Advice: best pedal order

[nandrewjackson]

I want to know if everyone would agree with my pedal order.
I go guitar > bad horsie > MXR dyna comp > Boss harmonizer > Boss DS-1 > MXR smart gate > Dunlop Tremelo > amp.

I think everything sounds good, but I'm not sure if I would get better results by moving the dyna comp to later or earlier in the chain.

let me know if anyone thinks of any comments.
nandrew [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[Inazone]

Re: Advice: best pedal order

When running a similar setup in the past, I had the compressor before the wah. I haven't used a harmonizer before, but would probably at least experiment with it after the DS-1.

[jgcable]

Re: Advice: best pedal order

This is how I suggest you go: guitar > bad horsie > MXR dyna comp >Boss DS-1 > Boss harmonizer > Dunlop Tremelo > MXR smart gate > amp.

Also, the harmonizer and the smart gate might be better in the loop, especially the harmonizer.
Always put the Wah closest to the guitar in the chain.
Basically, time based effects work better in the loop. The harmonizer could possibly be considered a time based effect I guess.

[toejam]

Re: Advice: best pedal order

I'd use the Smart Gate first before anything else. If the signal is too hot running into it, you might run into a problem with it not closing/partially closing if it's after everything. The loop is a good place for it, too. Experiment and see what works best for you.

[jgcable]

Re: Advice: best pedal order

[ QUOTE ]
I'd use the Smart Gate first before anything else. If the signal is too hot running into it, you might run into a problem with it not closing/partially closing if it's after everything. The loop is a good place for it, too. Experiment and see what works best for you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point regarding the loop. The MXR Smartgate is so good it can probably handle all the signal correctly but I would guess that a standard Hush pedal might have a problem.

[toejam]

Re: Advice: best pedal order

Yeah, the Smartgate probably could handle it. I've got one and use it with my Mesa, but usually only in the loop. With my old Valvestate setup, I used a Boss NS2 after the wah and OD pedals and it didn't handle the signal correctly... it worked much better before everything else.

[hippietim]

Re: Advice: best pedal order

You can put the harmonizer where you want if it's got a tracking input. Otherwise, I'd do it before the distortion. The tracking accuracy of all the Boss shifters gets much worse with a dirty signal. The HR-2 has the tracking input but for some reason they got rid of it on the PS-5. The PS-5 definitely had issues tracking with distortion.

[jgcable]

Re: Advice: best pedal order

[ QUOTE ]
You can put the harmonizer where you want if it's got a tracking input. Otherwise, I'd do it before the distortion. The tracking accuracy of all the Boss shifters gets much worse with a dirty signal. The HR-2 has the tracking input but for some reason they got rid of it on the PS-5. The PS-5 definitely had issues tracking with distortion.

[/ QUOTE ]

Another good point Tim. Harmonizers certainly work better with a clean channel. Putting it before the Distortion might help it track.

[Rupe]

Re: Advice: best pedal order

Theoretically, you would want the harmonizer post gain, but in reality there are the tracking issues that people have already mentioned.

I disagree with a blaket statement that says the wah should always be closest to the guitar. Experiment with running the compressor first...you may find you like what you hear depending on your settings. When I'm playing a blues or classic rock gig, I always run my overdrive before my wah as it makes the wah more pronounced and there is a cool interaction that gives me some pretty wild sounds (for metal, I typically place my wah first in the chain). This will depend on the particular wah and overdrive/eq/compressor being used before it. Experiment and let your ears make the decision.

FYI - Randy Rhoads placed his MXR Distortion + before his wah in his signal chain. This allowed him to get sounds otherwise difficult to attain such as the wah sweeps in I Don't Know.

[toejam]

Re: Advice: best pedal order

[ QUOTE ]


When I'm playing a blues or classic rock gig, I always run my overdrive before my wah as it makes the wah more pronounced and there is a cool interaction that gives me some pretty wild sounds (for metal, I typically place my wah first in the chain). This will depend on the particular wah and overdrive/eq/compressor being used before it. Experiment and let your ears make the decision.

FYI - Randy Rhoads placed his MXR Distortion + before his wah in his signal chain. This allowed him to get sounds otherwise difficult to attain such as the wah sweeps in I Don't Know.

[/ QUOTE ]
Hendrix sometimes did the same thing. Personally, I don't really like the sound of wah after the distortion or in the effects loop, as it's a gain-based effect and typically sounds better before any kind of OD/distortion. Then again, like you said, experiment and see what sounds cool to you.

[nandrewjackson]

Re: Advice: best pedal order

the harmonizer I have is the HR-2. I don't have the manual and was wondering exactly what the ":tracking" input was all about. I never bothered trying to plug into it, because I didn't know what it was for. I might try the gate in the effects loop, and maybe the harmonizer too, if I can.
thanks,
nandnoah

[hippietim]

Re: Advice: best pedal order

the tracking input is for pitch detection - so run a splitter or Y cable to it from your initial clean signal and then you can stick your HR-2 anywhere in the chain that you want.