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Understanding Pedals and Effects (Help Needed With..)


Samfordia
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I am currently around two months away from going into a rehearsal room with a drummer and guitarist/vocalist. For the past two weeks I have been experimenting with effects and trying to find a sound that I feel will work best with the music I will be a part of.

Looking around online and on this very forum I have been left confused as to what order I should be positioning my pedals in. Most stuff I find elsewhere are more with the guitar in mind and I don't know if this makes a difference. There was lots of mention about putting the overdrive first and the DI box last but then last night I was reading through the booklet for the Sansamp Bass Driver and it advised putting it first in the chain.

I have the following:

Hartke Bass Attack Pre Amp
SansAmp Bass Driver DI

Boss DD-6 Digital Delay

Electro Harmonix Clone Theory

Boss ODB-3 OverDrive
Wren and Cuff Pickle Pie Hella Fuzz
Sovtek Green Russian

Korg Pitchblack Tuner

I assume that putting certain ones on the board at the same time would be pointless but that is the selection I currently have to choose from. If it is merely down to personal taste as to which order they should really be in I don't know, but I'm sure by posting this thread I'll learn a good few things regardless.

True Bypass - Does this mean that it can be bypassed on the board if it isn't in use? I see it mentioned a lot but have never fully understood it.

Is there anything obvious that I should think about adding that I have not already?

And, I am somewhat confused by the Send and Return aspect. I have noticed that some people will have certain things on a board but then also other stuff in a chain using the Effects Send and Return sockets. What use does the Send and Return do compared with sticking everything on a board?

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hi - it's certainly a little daunting at first. Much as it sounds like a cliche, everyone is different and there really are no rules as to how to set up your pedal board. You've got some nice pedals there, and if you want a starting point, i'd vote ODB-3, then the two fuzz pedals, then the clone theory, then the delay. where you put the preamp depends on if you want to use it at the start of the chain to shape your tone, or at the end, as you want to make use of the DI facility...

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At this point I wouldn't worry about send/return, I would say that 99% of what you read about in the effects forum will be 'inline', meaning that you bass goes into your pedalboard, and the pedalboard output goes to your amp input.

True bypass:
Essentially this is how the signal travels through the pedal when it is 'off'. A true bypass pedal, when off, travels straight from the input to the output, it doesn't touch the circuitry. The opposite, referred to as a buffered pedal (all Boss, Digitech, most EHX & some boutique), the signal will still travel through some elements of the circuitry even when off. That's not to say you hear the effect when the pedal is 'off', just that the 'clean' signal still flows through some circuitry.
There are pros and cons for both, which is a hold different kettle of beans.
As an example, your Boss ODB-3 is buffered (not true bypass), your Wren & Cuff is true bypass.

With regards to what you should use pedal wise, I'd say keep it super simple to start with. If you have no songs etc, go in with no pedals, then when you have something to work with, you can decide what colours to add to your tone.
If you know it's rock, maybe take the Hartke for some overdrive/grind, if you know it's chilled and ambient, take the delay. But further than that, go simple and develop the sound later.

Si

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I now understand what true bypass means :) That was a good way of explaining it.

The songs are pretty much set out already. There will be a need for most of what I have but I'm aware of there being pedals and effects of which I have no knowledge. For example, I'm not entirely sure what an octave pedal does, or at least how it melds with other pedals.

Does the tuner always go first?

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I'd put the tuner first yes. It kills the sound going out of it. You'd need to switch off all the other pedals first before using it else.

I'd have the preamp pedal next in-line. That's how I have mine anyway, I use the MarkBass mini distortion as a preamp.

So have you bought them specifically for this band, have they told you what effects to buy ?

Seems strange you'd buy something without really knowing what it does.

The octave will make your note sound an octave above or below the one you play, depends how you set it. You can usually blend in the original note too.

You should experiment, and just play around with what you've got. It will make a big difference how you order them. Delayed reverb sounds different to reverbed delay for instance.

Edited by ambient
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It might be worth your while going for a read at Shep's blog (a fellow BCer).

http://sheponbass.co.uk/blog/?category=Signal+Chain+BASSics

Start from the bottom. He goes over just about every type of effect there is (The Moog Bass Murf isn't there, but if you want one of those, you'll know what it does).

Have fun. :)

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[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1423939807' post='2690685']
So have you bought them specifically for this band, have they told you what effects to buy ?

Seems strange you'd buy something without really knowing what it does.
[/quote]

The only things I have bought specifically for this band are the two fuzz pedals. I know what everything does that I have but I'm just still not completely sure of the order I'll end up using them in. The chorus and delay I bought to experiment with a Peter Hook sound.

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1423943464' post='2690756']
It might be worth your while going for a read at Shep's blog (a fellow BCer).

[url="http://sheponbass.co.uk/blog/?category=Signal+Chain+BASSics"]http://sheponbass.co...l+Chain+BASSics[/url]
[/quote]

This looks like something I need to read, thanks. I mean, I can't think of anything else I should be doing on 14th February!

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[quote name='Samfordia' timestamp='1423945303' post='2690795']
This looks like something I need to read, thanks. I mean, I can't think of anything else I should be doing on 14th February!
[/quote]
A chap once said "these women are all very well, but you can't beat the real thing".

I need to go. The Mrs is giving me funny looks. :s

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