Where to physically put effects pedals that are in your amp's loop?

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H150H150 Frets: 0
Hiya, so I never have really used amp effects loops but now I have an amp where I will be. I don't want to put the loop pedals on my board and run cables out and back to them, so I think I'll probably use a Gigrig Loopy 2 or something to control them from the front.

My question is: Where do people put these pedals? I don't really want to precariously balance them on top of the head, and there's not much room there anyway. Get a small table to put behind the cab? Velcro them to the back of the cab? Just sit them on the floor behind the cab?

All ideas welcome!

Thanks! =)
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Comments

  • ESBlondeESBlonde Frets: 3576
    If you have any need of switching pedals in the loop they will need to be at your feet, either up front or at the very least at the foot of the cabinet.
    Many people have them on the pedal board and just use the 3 cable method.
    If they are permanantly on! make a shelf that nestles over the handle to provide airflow for amp cooling and strap the pedals atop of that.

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  • ColsCols Frets: 6953
    What are the pedals, and what is the amp?
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  • merlinmerlin Frets: 6595
    I have a loop that is switched on/off using a separate pedal (also has boost, reverb and trem on it. So I put one (atm) pedal on my board and leave it on all the time. 
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  • TheBigDipperTheBigDipper Frets: 4722
    I used to sit all my pedals on the pedalboard and run the send/return cables from there to the amp. It sounded fine to me. I'm forced to do this now, as my "board" is an HX FX.

    Unhelpful extra: These days I've only got one amp with an effects loop. It's an AMP1, so that sits on my board next to the HX FX anyway, and the only long cable is the one running to the speaker cab. 
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  • digitalscreamdigitalscream Frets: 26453
    For a simple example...this is my board:



    The Flashback is in the loop of my amp. The box in the top left is a simple 4-way I/O patch box. The connections from the top are:

    1 - To amp input
    2 - From amp Send
    3 - To amp Return
    4 - To amp channel switch

    I then have a 4-way cable snake with jacks on each end. Setting up is almost as simple as putting everything in front of the amp.

    This would work just as well with a much bigger board with loads of pedals in the loop - the connections to the amp are the same either way.
    <space for hire>
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71959
    On the pedalboard.

    Just be careful to keep the grounds separate between the pedals in front of the amp and the ones in the loop - they can't be linked either via a non-isolated power supply, a connections box like the one digitalscream has, or even by the pedal casings and/or plugs touching each other - or you'll have a ground loop which will probably cause hum. Likewise any amp footswitch connections need to be kept separate.

    digitalscream will know this :).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • StratavariousStratavarious Frets: 3597
    edited July 2020
    Rack fx. with midi or TRS foot-switch.  You can get a unit like the Lexicon MX200 and footswitch the blocks with a Boss FS6.  Cheaper than many pedals too. 

    With patches you can store setting for each song. 

    I have a 4u rack my mesa stands on with lexicon and delay... so much cleaner and simpler to control.

    i do sometimes use the extra wires to the pedalboard with my DSL. The pedalboard has a pre row and an ‘in the loop row’,  its only a couple of extra wires and you can tape them together.
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