Guitar pedals, sometimes called effects pedals, allow easy and effective modulation of electric guitar tones. The order of the pedals will ensure the best pitch, but “best tone” depends on personal preference. While there are many basic guides to setting up guitar pedals, there is no standard way to order them. To adjust the guitar pedals, study the basics and experiment to find the arrangement that creates the desired style and tone in your music.
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Method 1 of 3: Sequencing the Signal Series
Step 1. Determine the type of tone you want
While there are several standard configurations for guitar pedals, the order of the pedals depends on the tone you want to achieve. This order varies depending on the style of music being played.
- Make sure you maintain the functionality of the pedals. Keep in mind that changing the order of the pedals can have a drastic impact on the tone produced. You can experiment with different pedal positions until you get the tone you want.
- After determining the sequence, number the pedals so that the same sequence can be repeated easily and does not need to be memorized.
Step 2. Connect the pedals with a short patch cord
When choosing the cable that connects the pedals, it's best to prioritize quality. The better the cable, the clearer the guitar will sound.
Your patch cord should be as short as possible. Long cables will worsen the signal and the resulting tone
Step 3. Position the tuner pedal first
If you use a chromatic tuner pedal, connect the guitar directly to the tuner. It's best if the pedal delivers a clean, unmodulated signal instead of full of distortion from first connecting the signal through another effects pedal.
Step 4. Connect the effects pedal filter at the beginning of the circuit
Pedal filters, such as auto-wah, envelope filters, and wah-wah, usually work best when following a tuner pedal. If you don't have a tuner pedal, the filter pedal should be first in your setup.
- All filters are supposed to modulate the clean signal. If installed after other effects pedals, their ability to function properly will be limited.
- This position is also good for the phaser pedal, depending on the type of tone you want to achieve.
Step 5. Connect the compressor pedal after the filter pedal
The compressor pedal “evens out” the guitar volume by increasing the volume of silent notes. You'll hear a lot of unwanted, annoying noise if you put the compressor pedal at the end of the sequence when the guitar's pitch is finely tuned.
Depending on the type of music being played, you'll likely want a compressor pedal at the end of the series. For example, if you play country music, the compressor pedal at the end of the sequence will mess up the sound, regardless of the effect used. On the other hand, for rock music it is better to install the compressor pedal after the filter pedal because it works better
Step 6. Add the overdrive and distortion pedals
Overdrive and distortion pedals are very popular types of effects pedals, especially for rock music. The resulting tone can be unpleasant to hear if this pedal is installed before the filter and compressor pedals.
The overdrive and distortion pedals generate and amplify the overtones for each note played. Therefore, do not increase the overtone delivered to the filter pedal or compressor
Step 7. Determine where the pitch change pedal will be placed
In most cases, a pitch changer pedal works best when it receives a compressed signal. Usually, this pedal should be installed after the compression or equalizer pedal, unless the compressor pedal is installed at the end of the circuit.
Step 8. Connect the modulation pedal to the end of the signal circuit
If you're using a modulation pedal such as a chorus, flanger, tremolo, or phaser, it's a good idea to install it later in the signal circuit for a richer sound.
If you have several style-modulated pedals, it's a good idea to experiment with the sequences until you get the best arrangement that produces the tone you want
Step 9. Place the volume pedal at the end of the signal circuit
Whether you put the volume pedal at the beginning or end of the signal chain, the impact will affect the part of the guitar sound that the pedal adjusts to, and give the guitar a variety of functionality.
- When mounted near the start of the signal chain, closest to the guitar, the volume pedal will adjust the volume of the unmodulated signal going to the other effects pedal. This setting helps clear up the sound if overdrive is often used.
- Installing the volume pedal towards the end of the signal series will adjust the volume of the final signal.
Step 10. Position all the time-based pedals at the end
When sorting time-based pedals, such as the delay pedal, think about how the sound produced occurs in the original physical space. Since delay or echo is the last sound heard, it is natural for this type of pedal to be at the end of the circuit.
Note that installing the delay pedal after the volume pedal will make controlling the volume of any delay or echo effects even more difficult
Method 2 of 3: Using Effect Loops
Step 1. Check the amplifier
Not all amplifiers have effects loops, but if you do have one, you can experiment with fitting some effects inside the amplifier's effects loop for a richer, more nuanced guitar tone.
The effects loop is before the power amp section, but after the preamp in the amplifier. You'll see a jack that says "Effects Send" and "Effects Return". On some amplifiers, the words are "Preamp Out" and "Power Amp In"
Step 2. Place the delay and reverb effects in the effects loop on the amplifier
Most guitarists who use effects loops to adjust their guitar pedals install timed-based effects in loops to prevent the muted sound that can occur if these effects are channeled into overdrive and distortion on the amplifier.
This setting can provide clearer sound if the amplifier produces overdrive or distorted sound. Sound from the preamp section of the amplifier is fed to this effect
Step 3. Transfer the volume and modulation to the effects loop
Installing a modulation pedal in an effects loop will produce a different sound than if it were routed through a string of signals directly from the guitar. Experiment and choose a result that matches your style.
Move the volume pedal into the effects loop so you control the overall sound coming out of the amplifier
Method 3 of 3: Using the Pedal Board
Step 1. Choose the right size
Pedal boards can be purchased ready-made or customized as needed. You can choose a small, medium, or large pedal board depending on the number of pedals you use regularly and their size.
- In general, if you use 5 pedals or less, choose a small pedal board. For more than 10 pedals, we recommend getting a large pedal board.
- Also, consider whether you will add pedals in the future. For example, if you currently use 10 pedals but plan to add three more in the future, it's a good idea to get a medium-sized pedal board so there's room on the board when you get a new pedal.
- If the pedal size is oversized, it's best to get a large board even if you only use 4-5 pedals to avoid crowding.
Step 2. Check your pedal power requirements
Whether you buy a ready-made board or build your own, make sure the pedalboard can power all of your pedals. While most pedals require 9 volts of power, some require more.
- Be sure to check the power requirements of each pedal in the settings; Don't assume all pedals are the same.
- You'll also need to check the power requirements of the pedals to be added later to make sure the board can handle everything.
Step 3. Find a suitable power supply
Your power supply voltage must also match and be able to handle the number of pedals you currently and will have.
- For example, if you currently have 10 pedals all of which require 9 volts of power, get a 9 volt power supply capable of powering 10 pedals or more.
- If you have one pedal that is 12 volts, look for a power supply that will allow you to isolate the pedals to prevent 12 volts from flowing through other pedals that require other power.
Step 4. Use a compact patch cord
Even if you need to leave some space between the pedals on the pedal board to avoid crowding, it's a good idea to stick with super-short patch cords to maintain sound quality.
- Choose cables with angled plugs instead of straight ones to reduce the space the cables take up.
- If the tools are available, you can easily cut the cable yourself, which will save you money and ensure the length of the cable meets the needs of your setup.
- Do not use black wires because they can get lost on stage and any damage and defects are not easily visible.
Step 5. Attach the pedal to the board using Velcro
Since the order of the pedals will be changed to change the pitch of the guitar, non-permanent solutions like velcro are ideal for mounting the pedals to the board so they don't move easily.
- Especially if you use a lot of pedals, it's a good idea to position them so that the position of the pedals can be changed between the front and back rows of the pedal board. Thus, the pedals can be distinguished more easily so that they are not stepped on wrongly when performing on stage.
- Make sure the pedals are used most often so that they are easily reached by the feet.
- Don't forget that the position of the pedals on the board doesn't have to follow exactly the set of signals that it composes. However, it is best to follow as much as possible to reduce the length of the patch cord.
