out of the loop via the foot switch for your "boosted" level. Might just work for you?
You need a line driver or EQ pedal with a level control in the LOOP of the amp.
And then you have to make sure the amp's fx loop is also capable of providing extra level. The one on the Marshall Vintage Modern for example, isn't.
Pedals that will be perfect for the job =
Suhr Iso Boost
MXR/CAE MC 401 or 402
Even a Boss GE-7
Etc.
You can run a boost pedal in front of your amp only if:
The amp is set pretty much clean and has headroom to spare for your desired "louder" needs.
The drive sounds come from a unit or other pedal before the volume boosting pedal
If you run it vice versa, you're just adding gain and compression; A hotter signal into the pedal that's providing the overdrive tones. I.e. No extra volume.
As that's defined by the output of the pedal providing the overdrive tones. Putting more signal into it is just increasing the squash in the circuit. Which basically just always equals more gain.
Some pedals, such as the ZVex Box Of Rock and Bogner Ecstasy blue/red have dual volume controls that can be switched between.
I used to run a JTM45 set clean with all pedals in front. It loved pedals. But when it came to solo time, I had nowhere to go. No way to get any more volume out of it. The amp was already giving as much as it had. The extra boost pedal at the end of the chain just ended up giving me more power section breakup. So no more volume. Just more gain.
The 1987 on the other hand. More headroom than you'd ever sensibly need. Great pedal platform IMO.
The 1959... Plain silly loud.
It's actually an attenuator but has footswitchable master volumes.
Yeah. At lower volumes it would work.
I meant that the power section was already pretty much flat out, hence demonstrating that headroom is required to be able to volume boost effectively.
The JTM wasn't a loud amp in my books. Broke up quite early and the 30w output just wasn't enough for my requirements.
Other than that, it sounded fantastic and as long as you're keeping the volume sensible-ish, I'd recommend them. Great pedal platform.