Need Advice on Pedal Order on Board

[speak2planets]

So, I have a bunch of pedals and am now gonna attach them to a board. What I need from you guys is some advice on what order to put the pedals in to get the best sound and function. So here is what I have to work with:

Markbass Super Synth
Markbass Compressore (Compressor)
Electro-Harmonix Enigma:Q-Balls (Envelope Filter)
Electro-Harmonix Russian Bass Balls (Fuzz/Filter)
Boss Volume Pedal
Boss Bass Chorus
MXR Octave Deluxe
Boss Bass Flanger
Boss Tuner
Boss Loop Station (Delay/Looper)
Unknown Vintage Fuzz

Some of these pedals may be redundant and may not get used but as for now, I am planning to put them all on the board. Thanx in advance for all y'all's help. I swear this is the greatest site in the world when it comes to learning something new!!

[cheapbasslovin]

Pleas note this would be a starting place for me as there are a lot of directions to go with what you have.

Bass.Octave.Synth.Fuzz.QBalls.Bassballs.Comp.Choru s.Flanger.Amp. Tuner goes anywhere, volume goes either at the end or in front of the filters.

Many other ways to go. The mind boggles.

[JBNeedsBeer]

I would go with:

Markbass Compressore (Compressor)
Boss Tuner
MXR Octave Deluxe
Markbass Super Synth
Unknown Vintage Fuzz
Electro-Harmonix Russian Bass Balls (Fuzz/Filter)
Electro-Harmonix Enigma:Q-Balls (Envelope Filter)
Boss Bass Chorus
Boss Bass Flanger
Boss Volume Pedal

There really isn't a 100% right way to order all of these, but that would be my preference. I like feeding the octave and any synth options right after a compressor, but many would prefer to have the compressor acting after the filters so you can better control the filters by varying how hard you dig in. I also think the synth might sound a bit cooler before fuzz.

[speak2planets]

Thanx for the responses. I know I'm throwing a monkey wrench in here but I also have a Boss Loop Station that is collecting dust. I edited the OP and included it too. But it isn't nearly as important as the other pedals

[erigod23]

The Loop Station should either be put 1st or last, depending on how you want to interact with your effects.

[Adamixoye]

Given that the Super Synth, like nearly every synth, is monophonic and tracks better at higher pitches, I don't see why you would feed the octaver into the synth. I can't imagine a situation where you would do this; I can *almost* imagine a situation where you would do the opposite (synth>octave), but you'd probably be better off only using one at a time and/or using the Super Synth's own octave.

Originally Posted by JBNeedsBeer

I would go with:

Markbass Compressore (Compressor)
Boss Tuner
MXR Octave Deluxe
Markbass Super Synth
Unknown Vintage Fuzz
Electro-Harmonix Russian Bass Balls (Fuzz/Filter)
Electro-Harmonix Enigma:Q-Balls (Envelope Filter)
Boss Bass Chorus
Boss Bass Flanger
Boss Volume Pedal

[blastjv]

Try this as a starting point?

Boss Tuner (good buffer in front of the next few pedals)
MXR Octave Deluxe (early to help tracking)
Unknown Vintage Fuzz (nice to have an option for fuzz before your synth/filters since you have fuzz after filters covered)
Markbass Super Synth
Electro-Harmonix Enigma:Q-Balls
Electro-Harmonix Russian Bass Balls
Boss Bass Chorus
Boss Bass Flanger
Boss Volume Pedal
Markbass Compressore (Compressor)
Boss Loop Station (Delay/Looper)

I'd worry about the bypass on some of those pedals (random vintage fuzz, russian BB), but you can listen and see if they give you trouble and maybe put them in a loop.

-JV

[JBNeedsBeer]

Originally Posted by Adamixoye

Given that the Super Synth, like nearly every synth, is monophonic and tracks better at higher pitches, I don't see why you would feed the octaver into the synth. I can't imagine a situation where you would do this; I can *almost* imagine a situation where you would do the opposite (synth>octave), but you'd probably be better off only using one at a time and/or using the Super Synth's own octave.

I definitely wouldn't use more than 1 of the two at a time, I was just going for an arbitrary placement.

[Adamixoye]

Yeah, probably. I think you could at least *try* the SS into the octaver, though, but not the other way around. YMMV.

Originally Posted by JBNeedsBeer

I definitely wouldn't use more than 1 of the two at a time, I was just going for an arbitrary placement.

[speak2planets]

Thanx everyone!! This definately helps. I probably won't be running the synth and octave at the same time. If I need it, I'll use the synth's octave function. As for the issue of bypass, I think I have 2 options to choose from now. First, my vintage fuzz is being replaced with this beast...A Frequency Central Mission Control. I am also gonna run everything through a Loop-Master switch. The switch has true bypass I believe so the Bassballs shouldn't give me a problem.

[Stone Soup]

I would make sure the octave pedal is before the filters. Don't put the compressor before your filter pedals. The filters rely on your varying attack to work their magic. I would put the volume pedal after the compressor.

[Cyrus987987]

The way I like to organize pedals is to group into 3 basic catagories. Pedals that change your sound like distortion, fuzz, echo etc. Pedals that have a specific purpose rather than effect like a tuner or a compressor. And last pedals that lay an effect over your signal like flange and synth. I like to start with my tuner, then go to my echo and overdrive type effects, and lastly use my flange, synth, wah etc. Obviously you want your loop station last. To find thd exact order you just gotta spend some time experimenting.

[speak2planets]

OK, so I finally finished and got around to taking pics. I overcame most of my "order" problems by using a Loop-Master True Bypass 7-Switch Looper. So here is how everything is running:

I have my MarkBass Synth running before the Looper. I put it on the bottom of the board so I could still get to it's switches to change synth sounds. Then comes the looper with the following pedals attached to their own switch:

- EHX Bass Balls
- 3 Leaf Audio Groover Regulator v1
- Darkglass Microtubes B7K
- Digitech Bass Synth Wah
- Boss Super Octave OC-3
- Boss Bass Chorus CEB-3
- Pigtronix Envelope Phaser w/Expression Pedal contolling the phaser speed & sweep

Finally, after the looper I have my MarkBass Compressore running to even everything out. All of the cables are George L except the TRS running to the expression pedal.

So what do y'all think? Is there anything I may be doing wrong? Anything seem out of order? I've been playing with the board for about a week or so and I'm getting some amazing sounds out of her. I have a Moog Ring Mod that I might use for a couple of songs too. Should I put it before my board or after it? Thanks to everyone who helped with this build by giving me input.

[bcplemons]

Try the octave and B7K in front of your filters. I like to get a cool sound and run it through the filter as opposed to dirtying up a filtered sound. If that makes sense.

[speak2planets]

Originally Posted by bcplemons

Try the octave and B7K in front of your filters. I like to get a cool sound and run it through the filter as opposed to dirtying up a filtered sound. If that makes sense.

But does it matter the order they are in if they are run through the looper? I've been running the Regulator and the octave together and it sounds pretty sweet

[bcplemons]

Originally Posted by speak2planets

But does it matter the order they are in if they are run through the looper? I've been running the Regulator and the octave together and it sounds pretty sweet

It depends on the looper. Just because each pedal has a separate loop doesn't mean that they're not in a certain order. The loops on your unit probably still run from right to left.