Pedal order...

[Maki_Randy]

When I would follow the "pedal order rules" everywhere I find to put a tuner before a EQ/DI box, for example a fender downtown express. And follow this with my other pedals. But if I would use the XLR output of the downtown, am I not missing the rest of the chain going to the front of house?
Maybe an obvious answer but I am very new to bass and pedals...

 

[Swimming Bird]

The DI box can only send signal based on what it receives. It will not be able to include pedals past it in the chain or bypass pedals coming ahead of it.

 

[Maki_Randy]

So you would need to put a fender downtown express or a spectadrive at the end of everything to send it to the front?
In chain order, would you want your EQ before any effects? Or is it so the same if you do your EQ at the end?

 

[Robertron]

The results you get will vary depending on where you place your EQ and what other effects you are using. EQ Pedals themselves don't necessarily need to be in any particular spot and instead can be placed anywhere in your signal chain based on your preference.

For example you may want an EQ pedal to cut out a certain frequency before your signal reaches a Reverb or Delay effect, or you may want your EQ pedal after an Overdrive pedal to cut some mids, or put the EQ in front of the Overdrive to boost Mids.

The applications really are endless.

If your EQ pedal also happens to be your primary source of Drive/Distortion, or doubles as your compressor, or doubles as your DI then you would be better off placing the pedal somewhere in your chain where the pedal's alternative role is fulfilled.

 

[Maki_Randy]

Ok thanks
And I presume pedal order is only important when using different effects at the same time?

 

[Robertron]

Ok thanks
And I presume pedal order is only important when using different effects at the same time?

Mostly yes!

If you're just running pedals 1 at a time then you only need to worry about signal chain placement if you're using a buffered bypass pedal in your chain or if you have any impedance sensitive pedals in use.

 

[AlvarHanso]

I would just add that for the DI with the XLR out, you may want to figure out whether you want to be providing a clean signal to the FOH engineer, so that you have a dry/clean signal that they run through the house, while onstage you maybe have several effects going. I run a DI out for clean, and have DIs on both my amps, one of which is a clean signal that either, so in my case the FOH engineer can use either the XLR out of the Battalion or out of my clean amp, and I can run a second effected XLR out of my effects amp. That way I don't have to worry about the pedals dropping the fundamental bass sound, it reinforces the effects. But that's what works for my situation with 13 pedals. And the Battalion has a compressor built in that I use lightly.

Pedal order can get be wildly different for people with similar setups, partly due to preference, but also overall application. Try out different things if you have the time. It's worth it.