Simple boost in FX loop ???

[Melanhead]

Anyone ever heard, or designed a simple clean boost that would work in an fx loop of an amp ( between preamp and power amp ... ) I've tried boost pedals on the front of the amp but they generally don't give me the volume boost I need from rhythm to lead ...

I can do it with a digitech processor I use for delay by setting the output volume of the processor higher when on ... ( I switch it in using a ground control and GCX switcher... )

I'm assuming a standard boost pedal would choke on the level coming from the preamp section of an amp

Any ideas ?

[Andi]

The really, really, really simple way to do it would be to wire up a pot as a volume control in a box. Then set it a bit low for your rhythm playing, and bypass it for lead.

[Melanhead]

thought of that as well .... just would like to hit the power amp section a bit harder as well in solo mode ...

thanks though ...

hmmmm ...

[airhole]

how about driving your amp little harder... so that when u kick in the bypass, it will be stronger?

jus my suggestion, not sure if it will work

cheers,
george

[Melanhead]

I'm sure it would work ... I'll have to give it a try ...

I may actually mod the amp ...

Here's my issue. I have a boogie 22+ which has a lead boost channel but no independent EQ or Gain control...  I use overdrive pedals on the clean channel to get a bit of dirt but when I set the clean ( with overdrive ) to sound great the boost/lead channel is way too bright ...

What I want is too have my overdriven sound louder for leads and not use the boost/lead at all ...

I guess the volume trick would work, I was just hoping to add level rather than take away

[Khas Evets]

I understand what you're thinking. Rather than driving preamp harder, you'd like to drive the power tubes directly. This should hopefully maintain the tone from the guitar to the preamp.

If you're not currently running your amp at full volume, the above solution will probably work. If it doesn't work, it's a very cheap experiment.

I've tried a couple boosters in my Marshall's FX loop and wasn't happy with the result. Of course I was trying it at high boost levels. Maybe a transparent boost with only a slight volume boost would have been more functional. I may revisit this tonight.

[Melanhead]

exactly ... I just figured a boost circuit that was transparent but was matched to the output level and impedance of the preamp section ... basically like having a switchable master volume ... I only run the amp between 2 and 3 as I play pretty small pub stages ... I've thought about using a relay to do just that: 2 master volumes, switchable, but the idea of succesfully getting rid of the relay pop seems like I'd be fighting a losing battle...

The volume circuit should work ... but I'm not sure I'd like it in the loop almost all the time .. The loop is switched in and out via the Ground Control as well. Maybe I'm being anal

I figured there would be an easy mod to something like an AMZ mini Booster so that the input doesn't barf when you feed it a preamp/line level signal. assuming that it would ... I guess I'm going on an assumption as I haven't tried a booster in the loop but I'm thinking the booster would just get hit with too much level to ever stay clean ...

I know, it's a bizzare request