Tuner pedal at the front or the end?

Discussion in 'Effects [BG]' started by 5StringThunder, Jul 8, 2013.

  1. 5StringThunder

    5StringThunder

    Dec 28, 2012
    I've seen people put there tuners in all sorts of places, the beginning, the middle, and the end. Where do you put yours and why?

    Personally, I like mine at the beginning because that's the cleanest signal that it's going to get to ensure the best tuning. I also functions as a mute, which is why some people like it at the end, to kill pedal noise. I've always run a noise gate last to take care of that.

    So where do you put yours and why?
     
  2. FretNoMore

    FretNoMore * Cooking with GAS *

    Jan 25, 2002
    The frozen north
    I've had it in several different places, mostly at the front, but lately I like it at the end so it mutes everything before it. The latest remake of my board has it second to last, just because it was the best way of squeezing all the pedals in.
     
  3. RickenBoogie

    RickenBoogie

    Jul 22, 2007
    Dallas, TX
    First assures a clean signal, and clean is good.
     
  4. JimmyM

    JimmyM Supporting Member

    Apr 11, 2005
    Apopka, FL
    Endorsing: Yamaha, Ampeg, Line 6, EMG
    I get a clean enough signal putting mine last, so I put it last. No real reason...just seems fitting to put it last.
     
  5. mmbongo

    mmbongo I have too many basses. Supporting Member

    Definitely towards the front.
     
  6. seanm

    seanm I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize! Supporting Member

    Feb 19, 2004
    Ottawa, Canada
    I always put it first. That way, if I leave a distortion pedal on by mistake it doesn't affect the tuner. Like others have said: clean is good!

    And I have passive basses. My Boss TU2 has a buffered input which helps on longer cable runs.
     
  7. kreider204

    kreider204

    Nov 29, 2008
    The tuner out jack of my amp.
     
  8. jaywa

    jaywa

    May 5, 2008
    Iowa City, IA
    Mine is the first thing to get signal whether from the bass cable or my wireless receiver. Everything else comes afterward.
     
  9. If I used an inline tuner, I’d put it in front. No real reason why. I rarely need to tune more than once, so my little pocket tuner just sits on top of my amp.
     
  10. 48thStreetCustom

    48thStreetCustom

    Nov 30, 2005
    Colorado
    I put it at the end and use it as a mute. Cuts out any slight noise that the other pedals might add
     
  11. Mark Nye

    Mark Nye

    Sep 18, 2012
    I was always told by my pro guitar tech friends that the tuner should always go first. They work for folks we've all heard on the radio, so I tend to take them at their word on these matters.
     
  12. edpal

    edpal Inactive

    Oct 3, 2007
    Either in the tuner out by itself or... My zoom mlti-effects pedal B2.1u has a tuner and mute so I have it in my effect loop with the effects percentage at 100 on the amp. 100% muting, 100% clean signal for tuning., 100% of the effect as I choose. Auxiliary footswitch to turn pedal on/off/tune - easier than trying to hit it's buttons and cleaner in my stage space..... I keep the pedal over to the side by the drummer where I can see it nicely and keep up good contact with him.
     
  13. Always had it first. Always thought about putting it second last before a delay. That way it acts as a mute but allows the delay tails.
     
  14. fishtx

    fishtx

    Mar 30, 2007
    Dallas, TX
    Endorsing Artist: Genzler Amplification/Spector Basses/Mojo Hand FX
    first...just always have...
     
  15. seanm

    seanm I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize! Supporting Member

    Feb 19, 2004
    Ottawa, Canada
    Use better pedals? Just kidding..... I never had more than three pedals after the tuner and usually only one or two. All the pedals (except a Sansamp BDDI when I had 3 pedals) where true bypass. So noise was not a problem.

    Now I have no effects and the tuner is in the tuner out.
     
  16. 5StringThunder

    5StringThunder

    Dec 28, 2012
    Another thing that occurred to me is that if use a boss TU-2, or other pedal with a buffer in it you get some of your signal back that gets lost with a long cable. (I think someone mentioned this already).
     
  17. Jazzdogg

    Jazzdogg Less barking, more wagging!

    Jul 29, 2006
    San Diego, CA
    The first pedal I use is an HPF/Pre, because its 10 MegOhm impedance suits my piezo pickups very well, while posing no problems for my electric basses. Next comes my tuner, followed by the Fishman two-channel Parametric EQ I use with DB; when I mute to tune, the tuner kills the signal to FOH, and the sound man breathes a sigh of relief. ;)
     
  18. Yup, I'm another one for having the tuner at the start of your pedal chain.
     
  19. peddles

    peddles

    Sep 5, 2011
    Palm Coast
    I always run it before my EHX Freeze. I use it as a mute usually earlier in my chain and I can fiddle with the freeze, generate some noise and not have to worry about my bass.
     
  20. I started I thread about this a while ago. More attention on this one. I personally use the tuner out from my volume to avoid the buffer since the volume mutes for me. Before that, I put it AFTER my compressor (MB Compressore). At the time, I was using three buffered pedals, and I had yet to realize that so many buffers sucks a lot of tone, and I had discovered that not compressing one of them was helpful. That being said, since I have started running any extra buffered pedals above one through a send/return, effectively removing them from my circuit, I have found that a buffer is helpful, though it is still located second in my circuit after my compressor.