Guitar Effect Pedalphile Thread

[Chad Fuck 18166]

14 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

I have had power supplies not deliver enough milliamps to run certain pedals before.

+1 on Cioks. Those are good units.

Yup, running a Cioks now and I love it.

[dcbc 14645]

44 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

I have had power supplies not deliver enough milliamps to run certain pedals before.

+1 on Cioks. Those are good units.

You can run analog pedals off a One-Spot daisy chain all day long.  But digital pedals are thirsty and picky.  

[tbone_ 14461]

You can run analog pedals off a One-Spot daisy chain all day long.  But digital pedals are thirsty and picky.  

True. But interestingly to me anyway the one spot delivers better milliamps than some cheap power supplies I’ve had in the past (Donner).

[Paul Wesley 3313]

2 hours ago, tbone_ said:

I have had power supplies not deliver enough milliamps to run certain pedals before.

I have two Strymon pedals and they are especially thirsty for current.  

[hullabelew 3730]

My probably with the One Spot daisy chain is it picks up way too much electrical interference in my basement.   At our practice space and most other places, it did fine.  

[dcbc 14645]

18 hours ago, tbone_ said:

True. But interestingly to me anyway the one spot delivers better milliamps than some cheap power supplies I’ve had in the past (Donner).

I sold my PedalPower 2 and went with a $30 OneSpot since I was going with Nano boards.  It's been great except when I've tried to run the Topanga Reverb off of it.  It will power it, but I get a pop from the switch unless I run it on its own power supply.  

[Goredho 17663]

I added one of these Jackson Audio Bloom compressors about a week ago, and I really, really, really dig it.  Its kind of a combination compressor. booster/sustainer and 3 band EQ.  You can activate any combination of the 3 with the 2 footswitches.  The compressor has different modes for different styles like chickin pickin, funk, slide, etc... This defines some unadjustable compression settings like attack and decay, then you have knobs to control the amount of compression and the blend of your dry signal.  The bloom knob & switch is the booster/sustainer and you can change how it fades in to your signal.  I haven't used the EQ yet, but I could see using it to offset differences between guitars while keeping an amp dialed in.  Finally, its quiet as fuck and so usable in a recording context.  I have a strong feeling this is going to be one of those always on pedals.

 

 

 

[Mileslong 4812]

[Goredho 17663]

Any recommendations on a pedal-based acoustic guitar preamp?  The smaller the better?

[tbone_ 14461]

Look at LR Baggs. I have the Venue and love it but it’s not small. I’ve heard good things about the Para and the Session as well and they are smaller.

All the dudes on Acoustic Guitar Forums swear by the Alix by Grace Designs as the holy grail. It’s a pedal though not really small and it’s $800. But apparently it’s the shizzle.

[Goredho 17663]

46 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

Look at LR Baggs. I have the Venue and love it but it’s not small. I’ve heard good things about the Para and the Session as well and they are smaller.

All the dudes on Acoustic Guitar Forums swear by the Alix by Grace Designs as the holy grail. It’s a pedal though not really small and it’s $800. But apparently it’s the shizzle.

Thanks, a used Para might work at my price point.  I've got an acoustic gig set up for Friday's Memorial Day through Labor Day, so putting together a minimal pedalboard for it, with Pigtronix Infinity 3 looper, a TC Helicon Mic Mechanic and some pre-amp pedal.  Not much room for additional stuff, so ideally the preamp would have a reverb knob but I could perhaps add a mini reverb pedal if the preamp were small enough.

The Nux Optima Air has the perfect feature set for me at a pretty cheap price, but I am not sure its worth a shit.

 

[tbone_ 14461]

Maybe check the fire eye red eye as well. Very simple pre. Regular pedal sized.

[hullabelew 3730]

Suggestions on loopers. I have a ditto. Need more but don't want to spend a ton of time learning.

[ajax 2679]

18 hours ago, hullabelew said:

Suggestions on loopers. I have a ditto. Need more but don't want to spend a ton of time learning.

I've heard a lot of good things about the loop station.

I'm looking to buy a DigiTech Trio+ in the near future. It's a looper and more. 

You play a chord progression into it for four or eight bars, it learns your rhythm and your chord progression and gives you a backing bass and drum track.

[Goredho 17663]

21 hours ago, hullabelew said:

Suggestions on loopers. I have a ditto. Need more but don't want to spend a ton of time learning.

This is what I use in my solo performances.  It's definitely a step up in price and complexity/learning curve, but its great if you want something to make more complex music solo with a guitar.  You might could get one used for $225 or so.  Its got everything I want and nothing I don't in about as small a form factor as I can imagine for its feature set.  The things it does that I really like:

• 2 separate loops/tracks
• operate the loops/tracks in parallel -- they can be layered on top of each other and made to fade in and out which is great for ambient type stuff
• operate the loops/tracks in serial -- you can record a verse progression on loop 1 and a chorus progression on loop 2 and switch back and forth in a live performance
• fade out your loops which I use a lot live
• stereo or mono
• extremely low latency
• studio quality sound
• midi clock sync
• clipping indicator to know when you are pushing it too much

I like this better than the Boomerang3 (too big, no real midi sync) and the aeros loop studio (too expensive and complex with features I couldn't work into a live performance).  If it seems too complicated from the video above, I might look at the Infinity 2, which is scaled down, cheaper and has a few less features and also less complexity.  Its about half the price of the 3.

 

Edited May 23 by Goredho

[Goredho 17663]

Related to my post above, one of the cool things you can do with these advanced loopers is to put it at the end of a post-preamp effect loop.   Whatever is looping has already gone through any front-of-signal-chain pedals, to the preamp, through any other pedals in your fx loop and whatever that all adds to the signal is in the loop going straight to the power amp.  That means you can change anything in front of the looper to change the signal you are now playing and not effect what you recorded in the loop(s).  So you can do cool things like:

• Loop a clean guitar signal playing a chord progression
• Engage a bass9 pedal or octave pitch detune and overdub a bass line onto your loop
• Disengage the bass9/octave pitch detune and engage some ambient effects and overdub some pad type sounds onto your loop
• Disengage the ambient effects and engage an overdrive to play a soaring lead over the backing track that you just made on the fly

The clipping indicator helps in the above, so you know when you may be exhausting the headroom on your loop with overdubs.  Combine that with a beat buddy pedal synched to your looper with midi, and you can pretty easily emulate a trio or quartet.

Edited May 24 by Goredho

[hullabelew 3730]

Just ordered the Infinity. Thanks for the info.

[Goredho 17663]

1 hour ago, hullabelew said:

Just ordered the Infinity. Thanks for the info.

Cool, let me know how you like it.

[Deej 77864]

[Goredho 17663]

I took the experience from 3 summer gigs and got my acoustic Muzak/ambient pedalboard done.  4 pedals right to left:

1. Fishman acousticomp compressor:  Just to even things out a bit.

2. Nux Optima Air:  preamp and impulse responses.  Have just messed with the stock IRs but they go a long way to improving the acoustic sound from a piezo.  The preamp feels optional almost.

3. Source Audio Collider: Delay and/or reverb.  Fantastic sound quality for both.

4. Pigtronix Infinity 3: looper I've owned for awhile discussed in previous posts.

Played on it for a couple hours last night and it all sounds and works great.  I may get another collider for my main board.  Makes me wish I had a stereo PA for live perfs.  I plugged it all in to my studio monitors and it sounded amazing.

 

Edited May 29 by Goredho

[CoTex 1185]

Kid has Boss Katana MK2 50 and a Airstep Kat pedal.

 

now he wants an expression pedal - wah.

recommendations?  If possible I would like to buy a decent one that he’ll keep for a while.  Not something specific to particular amp/pedal.

[tbone_ 14461]

There is only one

[Goredho 17663]

I like my Vow Press.  Can serve as a wah, volume or expression pedal.  It’s got a small footprint, which may be a plus or minus.

 

[CoTex 1185]

14 hours ago, tbone_ said:

There is only one

And am I plugging this into the pedal port on the back of the amp, or in line from the guitar to the amp?  If the answer is, "buy it and give it to your kid - let him figure it out," I understand.

[Deej 77864]

1 hour ago, CoTex said:

And am I plugging this into the pedal port on the back of the amp, or in line from the guitar to the amp?  If the answer is, "buy it and give it to your kid - let him figure it out," I understand.

Run it in front of the amp. 

[tbone_ 14461]

Run it in front of the amp. 

This.

That said, one can always try it in the loop. Maybe it gives some weird sound that way the player digs. But they are designed to go in front of the amp.

[tbone_ 14461]

Derek Trucks’ pedal board.



Dude just went up a notch or two in my book.

[Deej 77864]

Not for those boots.

[ajax 2679]

I figured we got another couple of days before this has run its course

[Goredho 17663]

No one is asking, but Tonex One is pretty fucking good as two amps in a verrrry small box for direct to PA, powered FRFR cab or into an interface for recording.

 

[Goredho 17663]

On 6/22/2024 at 4:03 PM, ajax said:

I figured we got another couple of days before this has run its course

For those that need more context.

[Chad Fuck 18166]

In the same vein…

[Goredho 17663]

1 hour ago, Chad Fuck said:

In the same vein…
 

Pairs great with the Blue Pill Boost.  Does not mix well with the Adrenochrome Drive.

[Goredho 17663]

I've really liked UAFX guitar amp plugins, so these pedal forms intrigue me.

 

[Goredho 17663]

Got a cool little pedal that works great with these UAFX amp pedals.  Basically adds a headphone out and aux to your pedalboard and allows it to work as a nice practice amp.  Use headphones to keep things quiet then put backing tracks in over the aux in to jam out.

 

[hullabelew 3730]

Got a cool little pedal that works great with these UAFX amp pedals.  Basically adds a headphone out and aux to your pedalboard and allows it to work as a nice practice amp.  Use headphones to keep things quiet then put backing tracks in over the aux in to jam out.
 

Would that work to monitor a pedal steel. Steel, to volume pedal to that, to amp? Would I need to put an IR loader before it or could I just go straight to the amp and monitor from this pedal?

[hullabelew 3730]

Equalizer pedal. Any experience with the Boss or MXR versions? I have a Gretsch with a P90 and a new TV Jones filtertron. I think the problem is actually a shitty ton pot but I just can't get any highs.

Anyone else use these or any other equalizer on their board.

[Chad Fuck 18166]

Would that work to monitor a pedal steel. Steel, to volume pedal to that, to amp? Would I need to put an IR loader before it or could I just go straight to the amp and monitor from this pedal?

Are you getting into pedal steel?

[hullabelew 3730]

Are you getting into pedal steel?

Yep. I bought one two years ago but really putting time in on it. Starting to play out as backing at an open mic night. Just sit in with everyone who will let me.

[Chad Fuck 18166]

Yep. I bought one two years ago but really putting time in on it. Starting to play out as backing at an open mic night. Just sit in with everyone who will let me.

What’s your guitar? Copedent? Amp?

[Goredho 17663]

1 hour ago, hullabelew said:

On 8/8/2024 at 6:36 PM, Goredho said:

Got a cool little pedal that works great with these UAFX amp pedals.  Basically adds a headphone out and aux to your pedalboard and allows it to work as a nice practice amp.  Use headphones to keep things quiet then put backing tracks in over the aux in to jam out.
 

Would that work to monitor a pedal steel. Steel, to volume pedal to that, to amp? Would I need to put an IR loader before it or could I just go straight to the amp and monitor from this pedal?

Given pedal steel -> volume pedal -> headphone amp pedal -> amp, you would hear the pedal steal and the volume pedal but nothing in the headphones from your amp or speaker.

Does your amp have an effect loop after its preamp and eq?  If so, the rest of this paragraph applies:  You could fx loop send from your amp to this pedal and you would hear pedal steel, volume pedal & your amp's preamp with EQ but not any color from the cabinet/speaker in the headphones.  You could simply not return to the fx loop return to have just headphone monitoring for quiet practice.  You could put an IR loader in front of this in the fx loop to have cabinet/speaker sounds in which case you would hear pedal steel -> volume pedal -> preamp + eq -> cabinet/speaker sounds from IR loader/pedal in your headphones.

Other alternative would be to use an amp in a box pedal with this and your volume pedal so your signal chain would be pedal steel -> volume pedal -> amp-in-a-box pedal -> headphone amp pedal.  You would hear the pedal steel, volume pedal and amp/speaker/cab sounds from the amp in a box pedal.  If you wanted to use this live, you would go out from the headphone amp pedal to PA for the audience to hear.

I don't know dick about pedal steel, so I don't know what types of amps are used, but am guessing clean with a lot of headroom, which sounds like a Fender blackface style amp to me.  If those types of amps are acceptable for pedal steel, you could use the UAFX Dream pedal which is a Princeton Reverb.  These go for around $275 used.  I just bought one, but it has not arrived yet, so I can't speak to it from personal experience.

 

[hullabelew 3730]

On 8/9/2024 at 9:43 PM, Chad Fuck said:

What’s your guitar? Copedent? Amp?

It's a GFI.   10 string, E9.  3 pedals, 4 knee levers.   Really good starter setup.  I'm playing it through a Katana 50.  Light and clean tone and good enough until I get a lot better.  

[hullabelew 3730]

On 8/9/2024 at 10:16 PM, Goredho said:

Given pedal steel -> volume pedal -> headphone amp pedal -> amp, you would hear the pedal steal and the volume pedal but nothing in the headphones from your amp or speaker.

Does your amp have an effect loop after its preamp and eq?  If so, the rest of this paragraph applies:  You could fx loop send from your amp to this pedal and you would hear pedal steel, volume pedal & your amp's preamp with EQ but not any color from the cabinet/speaker in the headphones.  You could simply not return to the fx loop return to have just headphone monitoring for quiet practice.  You could put an IR loader in front of this in the fx loop to have cabinet/speaker sounds in which case you would hear pedal steel -> volume pedal -> preamp + eq -> cabinet/speaker sounds from IR loader/pedal in your headphones.

Other alternative would be to use an amp in a box pedal with this and your volume pedal so your signal chain would be pedal steel -> volume pedal -> amp-in-a-box pedal -> headphone amp pedal.  You would hear the pedal steel, volume pedal and amp/speaker/cab sounds from the amp in a box pedal.  If you wanted to use this live, you would go out from the headphone amp pedal to PA for the audience to hear.

I don't know dick about pedal steel, so I don't know what types of amps are used, but am guessing clean with a lot of headroom, which sounds like a Fender blackface style amp to me.  If those types of amps are acceptable for pedal steel, you could use the UAFX Dream pedal which is a Princeton Reverb.  These go for around $275 used.  I just bought one, but it has not arrived yet, so I can't speak to it from personal experience.

 

Great info.  Thanks.  I'm using a Boss Katana so no effects loop.  I may try that pedal.  You are right....clean and lots of headroom are the amps for pedal steel.  

[Goredho 17663]

If you are in Austin, @hullabelew, I’ll be coming down for work in September/October and can let you borrow it for a week to see how you like it.

[hullabelew 3730]

On 8/11/2024 at 7:38 PM, Goredho said:

If you are in Austin, @hullabelew, I’ll be coming down for work in September/October and can let you borrow it for a week to see how you like it.

Thanks....I'm  in Atlanta, GA.  

[Goredho 17663]

 A new UAFX amp pedal dropped today.  The "Anti" that models a '92 Peavy 5150 amp for people who want a high gain amp-in-a-box.  I will be ordering one of these soon.  This recording is guitar -> pedal -> computer.  No amps, cabs, mics involved.

 

[Mileslong 4812]

[Goredho 17663]

Continuing my love affair with the UAFX amp in a box pedals, this arrived today.  Mimics a 1992 Mesa boogie dual rectifier.  Will post more after I get to play it.

 

[Rimbo 27087]

If you happen to be into VSTs and the like...

Roland Cloud.

Best subscription I ever purchased. I got the pro edition at $99/year.

Even if the only thing you use are the Zenology FX, their amp sims and effects are fucking outstanding. The interface isn't all skeuomorphic but that's actually a plus in my book.

oh and you also get access to flawless Jupiter-8, Juno, 303, 808, D-50 stuff as well if you're into that sorta thing

[Celery Man 21103]

On 11/13/2024 at 9:39 PM, Mileslong said:

You need three pedals for that first one.

 

the stryforce

Having an issue with the deco, which is the new one. I saved $50 by buying it used from Sweetwater, which I’m now regretting because it is having an issue… basically kind of a crackling interference type noise in the background. I'm assuming this is power supply shit - my stupid pedalboard has been pretty static for years, the two older strymons (cap and flint) being powered by the 250ma spots on the pedalpower supply. I have the deco just running off of the supply it came with (which.... does look like what the pedal should have come with). I haven't had the time to do extensive troubleshooting, but I'm hoping... grounding issue? Maybe i'll try and record it and see if you guys can help troubleshoot.

Edited November 15 by Celery Man