Pedal Board change

The only thing on my board that I don’t move around from time to time is my Decimator.....always the last pedal before my amp.

 

In most hard rock / metal rigs, the noise suppressor comes after the dirt/boost. Some will even put another noise suppressor in the loop after the preamp. I keep one in my rack after the preamp, but only activated when playing dirty rhythm. I prefer to have it off when playing leads and I don't need it when playing clean.

 

In my opinion a noise suppressor should always be the last thing on the pedalboard. Regardless of your style or application, wouldn't you want ALL of the noise suppressed?

 

It depends on the setup. If you put the suppressor after reverb/delay, it will cut off the trails in an unnatural way.

Reverb/Delay > Suppressor = DAH DAh D-----------
Suppressor > Reverb/Delay = DAH DAh Dah dah da d...

Dirt pedals and preamps raise the noise floor and I prefer the suppressor to act as a gate. The rest of the effects can than function and sound more natural in their decays.

Here is a great article from Boss on where to place a noise suppressor:
http://www.roland.co.uk/blog/how-to-chain-your-guitar-effects-pedals/

tldr: "The NS-2 Noise Suppressor is best used in the middle, so it can take out the noise created by the amplifying pedals before the signal moves into the modulation and ambience pedals."

 

I have a (suppressorish) gate (TCE Sentry) after the dirt / boost and before modulation / reverb.

Actually, all the dirt is in the loop..

Wah -> Tuner -> Compressor -> Sentry [in] -> Sentry [send] -> Dirt boost / FuzzyOD / Overdrives / Clean boost -> Sentry [return] -> Modulation -> Reverb -> Amp

 

Well it depends on the pedal for noise reduction, some have an effect-loop integrated (like the TC Sentry), some - like my Rocktron Hush simply have in and out.
The pedals causing hiss and noise in my gear are definitely the fuzz(es) (Keeley Monterey Rotary Fuzz, Dod Carcosa), the Wah (T-Rex Gul Wah), and the overdrive (EHX The Glove OD). Thise are all in front of my amp. I also use the drive channel of my amp.
Therefore I place the Hush first in the effects loop AFTER fuzzes, wah, overdrive and the preamp-section.
Next comes a booster and then my delays and reverb.
This works (with different pedals) since 2013 both live as well as for recordings.
I don't see the point putting noise reduction after delay/reverb, thus cutting off the repeats/reverb decay?
If a delay or reverb would cause a significnt amount of hiss and other noises (not related to unsufficient power-supply), I'd be looking for another pedal, there are enough around.....
So: last in line after anything manipulating the gain-structure and the wah, but always before room-effects like delay/reverb.