Effects Pedals

Lee Holeman · Post by **Lee Holeman** » 12 Jul 2015 9:16 am

I'm gonna add 3 or 4 "stomp boxes" to my rig--any suggestions how to connect them (in relation to volume pedal)? Using a Nashville 112 amp.
Lee

David Spires · Post by **David Spires** » 12 Jul 2015 9:27 am

The common way:

Guitar
Overdrive / Distortion
Volume Pedal
Modulation (Chorus, Tremolo, Phaser, etc)
Delay
Reverb

My latest pedal board is essentially this:

Boss OD-3 (overdrive)
back to my volume pedal
then a Line6 M9 (lets me choose any three effects, for me - EQ, Delay, Reverb)

On that board, I use my 2nd volume pedal output to go to a StroboFlip (just what I had laying around).

Best of luck,

David Spires

Lee Holeman · Post by **Lee Holeman** » 12 Jul 2015 9:37 am

Thanks,
Lee

Doug Clark · Post by **Doug Clark** » 13 Jul 2015 7:49 pm

Another one is here, http://jimbeck.com/pedalclinic/Order_of ... Keeley.pdf, with a mnemonic: Which Chain Of Effect Pedals Makes Life Easy? The suggested order is a little different than what David posted, and explains how some pedals might not "play nice" with certain other ones.
Keeley's suggestion is Wah, Compressor Overdrive, EQ, Pitch, Modulation, Level, and Echo. For that one, "Pitch" includes vibrato, and "Level" includes tremolo. He puts phaser under Wah, although it cuts or notches a frequency rather than sweeping it.

But David's suggestion, with the volume pedal closer to the guitar, might work better.

Found this one on the Web a few years ago, from Andreas in Sweden: "Granted, there are no rules â€“ just because something is common practice, doesnâ€™t mean there wonâ€™t be cool sounds to be had by thinking outside the box. But as someone said â€“ you need to know the rules in order to break them. So hereâ€™s a starter guide, as well as some tips on what can happen when you move stuff around." http://stinkfoot.se/archives/715
He has an interesting category for delay and reverb in that: "Time/Room Effects."

Lee Holeman · Post by **Lee Holeman** » 14 Jul 2015 6:12 am

Thanks everyone--isn't this forum great?
Lee

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 14 Jul 2015 11:46 am

Some effects, like overdrive/distortion need to see a steady signal strength to work correctly, and therefore need to be before the volume pedal.

Kevin Milner · Post by **Kevin Milner** » 14 Jul 2015 12:06 pm

First of all, this is the wrong forum section. This should be in "Electronics".

Which pedals? When I used a NV 112 I would plug directly into the amp from my steel, then put all of my pedals in the pre-EQ loop.

I like some pedals before my volume pedal and some after. I put compressors and most OD before the volume pedal, but like to have 1 OD/boost after my VP for more volume dependent OD (when I dig in with the VP, it gets dirtier). Experiment and see what you like.

I put delays and reverbs after my volume pedal.

Kevin Milner · Post by **Kevin Milner** » 14 Jul 2015 12:08 pm

John Billings wrote:Some effects, like overdrive/distortion need to see a steady signal strength to work correctly, and therefore need to be before the volume pedal.

Most players may prefer that, but OD/dirt pedals definitely don't need to be hooked up that way to work correctly. It's personal preference, do you want a consistently dirty signal at all volumes? Then put it before your volume pedal. Do you want it to get dirtier when you dig in with the VP? Put it after. I keep my OD mostly before the VP but have one after as well.

Mark Wayne · Post by **Mark Wayne** » 14 Jul 2015 1:31 pm

Here's my pedal setup:

Mark Wayne · Post by **Mark Wayne** » 14 Jul 2015 1:40 pm

I did switch to a ventilator II pedal, though.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 14 Jul 2015 1:47 pm

Wow! I use a volume pedal and sometimes my Echoplex.

Cartwright Thompson · Post by **Cartwright Thompson** » 14 Jul 2015 3:18 pm

T-Rex Roommate Reverb, my favorite! Nobody has caught on to them though.
I like the original version more, but they are both great sounding pedals.

Dick Hitchcock · Post by **Dick Hitchcock** » 15 Jul 2015 6:04 am

Hi Lee,
No advice....Just saying hi to an old friend.....Good to see you are still kickin and pickin!!!
Dick.

Tom Quinn · Post by **Tom Quinn** » 15 Jul 2015 6:25 am

What John said. Pedals and pedal steel don't mix for me. As for guitars, it's either a '60 4X10 Bassman, a Delta Blues or a '64 Super Reverb and a guitar-- Tele, Strat, Lester or Yamaha SG2000. If I cannot get it with those rigs I'm not trying hard enough...

Lee Holeman · Post by **Lee Holeman** » 15 Jul 2015 6:54 am

Hey Dick--good to hear from U! Gimme a call sometime,
Lee
H: 956-399-7485

Bill Moran · Post by **Bill Moran** » 15 Jul 2015 1:39 pm

Here's mine !

Mark Wayne · Post by **Mark Wayne** » 15 Jul 2015 9:49 pm

You have me beat, Bill

.

The tuner, for the most part, should really be at the beginning of the signal chain to give the cleanest signal possible. I've rerouted it to be the first connection on my board.

Cartwright, you are so right about the Room-mate. After 20 years of digital reverb the T-Rex tube reverb changed my playing for the better!

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 15 Jul 2015 11:26 pm

Most players may prefer that, but OD/dirt pedals definitely don't need to be hooked up that way to work correctly.

True.

Virtually every 6-string player I know - if they use a volume pedal - have it #2 in the chain after a muting tuner. Then the common sequence is compression (if you use it - most players don't nowadays unless it has a "dry blind function"), clean boost (either here or second-to-last, depending on the type - some provide a type of buffering that's recommended late in the chain to help "make up" for signal loss), wah and/or or envelope generator aka "auto-wah"(if used), then overdrive followed by distortion and/or fuzz (if used - these generally must follow wah or the wah sounds chaotic), then time/pitch based effects (in an effects loop if possible - if not, they go here usually in this order) - tremolo, chorus/phaser/flanger (pick one or more), sometimes a Leslie speaker emulator, analog delay, then out to the amp (or followed by a noise reduction unit before the amp - a good idea with a long signal chain).

Reverb..which I don't use unless playing surf or using an outboard tube reverb unit as a preamp (or playing through a Holland amp), is a personal choice item. I elect to avoid it usually as almost all amp-based spring reverb works only on the high frequencies, causing a washed-out sound with lack of definition. My normal setup - on both 6-string and steel - is to use two analog delays with different settings or one analog and one tape delay. Digital delay has fallen out of favor due to its clinical sound - analog is warmer and "fatter" sounding. Chorus is pretty much dead except for some vintage boutique analog units; same with flangers (the only ones I see used regularly are the old AC-powered MXR units).

Tremolo is one that's pretty versatile - you can have it right after the distortion/overdrive stuff or right before the delay, depending on the unit.

I mentioned both "overdrive" and "distortion/fuzz" (actually two different types of distortion) as some like a little bit of "edge" or dirt an overdrive can supply (when not used as a "clean boost" to push an amp into overdrive - the real intent of overdrive), and also a fuzz sound, which if used with treble rolled off and good pick dynamics can sound horn-like.

I have a real advantage on my old Fender 400's - because the body is nearly flush with the metal apron, I use Velcro Dual-Lock and attach some newer micro pedals (about half the size of an MXR stomp box) upside-down on the rear apron - then I literally "kick" them in with a knee! Much edie than dealing with a pedalboard, and with the right ones I can set up 7 or so, using a 1700ma switching power supply. Power cable runs along the front apron with extensions to the pedals, and George L cable is used to wire the pedals up along the rear apron. It's a good idea to keep power and signal cables from running parallel, and cross them at right angles whenever possible. What's amazing is that with a combination of true bypass and advanced buffered bypass there's no discernible signal or treble loss.

My personal exceptions to the above on steel - I have a 2-stage Artec active clean boost built into the guitar (along with 2 pickups, a blend control, and volume and tone controls) - the output goes to a Stroboflip programmed for my B6 copedent, then to an Xotic SP compressor and so on, with a volume pedal LAST in line before the amp.

Some great micro pedal brands are Xotic, Mooer, Hototne and Joyo. I just ordered a couple cheap brands to test as well, but these 4 are all well-reviewed and very reliable, with Xotic the best and Mooer having the most to choose from (at least 3-4 dozen at last count!). The Hotone pedals are cute little 1/4 size things - but don't be fooled, they are absolutely superb, especially the "Grass" overdrive (a Dumble amp emulator), their "Blues" overdrive and their analog delay.

Hope that helps throw a few more options and ideas out there. The micro pedals have opened a whole range of new attachment and use possibilities for steel guitar effects.

Tommy Shown · Post by **Tommy Shown** » 28 Jul 2015 9:02 pm

I just have my Pro Fex hooked up to the back of my amp. And, turn the data dial to whatever effect I want to use. I have the traditional reverbs and delays. plus I have a couple of John Hughey and a couple of settings that Jim Lindsey wrote with the late Gary Hogue. I run my guitar to a Black Box. To work as a buffer too.

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 29 Jul 2015 7:54 am

Most pedals are designed around the pickup topology of six string guitars, lower output and impedance than (modern) steels so the pedals react somewhat differently to PSG. I've noticed this particularly with OD and distortion, although sometimes 'verb and delay pedals can get a little spitty as well. To some degree it changes with the order of your signal chain, but it may take a bit of trial and error to find just the right combination for your taste.

As noted, there's a good bit of difference in feel and response from an OD/Distortion either in front or behind the Volume Pedal. Both useable and very different. One of these days I'mm going to wire in a switching loop for my OD to move it from one to the other at will. FX are fun...

Jamie Mitchell · Post by **Jamie Mitchell** » 29 Jul 2015 8:37 am

John Billings wrote:Some effects, like overdrive/distortion need to see a steady signal strength to work correctly, and therefore need to be before the volume pedal.

i know most people do it this way, but I much prefer it the other way around.
to me, volume before drive is a way more natural dirty sound for pedal steel. and then you can really milk it...