Zvex Effects
Zvex Effects
Placing my Effects pedals in the right position?
Hello people
I have a range of effects and I'm trying to get the best sound possible for my rig.
My setup as it is at the moment:
Guitar
Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner
Boss CE-2 Chorus
Jim Dunlop Cry Baby
Digitech Bad Monkey Overdrive
Blackstar HT DistX - DX1
Zvex Fuzz Factory
MXR Carbon copy analog Delay
Boss DD-6 Digital delay
Boss Ph-2 Super Phaser
Amp (Marshall JCM 2000 - 60W)
Any advice would be really appreciated thank you, is the order right? If not what is the best way?
there is a correct order to run pedals with an amp. You should be using the effects loop to get the maximum amount of efficiency from your set up. I notice that you are using 3 different distortion boxes. That is overkill, the Marshall has better distortion than most pedals if set correctly. The correct order for effects is preamps first, modulation second, time based effects last. For your set up I would recommend the following. Starting with the guitar>cry baby>amp input. use the preamp out (effects send) into the tuner>distortion pedals>phaser> chorus> analog delay> digital delay> power amp in (effects return) By using the effects loop you are taking the full sound of the preamp section of the amp and running that into the pedals. This makes the pedals part of the amp circuitry, which makes them sound much better. Once that signal has been modified by the effects it is run back into the amp right before the final gain stage (master volume). which makes everything sound cleaner and not have to work as hard. This means you can decrease the gain on your distortion and clean up the noise.
All effects pedals have op amps that take the minuscule signal from the guitar and amplify up to the point where the pedal can actually affect the signal. This process adds a lot of noise to the signal chain. By using the effects loop you are taking the amps full preamp signal which has considerably more power than the small guitar signal and running that through the effect pedal so the pedal does not have to work to amplify the signal. This robust signal means that the pedals do not have to work near as hard to achieve a better sound. You will have to readjust the volume and gain settings on the distortion pedals to compensate for the change in the gain structure. The Marshall distortion is a great distortion so use it for the body of your sound. Use the distortion pedals to add some bite for lead sounds or change the overall E.Q. and maybe use the fuzz for a totally different distortion in clean mode on the amp. All wah wah pedals work best between the guitar and the amp without anything else to clutter the signal. The tuner is pretty much transparent, that is, it does not affect the signal so it works well in the first spot in the loop. Distortion pedals are types of preamps so they are first in the signal chain. If you were using an E.Q. pedal it would come right after the preamp (same as a home stereo or P.A.) Modulation effects are anything that alters the signal with a sine wave application (phaser, chorus, flanger, etc.) they are next in the signal chain. last (but not least) is time based effects (echo, delay). you want these last so that they will accurately reflect everything that has been put into them. I would set the MXR to a quick slap (about 80 to 120 ms with one repeat at a medium level so that it has an almost doubling effect. Not to loud so that it is mainly heard at the end of a note, not over the next note) set the digital delay to a long echo with two or three repeats for those soaring solos or use it as a phrase looper.
The hardest part will be deciding which distortion to put first but since they are all affecting each other just remember to use moderation in their settings. If you want to use one of the distortions after the wah pedal and before the amp to drive the amp a little harder for lead sounds then use the one with the least distortion and use it mainly as a volume boost into the amp. This will drive the preamp harder causing it to break up at a lower volume (not that a Marshall really needs to but try it out for kicks!)
I hope this gives you a better understanding of how effects work and interact with your amplifier. Sorry this was so long!
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US $179.00
What guitar effects pedal should I buy?
I've been playing electric guitar for several years now and I want to buy an effects pedal, but I don't know much about them.
The music I mainly play on guitar is songs by Muse.
At the moment it may be between a Zvex Fuzz Factory, Digitech Whammy Pedal or a Boss me-50, but the most I can spend is around £150 probably.
Does anyone have any advice on a guitar effects pedal I could buy?
Get the Boss me-50. That way, you get lots of effects, including a Whammy and lots of distortion.