Setting up a chain of pedals

[blueslover2]

Hi all. For 3 years all I've has was a ts-9 and cry baby: guitar---ts9--cheap connecter cord---cry baby----HRD 212. I want to get some more pedals now and I am wondering:

1How important is the quality of guitar cable?
2" " of the cable that connects pedals?
3How will I deal with the power supply to all these pedals? Now, 2 pedals with adapters is not bad going into a surge supporessor, but to have like 2-4 more big adapters...it won't all fit on the same surge suppressor.
4 what order should i put OD, wah, delay, chorus...and another OD
5 I don't play proffessional so I don't know if getting a pedal board, etc. is worth it...

Thank you so much.

[spameister]

Well, In my experience:

1. The guitar cable I use makes a huge difference, so i recommend getting the best ones that you can afford.

2. I find that the cable between my pedals does not make a big difference to my sound. As a rule of thumb, i always buy the shotrest lenght I can- It cuts down on any loss in quality, and it's cheaper!

3. Buy a multi pedal supply that only uses one socket on your surge suprerssor. I'm talking Dunlop DC Brick or Voodoo Labs Pedal Power type stuff. Personally, I use a cheap clone of a DC Brick that i picked up for less than a quarter of the price.

4. As far as order of your pedals goes, it's entirely up to you, just experiment until you find the best combo.

5. I don't have a pro style pedal board, so I couldn't tell you if it there worth it. I'm considering just making my own.

Hope it helps

[Daddy Elmis]

1 & 2) Guitar cable is important because of the length of the run (IMO). Pedal cables are important primarily from a "build" standpoint so they don't crackle, etc. I use George L's for most things because I can buy bulk cable and the solderless connectors and create custom lengths -- it's also very good cable. Check out Bill Lawrence solderless cables as well.

3) The Brick, etc., are very good and pricey. I suggest a Visual Sound One Spot -- it will power many pedals (5-10 depending on current draw), fits in one space on a power strip, and is relatively inexpensive ($30)..

4) Conventional wisdom is wah-->od's..>then delays/chorus, etc. Compressors can go before or after wah and/or od's. This is not a hard rule, and many folks do it differently -- you can't hurt anything but your sound, so experiment.

5) IMO, if you get more than 2 pedals a board is a good idea. You can mount the pedals and have them setup, ready to go, instantly. This is really nice even if you're just playing in your basement.

[marc sosnoff]

there are a lot of different ideas about this i have gone thru several setups over the years i have two pedal boards one for me and one for my son
i have to maintain of them so i think both are mine

good cable is a must because your adding to the lenght from the guitar to amp and you want to keep the resistance down and noice level down

i like george l cable good quality works well easy to repair etc etc
some dont like the solderless connectors u can use metal and solder them

i use a power all to power the pedals they are about 40 dollars
but the brick is better since u dont play out the power all willl do fine
i play out and have to problem with mine

you have to try the pedals in different orders see which is best for you
but generally from the guitar goes the wah wah then fuzz dist and overdrives then compresser then chorus phasor delay etc then tuners

about the pedal board u should use one keeps everything together
saves the cables and pedals you can pick up the pedals easier etc etc

i use a pedal train for my sons board we made his from 3/4 pine its the
same size as the pedal train i added a 2 in piece of wood to make a lip
so it can have a angle and it works as a handle finished it will stain
and oiled it drilled holes next to the pedals for wires used velcro
and made a nice pedal board and it looks pro

have fun and good luck

[SixStringSlinger]

As far as getting a pedal board, you may not gig or be a pro, but I definitely helps. Whenver I used one of my pedals, it would slide along the floor and drag the others with it. I got tired of it so I built my own pedal board out of cheap plywood. All Im used was the wood, electric saw, power drill and screws. When I was done I just gave it a couple of coats of sealant. It's really strong, I can even stand on it. anyway, my point is it's not hard to do. You don't need to buy one of those expensive powered-up rigs. Just make one out of plywood or whatver and velcro your surge protecor to it.

[Tele-phone man]

I have found that a high-quality, regulated power supply is the single most important component to low-noise performance. Most 9V AC adapters are NOT regulated, and thus introduce unacceptable levels of hum. I made my own power supplies, but for off-the-shelf solutions I would recommend the One Spot or the Godlyke supplies. They are very compact, they have the necessary current to supply many pedals, they come with the expander cable to connect the several pedals to the single supply, and they are SUPPOSED to be free of 60 Hz hum. Not having used them, I can't vouch for their noise spec, but I can vouch for the necessity of a regulated supply.

As for the order of effects, I prefer compressor, then overdrives, then volume pedal, then any ambient effects or modulation effects. If I had a wah, it would definitely go before the overdrives. This more accurately simulates how wahs were used in the old days (guitar-wah-amp).

I'm not a big fan of sticky-back velcro for attaching effects to boards. My current board uses a different method involving short, reusable, double-sided velcro straps and those nail-in fasteners that are used for romex electrical wire. This allows me to very securely attach the pedal, very easily remove the pedal, and to avoid damaging the back of the pedal (which the sticky-back stuff has done to several of my units).

[franchelB]

Originally Posted by blueslover2

...
1How important is the quality of guitar cable?
2" " of the cable that connects pedals?
3How will I deal with the power supply to all these pedals? Now, 2 pedals with adapters is not bad going into a surge supporessor, but to have like 2-4 more big adapters...it won't all fit on the same surge suppressor.
4 what order should i put OD, wah, delay, chorus...and another OD
5 I don't play proffessional so I don't know if getting a pedal board, etc. is worth it....

1. My ears can't really tell the difference in cable quality...I doubt if most people in the audience can either.
2. I tend to use coupler 1/4" jacks whenever I can. Other than that, the shorter the cable between effects, the better. Same thing between the guitar and amp.
3. I'm pretty happy with Visual Sound's One Spot!
4. Since you only have a wah and an overdrive pedals, I suggest trying playing with the wah being first in line OR the tube screamer first in line. Only your ears can tell the difference...
5. A pedal board will help you out with faster set-ups. I'd say it's "worth it".

[igorBG]

Compressor is always first in the chain, then overdrives, fuzz etc, and at the end chorus, delay etc.

[kp8]

Originally Posted by igorBG

Compressor is always first in the chain, then overdrives, fuzz etc, and at the end chorus, delay etc.

i wouldn't say always on the comp. placement esp. iffin you got a modulator or envelope filter... putting the comp after that can help tame some of the amplitude mood swing / errant wackiness (Qtron anyone?) ... of course it all depends on what you wanna do but otherwise Igor's general outline works for me:

boost --> OD & fuzz ---> swirly stuff & mod stuff & wah --> (comp) --> delay --> verb --> amp

YMMV ... I put a boost in before my OD and i would personally put my comp in after my swirl (phase/flange/chorus) & mod stuff (env. follower, moving filters, ring mod, talk box etc.)

-kp8--

[kp8]

Originally Posted by blueslover2

1How important is the quality of guitar cable?

not much, so long as your cables aren't totally crap and not 8 miles long you are good to go. Others will argue about the benfits of chi-chi cable and whatever, but that is my story and i am sticking to it. .... If your guitar sound is bad, check you tubes, adjust you p/up height, change your EQ settings, heck change your strings. I can almost guarantee you that if you are not happy with your tone, the lack of fancy pants cable is not gonna be the reason why. Like i said, unless you are running a really long cable or bought totally crappy wire, you are pretty much good to go.

Originally Posted by blueslover2

3How will I deal with the power supply to all these pedals?

I use a couple of godlyke power-alls. Work like a charm and
i got one of them octopus power strips. rocking!

Originally Posted by blueslover2

5 I don't play proffessional so I don't know if getting a pedal board, etc. is worth it...

depends on how many pedals you imagine you will have, and how often you gig. I gig with a half dozen or so pedals and i just set them on the floor... but if i had some extra cash i would get me a board, like a pedaltrain... but you know... if i had that kind of money i prolly would just buy another pedal.. haha but i don't gig more than once a month or so tops....

-kp8--

[photoweborama]

I find that I loose high end and signal strength, and I pickup radio stations when I use lower end cables. I went George L's and I found a noticeable difference in tone with them.

I have the solder less cables, but I also had them with switchcraft ends before. I want to change back to switchcraft. But when you solder them, you have to be careful not to melt the insulation and the insulator. You have to use a heat sink if possible..

[kp8]

Originally Posted by photoweborama

I find that I loose high end and signal strength, and I pickup radio stations when I use lower end cables.

i do too, but only on really crappy cables that are not properly shielded. I made some of my own cables, and mic cables too out of good wire bought in bulk on a spool and had no problems after changing.

The general quality of any name brand cable is much better than old no name cables from the old days i find.

Good cables, properly sheilded and well soldered w/ good jacks can make your life easier, but i think it is possible to go overboard too... Tho G'L's cables are pretty nice, i pilfered one from a bandmate... the connector's attachment make me nervous, but really looks like quality wire.

[photoweborama]

As far as pedal boards, you can get nice ones cheap from Rondo, but I use an Electro Harmonix pedal bag. They are cheap, and they work really well.

[TraditionalCountry]

Originally Posted by Tele-phone man

I have found that a high-quality, regulated power supply is the single most important component to low-noise performance. Most 9V AC adapters are NOT regulated, and thus introduce unacceptable levels of hum. I made my own power supplies, but for off-the-shelf solutions I would recommend the One Spot or the Godlyke supplies. They are very compact, they have the necessary current to supply many pedals, they come with the expander cable to connect the several pedals to the single supply, and they are SUPPOSED to be free of 60 Hz hum. Not having used them, I can't vouch for their noise spec, but I can vouch for the necessity of a regulated supply.

As for the order of effects, I prefer compressor, then overdrives, then volume pedal, then any ambient effects or modulation effects. If I had a wah, it would definitely go before the overdrives. This more accurately simulates how wahs were used in the old days (guitar-wah-amp).

I'm not a big fan of sticky-back velcro for attaching effects to boards. My current board uses a different method involving short, reusable, double-sided velcro straps and those nail-in fasteners that are used for romex electrical wire. This allows me to very securely attach the pedal, very easily remove the pedal, and to avoid damaging the back of the pedal (which the sticky-back stuff has done to several of my units).

I just purchased two 9 volt,1.3 amp regulated,switching type power supplies from All Electronics Corp at a ridiculously cheap cost of six dollars and some change each because they are surplus stock.
The plugs have incorrect polarity for most pedals and are 2.5mm rather than the more popular 2.1 mm,but these discrepancies are easy enough to fix.These supplies come in wallwart cases but don't have the third,ground lug and the cases are of an upright vertical shape to help conserve space on an ac outlet strip.

I have a question,please:When using a single power supply to drive two or more pedals,do I need to isolate the pedals from each other,somehow?If so,how is such isolation acomplished in commercial supplies that are purposely designed to power multiple pedals?
Thanks,
Malcolm

[Tele-phone man]

Because the pedals are all connected via the signal path and ground, they are never really "isolated". The only other isolation possible is to provide a separate power supply for each device, which defeats the pupose of using a single supply with the expansion (or octopus) cord. Some high-end supplies actually do provide several separate, isolated outputs for each pedal, but for my small number of effects, I've never found it necessary to use more than one 9V supply. So long as the supply is high quality, high current, low noise, you should be fine.
By the way, when it comes to supplies, it's good to carry a spare. I recently was in a world of hurt when the bass player set his amp down on my power supply cable and tore it up as we were setting up. I had to play the gig sans pedals.

[cbnutt]

Originally Posted by photoweborama

As far as pedal boards, you can get nice ones cheap from Rondo, but I use an Electro Harmonix pedal bag. They are cheap, and they work really well.

how good are those aluminam cases they have on ebay ? could a person just cut out the foam inside to fit any brand of pedal ?

[BoB/335]

what alluminum cases on ebay?

[cbnutt]

Originally Posted by BoB/335

what alluminum cases on ebay?

the ones from rondo music, that photoweborama is talking about.

[Larry F]

Does anyone manufacture a switchable router that would allow one to program the effects chain?

[cbnutt]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pedal-Case-Pedal...QQcmdZViewItem if this link works it shows the ones on ebay, i wonder if a person could make it work with other pedals, it shows boss pedals, but i was thinking of cutting out the foam to macth what ever pedals a person has.