Several questions concerning FX pedals.

[beggar_guitar]

Section 1 OD Pedals
Ok... So I have been playing a few OD pedals to try and figure out what suits me the best and I have a few questions.

1. Where in the line do You put the pedal? I know there may be different schools of thought so give me your personal take.

2. How common is it seeing multiple ODs on a board? I'm figuring out that the Drive or Settings I use on Channel A don't necessarily suit Channel B.

One pedal I spent some time with was my friends TS-808 Reissue. It was pretty cool and sounded good, but that is a bit more than I am looking to spend right now. Are there any pedals similar to the TS-808, but without the price tag?

What I really liked about it was coupling it with the clean channel, but not so much my crunch. Not that it didn't sound good. It just didn't suit what I was looking for. What am I looking for? I dunno! I guess I'll know when I hear it. Ha!

I'd like to try a Visual Sounds Jekyll and Hyde. Any opinions?

Section 2 Delay Pedals
Ok... Here are the essentials for a Delay Pedal.

1. Tap Tempo
2. 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 Etc.. Settings

That's just about it on the Delay. I feel like I am forgetting something though.

Section 3 Essential Modulation Effects?
I'm thinking Phaser. I've always had a Chorus in my arsenal, but I'm trying to try new things so please no Chorus recommendations!
I guess with a Phase pedal... What exactly am I looking for? I am considering the MXR Phase 90. It seems pretty common, and tends to get pretty good reviews as far as I can tell.

Any other recommendations? Be it Phase or another modulation effect.

Section 4 What is the purpose/proper use of Compression anyway?
See section Title ^^

 

[jony]

Re: Several questions concerning FX pedals.

I'll try to answer your delay question first.

Some people like their delays to be quiet, just adding abit of texture. These people usually have a analog delay, set the repeat time low... something like 150ms to 200, have afew repeats and a low level of each repeat.

Some like their delays to be part of their guitar part. This is where the tap tempo comes in very useful. The most common ones are the Dotted Eighth note, quarter note, triplet and eighth note delays. They're tap modes meaning that when you tap in the quarter note(as is most intuitive to us) the delay repeats are calculated and timed to come out in the ways I just mentioned a line above.

The other thing to consider is the tone of the delay. In general when you use tap tempo, you're most likely having a very clear digital delay type of sound. Some people use a digital delay with a analog type of sound (highs progressively taken off). The various tones are just different ways to get different sounds.

Some good delay pedals with different modes to tap tempo are the T-Rex Replica, Line6 Echopark, Line6 DL4, Boss DD-20 and the discontinued Boss DD-5.

On the cheaper side of things, there is the Digitech Digidelay. It does the various sounds well but only has quarter note tap tempo. Same for the DD-6, except that it does not to analog delay sounds.

Finally if you're looking for a good delay that does not have tap tempo and does analog and digital sounds, look to the Ibanez DE7.

That generally covers most of it.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Several questions concerning FX pedals.

OK, in order...

I put my OD/Distortion/Boost and Fuzz pedals AFTER my wah and after any picth shifting pedals but before everything else.

I think it's very common, in fact it's become quite common. Look at the pics of my pedal board (I posted a recent thread that should still be on the first page) I have several different ones for different tones and so I can use one board with several different amps.

The TS-808 is an alright pedal but not worth the cost IMO. if you want the BEST TS style pedal (again, IMO) get an Analogman modded TS-9...he converts them to the correct TS-808 specs and they sound better than any 808 reissue, and IMO better than some original 808's!

Visual Sounds Jekyll and Hyde: Tried one years ago at a Mars store, wasn;t blown away by it but some guy do use then dig them...

Are you saying that you need a delay pedal with those specs?? A Boss DD-5 or DD-6 will give you those options, there are several tap tempo delays out there but to be honest since I got an Echoplex I stopped reading up on delay pedals...

ON the phaser front you have to decide whats best for you...Im partila to OLD MXR pedals and EH pedals for stuff like that but thats me...I also like a nice Flanger from time to time (again MXR (NOT DUNLOP ERA) or EH))

Compressors are still a strange effect to me...a distorting guitar amp makes NATURAL Compression so I never saw the need of a compresson UNLESS you are playing the amp VERY clean and want some extra sustain. That said a LOT of guys can't go without a compressor. There are other uses out there...some guys use them to smooth out the sound of a 12 string guitar, added sustain, Bonnie Raitt and Lowell George both used them to get some more sustain AND to even out the attack when they play slide on a Strat...there are lots of things you can do with a compressor but I just don;t use them...

Good luck!

 

[beggar_guitar]

Re: Several questions concerning FX pedals.

The TS-808 is an alright pedal but not worth the cost IMO. if you want the BEST TS style pedal (again, IMO) get an Analogman modded TS-9...he converts them to the correct TS-808 specs and they sound better than any 808 reissue, and IMO better than some original 808's!

What kind of price range are we looking at for an Analogman Modded TS-9?
What differences am I looking at between a TS-9 and TS-808?

What are your thoughts on a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive? A different animal perhaps, but it's another OD I've had a bit more time with and enjoyed.

Are you saying that you need a delay pedal with those specs?? A Boss DD-5 or DD-6 will give you those options, there are several tap tempo delays out there but to be honest since I got an Echoplex I stopped reading up on delay pedals...

I played a DD-5 last night, but I didn't think you could set a tap tempo on it. Or did I just flat out miss it?
I'm kinda leaning towards a DD-20 or Line6 DL-4. Any opinions? I like having multiple settings availabe out of the same box.

 

[thucydides]

Re: Several questions concerning FX pedals.

Re where to put the OD pedal: I've always heard it should be right after the gtr. I, however, do not have much choice in the matter. An OD is all I use (currently a RI Maxon 808 OD). Edit: Now that I read the guy who invented fire's post, it does remind me that all the wah pedals I've seen were set up before the OD...

A friend of mine, who is a brilliant guitarist, uses three RI Tube Screamers (TS9 , I think) in his setup, which consists of various Strats running into an old Fender Deluxe Reverb. His various bands cover quite a diverse range of styles, and have three different OD settings helps him immensely.

I've usually preferred a somewhat cleaner tone to start with when using my OD. However, on my '78 Hiwatt, I do have the preamp volume set high (3 o clock, to dimed), and I love the bite. However, a Hiwatt is a fairly clean amp as far as the volume/master volume relationship goes.

Up until a few years ago, I used a Boss SD-1 OD, w/great results. They are fairly inexpensive. I don't know if they have changed that pedal since I bought mine in 1993. I was using it w/various gtrs w/hot pups, into the SD-1, plugged into a 50 watt Hiwatt/4x12 rig.

I can't answer your questions re other effects. Years ago, I had experimented w/various delay, flange, phase, and chorus pedals, but they never made it into the permanent lineup. Just not my cup of tea for my regular playing style. Not that I don't have fun w/the effects on my Roland Mini Cube...who knows, maybe in the future?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Several questions concerning FX pedals.

What kind of price range are we looking at for an Analogman Modded TS-9?
What differences am I looking at between a TS-9 and TS-808?
What are your thoughts on a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive? A different animal perhaps, but it's another OD I've had a bit more time with and enjoyed.
I played a DD-5 last night, but I didn't think you could set a tap tempo on it. Or did I just flat out miss it?
I'm kinda leaning towards a DD-20 or Line6 DL-4. Any opinions? I like having multiple settings availabe out of the same box.

An Analogman moddded TS-9, bought new and pre modded from Am is $165-$220 depending on what mods you get, however if you have the TS-9 to send in for mods the mods Start at $45-$95 depending on how far you go with the mods. All that said, the plain old True Vintage TS808 mods are $45 if you have the pedal and $165 if you guy a pre modded pedal. Check out Mikes site on the TS section...there is loads of info there.

The Sparkle drive is very much a TS style pedal and lots of guys like them ,it's all a matter of what you want.

The DD-5 has a selector switch, the latter positions set the tempo options, you have to have the tap tempo footswitch.

DD-20 is one I have never tried and the L6 is a standard these days but I never spent much time with it....