

effects of cutting in and out of your effects loop

Discussion in 'Effects [BG]' started by vladchrome, Jan 16, 2013.

  1. In trying to find a cheap on/off switch for my Ampeg pf-500 I remembered I had a Berringer two switch pedal. The pedal is dual purpose in that one switch would switch the mute on and off and the other switch would turn the effects loop on and off. The problem with my cheap solution is that the pedals don't "click", meaning once youtake your foot off the pedal the amp is muted again or the effects loop is off again. But if you hold the pedal down the amp is not muted. Now holding the mute pedal down you can tap on the effects loop pedal causing the effects going through the loop to engage in rhythm which I thought might be a cool effect to mess wth. My question is could this damage the amp.
  2. The terms you're looking for are 'latching switch' and 'momentary switch'. The Behringer controller is a momentary switch, your Ampeg is searching for a latching switch.

    It shouldn't damage your amp short term, but it could cause some wear and tear long term, depending on the switching design. If you want to continue down that path, an inline momentary mute switch or a momentary effects loop switcher might be a safer way to go. These will go between your bass and amp somewhere.

    To be clear, the switching wont harm the amp, just the quick, repeated switching, and only over a long period of time.
  3. Yes latching and momentary that makes sense. The switch I'm using connects to the back of the amp it's a remote switch which controls the mute and efx loop. I picked up a Peavey remote switch and it works well the Peavey was cheaper than the Ampeg one and it was in stock. I still like this effect I came across and that is the effect of switching the efx loop on and off. The efx I have going through the loop are Chorus - Ring Thing (being used as an octaver) and Swollen Pickle for dirt. I'm trying to get a rhythm guitar effect and I have the efx loop mixed in at about 40-50 % because I want it just under the clean bass. with the momentary switches I can ride the mute ( have to keep foot on the pedal otherwise amp is muted) and the efx loop switch is close enough rock it on and off with the same foot making it sound like some dirty guitar is coming in and out. In this application does it still sound pretty harmless or could it damage the amp.
    Thank you for your earlier comment your correct terms referring to the switches being latching and momentary will help describing this situation and future situations and I know there will be other situations.
  4. Bump
    Any thoughts?
  5. BUmP
  6. One last bump then I'm moving on.
    It does kind of seem like flicking the fx loop on and off repeatedly or rhythmically would have a bad effect on the amp eventually.
    Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
  7. Dave W

    Dave W Supporting Member

    Mar 1, 2007
    White Plains
    I don't think you're going to damage it.

    Have you tried those effects out in front of your amp and not in the FX loop? I wouldn't use a dirt pedal in one.
  8. Yes but not with the momentary pedal which does not have an output or input switch as it is not intended to be used in a chain. The reason I went through the fx loop with these three pedals was to get a dirty guitar sound. My thinking for the loop was to have the bass sound to be sent to the Swollen Pickle (dirt) then to the Ring Thing (acting as a pitch shifter moving the note up an octave) and finally to the chorus then returning to the loop. I felt this would fuzz up both the original note and the shifted note then chorus just to color it. The reason for going through the loop was to have the clean bass sound be the dominant sound and have the effected sound be just underneath at about 40%. Still messing around wit this, tried dirt after ring thing and to me sounds better before. Thought about putting a pitch shifter before the ring thing and have the pitch shifter move the tone up an octave then have the ring thing move that note up a fifth creating a bar chord in the fx loop. Right now I don't have a pitch shifter so that will have to wait for a bit. The momentary switch was something I accidently came across trying to save money buy using a remote switch I had laying around.
    Thanks and any thoughts on this process I'm still kind of new to effects.
  9. If you're just clicking on it like 1- beat-stomp, 2- beat-stomp it will be fine for sure. This stuff I'd worry about would be going for machine gun stutters and the like. Even then it might be fine, but it could cause some wear.
  10. Dave W

    Dave W Supporting Member

    Mar 1, 2007
    White Plains
  11. Thanks for all the advice. The way i'm using it now is more like the 1 beat stomp 2 beat stomp. So it should be fine.
    Again thanks my bass brothers.
  12. Oh and thanks bass god for the link it is bookmarked. Stepping out right now but this looks like it covers quite a bit.
  13. ga_edwards


    Sep 8, 2000
    UK, Essex
    Boss make a dual foostswitch - the FS-6 - that can be set to either momentary or latching. It does however require a power supply or battery (goodness knows why!)
  14. gumtown


    May 7, 2007
    New Zealand
    Yes, i was about to suggest that one.
    Boss FS-6 dual footswitch with moment and toggle selector switches independant for each pedal.

    The battery drives the leds so you can tell which state the pedal is in if toggled.
  15. Hey that boss might be just what I amlooking for does any one know if one pedal could be set momentary and one latching or is it both latching or both momentary? 
  16. redwookie

    redwookie Supporting Member

    Dec 28, 2005
  17. enjoi1018

    enjoi1018 Supporting Member

    Apr 18, 2011
    Auburn, AL
    Both switches can be set independently for both momentary/latching and polarity.

    I soldered a switch on my positive battery cable, as any plug inserted will begin to drain the battery. Now I can leave everything hooked up and just flip the switch when I'm not playing.
  18. Thanks just looked up the fs-6 seems to be just what I'm looking for. Went to our local music store ordered one.
  19. Primary

    Primary TB Assistant


    Mar 8, 2021

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