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Pedal Woe


spinynorman
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In the past I've tried several effect pedals, didn't really get on with any of them and got rid. More recently I bought a Big Muff (green), but it's still not working out.

The problem is, I set the pedal and amp up before we sound check, it all sounds great. In sound check, it's fine. But when I come to use it in the gig, it sounds completely different and I don't like it at all. The problem then is there isn't an opportunity to change the settings - it's on the floor and I'm concentrating on playing - so I never find out what would work.

We play a lot of quite small places and I suppose there's a difference in acoustic between the half empty room when we set up and the full one when we play. So I need to compensate when I set up. Does anyone else have this? How do you deal with it?

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It's how it is sitting in the mix - other stuff is interfering etc.

With stuff like that I always walk into the audience space with the pedal on (particularly distortions/ gains/ fuzz) and get the band to play a song that I'd use it in.

Does it still sound good from the amp or are you DIing. I find that the effected signal that is sometimes sent to the FOH can sound very strange compared to what is actually coming out of your speakers.

Edited by citymariner
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[quote name='citymariner' timestamp='1321478223' post='1439766']
It's how it is sitting in the mix - other stuff is interfering etc.
[/quote]

This.

I tried loads of overdrives and fuzzes before settling on the ones that sounded right in the band. Because our drummer had a very mid-heavy sounding kit (ie taking up all my space!) certain pedals just didn't cut it at gig volume. Obviously some pedals are more versatile and can be tailored to suit but some have very specific voicings which don't fit every player/band.

I bought and sold most of them on here so didn't lose any money when trading them to find out which ones suited me the best, that's an ideal way of doing it. Pedals can be an expensive and addictive hobby! Now I've narrowed my board down to the minimal pedals I need to get the sounds I want at gigs.

When you get a keeper you know about it!

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I only use it on a couple of songs, the first of which starts with solo bass, so I don't think band mix is the issue, though it's a problem I'm aware of. It's ok in rehearsal, but then there's more opportunity to adjust the settings and there's no audience to affect things. We're typically not on a stage, so I think the room filling up changes things. Also I wonder if I just play with more attack in the gig than I do before.

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At gigs your volume is automatically louder - thus more gain going into your amp.

The only change you can get really to get it sounding good for gigs is to do a soundcheck at a gig, and change it after the song, or mid song while the band still plays.. and then when you play to the audience you'll have the tone you want.
This will also usually carry on to work with other gigs aswell.

Also, if you are DI'ing with your amp, your getting the flavour of the amp in the signal, and not just the pedal flavours. If that makes sence.
I get a much better tone (especially with effects) if I DI out of my pre-amp rather than my amp.. but then again I have a crappy amp! I only like it cause I can drive the hell out of it, cause I get all my tone out of my pre-amp anyways.. the amp is just volume for me, really.

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[quote name='civictiger' timestamp='1321622211' post='1441301']
At gigs your volume is automatically louder - thus more gain going into your amp...
[/quote]
I don't have my amp any louder at gigs than I do at rehearsal. If anything I have it quieter to keep on stage volume down.

Obviously this doesn't apply where there's no PA support

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