Pedalboard for Dual recto..Pedals in loop and out front..

[Adambomb]

I have a Dual recto that I run Boss tuner, OD pedal, and Boss Noise Suppressor up front. In the serial loop I have a MXR 10 band EQ, Boss DD7, and Boss RV5. I need to find a way to cut down on signal loss. I plug straight into my amp and it sounds way more punchy without pedals. I was gonna try to avoid using a loop switcher if I could. I was looking at the Pedal Snake and it looks good, but kinda expensive.

How can I cut back on signal loss but still have my pedal board out front on stage?

 

[BlackIrish]

use a pedal with a buffer or a stand alone buffer or a line driver/clean boost at the end of your pedal chain

 

[Rocky]

Get that boss tuner out of the front of your amp. Even though Boss buffers are quite good I find that tuner pedals kill highs.

I use a Radial ABY box to remove the tuner from my front end signal

 

[MusicManJP6]

use a pedal with a buffer or a stand alone buffer or a line driver/clean boost at the end of your pedal chain

that's a good idea.

And pedals with True Bypass can help with keep your tone unaltered (read: quality of the tone when it finally reaches the amp's input), but not the strength of the signal from running through the long cables...

 

[Rocky]

If you have a long chain of true bypass pedals you will still loose signal.

If you are running more than 3 or 4 pedals you need buffers in the line too. That true bypass = no tone loss is a myth and a marketing scheme to steal your $$$.

Bob Bradshaw and Pete Cornish covered the lies around the whole 'true bypass' craze in an issue of Guitar Player not long ago.

 

[Adambomb]

Get that boss tuner out of the front of your amp. Even though Boss buffers are quite good I find that tuner pedals kill highs.

I use a Radial ABY box to remove the tuner from my front end signal

Well I didn't think that my Boss tuner was killing any highs. I have compared it with and without. I am more interested in the 3 pedals in the loop. The cables have to be so long to put my board out front on stage.

 

[Adambomb]

My pedals are all boss except for 2. And at the end of the loop chain is a boss, and at the end of the front amp chain is a Boss. The Boss pedals all have buffers in them right?

 

[lyman]

. I plug straight into my amp and it sounds way more punchy without pedals.

when you tried it w/o pedals, did you bypass the loop as well? that might intensify the difference you're hearing.

in general, it's never going to sound exactly the same with a bunch of pedals compared to guitar -> amp. i think you have to accept some amount of signal loss as a trade-off for the benefits of the pedals. I'd suggest upgrading all your cables, even the short pedal connector guys.

i've been there myself, so i understand your predicament. i would bet that it doesn't sound bad with all your pedals, so try to have fun playing and not worry about tiny tonal differences.

 

[Chris McKinley]

Welcome to the world of live playing. It's never going to be exactly as lossless a signal as it is without any effects at all. Like someone said, take the tuner out first. Pedal tuners are being replaced by other technology anyway. I use the Planet Waves light strobe tuner and just keep it in my pocket. Also remember that, for live playing, the audience isn't going to be able to tell the subtle difference in your sound. If the song calls for effects, use 'em. The crowd isn't going to stop dancing/rocking/etc. and go back to the doorman to demand a refund if your treble is a little cloudier than it would be without the effects.

 

[tremayne007]

While I agree that some types of effects which lack true bypass do not create any noticable alteration of tone (at least to my ears), others most certainly do.

Wah pedals fo instance-

"the wah pedal input loads down the guitar signal, and worse, loads it more at treble frequencies than at bass frequencies. The sound gets duller and less lively. There are two cures, and they work about equally well. First, you can put in a DPDT true bypass switch. Second, you can add a buffer in front of the wah to keep it from loading down the guitar signal"

Regardless of what anyones else tells you, trust your ears. Thats what they are there for...

 

[Red Barchetta]

I finally broke down and went with a buffer in front of my Road King I. I resisted for years, but after doing an A/B comparison with my rig with the buffer, and without, it was no question. Then I did an A/B with the buffer vs. straight into the amp, no effects, and heard NO difference....and I'm a tone pain in the arse.

I use an Axess Electronics BS2 Guitar Audio Buffer/Splitter. I love it.


RB