External amp and Fx loop

[olicam38]

Hi

what is the best way to connect the PODGO to a Combo (Ex: Blackstar HT20MK2). Four cable method or direct in ...?

Is it necessary to by pass the internal amp and cab ?

Thanks

 

 

[voxman55]

Depends on what you want to do. 4-cable method is where your amp has an fx loop and is typically for those that might want to use their Pod Go for effects only but who want to use their  own amps natural tone for gain and/or cleans, including using their amps natural speaker tone.  You can also design patches where the signal chain lets you also use the Pod Go amp/cab models and bypass the real amp/cab.  So 4-cable gives the most flexibility with the best of both worlds but requires 4 physical cables and is therefore a bit 'untidier' and takes a bit longer to set everything up including re-thinking your Pod Go set-up and patch design (if you never want to use Pod Go's amp/cabs and always just want it for FX, then in my opinion a pure FX unit such as Helix FX might be the better option).   

 

Alternatively, there are those that simply want to use the amp/cab models in Pod Go and just use their combo as a power amp where Pod go is connected to the amp FX return thereby bypassing the amps pre-amp input stage.  

 

Finally, there are those that prefer (or have to, where they have no fx loop, or where they might only have a parallel FX loop that doesn't give a full 'mix' and where 4-cable might not sound as good as compared with a serial FX loop) to use Pod Go through the front end of their amp (typically where the amp is set clean on a single channel amp or through the clean channel on a twin-channel amp), where the Pod Go amp/cab models will be coloured to some extent by the pre-amp and speaker characteristics of their combo. This becomes a problem though with single channel amps where the amps gain increases with volume so is best through the clean channel of a twin channel amp.

 

If I use Pod Go with an amp, I prefer to just use the amp as a power amp and connect Pod Go to the FX return. However, for gigs I don't use an amp, just my MFX straight through the PA. I can also put my MFX through a FRFR powered speaker (I have a Headrush FRFR108 which I'll use as a monitor cab or for FOH if it's a small club thing and there is no PA, or if PA channels are unavailable).   

 

Speaking personally, 4-cable generally doesn't suit me - I want to use the Pod Go amp/cabs, I don't want the extra faffing around, and I like to have patches designed so that they give me a more consistent tone and approach, hence I go through the PA or an FRFR powered speaker. If I set patches to suit one amp via 4-cable, those patches will sound quite different with another amp via 4-cable because the amp gain stages and speakers are different.   

 

So it's very much horses for courses, it depends on how you want to use & set-up Pod Go (or any other MFX), it's down to experimentation, and your needs & personal preferences.  There is no 'one-size fits all' solution.     

 

[BigBC73]

Trying to wrap my head around the 4CM. I’ve always hooked up a multi fx unit through the amp’s effects loop. Seems to work fine. That method bypasses the amp’s preamp stage if I understand it correctly while still allowing the amp’s front end controls to be used. I hooked up my Pod Go Wireless via 4CM and was surprised I lost my amp’s front end controls. 
I think I understand the 4CM bypasses the amp’s preamp stage and goes directly to the power amp stage, kinda like the mk ii Katana’s Power amp in feature to hook up and amplify modeling units?

Do I understand the 4CM correctly? Is there any harm in hooking up my PGW through the amp’s effects loop?

[phil_m]

19 hours ago, BigBC73 said:

Trying to wrap my head around the 4CM. I’ve always hooked up a multi fx unit through the amp’s effects loop. Seems to work fine. That method bypasses the amp’s preamp stage if I understand it correctly while still allowing the amp’s front end controls to be used. I hooked up my Pod Go Wireless via 4CM and was surprised I lost my amp’s front end controls. 
I think I understand the 4CM bypasses the amp’s preamp stage and goes directly to the power amp stage, kinda like the mk ii Katana’s Power amp in feature to hook up and amplify modeling units?

Do I understand the 4CM correctly? Is there any harm in hooking up my PGW through the amp’s effects loop?

You need to make sure you have the POD Go’s FX Loop block turned on for the 4CM to work.

[BigBC73]

Thanks. I figured it out and realized the FX loop was off. 

I studied the wiring and it all makes sense. I’m loving the flexibility of this connection. 

 

[robbieg696]

I have a pod go wireless that I want to use with my mesa nomad 50/100 watt head which has a parallel effects loop with a wet/dry dial. 

I absolutely love the mesa's clean and distortions. I want to use my pod go wireless's time based effects (delays, chorus, flange, etc) through the parallel effects loop of the mesa head. 

Is the pod go capable of performing this function? And if so, are there any pitfalls I need to look out for?

Thanks in advance for any/all help and insight anyone can provide. 

 - Robb