Yet Another Pedal Order Thread

[hooky_marr]

Hi all!

So I'm rebuilding my bass pedalboard around the following:

• DSM Humboldt Bass Station - this is a preamp / cab sim / DI with dual effects loops, one that goes through the preamp, and a 'clean' one that's parallel.
• Aguilar TLC compressor
• Aguilar Octamizer octave pedal
• TC Electronic Plethora X5 multi-effects (which also has an effects loop)

The Plethora can download TonePrints for its library of built-in effects, much like their standalone pedals.

I'm using it mainly for chorus, flanger, double-tracker, noise gate, and tuner. (not all at once).

You can also place the TC's effect loop before or after different effects in its chain, so that you can insert external effects where you like.

I'm trying to limit the number of times the signal goes through the TC. Not that its sound quality is bad, but just to avoid stacking a/d/a conversions.

Thinking: Put the TLC compressor before the preamp for general peak taming and sustain, with the Octamizer in the preamp FX loop; then put the TC system in the parallel effects loop so I can blend in chorus / flanger etc as needed.

Alternately, comp first, then the Octamizer and TC in the preamp FX loop, with the TC at the end to make use of the noise gate.

 

[hooky_marr]

bump. Any thoughts?

 

[foal30]

Not really but I do like your user name
I touched Marr’s foot when he was touring with a The The decades back.

Slightly more on topic my personal taste says chorus never before Octave

 

[lomo]

^^^yeah.....the only thing I might put before an octaver is a boost, and the only things I'd ever put before an envelope filter are a boost and/or octaver.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Comp > octave > multi > DI.

 

[hooky_marr]

Well, since I have dual effects loops, here's what I'm thinking.

Option 1: Straight line chain

Comp ➔ Octave ➔ Bass Station preamp (this goes through the EQ / gain / cab sims) ➔ Preamp loop out ➔ Plethora (chorus, flanger, doubler, tuner, noise gate) ➔ Preamp loop return ➔ DI output

This way it's relatively straightforward, and if I hit the tuner mode on the Plethora it will mute the whole chain, as it's the last thing in the line.

Option 2: Parallel chain

Comp ➔ Octave ➔ Bass Station preamp / cab sim ➔ DI blend output
Bass Station Parallel (preamp bypass) FX loop ➔ Plethora ➔ Bass Station parallel FX return ➔ DI blend output

That way, the time-based effects are getting a clean, bypassed signal, which can be blended with the preamp / cab sim signal and/or output on their own via the parallel DI - but I can't mute the whole chain. For that, I'd need either a bypass pedal or to use an external tuner pedal.

(There's a third option that would involve putting the Bass Station inside the Plethora's FX loop, but I'm not sure it'd sound good, and then I'd also lose the DI.)

 

[fyfo]

I have the X5 and the DSM bass station (absolutely love the pedal!) also.

If it were me, I would go COMP - PREAMP/EQ (main FX send) - OCTAVER (I prefer mine after the drive of the preamp, but you could put after the compressor if you prefer) - X5 - (main FX return) CAB SIM/DI out/Lineout.

You probably should turn off the X5 cabsim option if your are using the bass station cab sim. Or figure which one you prefer. Also you could try using some light "mastering" compression at the end of your X5 chain or as a "limiter".

While the parallel options are tempting in the bass station, the fact that you can't tune with muting, is a non negotiable for me. I was confused the first time I gigged with the pedal and could hear my guitar even when using my tuner in mute mode!

 

[fyfo]

Also the plethora X3 could be a great option for you if you wanted a smaller pedalboard.

 

[fyfo]

Alternatively you could go:

X5 (compression) send - PREAMP main FX send - OCTAVER (or remove if you wanted to use the X5 subnup/brainwaves) - X5 return X5 EFFECTS - main FX return BASS STATION cabsim OUT/DI

 

[SaucyJackBass]

Also the plethora X3 could be a great option for you if you wanted a smaller pedalboard.

Does anybody know, are you stuck with the effects that TC puts in them or can you load custom effects. I know you get tone prints, but that's just settings of the core effects.

 

[fyfo]

The "artist" toneprints are locked, but there are TC toneprints that can be customised, or you can simply start from scratch and design your own Toneprint from the ground up.