Boost/buffer pedal placement

[evh_slash]

I have a small pedal chain of a compressor, overdrive,flanger, and noise suppresor before my amp/Rack setup. I wanted to buy a suhr koko boost pedal (clean/mid boost with an internal buffer) and use its internal buffer in my signal chain. I heard buffers are best at the beginning of the chain, but I also tend to keep my compressor first before any boosts/OD's in the chain....would It be best to place the koko boost before the compressor, or would I be better off keeping the compressor first and using the koko boost + buffer 2nd in line, and have the buffer coming into play from there? I'm not sure how well the compressor will take a clean boost/mid boost before it... What order should I put them? I'm not sure because typically a buffer goes before a compressor, but boost/OD goes after, yet this pedal is 2-in-1....

[ArtieToo]

Re: Boost/buffer pedal placement

One of my favorite setups is to run into my SFX-01 booster 1st, then into my DBX163 compressor. The whole point of the compressor is to be able to tame that "hot" signal from the booster. Dime the booster, and dial in max compression, and my axe will sustain for days.

[hermetico]

Re: Boost/buffer pedal placement

I have a small pedal chain of a compressor, overdrive,flanger, and noise suppresor before my amp/Rack setup. I wanted to buy a suhr koko boost pedal (clean/mid boost with an internal buffer) and use its internal buffer in my signal chain. I heard buffers are best at the beginning of the chain, but I also tend to keep my compressor first before any boosts/OD's in the chain....would It be best to place the koko boost before the compressor, or would I be better off keeping the compressor first and using the koko boost + buffer 2nd in line, and have the buffer coming into play from there? I'm not sure how well the compressor will take a clean boost/mid boost before it... What order should I put them? I'm not sure because typically a buffer goes before a compressor, but boost/OD goes after, yet this pedal is 2-in-1....

I would re-arrange your pedalboard and, here you are reasons.

0. Possible place for Koko

1. Noise Gate

The noise gate should be there to tame down your original floor noise.
The noise that is being generated inside your guitar and thru the cable.
The NS goal is to avoid such a noise to enter in the rest of your chain.

2. Compressor

A compressor is a gain pedal that reduces your dynamics, in a way that it lifts all your weakest signal up to a certain middle point and, tames down the loud peaks tending to same middle point. It tends to make everything equal loud, depending on the amount of the compression effect.
One of your weakest "signal" is just the floor noise, which is lifted in the same amount than your wanted subtle sound.
Because of this, the earlier the compressor in the chain, the more healthy.
And, if you clean the floor noise before with the NG, better results.

3. Posible place for KOKO

4. Overdrive

5. Flanger

6. Other possible place for the Koko


In fact, a buffer can be placed at any place in your chain, you only have to take into account that some pedals (as old school fuzzes) doesn't like to see a buffer before.
The earlier the buffer, the early the rest of your pedals see its benefits (or drawbacks).

But, the Koko is also a booster (like my Wampler Decibel+) and, in my experience, clean boosters work better at the end of the chain, just to lift a tad the already processed signal to put the tubes in their sweet spot. Also, to place a booster before modulation and delay effects can exagerate the effect and even introduce some clipping.
My Decibel+ is now at the end of the chain, after experimenting.

But, even that all the above is logic, the only logic is:

Swap your pedals and see how they react with each one stacked before or after and, get the arrangement that better serves to your taste and needs.
Sometimes, pedals should be arranged based on their input/output impedances to take the best from them.

[evh_slash]

Re: Boost/buffer pedal placement

Ok I will try it
... The only reason I keep the noise suppressor at the end is because to reduce the noise from the compressor, flanger and overdrive as well as the guitar....

[hermetico]

Re: Boost/buffer pedal placement

Ok I will try it
... The only reason I keep the noise suppressor at the end is because to reduce the noise from the compressor, flanger and overdrive as well as the guitar....

Flanger swosh is difficult to remove, it's part of the effect.

When tweaking your Noise Gate, do it as follows:

Plug everything
Use the CLEAN channel. Stay clean, no other effect.
Tweak the threshold, until the hum goes (without touching the strings).

Best way to reduce the noise from the compressor is just to remove the floor noise at its input!.
Compressor and Overdrive will make any existing noise just louder!.
That's why my suggestion.

If there is garbage in your input, gain pedals will make that garbage bigger

[evh_slash]

Re: Boost/buffer pedal placement

Thank you

[evh_slash]

Re: Boost/buffer pedal placement

I still had quite some noise from the compressor & Timmy OD ... So I think I will place the NS after the comp/OD...

[hermetico]

Re: Boost/buffer pedal placement

Whatever that works best for you. Sure.