Why are so many effects pedals backwards?

[drewm]

As far as I'm aware, the time-honored convention is for audio signal flow to be depicted as going left-to-right, top-to-bottom.

An example would be a regular mixing desk, which has the channel inputs on the left (with each strip refining the signal top-to-bottom) and the master outputs bottom right. Similarly any regular bass amp has the input on the left, followed by gain, EQ etc and the outputs and output levels on the right. Send and Return jacks are left-to-right, never Return and Send. There are always subtle exceptions, but that's the general convention. (right?)

So why oh why oh why do so many effects pedals (like the entire Boss range) have their input on the right and output on the left? Unless you then get crazy with cabling to correct it, the signal through your pedalboard has to flow right to left. Backwards.

It drives me loopy. I may be a little OCD. But - is there a reason for this?

My first thought was ergonomics. The lead comes out the right hand side of your guitar, so it can go to the right hand end of your pedalboard without crossing in front of your feet. But that doesn't stack up, as the output then has to cross your feet to get to the input on your amp behind you.

Any ideas?

[phil.i.stein]

[quote name='drewm' post='1129852' date='Feb 16 2011, 04:29 PM']My first thought was ergonomics. The lead comes out the right hand side of your guitar, so it can go to the right hand end of your pedalboard without crossing in front of your feet. But that doesn't stack up, as the output then has to cross your feet to get to the input on your amp behind you.

Any ideas?[/quote]
that would be my guess. the output lead can then trail around the back of your amp, and maybe secured to help it avoid being pulled out unintentionally.

although maybe there's a more sophisticated explanation..

probably sucks if you're a lefty.

Edited February 16, 2011 by phil.i.stein

[E sharp]

Off topic - slightly

But some Amps have their controls around in a manner that seems 'wrong' to me . ie Aguilar . Treble , Mid then Bass , when virtually every other manufacturer starts with Bass onto Treble - left to right .

[EssentialTension]

And what about the Send-Return sockets?

[LeftyBiskit]

[quote name='phil.i.stein' post='1129953' date='Feb 16 2011, 05:46 PM']that would be my guess. the output lead can then trail around the back of your amp, and maybe secured to help it avoid being pulled out unintentionally.

although maybe there's a more sophisticated explanation..

probably sucks if you're a lefty.[/quote]
-
Oh it does!At a gig,I'm coralled by guitar leads-
maybe all the pedal designers are right handed,

[TomTFS]

[quote name='drewm' post='1129852' date='Feb 16 2011, 04:29 PM']As far as I'm aware, the time-honored convention is for audio signal flow to be depicted as going left-to-right, top-to-bottom.

An example would be a regular mixing desk, which has the channel inputs on the left (with each strip refining the signal top-to-bottom) and the master outputs bottom right.[/quote]

Actually most big desks have the master section in the middle with panels of input strips either side.

I think both the pedal manufacturers AND the amp manufacturers decided to have their inputs closest to your guitar output. Since you're using pedals you're going to be ok with stuff on the floor so the lead from pedals>amp doesn't really matter. You can always send it back round behind your pedalboard anyways.

I don't know whether I'm just used to it or if I actually prefer it but pedalboards flowing right to left just works for me now.

My only big beef with controls is the people that have the EQ going bass > treble > mid. You can go bass first or treble first, but the mids are in the MIDDLE.

[Doddy]

Every pedal,except one,that I own gas the input on the right,and to be honest I don't think it's a big deal. The only pedal I have that gas the input on the left is my old EBS Octabass,and even they swapped them over after a couple of years.
If a major company like Boss produces their pedals with a right side input,it makes sense that other companies will follow suit.

[mcnach]

[quote name='drewm' post='1129852' date='Feb 16 2011, 04:29 PM']As far as I'm aware, the time-honored convention is for audio signal flow to be depicted as going left-to-right, top-to-bottom.

An example would be a regular mixing desk, which has the channel inputs on the left (with each strip refining the signal top-to-bottom) and the master outputs bottom right. Similarly any regular bass amp has the input on the left, followed by gain, EQ etc and the outputs and output levels on the right. Send and Return jacks are left-to-right, never Return and Send. There are always subtle exceptions, but that's the general convention. (right?)

So why oh why oh why do so many effects pedals (like the entire Boss range) have their input on the right and output on the left? Unless you then get crazy with cabling to correct it, the signal through your pedalboard has to flow right to left. Backwards.

It drives me loopy. I may be a little OCD. But - is there a reason for this?

My first thought was ergonomics. The lead comes out the right hand side of your guitar, so it can go to the right hand end of your pedalboard without crossing in front of your feet. But that doesn't stack up, as the output then has to cross your feet to get to the input on your amp behind you.

Any ideas?

[/quote]


For right handed players it makes sense actually.
Cable from the guitar falls... on your right. If you have your pedals in front of you (and, unless you're a contorsionist, that's where they'll be when you want to step on them) to avoid having a cable in the way, it makes sense the input is on the right.
Every pedal I have owned followed that convention... it would make it complicated to assemble a pedalboard if the input/output orientation changed randomly.

Yeah, then you have the run to the amp... but that cable doesn't move (unlike the player), so it's easy to fit a longer cable and tape it to the floor to make sure nobody trips on it.

I often use a wireless, eliminating the first cable bit. The run to the amp still exists... but being static it doesn't get in the way. Maybe I should get a second wireless

Edited February 17, 2011 by mcnach

[drewm]

[quote name='mcnach' post='1130978' date='Feb 17 2011, 01:23 PM']For right handed players it makes sense actually. Cable from the guitar falls... on your right.[/quote]

That does make sense in lab conditions, but in practise cables would have to be pretty short to make a difference. Most people have some slack cable sat on the floor, surely?

Could it be as simple as one early manufacturer doing it that way without giving it much thought, and everyone else copying? If, in a hypothetical situation, the only pedals that existed today were Boss and you were building a new pedal to market, it'd make sense to copy their right-to-left path so that Boss' existing customers could use your pedals without ending up in a cabling mess.

I only have one pedal, a Trace Elliot SMX dual band compressor. That runs left-to-right because it's AWESOME.

[paul_5]

I used to have a russian Big Muff that ran left to right. That was awesome too. Coincidence?

[charic]

So what your saying is awesomness runs left to right? Interesting, I would have thought it would have stood looking bored in the corner

[Nyl]

and the original POG has both input and output on the left of the pedal
(although if i remember correctly the input is on the right of the output)

[phil.i.stein]

probably sounds silly, but maybe the right->left is a Japanese thing ? Boss being the major player and all..

[bobbass4k]

You're all way overthinking this. It's probably that the first pedals went right to left, just out of the builders random decision. The needed standardisation when people started using multiple pedals, so they all went right to left.

[mcnach]

[quote name='drewm' post='1131571' date='Feb 17 2011, 09:15 PM']I only have one pedal, a Trace Elliot SMX dual band compressor. That runs left-to-right because it's AWESOME. [/quote]


I doubt it.
I just turned my pedalboard 180 degrees and that did not improve the tone

[citymariner]

It's a double ended sword. Right to left works great if you have one signal path. To creates mucho problemo when you start adding two and wireless unit...

[Musky]

[quote name='phil.i.stein' post='1131951' date='Feb 18 2011, 10:43 AM']probably sounds silly, but maybe the right->left is a Japanese thing ? Boss being the major player and all..[/quote]
My thoughts exactly!