Hi,

Most amps have a distortion option and a clean option. I have a Trace Elliot C200 with two channels one clean and the other distorted and a multi effect zoom 707II multi effect processor. I realized that using the pedal and the distortion channel of the amp at the same time sounds like utter crap, but when I use the clean channel of the amp and the pedal it sounds good. The distorted channel only sounds good when I'm not using the pedal. So my question is, when you use a pedal with your amp, do you keep your pedal with distortion of the amp or do you limit the distortion of the amp it or keep it clean. Maybe it is just my pedal, but it is impossible to use my pedal with the distortion of my amp cuz it sounds way too mucky with a lot of hiss. But if I use the clean section of the amp, with the pedal there is no hiss and it sounds good. How is it I keep reading all these threads about people saying a distorted pedal improves the sound of your amps distortion. If that is the case than you are using a distortion pedal with the distortin of the amp, and it sounds good. Why isn't that way with me? Is it my pedal and is it a norm that people use pedals with distortion of amps? Thanks a lot people!

Adding distortion to a guitar signal, only to have it distorted more at the preamp is madness. You'll lose all tonal definition since the signal will be saturated in so much distortion that it'll just sound like wank

I'll reiterate that outboard overdrive will rarely better the amp's own distortion, providing that you have a decent amp in the first place

ok this post nothing to do with ur question
but i use to have that same zoom and the delays rule


sry for the useless post

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what you should do is take the presets on the multi fx pedal you're using, go to the part with the amp/distortion modeling and switch it to "direct" or "baypass". that way you'll be running the regular guitar signal into the amp's distortion channel instead of a signal colored by the zoom's preamp'ing/eq'ing.. then you can use it completely for fx.

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So than what do you use pedals for! I know that you use pedals for your guitar amp. So your trying to say, do what I usually do. Use the multi effect pedal with the amps clean channel.

...for sounds other than distortion? Being a multifx unit, I imagine it can handle more than just distortion effects

What I meant was that your amp distortion will always sound better than distortion from a stomp box, since the signal is broken up in a way that is suited to the amp's circuitry. If you're adamant that your pedal's distortion is better than your amp's, you should be in the market for a new amp cause it's obviously a shit amp

or maybe it's just made to be a clean amp...

different amps for different tasks.. imo the roland jc-120 is one of the greatest amps ever... even thought the distortion is laughable and unusable. it's got the most amazing clean sound ever. so pedals are definately acceptable.

or a jcm 800, not exactly great for cleans or super high gain stuff(maybe with a boost) but everything in between, it's amazing.

but in most cases, if you're sporting a rogue tube rider, you can't get a good sound period. with or without pedals.

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Before I bought the Trace Elliot Speed Twin c100 I was looking everywhere in the country I live for the best amp I can find, and from what the guys in the shop said c100. I wanted something that has a lot of heavy distortion but toneful at the same time. So I researched it, and it seemed pretty good from the readings I read. I know there can't be anything wrong with it cause it plays. The distortion section seems a little weak, or maybe I'm expecting too much by listening to Children of Bodom, Cradle of Filth, and Norther. So when I use the clean section of the amp+the pedals distortion it is heavier. I'm not using the pedals sound only. I'm using it with the clean channel of the amp.

thats just how you use distortion pedals. on the clean channel, Unless your just wanting to boost the amps distortion.

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Exactly. So why the hell is he confused about using it?

I'm not confused, that what I've been doing the whole time. Using either the distortion of my amp with no pedal, or the clean channel with the pedal. But as I kept reading these threads I kept hearing people talking about enhancing their distortion of their amps with distortion. So I thought maybe there is something wrong with my amp or pedal because it causes way too much feed back and muddy noises when I use pedal and amp distortion. But now I know what I was doing is a norm and I can rest assure that their is nothing wrong with my amp or pedal (hope so). I just wanted to be sure that's all.