Which order should I put my effects pedals in?????

Slacker908 · Newbie Alert Joined: 07 Jan 2004 Posts: 1

Hey all,

I have 4 effects pedals and I was wondering which would be the best order to put them in...

Pedals:

1 - Dunlop CryBaby Wah
2 - DOD FX84 Milk Box Compressor
3 - DigiTech XTD Tone Overdrive
4 - DigiTech RP50 Multi Effects

Right now my setup is as follows...my Guitar (Epiphone Les Paul Standard) to the Milk Box to the Wah to the Overdrive to the RP50 to my Amp (Marshall MG30DFX)

Is this a good setup or should I re-arrange? Please let me know, this is really my first time messing with pedals. Thanks in advance...

-Slacker-

nirvana6789 · Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2004 12:05 pm Post subject: ...

it doesnt really matter what order u put it in.

Sindlei · Cobra Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Posts: 468 Location: New York

actually yes it does matter quite a bit, know something about the topic before you post. a wah pedal put before distortion will sound VERY different than a wah put after the distortion, your setup looks solid to me, it's similar to what i use, wah->mt-2->me-50-> amp

Air Jesus · Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2004 1:50 pm Post subject:

The only difference I would put in my set-up would be the wah pedal after the compressor, for a *tiny* bit more even volume. Other than that, Sindlei's right... you're set.

B7hendrix · Grizzly Bear Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 756

Joe Desperado · Kitten Joined: 10 Feb 2004 Posts: 127 Location: Chicago

I guess this is all opinions....right? Rule of thum though....dynamic devices always go first, timberal effects go last or in a effects loop. My vote would be Wah, over drive than the compressor, and finaly multi effects.

I find (IMO) that a overdrive device sounds best with the full attack of the pickups. By adding the compressor first you have altered the way that the signal hits the pedal. This causes a lost of the articulation from your picking style. I like to smooth out the siganl after coming out of the OD.

My current stage setup: Cry Baby, Boss BD-2 (modded), Boss C-3 comp, Boss CE-1 Chorus, Hughes and Ketner RotoSphere. And I never use the chorus and roto at the same time.

JD

nirvana6789 · Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2004 10:15 am Post subject: ...

srry i rarely ever use a wah, i just use a boss distortion and a small clone

Air Jesus · Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2004 5:51 pm Post subject:

Joe, sort of depends what you're going for. There are some times where you'd rather have an even distortion plane than a very dynamic one. Say for heavily distorted rhythm work, more than likely.

But there's no rule against changing 'em around to fit what you'd like. Really what you need to do is play around with the order until they sound best to you.

Joe Desperado · Kitten Joined: 10 Feb 2004 Posts: 127 Location: Chicago

Air Jesus, Your right, it is all opinion.

I think that the compressor after the distortion also gives you a nice smooth sound for rhythm work. But what I find (again my opinion) is that the pickup you use react with the overdrive pedal in a special way. The hotter the pickup the more signal going into the pedal. THe opposite is true too. This is what gives your guitar/pickup config its own sound and tone. By putting the compressor first you alter the signal hitting the pedal and there for alter the tone as well as the level (smoothness) of the signal.

Interesting enough, I see guys buying brand X or Y pickups and then not even get any tone out of them because they are restricted by the signal path.

IN the studio we usually compress a signal at the end of the chain, usually just before the EQ. Eq being the last dynamic effect in a signal chain. You let the guitarist get his sound and then smooth it out. BTW.. a little compression goes a long way. I usually don;t compress more than a db or 2 on guitar. THe other effects usually happen in the loop on the board.

JD

Air Jesus · Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 9:20 pm Post subject:

All very true. Like I said, though, depends on situation. Though it's rare, there've been a few occasions that compression first has worked well.

I don't even use a compressor myself, though, so I'm probably not the best word on this. lol.

B7hendrix · Grizzly Bear Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 756

The way you have them set up now sounds good.