Favorite effect for church

For you guys who use effects in worship... and aren't bound by playing exactly what's on the cd... what is your favorite effect? I'm not asking what you use the most... but what is your favorite. And why?

For you guys who use effects in worship... and aren't bound by playing exactly what's on the cd... what is your favorite effect? I'm not asking what you use the most... but what is your favorite. And why?

Chorus, I think it goes right with the vibe :D

I'm surprised this thread isn't full of dotted-eighth delay posts!

I agree with DoodlySquat, I use chorus to give a little leslie effect, add some slow rolling phase sometimes. Mostly it's monster distorion from an SD PowerGrid or the myriad of stuff I use my CTO-1 for.

Delays.... Tremolo next fave....

HOLY GRAIL !!!! :twisted:

My favorite is my delay, I don't use dotted eights though. I just have it set to a nice slapback. I do like my CE-2 though, but I realy like delay.

Delay-lay-lay-lay-lay! (despite it being cliché-ché-ché-ché-ché!)

Tremelo or flanger. Still can't figure an od sound I like..

I'm surprised this thread isn't full of dotted-eighth delay posts!

I agree with DoodlySquat, I use chorus to give a little leslie effect, add some slow rolling phase sometimes. Mostly it's monster distorion from an SD PowerGrid or the myriad of stuff I use my CTO-1 for.

Kinda part of the reason I asked. Delay is currently known as THE effect in worship services. Just curious what others are using. Not really what's on people's boards... but the effect you use the most when you have the freedom to.

I'll also say the chorus is an interesting pick. I never think of a chorus pedal.

I used to rely a lot on delay, and I also tried harder to cop the tone and effects of the original artists.

But my tastes have changed... nowadays my favorite is more of a big distortion tone with a little tape echo effect for the higher energy praise songs. More worshipful songs my favorite is a tremolo, sometimes with some overdrive, sometimes clean.

For you guys who use effects in worship... and aren't bound by playing exactly what's on the cd... what is your favorite effect? I'm not asking what you use the most... but what is your favorite. And why?

heh... that counts me out.

I use my tuning pedal before every song. Its amazing. I may be the only one doing this. Outrageous I know. :shock:

Just kidding - mostly...

I just go for that Warren Haynes/David Grissom overdrive. Not really an effect - because its my basic tone. The biggest effect I know of is picking really quiet - then really LOUD! I never see anyone else do this. Most players seem to play ONE VOLUME THROUGH AN ENTIRE SERVICE...

A little reverb is always nice. :wink:

I use my tuning pedal before every song. Its amazing. I may be the only one doing this. Outrageous I know. :shock:

Just kidding - mostly...

I just go for that Warren Haynes/David Grissom overdrive. Not really an effect - because its my basic tone. The biggest effect I know of is picking really quiet - then really LOUD! I never see anyone else do this. Most players seem to play ONE VOLUME THROUGH AN ENTIRE SERVICE...

A little reverb is always nice. :wink:

+1 on all this. Use your tuner, vol knob and picking dynamics with a good tube amp set on the edge of being overdriven with a little verb. Best effect out there. ;)

wah, rare, but fave.

if I had one, a step phaser and a whammy style would be fun.

I'll +1 the tuner pedal, but the effect I use most is my chorus pedal. Just a little swirl to differentiate me from the other guitarist.

Sent from my iPhone using TDPRI

Delay and Chorus. I really like the fullness that my delays give my sound. I like the chorus because no one else is using it right now.

heh... that counts me out.

feel free to jump in. i only said what i said because i figured if you have to try to reproduce the cd then your effects usage is based more on the songs the WL chooses rather than you being able to figure out what sounds best.

My Digitech RP300A, because: 1) I can't just use one effect 2) I can't just use one guitar 3) its easy to program, and finally 4) using it as the centerpiece of my board allows me to stack things up easier, with an additional delay I can echo my echoes, or with an extra chorus I can swirl my swirls. I played by ear for 20+ yrs before I ever even learned tab, and I think and play as texture, mostly rhythm, although during some bridges I'll shadow the lead player, but I also switch off between 12 string acoustic and Tele's of some sort, with the occasional Strat or T-15 thrown in. So I need a versatile pedal board that allows me to quickly switch presets, without too much tap dancing because I'm also the lead singer.

But then again I do like compressor cranked into a chorus on a loud clean channel...

Dotted 8th and ambient DELAY.
Hides the fact that I stink at guitar...hehe.

A little chorus. I play the acoustic parts

Tremolo. To me, it's very versatile, can be used on lots of songs and sound good.

Dotted 8th and ambient DELAY.
Hides the fact that I stink at guitar...hehe.

Except for the fact that it repeats all of you mistakes, making them stand out even more!

Dotted 8th and ambient DELAY.
Hides the fact that I stink at guitar...hehe.

Except for the fact that it repeats all of you mistakes, making them stand out even more!

Yeah, I actually think it takes quite a bit of skill to play well with delay, especially dotted eight.

Yeah, I actually think it takes quite a bit of skill to play well with delay, especially dotted eight.

Skill, and a band that can keep a steady tempo.

Reverb/Chorus

Except for the fact that it repeats all of you mistakes, making them stand out even more!

When the mistakes wash into each other they cancel each other out and leave the goodness...lol. :wink:

For example....

UYcSgiotUZY

mxr phase 90 phaser and cry baby wah

I used to rely a lot on delay, and I also tried harder to cop the tone and effects of the original artists.

But my tastes have changed... nowadays my favorite is more of a big distortion tone with a little tape echo effect for the higher energy praise songs. More worshipful songs my favorite is a tremolo, sometimes with some overdrive, sometimes clean.

+1

The thing I probably use the most actually is the volume pedal, to some people it seems so useless but you can do so much with it and not take over the song like some effects drive you to do.

My favorite is OD. It makes single coils sing with a tube amp. I'm probably the oddball but I find delay & chorus bury an electric guitar in the overall mix.

My OCD is my fave.
Delay is second.
Les Lius making its way up.

as the only guitar player, to fatten up the sound i use chorus, add some flange as a special efx, delay to spread out the sound and sweeten. i also rediscovered the compressor to have a stronger even signal and makes the acoustic also stand out. an eq pedal is also on hand to tweak tones

I'm not sure about favourite but in order of how often they're used for a service:

Tuner :)
Overdrive
Delay (4 different settings)
Tremolo
Wah
Chorus (very rare)

Take everything except the overdrive and delay away and I'd get through most services okay, but it's nioce to have the options. I should also give mentions to the two pedals I haven't yet tried out live as they're new to me:

Octave - this will definitely get used for certain lead lines. I've already found myself using it with bass.
Artec EQ (faulty unit sent back, awaiting replacement or refund) - I couldn't live with the loud click on turning it on, or the buzz, but I'm totally sold on the idea of a mid boost EQ as a little extra for solos. I'll probably be using this a lot when I get a replacement.

My favorite effect is a building...

We have two church buildings. There's a more modern squarish building, built in the '70s, big open space, comfortable chairs, everyone finds it more flexible.
And an old church built 1200'something, rectangular shape , fixed hard wooden benches, worship leader, band and singers all at one end. Everyone thinks this is less flexible and less comfortable (probably is).
But the accoustics of the space are fantastic, so much better than the newer building.

And an old church built 1200'something, rectangular shape , fixed hard wooden benches, worship leader, band and singers all at one end. Everyone thinks this is less flexible and less comfortable (probably is).
But the accoustics of the space are fantastic, so much better than the newer building.

Really? Yeah, those old churches are fantastic in their acoustics, but I've found that buildings like that just turn amplified instruments into mush. Is it all wood/stone, or do you have any curtains in there or anything to help tame the sound?

Its all wood stone and glass when we practice, then there's about 150 mobile sound absorbing units that arrive during the services...

Seriously though, I agree it can easily get 'too much' when we are amplifed.
I think we sound best with fewer instruments, otherwies we all get in the same space and it can become mush.
That usually comes back to us as 'you are too loud' according to some in the congregation.
I think at those times we are just too many instruments and that the definition is gone rather than the actual sound level.

In the newer building the sound just dissapears somehow.

Yeah, we have 2 buildings: one big sanctuary that looks and sounds amazing with the classic service organ/choir/orchestra, but turns the modern service instruments into the aforementioned mush. Then we have a brand new hall that's rectangular in shape and has foam walls, with a nicely tuned PA that suits modern service instruments nicely. However, attempting to do a classic service in there would give a very thin, weak sound.

Compression, slight overdrive, and a volume pedal, however you can get it with your setup. That's my necessities. I just started using a Line 6 POD XT LIVE, it has all this and MUCH more! But I won't go into that in greater detail because I just posted about it at length in another thread haha.

Every Sunday seems like 'random effects day' recently. Yesterday it was reverb...everything we played had a part that sounded good with some reverb added. Last week it was a little slapback delay, the week before was tremolo.

+1 on all this. Use your tuner, vol knob and picking dynamics with a good tube amp set on the edge of being overdriven with a little verb. Best effect out there. ;)

Yup.

Big muff and reverb

I only use four effects. Distortion, wah, tremolo and delay. Compression is not a true effect if you ask me and I leave my compressor on all the time. My favorite is tremolo, I guess. I use it sparingly, but it always sounds cool when I do. I could do without any effects I think but I use od and delay the most.

Earplugs.

As far as floor pedal effects, I don't use them at church anymore. I plug directly into my amp, set it right on the edge of overdriving so when I really dig in it breaks up and for lighter picking it comes through clean.
It's taken me about 6 years of owning this amp to find this tone, warm when it needs to be but can still get the nice tele twang when I want it.

Pedalhacker modded BF-2 Flanger

As far as floor pedal effects, I don't use them at church anymore. I plug directly into my amp, set it right on the edge of overdriving so when I really dig in it breaks up and for lighter picking it comes through clean.
It's taken me about 6 years of owning this amp to find this tone, warm when it needs to be but can still get the nice tele twang when I want it.

What amp are you using? Surprising the stage volume ****s haven't come after you.

2 Delays, OD of the month :), and occasional trem and wah.

What amp are you using? Surprising the stage volume ****s haven't come after you.
crate blue voodoo BV6212, using the overdrive channel, gain about 1/4 of the way up and adjust master volume as needed, or in my case ive got a zoom 505II that i put in the effects loop of the amp and use it as a noise suppressor/volume reducer and leave the master volume clear up to get the nice tube goodness from the pre amp tubes instead of the sterile sound that i get under about 2/3 of the way up, i would like to just put a pot there along with a better noisegate.

My favorite effect is Reverb. I run a TCE Hall of Fame. I use a tight spring or hall if I'm leading and a very deep "Church of Andy" Toneprint setting with a long decay if I'm backing up. It's not often that my reverb isn't on.

The only thing I don't use is chorus. I don't get it. Who uses chorus outside of metal and church bands?

For you guys who use effects in worship

tremolo ... adds a little bit of texture to chords, can be a change-up for certain parts of the song and it just sounds good :razz:

I only use four effects. Distortion, wah, tremolo and delay. Compression is not a true effect if you ask me and I leave my compressor on all the time. My favorite is tremolo, I guess. I use it sparingly, but it always sounds cool when I do. I could do without any effects I think but I use od and delay the most.

When I got my new SKB pedalboard, I added the Dano Cool Cat Vibe. I haven't used it yet, but it makes a cool noise which I may put in from time to time for dramatic effect.

Worship effects I use

For me.. Essentials: Reverb, Delay, Overdrive

For fun.. Essentials: Tremolo, Crybaby wah, Pitchshifter

Delay is fun when it works in the song, tap tempo helps.

But my favorite is my E-H Cathedral. I set it to nearly 100% wet and i can mimic an organ or just get an ethereal string sound. Very good for prayer/reverential worship songs.

I use the Tremolo on the AC 15 and love it to thicken up the sound. I also dig my TS-9 as it give s a good transparent push to the clean channel on the amp. Lastly would be the mxr phaser. We do a lot of fast songs where the rhythm just lends itself to a good phase.

When I got my new SKB pedalboard, I added the Dano Cool Cat Vibe. I haven't used it yet, but it makes a cool noise which I may put in from time to time for dramatic effect.

Took out the Vibe, added a chorus. I use it a lot for clean arpeggios.

Took out the Vibe, added a chorus. I use it a lot for clean arpeggios.

What chorus do you use? I just haven't found one that speaks to me. If I ever find one I liked I could see myself using it a little bit.

As far as I am concerned you can never have enough options in Overdrive and Delay. Because of the number of styles and varied musical flavors, and the fact that my worship leader likes for me to sound as much like the album version as possible, I keep several delays and overdrives on board. I also have compression, phaser and wah. I have reverb and tremolo in the amp.

If I only could have one, give me overdrive/distortion/fuzz.

What chorus do you use? I just haven't found one that speaks to me. If I ever find one I liked I could see myself using it a little bit.

Well, you may not believe it... it's a Danelectro FAB chorus. $15.27 delivered, brand new in the box.

...things with tap tempo. Like tap delays. Tap in with the drummer, then let the repeats reflect back like a (drum) beat. It took lots of time using a delay before it clicked... can't do this on every song, but, when it happens it's pretty cool.
...also tap tremolo is a current fave. I use a diamond tap tremolo and even though I've said it before, the tap trem is cool :)

[QUOTE=Tele-beeb;4376427also tap tremolo is a current fave. I use a diamond tap tremolo and even though I've said it before, the tap trem is cool :)[/QUOTE]

My latest aquisition. And made in Canada. Great!!

I think the TC Hall of Fame reverb is a big help for me. It's always on, set to spring with a modest amount of verb. It sounds really good to me and works great in a church/worship environment.

I think the TC Hall of Fame reverb is a big help for me. It's always on, set to spring with a modest amount of verb. It sounds really good to me and works great in a church/worship environment.

I like my hall of fame reverb too. I find myself ironically using the "church" setting quite often.

I love a good chorus, BUT.......

My favorite is the Pedalhacker modded BF2 Flanger!

My favorite effect is palm muting through a cranked amp. You can get all sorts of cool sounds by varying the muting pressure. For pedals, if I had to chose just one it would be a Boss DD-7 Delay. The rest is just icing on the cake.

I like the Carbon Copy delay pedal. I mentioned to my wife about getting a wah wah pedal and her response was, "In CHURCH!?!".......so I probably won't go that route! LOL

Tremolo. Almost always on very subtly. Helps add a shimmer that nothing else can provide.

I love my Boss bluesdriver!

Main #1 thing for me is my amp. I also set it right at breakup, but am using a '61 Supro 1616t in a 5E3 style cab with a WGS G10C speaker. I got the amp as a gutted chassis from eBay and rebuilt to original spec then made some changes over time. Having that natural amp breakup when really digging in and cleans by slightly rolling back vol knob or going for middle position on the switch covers a ton of ground. After that the main things I use are an AquaPuss (DM-2) Analog Delay clone that has two BBD's and is good for about 600ms of delay, and a Crowther Hotcake Overdrive clone.

Good reverb my Akai Head Rush E2 Peavey Delta Blues 115, and my Les Paul, The Sundays I play bass my Fender P SWR 350 Pro head 410 cab no effects. And someday I just play acoustic tru a Fender Acoustic amp, reverb and sometimes chorus.

My volume knob

Hm...i consider this an FX because of the sound that this combination produces, but like:

Delay + Chorus + Reverb to make a really beautiful ambient sound.

A standalone FX would be Chorus, because i always have a little bit of Delay and Reverb in all my patches, unless the song demands something else.

delay, set slightly slower than a slapback during intros and solos. Reverb set almost at a surf rock level, and the natural overdrive of my amp.

Delay, at the minimum slapback, just gives the sound added depth. I also use a TC Electronics, Stereo Chorus Flanger quite a lot, primarily in the pitch modulation setting (blend of chorus and vibrato). Just suits my style.

Good auditorium acoustics goes a long way before you
need ANY kind of efx.But sometimes I use just a bit of
Boss CS-3 and analog delay.No reverb is needed at all.
Learn to "read" the room acoustics and you will do good
in selecting efx.

I always have my effects rack unit on in the loop of my amp, with a bit of blended delay, reverb and modulation; mixed with the dry signal. I adjust the wetness or dryness of the blend according to the room I am in. Before that I run a little OD [not an effect really] and Tremolo. I play mainly rhythm with little bridging riffs on most things.
On review of the OP I probably did not answer the original question - I guess it depends on the place, and the situation, and the song. I do not really have a favourite as they all work together.

My pedal board in order:
Dunlop Crybaby wah, Boss tuner, Pro Co Rat, DOD Chorus, DOD Delay, Morley Volume pedal on a Pedaltrain board into a Bugera V22. This seems to cover most modern worship songs. Other than the volume pedal and tuner, I have owned the other pedals since 1989 or so, so I guess they are my favourites. I just purchased a Zoom G3X for practice/fun/recording at home. I'll see if I will be using it live.

Every Sunday seems like 'random effects day' recently. Yesterday it was reverb...everything we played had a part that sounded good with some reverb added. Last week it was a little slapback delay, the week before was tremolo.

Rob you're absolutely spot on. I have ideas going in about what i'll do, but i find that each time I play there is some effect that i didn't expect to use that become the go to sound for that week

I know it's cliche but it has to be dotted eighth delay (usually on a DD-20 or El Capistan).

Lately I've been experimenting with adding other effects like the Ebow, shimmer (BSR), and tremolo (Flint) to add texture to slower, more melodic worship songs.