Effects loop pedal chain question.

plapnab · Nov 11, 2009

Ok...lets just say I'm a total idiot when it comes to stop boxes. I've played guitar for 20 years and have alway just chained effects with no real understanding of what I'm really doing. So, with at being said here's what I have: ISP Decimator, MXR 10 band EQ, Holy Grail Reverb Nano, and a BOSS DD-3. I'm not sure exactly where I should put the Decimator however, I'm pretty sure I want to run the rest of it through the effects loop in the order I listed them in. I have a Dual Rectifier. In the effects loop the send cable is going into the DD-3 input and the return cable is going into the MXR output. Overall, I think it sound pretty good...however, my question is do I have this hooked up backwards??? And what about the Decimator? Where is the best place to run that? I'm confused?!?! Thanks

pataklp · Nov 11, 2009

You should put delay pedals in the end of the chain. Some rule about the chain is that first of all, you put wah wah pedal, then goes distortion. If you have one, then put it first in the chain, and all pedals go directly to the input, there is no need to use fx loop, if you are not using your amp dirty channel, if not, and you are using drive from the amp, then guitar goes to wah wah pedal, and that pedal to the input of the amp. If not using wah pedal, then put guitar to the input directly. All other effects goes to the fx loop, (that is the way you are leaving your amp's distortion in the first place in the chain). It usually goes, (beside that distortion is first in the chain), after that, compressor pedals, then eq pedals, after that goes modulation pedals (phaser, flanger, chorus), and at the end of the chain, ambiance effects, which means delays and reverb.

The main thing which I think should never been broken, is Wah-Distortion-Modulation-Delay/Reverb. Other things could be changed a little bit, but in my opinion and taste, these is the main rule.....

here is one usuafull link about pedals and chain,

http://www.bossus.com/boss_users_group/article.php?art=order

and one about understanding the fx loop, how it works, and why is he there for...

http://www.stinkfoot.se/andreas/diy/articles/loop.htm

and for the decimator, i think it works like some sorth of an expander, which is in compressor's family of effects, so put it first in the chain, but you can try putting it in the end of the chain, try out and see how it sounds...

emperor_black · Nov 11, 2009

Depends what you wanna do with the MXR. Do you want to shape the tone of your amp's preamp or the tone of your final delay sound? If the former,

Amp send -> Mxr in -> Reverb -> ISP -> Delay -> Amp return
In this setup, the ISP can kill any noise by the reverb. The MXR is dead silent. I own one and know how good it is. If you put the ISP after the delay some of the notes that get "delayed" could be cut off prematurely. But depends how much you want the ISP to control the tone.

or

Amp send -> Reverb -> Delay -> MXR -> ISP -> Amp return
IN this setup you can use the MXR to shape your final, final, sound.

but do you think you want the ISP in your fx loop at all?

If you do this, Amp send -> ISP -> ...-> Amp return, some noise gates cut off some of the high freq's. so, you might need to boost it back using the MXR which could add some "solid-statey" feeling to the amp's tone.

Best advice, experiment! And oh, try not to increase the gain on the MXR.

plapnab · Nov 11, 2009

Thank you all very much. Cleared up a lot of stuff...and, just as I thought I had pretty much everything ass backwards. Cheers!

plapnab · Nov 12, 2009

Ok, here's what I'm going to do.

Front of amp: Guitar > ISP > stompbox tuner > amp

Effects loop: send > MXR EQ > holy grail reverb > BOSS DD-3 > return

I don't want to put any effects in front of amp for the specific reason I went to a Dual Rectifier is because I love the natural distortions and cleans you get out of a tube amp. And, from what I understand that if you want to use your amps natural distortion putting effects into the input can take away that tone. Aside from a Marshall Jubilee I owned some 15 years ago I have always used solid state amps with effects processors and computers and all that other bells and whistles stuff. And, I really want to get away from this.

b0nkersx · Nov 12, 2009

plapnab said:
Ok, here's what I'm going to do.

Front of amp: Guitar > ISP > stompbox tuner > amp

Effects loop: send > MXR EQ > holy grail reverb > BOSS DD-3 > return

I don't want to put any effects in front of amp for the specific reason I went to a Dual Rectifier is because I love the natural distortions and cleans you get out of a tube amp. And, from what I understand that if you want to use your amps natural distortion putting effects into the input can take away that tone. Aside from a Marshall Jubilee I owned some 15 years ago I have always used solid state amps with effects processors and computers and all that other bells and whistles stuff. And, I really want to get away from this.

I think that's probably the best combination you'll get. I might have put the reverb last instead, but I don't know how reverb pedals play with others. I don't know if it'll make a ton of difference in any case. You could also put the noise suppressor in the loop, but I like them better out front.