Where in the chain should a volume pedal go?

[Treeb]

I need to start off by saying I know nothing about volume pedals ... that's why I'm asking the question! However, I was party to a (admittedly alcohol fuelled) debate between a guitarist and an engineer at the weekend. The guitarist was adamant that, in his experience, the volume pedal should be at the beginning of the effects chain as it gives him more control; the engineer claimed it should be at or near the end in order that the signal strength to the effects in the chain should be as near optimal as possible and the volume pedal applied to the best possible signal. He then questioned the guitarists aural ability and the debate went downhill from there

Any opinions?

[Matty]

i have mine after my distortions, but before my modulators and delays.
Allows for full distortion sound at lower levels, and also violin-esque swells.

[ahpook]

it depends what you want the volume pedal to do i guess...if you were wanting to do glissando-style stuff (a la steve hillage), you'd need to put it before a delay pedal...similarly if you wanted to use it to control the input level into an overdrive pedal, it'd need to be before that.

[Magical_Max]

Have mine right at the start after my tuner.

[1976fenderhead]

It usually goes in the end or in the beginning, and I think the main issue is if when you lower the volume with it, you want the keep the distortion as it is (after) or lower the distortion amount as well (before). I prefer before. I don't think it really makes much difference with any other type of effect but I'm not an expert on this...

[Finbar]

You want to keep things like reverb and delay after it, so that it doesn't sound like the sound dies unnaturally when you lower the volume on it. Other than that, I'd keep everything else in front of it. In my experience, at least. Which is limited

[Hamster]

[quote name='Matty' post='48576' date='Aug 21 2007, 09:24 PM']i have mine after my distortions, but before my modulators and delays.
Allows for full distortion sound at lower levels, and also violin-esque swells.[/quote]

Ditto. That works best for me too, but it's down to personal preference and what/how you play.

Hamster

[G-bitch]

As with all effects, 'common wisdom' may not suit your purposes so just try out your pedals in different orders and see what works for you. There is no right or wrong really. I find guitarists are far more constrained in this manor as they are basically always copping sounds off records and the 'rules' apply more rigidly then, whereas bass players don't hear much affected bass (besides the guy from muse who seems to have spawned a host of imitators) so can do whatever they like!

Can you tell it's Friday afternoon at work? When else would i enter into effect ordering philosophy! Need to start preparing to go home - although the tapping keyboard sounds good to my boss's ears.

[Treeb]

I don't actually have a volume pedal ... I was just around when the loud discussion was taking place ... but I'll see if I can borrow one in a couple of weeks and play about with it. My best guess (as a starting point for playing around) would be to put it after distortion / flange / chorus but before delay / reverb. Don't know if I'd ever really want to use one though

[dirtystatic]

[quote name='Treeb' post='50382' date='Aug 24 2007, 08:11 PM']Don't know if I'd ever really want to use one though [/quote]

Damn right, who'd want to turn down??!

[Finbar]

Volume swells ftw.

[dirtystatic]

I used to use and octave up pedal with some severe distortion then use a volume pedal to do swells.. sounded like a draw organ