Fx loop send-mix knobs

[tomprs]

Hi!

I usually bypass the loop on my dual rec and put all my pedals in front. I tried to use it for my delays (boss DD20 now) but I always felt I was loosing part of my tone when doing so. The amp sounds thinner/weaker when the fx-loop is engaged, which is a pity because I love the options it gives you (solo boost and fx on-off). The thing is that, after three years, I'm not even sure I understand correctly what the send and mix knobs are for, how I have to set these up and if it's really possible to get a good sound out of the amp with the fx loop engaged.

From the manual:

Send = Control that allows matching of levels between the output of your Recto and your processors’ input...Fine tune the send level with the SEND level control so that the processors’ input stage is not clipping in any channel and sending adequate level.

So is it basically a knob to control the amount of amp output hitting the effects in the loop? I suppose then that the more you turn the knob up, the more your effect is likely to distort?

Mix = allows a blend of dry and wet signals between 10% and 100%.

As English's not my mother tongue I must say that this "dry" and "wet" thing is hard for me to understand... why does it go from 10% to 100%? I'm not sure to hear the difference in tone when turning the mix knob...I suppose that at 10% the effect is less part of the sound than at 100%? Or am I totally wrong?

Do most of you guys bypass the fx loop? For those who use it, could you tell me how you use the send-mix knobs? I usually have my send at 12:00 and my mix at whatever position because I don't really know how to use it :roll:

Thanks!

Tom.

 

[Chester]

Your English is certainly not letting you down Tom - it is better than my written French or Dutch! And Dutch is my "lapsed" mother tongue ..

You are correct

Dry = no effect / 100% amp base tone
Wet = more effect on top of basic amp tone

I never use the FX loop. If I add anything at all (usually only an OD pedal for different textures / colours), it comes through the front - I normally run the guitar straight into the amp to keep things simple :mrgreen:

 

[tomprs]

Your English is certainly not letting you down Tom - it is better than my written French or Dutch! And Dutch is my "lapsed" mother tongue ..

You are correct

Dry = no effect / 100% amp base tone
Wet = more effect on top of basic amp tone

I never use the FX loop. If I add anything at all (usually only an OD pedal for different textures / colours), it comes through the front - I normally run the guitar straight into the amp to keep things simple :mrgreen:

Thanks for the kind words Chester! I also speak Dutch by the way So if I understand correctly it's impossible to have a less than 10% wet or in other words completely dry signal via the fx loop ... and I also suppose that the more I turn the mix knob, the more I loose of the non-affected sound of my amp.

On one hand I should then not push too much on the send and on the other I should keep the mix knob the closest possible to 10% so that the effect doesn't affect too much the amp's tone, right?

Thanks a lot!

Cheers,

Tom.

 

[afu]

Maybe I'm odd, but I like using phaser and delay from the front. The phaser seems more prominent and when set just right, the delays are clear, but they clean up with repeats. I like it.

When I run any time based effects from the loop, I'm more or less happy with the sound, but I don't think running it from the front is bad thing. Wah, phase and delay are my bag, baby.

To come back to the topic, running any more than a small fraction of the mix level will introduce comb filtering. To overcome the filtering, you either have to have a really strong signal of 100% wet going to the return at that fraction or turn the return up all the way and vary the amount of wet signal from the effect.