Im confused on EQ and Chain

[Kevin Krenzke]

newer player of 3 years now... LOVE it and now that I can semi play most of my favorites... I'm really confused on what the correct chain should be ( see attachment) abd where I should EQ and where I should set flat to get the tone I want...

I have to admit that I've been chasing my tail trying to figure this out.. I play only for my own enjoyment and don't record or gig.. BUT I do want the right tone to play James Taylor, Eagles, Seger and all my 70's favorites

Input please?????

Thanks so much

 

[abarson]

Your two pedals are set up in the traditional manner: compression before any overdrive.
The compressor is used to control the dynamics of your playing, smoothing out hard-hitting peaks against your softer passages.

What might be throwing you is that the Keeley has its own Tone knob, which will alter the sound before entering the MXR preamp. You can either leave it in a neutral position and rely on the MXR's EQ for tone shaping, leave the MXR EQ in a neutral setting and only adjust tone on the Keeley, or find a happy medium using both, maybe using the Keeley tone to get you in the ballpark and fine-tuning with the MXR. There really aren't any ruled.

You could remove the Keeley and connect your bass directly to the MXR just to get really familiar with it before adding any more variables to your sound. I've found that fewer variables make for easier discernment.

What amplifier are you using, and what are you doing with the amp's EQ?

 

[Kevin Krenzke]

Your two pedals are set up in the traditional manner: compression before any overdrive.
The compressor is used to control the dynamics of your playing, smoothing out hard-hitting peaks against your softer passages.

What might be throwing you is that the Keeley has its own Tone knob, which will alter the sound before entering the MXR preamp. You can either leave it in a neutral position and rely on the MXR's EQ for tone shaping, leave the MXR EQ in a neutral setting and only adjust tone on the Keeley, or find a happy medium using both, maybe using the Keeley tone to get you in the ballpark and fine-tuning with the MXR. There really aren't any ruled.

You could remove the Keeley and connect your bass directly to the MXR just to get really familiar with it before adding any more variables to your sound. I've found that fewer variables make for easier discernment.

What amplifier are you using, and what are you doing with the amp's EQ?

Just a Fender 40 AMP for basement practice and playing... I'm tempted to just upgrade into a head and cab and do away with both pedals for higher end sound and more simplicity....

Currently I EQ the Fender amp just like I do on the MXR, but that doesn't make sense to me..... maybe a way to pass the Amp EQ all together? ha see my confusion??

Let me know more

 

[abarson]

I agree that setting the amp and MXR EQs the same doesn't make much sense. I do think it would benefit if you take a moment to think through what you want each component in your signal chain to contribute. What does the MXR or Keeley bring to the table? This is useful regardless whether you're using a combo or a bigger rig. And obviously if you conclude that it isn't contributing anything, take it out. Keep in mind that you cannot expect the same sound out of one rig when you apply it to a different rig.

A likely scenario is that you set up your fundamental tone using the EQ on your amp, bypassing the MXR's EQ. Set a distinctly different EQ on your MXR and turn it on for the musical passage that needs it. Maybe you want a specific EQ for a little slap solo in the middle, then go back to your original setting for the rest of the song. Maybe the next song needs a bit of dirt from the overdrive. This is where the MXR can add value.

M80.pdf (jimdunlop.com)