[sakeido]

I'm kind of curious as if this would work. Could I use my effects loop return to make my Mark IV head work like a power amp? So I could toggle between the Mark IV tones with the pedal board, then hit the loop button and be using something like say an Engl E530 preamp through the Mesa poweramp? Would it work, or would it sound like shit, or is it just an all around bad idea?

[col]

I once tried using a Psa-1 in the loop of my Cobra and it sounded pretty good. So yeah, it should work.

You'll have to find a way how to get the guitar signal to both preamps though (AB-pedal).

[Leon]

should work, yeah, solong as you always have a load on both preamps, whether you're playing through them or not.

[darren]

Actually, you'd probably need to have a dummy load on your Engl's speaker output. It's the power section you have to worry about, not the preamp.

Why not just go with a head switcher?

http://www.tonebone.com/tb-headbone-ss-development.htm

[Leon]

^ correct, i forgot about the other amps speaker out . also, it's true that you don't have to worry about the preamp as much, since you're not dealing with huge voltages, but, you're still dealing with some.

all the same, if i were doing it, i'd still put some sort of load on the preamp, even if it's just a cable with nothing on the other end.

[col]

I thought he meant he was going to use only the Mark IV power section, but switch between the pre's?

[sakeido]

Originally Posted by col

I thought he meant he was going to use only the Mark IV power section, but switch between the pre's?

yes that is it
the Engl would be just a preamp like you would normally load up in a rack case with a dedicated power amp

[darren]

Yes, you can do it, as long as you take into account that your Engl is going to need a dummy load on its speaker output to avoid frying its output transformer.

But i just have to ask, "Why?"

You've got two high-end amps that have preamp and power amp sections that were designed to work together. I'm puzzled as to why you would use them in this "hybrid" way, unless you REALLY don't like the sound of your Engl's power amp.

[B Lopez]

...The ENGL he's talking about is a rackmount preamp. As far as I know, it doesnt need a speaker load.

[sakeido]

Originally Posted by darren

Yes, you can do it, as long as you take into account that your Engl is going to need a dummy load on its speaker output to avoid frying its output transformer.

But i just have to ask, "Why?"

You've got two high-end amps that have preamp and power amp sections that were designed to work together. I'm puzzled as to why you would use them in this "hybrid" way, unless you REALLY don't like the sound of your Engl's power amp.

ahah yeah like B Lopez and col have said, it is just a preamp with no power amp section. The separate pieces, you know? Like how you would run say a Mesa Triaxis with a mesa 50:50 power amp, except I would be running an Engl preamp with the Mark IV power amp section, so I can use just one cabinet and one footswitch without needing one of those (expensive) Headbone things or a stereo cabinet.