Connect external preamp to gpdi/ir power amp only

I was just wondering I haven’t seen it written specifically but I want to run my d style preamp I got from Malin into the one watt power amp only of the gpdi,ir, the way I figure to do it where I’m only hitting the power amp is to plug the external preamp into the effects return and then the speaker output Jack gets connected to my cabinet, now I get sound out of that and I can use the high low button to increase volume but the SAG and the volume button doesn’t work is that expected and is there another way to do it to where the master and the sag will work but I’m only using the power amp

Hi @Bluesbud

Connect the preamp using external amp mode like this. If you inject signal into FX loop you are bypassing the sag control.