The definitive "What order should my FX pedals be placed in?" thread

[Mobius]

What do you guys reckon for this? Its easy as there are currently only three.

Distortion
Wah
Delay

[Phill]

Originally Posted by Mobius

What do you guys reckon for this? Its easy as there are currently only three.

Distortion
Wah
Delay

Wah distortion delay

[Russell_A]

Originally Posted by Phill

Wah distortion delay

gain based effects first, then modulation...

[Phill]

Originally Posted by Russell_A

gain based effects first, then modulation...

nah, i'd never run a wah after distortion... it's preference

[Russell_A]

Originally Posted by Phill

preference

^ this...

but basically (in my opinion)

Gain based ---> modulation ---> Wah

[Mobius]

Three different results (if you include mine in there.) Nice

[Tom!]

Just try each combination until you get something that works, I have mine Distortion, Wah, Modulation but its just preference really.

[Don'tPostThePear]

Originally Posted by Phill

Wah distortion delay

+1

disto's add a lot of harmonics which wah's can't "modulate" and also a lot of them cut's the midrange where the wah works the most so the wha effect is just "disappear" after distortion pedals.

At least in theory.

[cheddatom]

It depends if you're using amp distortion. I don't use amp distortion so I have dirt pedals either side of my wah.

What order should these go in?

BOSS: NS-2, LS-2, LMB-3, OC2, AW-2, ODB-3
Digitech: Bass Squeeze, Whammy
Ibanez: CP5, SS10
Wah probe
Echohead
French Toast
Big Muff
Red Llama
Barge concepts blender/feedback loop

Please I really need help!

[Don'tPostThePear]

Originally Posted by cheddatom

It depends if you're using amp distortion. I don't use amp distortion so I have dirt pedals either side of my wah.

What order should these go in?

BOSS: NS-2, LS-2, LMB-3, OC2, AW-2, ODB-3
Digitech: Bass Squeeze, Whammy
Ibanez: CP5, SS10
Wah probe
Echohead
French Toast
Big Muff
Red Llama
Barge concepts blender/feedback loop

Please I really need help!

i had to to a guitar shop, but here's a quick copypaste:

- guitar
fuzz
wah wah
compressor
distortion
booster/ overdrive
eq
phaser/ flanger/ chorus/ uni-vibe
volume pedal
delay
- amp

also here's a pic which could be the reason behind my next buy:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...connection.gif


aarrgh, constant G.A.S. pains!

[cheddatom]

I never mentioned a volume pedal, clearly you didn't pay attention.


That "x connection" is just to gate your amp's pre-amp, which is good if you have a shit pre or use very high gain amp distortion, but no good if your pre-amp is your pedals!

[haze015]

Originally Posted by Don'tPostThePear

+1

disto's add a lot of harmonics which wah's can't "modulate" and also a lot of them cut's the midrange where the wah works the most so the wha effect is just "disappear" after distortion pedals.

At least in theory.

It's kind of the opposite

Wahs boost/cut around a specific frequency, so after distortion, which adds harmonics and brings them up in volume, the wah effect is more pronounced and can be too harsh and unpleasant to listen to as you boost. Before distortion keeps the effect under control as the distortion compresses the boosted/cut frequency.

Russell, there's no reason why modulation should be before distortion, it's simply preference for the kind of sound you are after.
Modulation after distortion allows it to be more pronounced and clean, but due to how most modulation pedals work, it is possible to go too far with them. If you're a fan of the lo-fi rotary speaker sound, then modulation should come before distortion and you can get away with more intense settings with worrying about volume or too much high/low frequencies being added, but you lose the clean/hi-fi thing.

[Russell_A]

Originally Posted by haze015

Russell, there's no reason why modulation should be before distortion, it's simply preference for the kind of sound you are after.
Modulation after distortion allows it to be more pronounced and clean, but due to how most modulation pedals work, it is possible to go too far with them. If you're a fan of the lo-fi rotary speaker sound, then modulation should come before distortion and you can get away with more intense settings with worrying about volume or too much high/low frequencies being added, but you lose the clean/hi-fi thing.

^ erm, re-read my post, please note... no editing...

i Agree with you! ^^^^

[Don'tPostThePear]

Originally Posted by Don'tPostThePear

i had to to a guitar shop

FML, someone bought the compressor two hours before me

Originally Posted by cheddatom

I never mentioned a volume pedal, clearly you didn't pay attention.

yeah, thats why i said it was just a quick copypaste.

Originally Posted by haze015

It's kind of the opposite

for me, wah disappeared with any higher gain stuff but it was shit wah and a shit SS amp. i think the last time i touched a wah was more than a year ago.

[Dramatic Hammer]

Originally Posted by Don'tPostThePear

for me, wah disappeared with any higher gain stuff but it was shit wah and a shit SS amp. i think the last time i touched a wah was more than a year ago.

In very simplified terms:
sinewave -> swept bandpass filter -> white noise = ???
sinewave -> white noise -> swept bandpass filter = ???