Adding External Pedal before amps - best practice

siin82

Inspired
I want to connect a synth pedal to my Axe Fx III before the amp. I can think of two ways to do this:

1. Have an output block before the amp, then an input block feeding back into the chain also before the amp. Connect a cable from output 3 to the effect, then another cable from the effect to input 3.
2. Just connect the effect to the front of the amp (input 1); connect the guitar to the effect, then effect to Axe Fx.

Are there other/better options. Does it matter which of these I choose (sound quality-wise).

Thanks!
 
option 1 will allow you to make use of auto-z, which just means the front input will load down your pickups according to the first block in the signal path. there's no wrong way to do it though if you don't use the drive block and like how it sounds direct into the front end
 
I’ve run my guitar > Enzo (Synth) > AXEFX, as well as Guitar > AXEFX > Output block > Enzo > Input … I could not detect a difference. As I swap it out a lot, its now in front of the Axe.
Yeah, connected in the front seems easier for swapping in and out, which I would be doing a lot too (studio use only).

Good to hear there's no sound difference!
 
I’ve run my guitar > Enzo (Synth) > AXEFX, as well as Guitar > AXEFX > Output block > Enzo > Input … I could not detect a difference. As I swap it out a lot, its now in front of the Axe.
Ho you own the Meris enzo? I was very hyped some years ago by the ottobit jr pedal, did you tried it ?
 
Yeah, connected in the front seems easier for swapping in and out, which I would be doing a lot too (studio use only).

Good to hear there's no sound difference!

I use option 1 for an external fuzz pedal and have all my presets setup with routing that utilizes a Multi-plexer block switching the path via a control switch that I keep in my main FC12 layout. I keep the pedal on and in my rack.
 
I discovered that connecting an external pedal into output/input 3 (input 1 goes to output 3, which then goes to input 3, which then goes to the rest of the chain) allows me to reamp, where as plugging into the front would not. Needless to say, I've gone with this approach.
 
Back
Top Bottom