What is the best order for foot pedals?

[SilverSurfer2]

What is the proper way, or best way to organize floor pedal effects in the chain from your guitar to amplifier.....given that all the effects are in the effects loop?
The pedals i've got are: wah, autowah, whammy, distortion, supershifter, chorus, delays, reverb, parametric eq, enhancer, and noisegate.

I need to know what pedal needs to go before what in the chain for best tone, and signal flow. Like does the noisegate work better before or after the effects? Do the distortion boxes sound better before or after the wah, whammy etc...??

The way i have it set up now is: Guitar in---->wah, whammy, parametric eq, distortion, supershifter, chorus, flanger/phaser, tremolo, delay/reverb, enhancer, noisegate------->out to amplifier. I am using the boss master switch pedal for the effects loop.


Any advice would be helpful..........thanks!

[Gearjunky]

Buy a multi effects processor and be done with it.
But if it was me with that setup, I'd set it up like this:
Guitar->Whammy->Auto Wah->Wah->Disortion---> Amplifier
Then:
Loop out->EQ->Enhancer->Chorus->Flanger/Phaser->Tremelo->Super shifter->Reverb->Delay->Noise Gate->Loop in.

I would also suggest that if you are going to have that many pedals in an amplifier, get a good line buffer like the VHT Valvulator Line buffer/power supply. It will make your tone 1000% better.

I don't know what your situation is, but I would really start to think about a multi effects processor and midi controller. You're sound is surely suffering from all the pedals that you're using.
If you need any tips or suggestions, let me know.

[SilverSurfer2]

I may have a lot of pedals, but i dont use all of them at the same time. Really, at the most, i'll have 4 pedals turned on, while the rest is bypassed. According to my personal tastes, i am still getting great tone with all the pedals and stuff.....so i don't "hear" that my tone is suffering at all. Maybe it's because my keeley modded distortion pedals are helping out the tone a lot.
As far as a multieffects processor, i've had several of them in the past, and i wasn't happy with them. Didn't like the sound quality. I've gone through midi foot controllers and rackmount processors, and i just want to simplify things and not have to program patches and stuff like that, trying to stay away from rack gear too.......so i resorted to stomp boxes for a simpler setup up. They are all powered by AC adapters (maxon switchmode, and boss psm-5). As far as tone, i'm happy with it. I was just wanting some advice on the best way to organize and connect them on my pedalboard.

But i'll try out the advice you mentioned.......maybe i'll like it.

What is a line buffer, and what exactly does it do?
I'm also thinking of putting a time machine boost pedal in the chain to give my tone more balls when i need it.

[Gearjunky]

It works to change the guitar signal from hi to low impedance.

I personally use them and have had great success nomatter what I'm ising it with. It's even great to use while direct recording to a board or computer.
Heres a link to read up on it.
http://www.vhtamp.com/frames.html

[SilverSurfer2]

I'm playing through a fender twin reverb amplifier.....it doesn't have a built in effects loop. I am using a boss psm-5 for the effects loop, and then a godlyke power supply w/daisy chain to power up the remaining pedals i couldn't power with the psm-5. How can i set up the group of pedals you mentioned earlier (Guitar->Whammy->Auto Wah->Wah->Disortion---> Amplifier
Then:
Loop out->EQ->Enhancer->Chorus->Flanger/Phaser->Tremelo->Super shifter->Reverb->Delay->Noise Gate->Loop in. ) when i don't have the effects loop jacks on my amp?

All the pedals i am using are hooked up in one big chain through the effects loop of the psm-5

Will a time machine boost, or fulltone fatboost make up for the signal and tone loss if it is placed at the end of the chain?? Or will the valvulator do that and more?

And how much Ma's do boss and ibanez pedals draw?

how much is the valvulator?

I actually noticed a signal loss when changing connections from the big chain of effects to a few effects straight to the amp. And probably a little high frequency is lost. But i notice that the sound/tone is "whimpier" when the big chain of effects is hooked up.......even though only a few effects are turned on.

[SilverSurfer2]

I read the website on the vht valvulater......it says that it powers up to 8 pedal effects. Well i've got a total of 13-15 pedals.
Can you use two valvulators? if so, how would you connect both of them?

[darren wilson]

Best order for foot pedals?

Left to right: Clutch, Brake, Throttle.