Stomp boxes - Effects Loop - or straight in no nonsense?

I noticed that playing directly into the SuperDrive 18 that I didn't feel a need for effects. With my current amp, I notice that if I run effects in front of the amp, there is a significant amount of noise. I'm sure there are others whom are annoyed by this. (BTW, the effects I use are pretty high quality: DriveTrain II, Sparkledrvie, Barber TonePress, and a StroboStomp).

I think part of the allure of this amp is the *directness* of the sound. I wouldn't want to mess with that using effects (like compression, overdrive, or even reverb).

What do you think?

I run all my effects out in front into the clean channel and mines quiet as a mouse. Same with the loop if I end up using the Drive.

BrentSP wrote:

I run all my effects out in front into the clean channel and mines quiet as a mouse. Same with the loop if I end up using the Drive.

Cool. Do you use any special cables? Are all your effects "true bypass?" Perhaps I just need to rethink this.

dynac0mp wrote:

BrentSP wrote:

I run all my effects out in front into the clean channel and mines quiet as a mouse. Same with the loop if I end up using the Drive.

Cool. Do you use any special cables? Are all your effects "true bypass?" Perhaps I just need to rethink this.

I use all George L's and my chain is as follows, Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah > Maxon OD808 > Fulltone OCDv3 > Fulltone Fulldrive II > Boss TU2> L6 MM4 > Ernie Ball Volume > Boss DD5 delay > L6 DM4 > Budda SD30 input.

BrentSP wrote:

dynac0mp wrote:

BrentSP wrote:

I run all my effects out in front into the clean channel and mines quiet as a mouse. Same with the loop if I end up using the Drive.

Cool. Do you use any special cables? Are all your effects "true bypass?" Perhaps I just need to rethink this.

I use all George L's and my chain is as follows, Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah > Maxon OD808 > Fulltone OCDv3 > Fulltone Fulldrive II > Boss TU2> L6 MM4 > Ernie Ball Volume > Boss DD5 delay > L6 DM4 > Budda SD30 input.

Do you ever switch to the over drive channel on the amp? or do you mainly use the clean side plus effects? It sounds like you have enough headroom on the 30 watter to do that if you wanted. I was more than happy with the volume of the 18 watt that I tried a the store the other day.

dynac0mp wrote:

BrentSP wrote:

dynac0mp wrote:

BrentSP wrote:

I run all my effects out in front into the clean channel and mines quiet as a mouse. Same with the loop if I end up using the Drive.

Cool. Do you use any special cables? Are all your effects "true bypass?" Perhaps I just need to rethink this.

I use all George L's and my chain is as follows, Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah > Maxon OD808 > Fulltone OCDv3 > Fulltone Fulldrive II > Boss TU2> L6 MM4 > Ernie Ball Volume > Boss DD5 delay > L6 DM4 > Budda SD30 input.

Do you ever switch to the over drive channel on the amp? or do you mainly use the clean side plus effects? It sounds like you have enough headroom on the 30 watter to do that if you wanted. I was more than happy with the volume of the 18 watt that I tried a the store the other day.

Yes, I do use the drive channel on some songs that are more raw but no effects. I mainly use the clean and the OD boxes for my medium gain tone. We use a lot of ambient tones and that DM4 sounds so much better out in front of the amp IMO.

Thanks for that info. I'll experiment. I just placed the order for a Superdrive II 18W Combo. Can't wait.

I don't really use effects much (in fact I never have with my SD30) but, in general I prefer straight in (not using the loop).

MY SD18 has me doing something I would never have imagined for myself: playing with zero effects.

Occasionally I'll put a DD3 in the loop, or a Bad Monkey in front if I want to goose the input a little, or maybe a wah now and then, but I have no problem whatsoever going guitar>cable>amp.

A

I run my pedal board thru the effects loop so I can use delay on the Gain side of the Budda. I think it sounds much better going direct into the Budda.
You hear more of the guitar and amp with out the tone change of the pedals.

I use George L's and quaility pedals Zvex>OCD>CoralFlange>Delay but there is a loss going straight into the front of the amp with the pedals.

The amp just sounds too sweet and I don't wanna miss a drop.

hey...I know this thread was started (and finished) a long time ago, but I just wanted to say..
I picked up an SD-18 combo a few months ago, fell in love with it, and had to also get an SD-45 head just last week.

I have played a LOT of amplifiers, but I have to say, the SD series (at least the SD-18 and 45) have the best effects loops I have ever tried.

To put this in perspective, I have also an SLO-100 Soldano amp that I love, and found out if I use the effects loop of it, I lose "tone" and the sound that I love...not much but enough that I decided to not use the effects loop.

But with the SD series, even though I would have no problem just using wah, fuzz, OD (I don't really need OD either but for a third sound it can be cool) on input, and I don't really miss reverb, delay...I don't feel like the effects loop of the SD series loses anything. I think it works just about perfect...no loss of tone, but very nice to have delay and reverb in the loop.

Just my experience. It's been a year now, what did the OP find out about the effects loop?

I'm using a RMC wah and Fulltone mini deja vibe in the front of my amp and a Hardwire delay/looper and MK 4.23 boost in the effects loop of my SD30 II head. I found the boost was totally different in the loop all it does is adds tons of volume boost without coloring my tone when going thru the loop but when going into the front end of the amp it mostly added more gain and a slight volume boost and thats not what I was going for. Now I have to keep the boost knob on like 7-8 o-clock and its a huge boost in volume for my leads and doesn't mess with my tone or add unnecessary gain. If you can find a MK 4.23 boost pedal I highly recomend one I tried several boosts and this one was hands down the best. The deja vibe to me sounded much better going thru the front of the amp and not so good thru the loop go figure.