# Digitech RP500 effects loop ?



## LaceratedIan (Feb 5, 2010)

Is it possible to use the rp500 through an effects loop, also, would it make a difference compared to in front of the amp ?

When i use this pedal in front of my microcube with the amp/cabinet bypassed and my cube on a gain channel all i get is a messy signal.

Many thanks


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## Steve-Om (Feb 5, 2010)

Yes, remember that if you use the RP500 through your amps effects loop you will need to bypass the amp/cabinet sims.


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## Toshiro (Feb 5, 2010)

Yeah, you can..


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## alfaphlex (Feb 6, 2010)

Bypass the microcube's preamps by plugging into the aux-in and turn off the rp's cab sims.


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## LaceratedIan (Feb 6, 2010)

Thanks for comments

Could some explain the connections for having the pedal in the effects loop please ?

Would the left + right outputs on the pedal go through the effects loop and then guitar through the input on my amp ?

Cheers


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## Toshiro (Feb 6, 2010)

Effect loop send -> RP Input
RP Left(mono) Output -> Effects loop return.

Don't forget to set the button on the back of the RP for amp and not mixer.


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## JJ Rodriguez (Feb 6, 2010)

Are you looking to use the RP for JUST effects, not your distortion? If you want to use it WITH your amp (ie have your amp shape your tone and provide your distortion) you would plug the effects send from your amp into the RP, then the output back to the effects return, and you would plug into the front of your amp. If you want to use the RP as your preamp, and provide all the distortion/tone shaping/effects, you would plug the guitar into the RP, and run the output from that into your effects return.


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## The Rhone (Feb 7, 2010)

If your using it round in the effects loop then you can't use the WAH effects on the Pedal.


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## El Caco (Feb 8, 2010)

This thread is bizarre, neither the Micro Cube or the Rp500 has a loop 

If I was plugging it into a Micro Cube I would try what Juan suggested and run it to the AUX in and I'd also try plugging it into the input and try the Acoustic, mic and JC clean settings and stick with whichever works best. In any of those you would go guitar to RP500, RP500 output to whichever input works out best for you.

If you want to use it with the Fireball the RP500 isn't the right product for you, get the RP1000 and run it using the 4 cable method. If you already have the RP500 and want to use it with the Fireball you have three options, none are optimal.



Use the Rp500 for post effects only, throw it in the Fireballs loop, loop send to RP500 in, RP500 out to loop return. With this option it may be possible to still use everything in your RP500 when the Fireball is on the clean channel.
Use the RP500 for boost/DS and pre effects only, connect your guitar to the RP500 input, RP500 out to amp input.
Forget about your Fireballs preamp and run the guitar into the RP500 and the RP500 out directly into the loop return, the basis of your tone will come from the RP500 and you will not have the Fireball's channels now it will only be amplifying the RP500, personally I would go with this setup as it will sound awesome and give you the most options.


As I said none are ideal, best option sell the RP500 and get a RP1000.


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## LaceratedIan (Feb 8, 2010)

Thanks for everyones help with this

Atm iv got the pedal set up like this - 

RP input -> FX loop send . RP Left output -> FX return . 

Amp input -> NS-2 -> guitar

I have the pedal bypassed most of the time because i only use the effects for lead stuff. The way i have it set up now seems to work fine.


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## willyj (Mar 1, 2010)

thank god i found this thread! sounds like some of you have tried some different things...here's my question...i use an rp500 with a fender hot rod deville 4X10. I'd LIKE to try using the pedal in an effects loop to take advantage of the natural sound of the deville, as well as cut down on cables going to and from my pedalboard...the thing i don't quite get is that there's nothing on the amp itself that's labeled "fx loop in" or "fx loop out"....it has 2 jacks labeled "preamp out" and "power amp in".....are these the same thing, just labeled badly?....currently my setup is as follows:

sennheiser wireless receiver -> rp500 guitar INPUT

rp5000 mono output -> fender amp channel 1 IN

thusly, all the distortions and signal mods are BEFORE it hits the amp....and i'd like to try them AFTER or somewhere in between.

I'd LIKE to have it set up as follows:

sennheiser receiver -> fender guitar channel 1 IN
rp500 -> fx looped

can this be done? how? if i try it do i run the risk of blowing a tube or fucking my amp up in some other way? what are the pros and cons of effects pedals BEfORE the amp vs. AFTER?

thanks for your opinions and input peoples! much appreciated!!


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## Toshiro (Mar 1, 2010)

1: The preamp out, power amp in is basically an effects loop.

2: if you plan to use the distortions/high gain amp models from the RP, do not run it in the loop. If you use it just for effects(chorus/delay/reverb), it will work fine in the loop.

Personally, I'd run your guitar into the RP500, and the output from that into the "Power Amp In" on your Fender, but then I've never been a Fender tone fan.


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## Ckackley (Mar 1, 2010)

Toshiro said:


> Personally, I'd run your guitar into the RP500, and the output from that into the "Power Amp In" on your Fender, but then I've never been a Fender tone fan.



I'll take that a step further and say just plug into the RP500 and go direct to a PA or a powered cabinet . The RP500 sounds really good on its own and though it doesn't have as many switching functions as the 1000 it can do about anything if you set your patches up right. With all of the tone shaping and EQ that thing has you can get any sound you want, you just need to put in the time to get it right. Plus, it's less stuff to lug around to gigs.


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## Toshiro (Mar 1, 2010)

Ckackley said:


> I'll take that a step further and say just plug into the RP500 and go direct to a PA or a powered cabinet . The RP500 sounds really good on its own and though it doesn't have as many switching functions as the 1000 it can do about anything if you set your patches up right. With all of the tone shaping and EQ that thing has you can get any sound you want, you just need to put in the time to get it right. Plus, it's less stuff to lug around to gigs.



Meh, the RP500 direct vs an RP1000 through a Laney's tube power section is no contest, IMO. I like Digitechs amp models, but their cab models leave something to be desired.


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## Ckackley (Mar 1, 2010)

Toshiro said:


> Meh, the RP500 direct vs an RP1000 through a Laney's tube power section is no contest, IMO. I like Digitechs amp models, but their cab models leave something to be desired.



That's where the EQ helps. Pick a cab that gets you in the ballpark then EQ it until it's right. Took me a few tries but I finally got what I wanted. For the price and portability, not to mention stage space I'm a devoted fan. I love the sound of tubes too , but the maintenance and portability aren't worth it. If I were a bedroom shredder I'd go for a tube power amp too. But lugging things up and down steps, across streets in traffic, and playing on shit stages I'll pass on the tubes. The average fan at a show wouldn't know a tube from a 9 volt battery anyways. That's just me though.

But back to the OP , if he ran the RP500 into the power amp section, would that cancel out the cleans on the amp totally ? Or would he still be able to bypass the processor and still use the amp cleans? Kinda curious myself now actually.


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## El Caco (Mar 1, 2010)

As I said earlier to the OP the RP500 is the wrong device for use with an amp. 

I would recommend you use the best sounding of the following to options. 1, Set the fender to a neutral clean tone and run the RP500 infront using the RP500 for your tone. 2, Plug into the RP500 and run the RP500 directly to the poweramp in and forget about the Fender preamp. In both of these situations you are using the RP500 primarily for your tone, the first option gives you the ability to shape the tone a little more using the Fender EQ but my guess is the second would be the better sounding option.

The other option is to run the RP500 in the FX loop and use it for post FX only but IMO this is the worst option of the lot and I would never consider it.


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## willyj (Mar 2, 2010)

thanks for your opinions, guys! it looks like there's some pros and cons to both methods...

1. why is it ill-advised to use the distortions after the amp, in the loop section?

2. i don't use amp or cab modeling at all....just the fx..distortion, delay, rotary, etc...

3. my hot rod has been hot-rodded..lol..with some high end tubes and biased to have a real spanky sort of tone at high guitar volume...sounds real clean when my guitar volume is at 3/4....rips at full power....anyways, my point is that i use this pedal for effects ONLY, no tone-shaping or eq-ing.....all the eq-ing is done on the amp....what are the scenarios and results of using the distortions in the effects loop? are they negated and / or bypassed somehow by the preamp?

thanks again for everyone's input!!


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## Toshiro (Mar 2, 2010)

It's most likely going to squeal with a distortion/overdrive pedal after the amp's preamp. It's also going to turn your amp's tone controls into a pre distortion EQ, which can be good or bad.

Really, you'd have been better off with an RP1000 over the RP500, with your amp's preamp in it's amp loop. This would let you use the RP's distortions in front of your amp, with the modulation and time based effects in the loop.


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## willyj (Mar 2, 2010)

lol....fair enough...but i bought the rp500 before the 100 came out, and i can't justify buying another pedal just yet...i just did some testing with the pedal in the loop, and so far so good...it all comes down to settign the output level of the pedal itself, i find...haven't had any squealing or retardedness yet....only on the distortion settings i like to label "ridiculous"....lol...which is more or less what they're supposed to do anyway....

the rp1000 looks a litle more complicated than i need..lol...that whole extra bank of switches looks intimidating...i wouldn;t even knwo what to do with them...lol..

thanks again for everyone's input and offerings!


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