Effects Loop Advice - please contribute

[D2TS]

I see a lot of different opinons about effects loops and pedal order. My amp has an effects loop that I don't use. The chain I use is:

Bass > Tuner > Synth > Whammy > Distortions 1, 2 and 3 > Delay > Amp

I get a fair bit of unwanted noise, particularly from the Digitech Whammy, going through the input that I don't get if I put them through the effects loop. However, I've been told to never put distortion or effects that increase volume through an effects loop (and I use some pretty loud sounds) and I want my Whammy to go before distortion as one of the pedals has a glitch effect that is controlled by the pitch going into it, so I can't just put the whammy through the effects loop.

It seems to me that effects before amp = tone loss and noise and effects in loop = possible amp breakage and tone loss in distortion effects. I don't know what to do.

Any ideas/comments/suggestions/debunking of "tone loss" or "that will break your amp" myths?

Just what is this intangible, abstract idea of "tone" that us bassists seem so obsessed with chasing anyway? lol.

[phil.i.stein]

[quote name='D2TS' post='953547' date='Sep 12 2010, 01:53 PM']I see a lot of different opinons about effects loops and pedal order. My amp has an effects loop that I don't use. The chain I use is:

Bass > Tuner > Synth > Whammy > Distortions 1, 2 and 3 > Delay > Amp

I get a fair bit of unwanted noise, particularly from the Digitech Whammy, going through the input that I don't get if I put them through the effects loop. However, I've been told to never put distortion or effects that increase volume through an effects loop (and I use some pretty loud sounds) and I want my Whammy to go before distortion as one of the pedals has a glitch effect that is controlled by the pitch going into it, so I can't just put the whammy through the effects loop.

It seems to me that effects before amp = tone loss and noise and effects in loop = possible amp breakage and tone loss in distortion effects. I don't know what to do.

Any ideas/comments/suggestions/debunking of "tone loss" or "that will break your amp" myths?

Just what is this intangible, abstract idea of "tone" that us bassists seem so obsessed with chasing anyway? lol.[/quote]
i use a dual-channel amp, one for 'clean' signal, and the other with a load of effects in the loop. i can then blend these to retain low end.

i've never had much trouble sticking distortion or fuzz in my fx loop, [u]but[/u] i do keep the initial gain low on the channel i use for fx.

maybe some sort of limit/compression might help in the loop, to get rid of any unwanted volume spikes ?

worth a try..

[Dad3353]

[quote name='D2TS' post='953547' date='Sep 12 2010, 02:53 PM']I see a lot of different opinons about effects loops and pedal order. My amp has an effects loop that I don't use. The chain I use is:

Bass > Tuner > Synth > Whammy > Distortions 1, 2 and 3 > Delay > Amp

I get a fair bit of unwanted noise, particularly from the Digitech Whammy...[/quote]
How about a noise gate, either at the end of the chain or between the Whammy and the Distos?