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Pedalchain order on my board. Your two cents please?

Mister Teeny

Mister Teeny

Jan 20, 2019
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1
#1
I recently purchased new pedals & I'm reorganising my pedalboard. I'd like to have a second opinion on the right order to maintain the best signal possible. So here's how it'll start:
Musicman Stingray 5>Dunlop Bass Wah>Polytune>...
-Aguilar TLC Comp
-Tech21 VT Sansamp (not the DI one)
-MXR Bass Octaver Deluxe
-MXR Bass Enveloppe Filter
-MXR Phase 90
-EHX Bass Big Muff Deluxe
-TC Flashback Delay

...And it ends with an Ampeg B210 Combo.

Welcome to the debate!
 
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#3
Personally, I'd start with Tuner > Comp > Octaver > Wah > Muff > Filter > Sansamp > Phaser > Delay and then rearrange from there.

In my case, Filter into muff (Swollen Pickle) sounded horrible, but filter into overdrive sounded great, so I'd put the filter between them. Octaver right after the compressor to improve tracking. The Wah is something that I used to move around quite a lot. I kind of settled for Wah before dirt, but you may prefer it the other way around... Effect order is something so personal that I don't think any of our advise is going to be all that useful. Just be prepared to spend few evenings re-arranging your board and enjoy the journey. :bassist:
 
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#5
I think most people would start poly->comp, or poly->env-filter->comp, but some would put the comp at the end.

The reason the poly is at the start is to give it the cleanest signal possible for best tracking.

The reason you might put the envelop filter before the comp is that envelop filters are by design sensitive to the dynamics in strength, and the comp reduces them, so if you go comp->filter the comp works directly against the filter.

The reason to put the comp towards the start of the chain is because it works on the signal-strength, and it's most consistent towards the start of the chain (as long as you don't change basses).

But none of these are cast in stone. See what works best for you.
 
#6
ProfFrink said:
The reason you might put the envelop filter before the comp is that envelop filters are by design sensitive to the dynamics in strength, and the comp reduces them, so if you go comp->filter the comp works directly against the filter.
Click to expand...

Yep, this is correct. However, in my experience unless you are running super squasy compression settings there is enough dynamics left to trigger the envelop the desired way. But again, that's only in my experience/settings/playing style; it may vary person to person.

ProfFrink said:
The reason to put the comp towards the start of the chain is because it works on the signal-strength, and it's most consistent towards the start of the chain (as long as you don't change basses).
Click to expand...

Again, very good point. In addition, the compressor is going to amplify any noise created by any pedal placed before it (that's just the nature of compression). By putting it at the end of the chain, it may get too much noise coming from the muff and the sansamp. The OP will need to try and see what works for him.

OP, if you decide to put it at the end of the chain, I'd advise for placing it BEFORE the delay. If placed it after the delay, the trails of the delay are going to get compressed too, which probably is not the desired effect. Unless it IS the desired effect; then place dead last! :thumbsup:​
 
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#8
ProfFrink said:
I think most people would start poly->comp, or poly->env-filter->comp, but some would put the comp at the end.

The reason the poly is at the start is to give it the cleanest signal possible for best tracking.

The reason you might put the envelop filter before the comp is that envelop filters are by design sensitive to the dynamics in strength, and the comp reduces them, so if you go comp->filter the comp works directly against the filter.

The reason to put the comp towards the start of the chain is because it works on the signal-strength, and it's most consistent towards the start of the chain (as long as you don't change basses).

But none of these are cast in stone. See what works best for you.
Click to expand...

My envelope sounds way more dynamic and beefy with my compressor before it than after it. I used to live by the logic you describe until I tried it the other way and my ears told me that my logic was flawed since compressor first makes my signal chain sound significantly better.

Agreed you have to try it. Use advice as a starting point.
 
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#9
The only real "rules" are that tuner goes first (cleanest signal) and delay/loopers go last (echo or loop the entire signal chain).

Personally I put my octave after my tuner, then compression. To me you want the octave to have as clean and uninterrupted signal as possible; IME it just works better.

For filter it really varies from pedal to pedal. I felt that the 3 Leaf Audio GR and GR2 benefited from coming before the comp, as it's really sensitive to your playing dynamics and the comp evens them out, and my old Dunlop bass wah worked just fine after compression, since it's based on your foot sweeping rather than playing dynamics.

I put OD before fuzz, but again this really depends on the pedals and what kind of fuzz you're using (for example, a hard gated fuzz that kills the mids leading into a high-gain OD would suck your low end empty). I haven't used either of those two pedals. Modulation is also very subjective but I like it after dirt.

If I were in your shoes, I'd start with

Polytune -> MXR BOD -> MXR BEF -> Aguilar TLC -> Dunlop bass wah -> VT Sansamp -> Muff -> Phase 90 -> Delay -> combo.

Juggle your stuff around until you get the sound you want. Have fun :bassist:
 
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#13
cosmicevan said:
I prefer the tuner as a clip on my headstock. I never understood why so many people gobble up board real estate with tuners when you can have the same access shown to you from your headstock which is where you need to look anyway to tune.
Click to expand...

Just the opposite. I can't stand the look of a dongle tuner hanging off of a headstock. Also it encourages guys to tune unmuted.
 
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#15
cosmicevan said:
I prefer the tuner as a clip on my headstock. I never understood why so many people gobble up board real estate with tuners when you can have the same access shown to you from your headstock which is where you need to look anyway to tune.
Click to expand...

Because having a mute switch is very handy if you ever need to unplug a bass at a gig. Particularly an active one.
 
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#16
lz4005 said:
Because having a mute switch is very handy if you ever need to unplug a bass at a gig. Particularly an active one.
Click to expand...

I have a volume pedal on the floor and my bass has a mute switch and a volume knob..and amp has a volume knob too (used to have an amp with a mute switch too). Seems redundant to me to have a tuner pedal, but I guess that's why there are different options.
 
#18
Mister Teeny said:
Why would you place the Sansamp and the Comp st the end?
Click to expand...
If I was using the Sansamp as a tone shaping tool, I'd want it there to replace anything that might get lost with the other effects... if I wanted it for dirt, I would probably want it before the modulation effects but still after the filters.

I don't use compression much, in fact I don't currently even have one but when I did use it, it's purpose was to attenuate any peaks or bring up any dips created by the other effects

In short, I really feel that you want less adjustable stuff in front of morphing effects like pitch, filters or modulation. Pitch pedals really rely on the cleanest possible signal. Envelope filters also need consistent input to perform reliably. I wouldn't want to put anything that I might be tweaking for the room in front of those.

The fuzz is an exception to the previous rule. I have found I prefer fuzz to be before an envelope filter because in my experience if you put it after, it chops up the waveform and you lose alot of the the wah. Plus, some of the best synth emulation can be achieved with the right fuzz going into a wah or filter.

This is what I discovered I like... with some guidance here but mostly through experimentation on my own. The common theme is that there really are no rules. You just need to try for yourself and see.
 
#19
you've probably figured out what works for you, heres the thing, without playing the pedals myself, I couldn't give you say the opinion you may be looking for as different pedals respond differently to different players and their styles and thus the order one guy likes it to another guy may be different. that said, heres what I would do based off the information you gave me and without playing that setup, probably something like this, comp first then drive, then either delay or flanger or wah and the tech21 at the very end of the chain into the amp. rather that's what I would do after playing the pedals I don't know, that's just a ruff guess at this point.
Mister Teeny said:
I recently purchased new pedals & I'm reorganising my pedalboard. I'd like to have a second opinion on the right order to maintain the best signal possible. So here's how it'll start:
Musicman Stingray 5>Dunlop Bass Wah>Polytune>...
-Aguilar TLC Comp
-Tech21 VT Sansamp (not the DI one)
-MXR Bass Octaver Deluxe
-MXR Bass Enveloppe Filter
-MXR Phase 90
-EHX Bass Big Muff Deluxe
-TC Flashback Delay

...And it ends with an Ampeg B210 Combo.

Welcome to the debate!
Click to expand...
 

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