The best order for this signal chain of effects?

[Cloverfield]

I don't know a ton about how to best order a signal chain when it comes to effects, but here's my best guess based upon the pedals I have and a couple I plan on getting in the near future:

1) Turbo Tuner ST-200
2) Aguilar TLC compressor
3) Aguilar Tone Hammer
4) Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe
5) Wounded Paw Battering Ram (overdrive/fuzz)
6) Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro
7) Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion Pro

Thoughts?
If you reply with corrections / alternate suggestions, an explanation regarding your logic / thought process in doing so would be much appreciated. I want to learn!

Thanks.

[loopmantra]

i put compressor first,then tuner,but this is not a 'must' anyways...on the other hand,i would put fuzz after envelope(for having the envelop'ed sound being fuzzed,not the other way around),altough,there are no rules...what works best for you,is what you should stick to.
my chain>
woodguerilla fretless
markbass compressore
korg dt10 tuner
morley pba2 dual bass wah
EHX octave multiplexer
MXR phase90
'little angel' chorus clone
boss rv5
custom parametric eq/boost
MXR m80 bass di/distortion

[Bassmike62]

I would give this a try:


BASS > Turbo Tuner ST-200 > Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro >Aguilar TLC compressor > Aguilar Tone Hammer > Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe > Wounded Paw Battering Ram (overdrive/fuzz) > Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion Pro > AMP

Here's a page that gives a bit of insght in pedal order.

Effects Chain Order

[newbold]

BASS > Turbo Tuner ST-200 > Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro >Aguilar TLC compressor > Aguilar Tone Hammer > Wounded Paw Battering Ram (overdrive/fuzz) > Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion Pro > Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe > AMP

the difference I would order them thusly and not like Bassmike is that I would use the VTBass like it's an amp and not just another dirt box. It gets some great low tone which, while it would be nifty to fuzz THAT out, you might want it to shape tone at the end of your chain.

Also, you may want to try your tone hammer or multiwave or battering ram before your envelope filter as stated earlier by loopmantra...the more dynamic control you have over a distorted signal the more expressive IT can be and the more you can get out of your pedalboard. I really like this approach with my Pigtronix Envelope Phaser...it takes a buffered clean out from my Disnortion for an envelope follower sidechain. That way I can put anything between those 2 pedals and my plucking dynamics gets translated to the signal at the end. You may want to look into whether or not you can set that up through the sensor controls. You're certainly going to want to get the expression pedal for one or both of those source audio products. I'd get into how great experssion controls on new gear can be here but you may not care.

The sourceaudio multiwave bass distortion has a lot of options and you may find a better cascading combination to your ears by shaping what gets fuzzed out by the battering ram...though EQ control at the END of cascading distortion may tighten things up better for you if you even do that.

You may also want to get a blender for parallel dirt options...sort of like having a multi-amp rig but with pedals sent out to your amp to add some whomp or be big and pure.

Having the VT at the end of your chain lets you use it as a DI. I recommend trying its effects loop with this in it:

Wounded Paw Battering Ram (overdrive/fuzz) > Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion Pro > Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro >Aguilar TLC compressor

Chances are you can send the parallel out from the VT DLX to the sensor in on your source audio effects.
You could also get an XLR to mini phono jack and send a lead from the balanced side of the tone hammer to your source audio pedals as well. The AGS could really do wonders for setting off your envelope (or drive you crazy) so a selector switch might be important to you. You may want to get an a/b/y switcher to control which effects get the signal when. So if that's the case then you'd have your bass into the tone hammer into the vtbass to your amp with all of your various cascading distortion switchable and effects dynamically controlled.

With all of your potential signal routing options, I'm glad that I have a more scaled down pedalboard than you.

[caeman]

Question: How often do you use the overdrive and distortion boxes?

[Cloverfield]

Originally Posted by loopmantra

i put compressor first,then tuner,but this is not a 'must' anyways...on the other hand,i would put fuzz after envelope(for having the envelop'ed sound being fuzzed,not the other way around),altough,there are no rules...what works best for you,is what you should stick to.
my chain>
woodguerilla fretless
markbass compressore
korg dt10 tuner
morley pba2 dual bass wah
EHX octave multiplexer
MXR phase90
'little angel' chorus clone
boss rv5
custom parametric eq/boost
MXR m80 bass di/distortion

Interesting. I'll have to experiment with the fuzz-to-envelope and envelope-to-fuzz options.

Originally Posted by Bassmike62

I would give this a try:

BASS > Turbo Tuner ST-200 > Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro >Aguilar TLC compressor > Aguilar Tone Hammer > Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe > Wounded Paw Battering Ram (overdrive/fuzz) > Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion Pro > AMP

Oh yeah, I should definitely stick the Envelope Filter before the compressor. Half the reason I got the Aguilar TLC was to manage filter-created spikes to protect my speakers...not sure how that slipped my mind. Thanks for the reminder.

Originally Posted by newbold

BASS > Turbo Tuner ST-200 > Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro >Aguilar TLC compressor > Aguilar Tone Hammer > Wounded Paw Battering Ram (overdrive/fuzz) > Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion Pro > Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe > AMP

the difference I would order them thusly and not like Bassmike is that I would use the VTBass like it's an amp and not just another dirt box. It gets some great low tone which, while it would be nifty to fuzz THAT out, you might want it to shape tone at the end of your chain.

Also, you may want to try your tone hammer or multiwave or battering ram before your envelope filter as stated earlier by loopmantra...the more dynamic control you have over a distorted signal the more expressive IT can be and the more you can get out of your pedalboard. I really like this approach with my Pigtronix Envelope Phaser...it takes a buffered clean out from my Disnortion for an envelope follower sidechain. That way I can put anything between those 2 pedals and my plucking dynamics gets translated to the signal at the end. You may want to look into whether or not you can set that up through the sensor controls. You're certainly going to want to get the expression pedal for one or both of those source audio products. I'd get into how great experssion controls on new gear can be here but you may not care.

The sourceaudio multiwave bass distortion has a lot of options and you may find a better cascading combination to your ears by shaping what gets fuzzed out by the battering ram...though EQ control at the END of cascading distortion may tighten things up better for you if you even do that.

You may also want to get a blender for parallel dirt options...sort of like having a multi-amp rig but with pedals sent out to your amp to add some whomp or be big and pure.

Having the VT at the end of your chain lets you use it as a DI. I recommend trying its effects loop with this in it:

Wounded Paw Battering Ram (overdrive/fuzz) > Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion Pro > Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro >Aguilar TLC compressor

Chances are you can send the parallel out from the VT DLX to the sensor in on your source audio effects.
You could also get an XLR to mini phono jack and send a lead from the balanced side of the tone hammer to your source audio pedals as well. The AGS could really do wonders for setting off your envelope (or drive you crazy) so a selector switch might be important to you. You may want to get an a/b/y switcher to control which effects get the signal when. So if that's the case then you'd have your bass into the tone hammer into the vtbass to your amp with all of your various cascading distortion switchable and effects dynamically controlled.

With all of your potential signal routing options, I'm glad that I have a more scaled down pedalboard than you.

Nice! I like that initial signal chain idea.
And holy cow, you gave me a lot to think about by way of other possibilities! I don't actually have the VT Bass Deluxe pedal yet, but when I do and start experimenting with it in my chain I'll have to come back to a lot of those other concepts you explained. Thanks.

Originally Posted by caeman

Question: How often do you use the overdrive and distortion boxes?

Hmm, honestly, hardly at all right now. At the moment I'm only playing in a country band regularly, so I don't have much of an outlet to use the majority of my pedals.
But I've been collecting pedals I want nonetheless and experimenting with settings and different sounds for future use. I'm actually talking with a guy who is interested in starting sort of an experimental power trio, so I'm sure I could probably get a little crazy with effects in that context.

[scottfeldstein]

Here's what I'd do.

1. Put your tuner first, so that it gets an unadulterated signal from your bass.

2. Put your envelope filter next. You don't want anything compressing the signal (like a compressor or a tube emulator) before it reaches the EV. After all, the EV is controlled by the dynamics of your playing. You don't want to flatten the dynamics before it reaches the pedal.

3. Put your compressor after the envelope filter. It'll help handle some of the spikes.

4. Get rid of all your dirt pedals except the one with the DI in it. Put this pedal last in your chain.

5. Go out and get a super gnarly octaver. Put it in between the tuner and the EV.

Okay, you can skip #5 if you want. But that's probably what I'm gonna do

[blastjv]

Originally Posted by Cloverfield

1) Turbo Tuner ST-200
2) Aguilar TLC compressor
3) Aguilar Tone Hammer
4) Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe
5) Wounded Paw Battering Ram (overdrive/fuzz)
6) Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro
7) Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion Pro

Some of these seem redundant to me (not trying to pick on you, but I think you're overcomplicating things for yourself). I think the Tone Hammer and the VT kind of 'cancel each other out', and it seems like the SAMWBD might 'cancel out' the WPBR (and maybe the VT). I totally understand that you might get a sound from one that you just can't live without and you can't get from another pedal, but I bet you can probably get everything you'd want from your board and still streamline a bit. Also, since you said you don't have all of these yet, you can probably save yourself a bunch of money by trying them all and picking which you like best.

FWIW, I would suggest this (based on what you seem to dig):

1-Aguilar Tone Hammer (for tone shaping/mild OD)
2-Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro
3-Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion Pro (for other varying degrees of od/distortion/fuzz)
4-Aguilar TLC compressor (keeping it after any OD/Distortion leaves all the dynamic control over your OD to how hard you play, and after the Filter may help control resonant spikes, though the tweakability of the SABEF Pro should make this less of a concern)
5-Turbo Tuner ST-200 (having at the end lets you mute everything at once)

-JV

[caeman]

Okay. The only reason I asked is that it seems like a lot of overdrive and distortion creates it own form of compression, obviating the need for an actual compressor pedal.

[loopmantra]

Originally Posted by caeman

Okay. The only reason I asked is that it seems like a lot of overdrive and distortion creates it own form of compression, obviating the need for an actual compressor pedal.

+1
and never forget,bass distortion or not,it WILL bring down some of the low freq. ,so a 'blend' knob is a 'must-have' on these babies...try to choose one with that option,or at least experiment w/eq AFTER the distortion or sthng.

[DeltaPhoenix]

I would do them in a different order than everyone else has suggested so far. The correct answer for you is for you to decide. Take them all off of the board and try different combinations. I do agree the that the ToneHammer and the VTDeluxe are kind of redundant (keep the ToneHammer!). I would say buy a cool phaser or delay, some sort of time-based modulation to uncover some more sounds instead of the VT Deluxe.

FWIW here is how I think I would do it.
tuner>SAMWBDpro>SABEFpro>wounded paw BR>(modulation TBA)>compressor>ToneHammer

The SA stuff is made to work together and can get really synthy. Tuner at front, pure bass signal and can mute everything from there as well. Compressor before preamp so it can compress whatever is coming, and Tone Hammer as preamp/tone shaper.

[blastjv]

Originally Posted by loopmantra

+1
and never forget,bass distortion or not,it WILL bring down some of the low freq. ,so a 'blend' knob is a 'must-have' on these babies...try to choose one with that option,or at least experiment w/eq AFTER the distortion or sthng.

This is NOT a universal truth, though so many people say it as though it is. Many pedals do filter out some low end. Many pedals don't. It is definitely something to be aware of and consider in selecting pedals, but it is not true of every pedal.

-JV

[newbold]

If I were to have this pedalboard I'd probably only go with this:

Turbo Tuner ST-200 > Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion Pro > Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro >Aguilar TLC compressor > Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe > AMP

But I've never played the battering ram. Maybe that'd be better for me than the swiss army distortion pedal but I like options.

Not to be rude, but it seems as though you're going for some awfully function-rich units for a guy that still asks for advice in the signal path when it's in a sticky on the forum.

Again, not trying to be crass here - Which units do you have already and what do you want to get out of a pedalboard?

[loopmantra]

Originally Posted by blastjv

This is NOT a universal truth, though so many people say it as though it is. Many pedals do filter out some low end. Many pedals don't. It is definitely something to be aware of and consider in selecting pedals, but it is not true of every pedal.

-JV

hm....so far ALL the distortions/overdrives i tried cut down the lows..some more then others,but you just may be right... i haven't tried all existing..

[scottfeldstein]

As far as I know, the ones which don't shelve off your lows are the ones which allow the blending of your clean sound into the output. But then, there's a lot I don't know...

[Captain Jazz]

For example The Way Huge Swollen Pickle fuzz seems to enhance the lows IME. Various other pedals don't. It just depends.