Ok, re-kindling an old post I know, but this is how my pedalboard is standing at the moment. You will notice some pedal-choice changes from the previous idea. It is now a lot less ‘Boss-reliant’. Things in brackets are ones that I don’t yet have (yet! =p), but am considering putting in there…

GUITAR
>
(Korg Pitchblack, or Pitchblack+ tuner) . It is true bypass, so that’s ok methinks
BOSS PW-10 V-wah
ISP Technologies Decimator G String Noise Reduction

send>

Rothwell Love Squeeze Compressor
EHX POG2
BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver
(BOSS OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion)
BOSS DS-2 Turbo Distortion
(MXR M-108 10 Band Graphic EQ)
(EHX Big Muff Pi w/ Tone Wicker)

ISP return<

BOSS FV-500H Foot Volume
EHX Deluxe Memory Boy
Rothwell Major Bypass Series Loop Switcher

send>

BOSS PH-3 Phase Shifter
BOSS BF-3 Flanger
BOSS CH-1 Super Chorus
BOSS PS-5 Super Shifter

Major Bypass return<

BOSS DD-6 Digital Delay
EHX Cathedral Stereo Reverb

>      >
AMP   AMP

The switch to the modulation is because I often use multiple modulation effects, then go to a section without them… it makes for just one pedal press, rather than a massive tap-dance, while trying to still keep in time! The PS-5 is in there too, coz it has a tendency to tone suck, due to its buffer, which isn’t the best. I mainly use it on its trem arm setting, in whammy-esque fashion, so I just click in the loop when I’m gonna do one of those.

I’m thinking of changing over to one of the Keeley loop switches, to save space, and maybe get another to put the Boss distortions on, both to reduce tone suck when they’re not in use (although the BD-2 is quite transparent), as well as have their activation closer to my feet, coz they are up the top of my board, so I have to reach over some stuff to get to them at the moment.
Speaking of the BD-2, I’m also thinking of going for one of the Keeley modded ones.

So, yeah… that’s where things are standing now.

Onwards!

Hi guys, it seems that you all know a lot of effects, I´m a newbie using effects in general, as I´ve always been an acoustic guitarist. Now, I got some effects and I wish you guys could give some tips on the order I should plug them on the fx chain.

First of all, I play with a Fender American Special Telecaster & a Marshall MGDH (the regular one, no tubes)

My effects chain:

Guitar -> Dunlop Crybaby Wah—> Digitech Whammy—> Boss Metal Zone—> Big Muff Pi—> Soul Preacher Compression/Sustainer—> Deluxe Electric Mistress—> Deluxe Memory Man—> Cathedral Stereo Reverb—> Amp.

What do you think? Someone told me that Soul Preacher should go first like Guitar—> Soul Preacher—Wah, etc.

Somebody else told me that it should go at the end of the chain, just before the Mistress, Memory Man and Cathedral.

all of these persons gave me their particular reasons and technical info… and I´m a bit confused, as I´m not an audio ingeneer…

Besides this, sometimes I have volume drops, specially when I use the Big Muff.. Could that be because of the fx chain order?

Finally, I´m planning to get an English Muffn´or a RAT distortion… where should I put them on the fx chain?

And finally, Is it better to plug all by the amp´s fx send/return loop? or the lineal configuration is better?

I will play my first gig next saturday on a medium sized club, so I will appreciate all the help… Thanx in advance friends!

feel free to email me

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

PD. Please excuse my bad english, it is not my first language.

Hi Richard.

My two cents here:

Compressors right after the guitar and before your other pedals. (Maybe after the wah, but definetly before GAIN/OD/DIST pedals)

Muff should be (MY OPINION HERE) last distortion in the chain. This means that all other distortions come before the muff.

The volume drop can have so many different causes:
- Could be that the muff doesn’t like some of the buffers used on other pedals
- Could be because the MUFF is mid-scooped, so it “feels” like you have a volume drop and you can get really lost in the middle of a band.
- The room where you are playing at the moment, associated with the mid-scoop. So that the sound that comes from the speakers doesn’t resonate as you expected. Try your setup in different places, put your amp on a table, than at the floor, etc, etc. See what happens.

And finally, don’t put your gainy pedals (compression, overdrives, distortions, etc) in the amp’s loop. You could even fry the power section of your amp!!!!

Modulation and delays should be OK.

Thanx very much for the help…

I´ll try that fx setup.

What´s the difference between having the modulation fx on the amp´s fx loop ? is there a lot of difference on the sound than having them in line, at the end of the fx chain? is it better?

I think the answer is related to the preamp… but I don´t understand how that works… or maybe that applies to valve amps, in order to keep the tone. In my case, I have a 100 watts Marshall amp that is not tube based, so what would be better? modulation fx by the amp´s fx loop or at the end of the chain?

Finally, I´d like to ask if it´s better to keep the amp´s volume and gain settings on a high level and the pedal´s volume on a low level (like the big muff)... or having the amp´s volume settings to a medium level and the fx on high volume level, or just apply the Jimi Hendrix´s system: everything at 10 level?

Thanx.

efilho - 04 November 2010 09:13 PM

Hi Richard.

My two cents here:

Compressors right after the guitar and before your other pedals. (Maybe after the wah, but definetly before GAIN/OD/DIST pedals)

Muff should be (MY OPINION HERE) last distortion in the chain. This means that all other distortions come before the muff.

The volume drop can have so many different causes:
- Could be that the muff doesn’t like some of the buffers used on other pedals
- Could be because the MUFF is mid-scooped, so it “feels” like you have a volume drop and you can get really lost in the middle of a band.
- The room where you are playing at the moment, associated with the mid-scoop. So that the sound that comes from the speakers doesn’t resonate as you expected. Try your setup in different places, put your amp on a table, than at the floor, etc, etc. See what happens.

And finally, don’t put your gainy pedals (compression, overdrives, distortions, etc) in the amp’s loop. You could even fry the power section of your amp!!!!

Modulation and delays should be OK.

What do you mean with “- Could be that the muff doesn’t like some of the buffers used on other pedals” ?  I´m sorry if this is a stupid question but I´m a total newbie with this. I really appreciate your help. Thanx.

What do you mean with “- Could be that the muff doesn’t like some of the buffers used on other pedals” ?  I´m sorry if this is a stupid question but I´m a total newbie with this. I really appreciate your help. Thanx.

Some fuzz pedals are a bit picky with what comes before them in the signal chain.

Sometimes it has to do with input/output impedances…

richardsand - 04 November 2010 11:22 PM

Thanx very much for the help…

I´ll try that fx setup.

What´s the difference between having the modulation fx on the amp´s fx loop ? is there a lot of difference on the sound than having them in line, at the end of the fx chain? is it better?

I think the answer is related to the preamp… but I don´t understand how that works… or maybe that applies to valve amps, in order to keep the tone. In my case, I have a 100 watts Marshall amp that is not tube based, so what would be better? modulation fx by the amp´s fx loop or at the end of the chain?

Finally, I´d like to ask if it´s better to keep the amp´s volume and gain settings on a high level and the pedal´s volume on a low level (like the big muff)... or having the amp´s volume settings to a medium level and the fx on high volume level, or just apply the Jimi Hendrix´s system: everything at 10 level?

Thanx.

If you have dirtortion in the pre-amp (e.g.: A 12AX7 tube in the pre-amp being “pushed”) it’s kinda good practice to have the modulation after the saturation. It really depends on personal taste but if you apply reverb on a saturated sound it sounds cleaner than distorting a “reverbed” sound. The latter would sound quite messy in my opinion.

I have a phaser before my distortion/OD. I like it that way. Gives a sort of a univibey sound, or almost like an oscillating filter when before the gain section.

But I keep delays, reverbs and choruses in the end of the signal chain. I think It sounds cleaner. But really… it’s more a matter of personal taste and “tradition"than anything else.

Just try different configurations and see what it sounds like. You might discover that breaking some rules gives you what you like better…

I´ll experiment with the fx order. Thanks a lot for your help.

Hi! I’m looking for suggestions or recommendations on dialing in my pedal board. I’m kind of a noob of course. =) Here’s my current signal chain (semi-haphazard) powered by a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2+.

Guitar (Heavily modified ‘93 Ibanez SV470)>

Boss TU-2
Ibanez Tube King (the old beige one)
Keeley Compressor
EHX Neo Clone
EHX Holy Grail Nano
Digitech Digidelay
EHX POG2
Boss SL-20 Slicer
EHX Freeze
Boomerang 2+
Ernie Ball Volume Pedal Jr.

>Amp (Mesa Boogie Mark III)

I deliberately opted for the “compressed distortion” versus “distorted compression” option.
The Keeley stays on all the time though. I didn’t really think too much about where to put everything else other than the fact that I want everything in front of the looper (for obvious reasons).  My biggest issue has been with the VP Jr., as it had to be at the end of the chain or else it did not seem to work very well (volume was too low)...now the thing is acting up and I think it needs to be repaired. =( Other than that…what does (anyone) think I should do as far as shifting the order of the POG2/Neo-Clone/Holy Grail/Delay?

Also, I’m thinking I need to replace the Ibanez Tube King I really like how it sounds: it’s a beast size wise and takes up two outputs on the Pedal Power. I need to get a smaller/newer distortion unit that is versatile and takes up less room. I play in one band where I need gut punching metal distortion and one that needs a little bit of a lighter touch.

i’d think you’d want to move the HG a little further down the line- probably after the delay/POG2 and slicer, unless you’re using the Slicer as a percussive looper. whether or not it’s before the freeze is going to be a matter of taste.

also have you considered switching to an active volume pedal? maybe a morley or a DOD FX17 if size is the issue? putting the volume pedal before the delay/reverb situation can make a volume swell really bloom wonderfully.

Thanks for the tips! I’ll try moving the HG back and getting an active Volume Pedal. Yes, size is kind of an issue for me. I have the 32” LYT Pedalboard but it’s pretty crammed because of the Boomerang being so big. What to people think of the Morley Mini? I’m also pondering checking out the TC Electronics Dark Matter as an option for distortion (is that sacrilege for the EHX forum?)