Pedal chain questions.

[NovaLion]

I was wondering how you all determine where any pedals you use go into a chain. I know buffers would go out in front, as well as an overdrive, but that's where I get pretty fuzzy. Specifically, I'm working with these:

Buffer
Overdrive
Reverb
Delay
Chorus
Wah
Volume
ISP Decimator
EQ
Tuner

What goes in an amp's FX loop? What goes in front of the amp/after?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

DISCLAIMER: Everything can be put everywhere, within reason, and a lot of it is going to come down to preference.

In Front:
Buffer
Overdrive
Wah
Tuner

FX Loop:
Reverb
Delay
Chorus

Either:
Volume
ISP Decimator
EQ
Tuner

Play around with it though.

 

[Sephael]

I suggest first and foremost to experiment, by seeing how a pedal sounds in different places in the signal chain. The more you know about how a pedal effects your sound the better you can utilize it.

Tuner early in chain, it will track easier the less you interfere with the signal.
Wah, before any dirt is most common, but there are plenty of great instances of its use before and after the distortion.

Volume: in front it will act like a volume knob on your guitar allowing it to be used to clean up the tone or push it harder. In the loop it acts like a master volume.

Chorus, again one that has been effectively and beautifully used in both locations, but usually finds its place in the loop (before delay and reverb).

EQ in the loop acts to tweak the tone your amp gives you, in front you can use it to shape the tone before the amp gets ahold of it or you can use it as a boost.

Buffer - in front (or just have a buffered pedal first). However, if you are using long cable runs from the amp send to your pedal board and then back to the amp again you might use one at the end of that return run.

 

[JDinSC]

There's a bit of logical thinking and evaluating the sound you're looking for. Instead of just repeating what the other guys have said... I'll just say this...

In the desired "tone", consider this... Do you want to overdrive your delays, or delay your overdrives? I know that sounds corny, but consider it seriously. You choose your FX chain by distinguishing which effects you want to carry over on to each other. You wouldn't delay a reverb, because you don't want to "repeat" the room sound. You'd reverb the delay (or place the reverb after the delay) so the delay/echo is occuring within the room/reverb sound.

 

[NeuroTrem]

As mentioned above.. There are no had and fast rules determining the positioning of the effects in your chain.. It totally depends on your personal taste..

This is how I used to run my signal..

Guitar>Wah>(In)Noise gate(Out)>Volume Pedal>Delay
In the loop of the Noise gate.. (via Send)Compressor>Overdrive>Distortion(Return)


I have changed the setup a bit recently..

Guitar>Wah>Compressor>Overdrive>(In)Noise Gate(Send)>Amp Head
In the FX Loop.. Via Send.. Volume Pedal and Delay respectively.. In to the Noise Gate's 'Return'.. Then a line into the Power Amp In via 'Output'.

I find this a bit less noisy. I use a NS-2 btw..

Hope that helps..