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Sure its been on here before but looking for advice. When using echo unit is it best to plug guitar into the echo then echo to amp or plug guitar in the amp and effects in/out sockets???

Both are correct but the vintage way which is how the vintage Shads Hits were recorded were done by going into echo then into amp

True, but surely the reason why amp makers started providing effects loops built into amps is to avoid the problem of effects units (with higher input signal due to the boost from the usual battery or mains powered pre-amps built into most , if not all, effects units) overloading the guitar amp input and the amp's actual pre-amp unit and causing unwanted distortion?

This may have given unique sounds to guitarists in the past, but it really didn't do the amp much good. Did I not read that Hank's Q20 was turned up too much by his guitar tech, causing distortion of his sound on parts of the Final tour DVD? Remember, you have three or four separate gain/volume controls to juggle- guitar, effects and amp...to get the correct levels for each.

If you go to all the trouble to get 'that sound' or some magic tone from your amp, then plugging the guitar into the effects unit then plugging straight into the amp input will affect and change that sound...

If your amp has an effects loop, then you may as well use it. The amp pre-amp then gives the required tone, the looped effects unit gives the effect desired to be applied (echo, chorus etc) then the guitar power amp provides the final signal to the speakers at the level required. This is using a modern guitar amp as it was designed to be used.

cockroach wrote: Hank's Q20 was turned up too much by his guitar tech, causing distortion of his sound on parts of the Final tour DVD

So THAT 'S what that was... thanks for clearing that up for me...I was wondering about that for ages!!

Cheers,
Ernie

Just a word of caution when using the effects loop. The inputs to guitar echo units have to have sufficient gain so they can be used by guitarists who want to use guitar-echo-amp routing. These inputs can be overloaded by the level coming from the Send of an effects loop. The Send level is designed to drive the line input of an effects unit (after all, it is at a level for fully driving the power amp). This means turning down the guitar using the input volume control - which may lose some of that special sound which results from driving the input stage.

So it's caution all round - and lots of experimentation, both at rehearsal volume and at gig volume.

Ray L

Just out of interest I tried using the loop for the echo unit having read the above.
Using a VOX AD100VT on manual setting created a considerably louder echo'.
But when switched to preset on AC30, it seems to cut out the valve. Or was it the echo', can't remember, "getting to old"!

Anyway, sounds better guitar to effects,and then amp. And is one less lead dangling around.

In which order would you place the following;

Guitar - Echo - Comp/Sust pedal - foot vol - ARIAB or Gemini - Amp?

Would be interested to hear from the technical experts.

G'day,
Me too!!
I use the same sort of set up.
regards
Buckshot

Another solution is to use an amp with the effects already built in...!

The day I happened to wander into the pawnshop a few months ago, to trade in my little old amp on something larger and a bit more modern, I was lucky to get one which I liked at the right sort of price- and it had the bonus of built-in effects...very posh and quite a luxury to an old bloke...