Boost in the effects loop.

[John Matrix]

Any recommendations for a boost that works well in the effects loop after all the other pedals? Something with a bid of a mid-boost would be ideal but I'm open to any suggestions.

I was using a DOD Graphic EQ and I really liked it, but when the pedal was not on it was a tone sucker.

I tried the EQD Arrows since it was described as a mid focused boost, but it seems like it cuts a ton of low end and makes the guitar sound really brittle and thin sounding.

[John Matrix]

get an EQ with true bypass then, if an EQ did work for you

Makes sense! I'd like to try some simpler options also though. Sometimes the graphic eq gives me too much room to fuck things up, and in a gig situation it's nice to have less shit to tweak.

[rfurtkamp]

Is the effects loop you're using line or instrument level, etc?

What it is will matter a TON.

[John Matrix]

The jack on the back of the amp says "preamp line out" so I assume it's line level. The manual doesn't specifically say.

[rfurtkamp]

That doesn't specify, that's a term that it's exactly what it says - preamp line.

What model amp? Contact the MFR? Etc.

What it says on this sort of thing is *rarely* an indicator of what it actually is set to.

[John Matrix]

Ah ok, well its an old Sunn Beta Lead. 70's solid state, 3 fx loops (one for each channel, one master). Manual doesn't explain much and I can't read schematics or whatever so I have no idea.

[rfurtkamp]

You're probably going to have to do a LOT of experimenting then. It may not even be a standard setting.

Everything sounded like ass in my same period Sunn Solos II combo's loop to a point I just didn't use it.

The big thing with using any boost in a SS amp's loop is that there's no "boost" per se going on - no tubes to push harder, nothing to really interact with except "get louder" and the amp is designed to get signal within every specific parameters on the return.

Is there a reason you want to use said boost in the loop instead of in front of the amp?

Also, again, with no tubes etc, the boost is going to be touchy. The amp may not like getting hit with hot signal or overload in a non-desireable way.

Could net you the best thing ever, but never know without checking.

[John Matrix]

I put the boost in the loop after the effects for a few reasons. I run one channel clean and all the effects go in that one, I run the other channel with more gain and no effects. It is difficult to get a lot of clean volume with this amp, and in general the tone is rather dark, so I put my EQ pedal at the end of the effects chain to make that channel louder and clearer. Most of my effects handle the loop just fine, but the reverb pedal has trouble sometimes so I keep the pre-amp kinda low and then bring the volume back up with the EQ pedal. Works pretty good in general but because of the "tone suck" of the EQ pedal I have to leave it on all the time, so it doesn't really function as a boost, just a channel volume control.

Getting the right volume balance between the 2 channels is kinda hard. And I like a bit of mid boost because it helps the amp cut a bit more, which it struggles with in a live context despite it's immense volume.
I have noticed that if I dime the EQ or boost in the loop the power amp hates it and clips in a really shitty way, so getting this shit right has been a result of lots of trial and error.