Line boosters in the effects loop.

[Jemdee]

Hello. I'm new to the PRS world and have recently purchased a PRS H series head. It's such a great sounding amp that I just want to boost the clean and lead channels for any solos. I know the Custom 50 is my answer but out of reach for my pocketbook. Instead, I've purchased a T.C. Electronic Spark mini line booster. It seems to do exactly what I'm looking for when placed in the effects loop. After reading every thread I can get my hands on about this, there are many conflicting opinions (the scariest being it could damage the phase inverter) and I'd prefer an opinion from the horses' mouth so here I am. I'm not an excessively loud player. Both clean and lead volumes are at 1 o'clock, lead master at 12 o'clock and clean master at 1 o'clock. The pre and post knobs on the effects loop are both set around 2 o'clock. Any insight to this would be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance.

 

[andy474x]

I don't know anything about boosting in the effects loop, but I use a Boss LS2 in my loop, in the A-B mode, and set line A to unity gain, line B set for a volume cut. This, line B is my rhythm, line A is the lead "boost," although it's not actually a boost.

However, my gut feeling is that boosting the loop is probably fine, especially if you're not maxing the knobs out on it.

 

[László]

I'm sure PRS Customer Service would answer your question definitively.

 

[The Fight]

Boosting in the effects loop is harmless. I do it all the time, unless you're really turning it up and then I could see a problem there but if you're not going to loud, I don't see why you should have a problem.

 

[elvis]

If you actually get a boost, you won't have a problem. I've used boost in the loop on amps where I had the amp so loud that I didn't actually get any more volume when I hit the boost. At that point you are either saturating the PI or the power tubes. Even then I doubt you'll damage it, but you will likely wear them faster. And you wouldn't do it anyway, since you're too saturated for the boost to work.

 

[Jemdee]

Thanks for all the insight folks. Puts my mind more at ease with what I'm doing.

 

[László]

I use a clean boost in front of the amp, because I'm that old school, old guy. Works fine for me that way. But I set my amps up with the guitar's volume around 6, so I can boost it with the guitar volume, get a different character boosting with the clean boost pedal, etc.

I like the different colors I get using the guitar volume to control both the gain and the solo volume of an amp.

Mostly I use single channel PRS amps, the HXDA and DG30, but I also do the same with a Mesa Lone Star, a 2 channel amp with a boost function that I have yet to actually use in my work...though I did try it just to make sure the knob functions.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

I know to never say never, but given the little bit I know about the design of the amp, I can't imagine there being any way a boost in the loop could hurt anything.

Enjoy that H. It's a great sounding amp. And, I prefer any boost or OD over the included boost anyway, simply because the built in channel boost adds bass which is the LAST thing I want for solos.

That said, I only use boosts and ODs in front of my H and Custom 50, and of my other amps. I've tried boost in the loop before of several amps I've owned, but always seem to come back to only having mod and time effects in the loop, boost / OD in front