overdrive pedal

[jtb226]

what would be the advantage or running an overdrive pedal in front of my DR? i'm kind of new to effects, as my setup used to just be guitar --> cord --> amp, so i don't know much about them. would i leave it on all the time as sort of a signal boost or turn it on only when i was running distortion. i'm trying to avoid tap dancing as much as possible, so i guess in that vein, simpler is better. also, i need to keep a nice sound on the clean channel, so i don't want it to be too overdriven.

 

[Russ]

Od's will push your amp harder. This can be done mildly and left on all the time or turned up more and used for just leads. You could I assume leave it on high all the time but you would have less versatility with it.

 

[pjrake]

i'm thinking of getting a TS9 and run it in front of my amp also. to fix the "tap dancing" problem i'm thinking of going MIDI and using axess ground loops. this will also take the pedals out of my path when not in used (especially the BOSS tuner since it does suck some tone).

with this setup i'll be able to have my TS9 running on my dirty channel and bypassed on my clean channel. it's a little expensive but in the end it's worthwhile!

 

[Get Down And Boogie]

Thanks for posting this question jtb226 - it's exactly the question that I wanted to ask.

I'll add to it if I may:

Do you only run the OD/boost pedal in front of the amp so it hits the pre amp? Or is it also possible to put the OD pedal in the loop so that the power tubes have a bigger signal coming in? Would this increase the amount of power tube break up - or just sound like mule?

I've also heard of guys using something like an eq pedal to boost the signal because it doesn't colour the sound as much, or it's easier to control how the sound is coloured. I guess the question is why boost the signal at all - wouldn't turning the amp up have the same effect and make the tubes work harder at the same time? Isn't a DR usually loud enough already?

Yeah, I'm mighty confused on this one...

 

[Russ]

I have used both OD's and Eq's in the past to push my amps. The EQ is nice because you get more control over your tone. Either way you are just pushing your preamp harder with more signal. An OD isn't so much about getting louder as getting more saturation. Sure you could turn up more but you get another dynamic if you have a pedal controlled boost. Think of it as another channel. Different items used for boost will yield different results. This having been said, you can use a traditional OD, a preamp, an EQ, a distortion pedal, etc. Keep in mind that you want to keep any gain level down and use the level to control your boost. I have even seen guys use a chorus pedal to boost.

OD in the loop? No way.

Maybe try a volume pedal in your loop.

My take on effects is like this: Tone shapers and gain out front (compressors, wah's, od's, distortion pedals, etc.). Time based in the loop (flange, phaser, chorus, delay, verb, etc.). If you don't have a loop then same order in front. EQ can go out in front as clean boost or in the loop as final EQ before power section.

 

[Get Down And Boogie]

OK I think I get it now. Let's assume that I love the distorted tone I'm getting from my roadster (I do by the way). I'd use an OD/boost pedal to not only make it louder and change the dynamics of it.

There is a solo switch on the roadster that makes it louder but I'm guessing that it's the change in saturation/dynamics that makes the OD pedal attractive - would that be right? I mean if it was just the volume why spend cash on a pedal when the roadster already had a volume boost in the solo function.

If I put a boost pedal - no OD just a volume pumper, like a maxed EQ pedal in the loop would that increase the chance of power tube clipping as opposed to putting it in front and getting both pre and power clipping? Is that as stupid idea? I've heard of buffers going in at the end of a loop to put back harmonics that a long effects loop can suck out - is that similar to putting a boost pedal in the loop?

 

[Russ]

Now I am a little confused. Granted, I am way tired but I just didn't quite understand what you were trying to say. BTW Yes, english is my first language. :lol:

If you like your roadster, you will probably also like it with a little front end boost even though the amp has a solo function already. The OD will just provide another flavor in your arsenal. The solo switch does something similar to what an OD does but different OD's provide slightly different flavors as I said before. Many find particular OD pedals so attractive that they will spend hundreds of dollars on them individually because of their unique characteristics.

If I understand the next part correctly:
"If I put a boost pedal - no OD just a volume pumper, like a maxed EQ pedal in the loop would that increase the chance of power tube clipping as opposed to putting it in front and getting both pre and power clipping? Is that as stupid idea? I've heard of buffers going in at the end of a loop to put back harmonics that a long effects loop can suck out - is that similar to putting a boost pedal in the loop?"

What you are trying to ask is what is the effective outcome of using a boost in the loop? Some might use one here. There are some that will even use a volume pedal. The change I see is that you get more signal after the preamp but after anything in front of the volume or boost pedal running it in this fashion. If you really want more power clipping you need to turn up your master. Boost pedals in the loop will not "put back harmonics that a long effects loop can suck out" because they are not intelligent and do not know what was lost.

Tell me about these buffers you heard about "at the end of a loop to put back harmonics that a long effects loop can suck out".

 

[domct203]

The big benifit I have noticed using a clean boost in front of a Recto is that it allows me to keep the dirty gain dialed back and actually have more sustain / saturation. This makes the EQ alot more effective, and will tighten up the bottom end IMO.

I really loving the Radial PB-1 with the ROV. I have the gain about 3/4 the way up, and leave it on all the time, even with cleans (you'll have to roll the guitars volume back abit if you want perfectly squeaky-cleans).

 

[recto-robbie]

Hey jtb226,,,I currently use both an EQ and some overdrive pedals. Like the guys above mentioned, you can use an EQ to boost your sound. There are a couple ways to use them as I see it. First, with an EQ you can shape your sound and leave it on all the time either in front of the amp or in the loop,I do this and leave it in the loop. People also like to boost their sound for a solo for example to punch through the mix. I find that when you raise the mids a bit you can hear your leads better,,so you can raise the mids on the EQ and apply the EQ for your solos only. Works well this way. You do have a solo boost button on your boogie pedal but if you notice,the sound only gets louder,,you cant add any tone shaping with it.
Some people find this is all they need though.
Overdrive pedals on the other hand can be used much the same way only instead of just shaping your tone they will provide more saturation,sustain and add some life to your sound for a lack of a better word.They also seem to compress your sound just a bit. Tighten it up some.
You can use them the same way as the EQ where you use it to boost just a lead part,,or you can leave them on all the time. I find I enjoy once in a while just using the pedals gain alone on my clean channel for a nice tube like, low/medium gain sound.
I currently own and use an Ibanez TS-808,,BB Preamp,and a
MI Audio Blues Pro. They are all nice sounding pedals but I found that the BB and the MI Audio are better sounding pedals all around. The Ibanez adds a mid hump to your sound that seems impossible to get rid of. Some people like this though. The other 2 pedals are both true bypass unlike the Ibanez and both have tone levels that can easily get rid of the mid hump or add it. I found the BB and the MI Audio to be very similar. They are both truelly outstanding pedals in my opinion.
One last note,,if you ever get an overdrive pedal and when using it on top of your amps gain,,keep the gain of the pedal low,,like 1/4 or less,,otherwise you will notice it gets real sloppy sounding,,its just too much gain for the preamp. Anyways just experiment,,,and good luck

 

[Get Down And Boogie]

Tell me about these buffers you heard about "at the end of a loop to put back harmonics that a long effects loop can suck out".

OK. I have no experience with them myself (you might have guessed )
But in the March issue of Guitar One there was a list of tips to get a better tone without breaking the bank. One of the tips was:

"Consider adding a small buffer amp, like the Durham Electronics Sex Drive boost pedal to your effects chain, to restore the frequencies lost as your signal travels through a host of pedals."

Yeah, so that's where the question about buffers comes from... unfortunately that's all I know about them.

So, what I'm getting out of this discussion is that having an OD pedal in front of the amp can be used to:

1) Pump up the volume - by having the gain low but the volume high on the pedal, sort of like a solo boost but with the added option of shaping the tone and adding saturation.

2) Shape the tone - by just leaving the OD on all the time (again with low gain). I guess this is sort of like adding an extra gain and EQ stage before the amp's preamp and EQ.

3) Have an extra flavor of Distortion - by having more gain on the pedal and playing into the amp's clean channel. Effectively gaining an extra amp channel. So I'd have the 4 channel roadster and a "5th" channel, which would be the preamp in the pedal played into the clean channel.

4) Make the amp's EQ more effective - in this case the pedal is doing some of the work in adding gain/saturation reducing the strain on the preamp. This allows the amp's EQ to be more effective because the amp's gain is not running as high.

Please correct me if I've drawn the wrong conclusions on any of these points.

Cheers.

 

[Russ]

Tell me about these buffers you heard about "at the end of a loop to put back harmonics that a long effects loop can suck out".

OK. I have no experience with them myself (you might have guessed )
But in the March issue of Guitar One there was a list of tips to get a better tone without breaking the bank. One of the tips was:

"Consider adding a small buffer amp, like the Durham Electronics Sex Drive boost pedal to your effects chain, to restore the frequencies lost as your signal travels through a host of pedals."

Yeah, so that's where the question about buffers comes from... unfortunately that's all I know about them.

So, what I'm getting out of this discussion is that having an OD pedal in front of the amp can be used to:

1) Pump up the volume - by having the gain low but the volume high on the pedal, sort of like a solo boost but with the added option of shaping the tone and adding saturation.

2) Shape the tone - by just leaving the OD on all the time (again with low gain). I guess this is sort of like adding an extra gain and EQ stage before the amp's preamp and EQ.

*You can set a wah for this too

3) Have an extra flavor of Distortion - by having more gain on the pedal and playing into the amp's clean channel. Effectively gaining an extra amp channel. So I'd have the 4 channel roadster and a "5th" channel, which would be the preamp in the pedal played into the clean channel.

*You effectively double your channels because you can use it on any channel

4) Make the amp's EQ more effective - in this case the pedal is doing some of the work in adding gain/saturation reducing the strain on the preamp. This allows the amp's EQ to be more effective because the amp's gain is not running as high.

Please correct me if I've drawn the wrong conclusions on any of these points.

Cheers.

[/i]

 

[recto-robbie]

yes to number 1,,but you can use it with high gain
yes to number 2,,you would soon see that using too much gain on top of high gain from your amp will result in sloppyness.
yes to number 3
not sure at all about number 4,,I guess it could work like that,,I dont know


Just try one out,,I think you will be pleased. ,,,good luck

 

[18&Life]

zakk wilde overdrive pedal.I don't like pedals but to boost your amp this one is awsome.Very natural distortion.

 

[recto-robbie]

Hey gents,, I want to sell an Ibanez TS-808 Overdrive pedal,,thought a few of you may be interested.. Im offering it in classifieds before I go the ebay route. thanks

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=12485