boost before/after delay?

[Moe45673]

Okay, so I am getting a boss dd-20.

I want to know, do I put my clean boost before or after it? Will the DD-20 eat up some of the volume boost that I use my booster for?

It will be much easier for me to put it before, as that is how my pedalboard is arranged, but if I must, I'll put it after.

*edit* I guess I can set up the dd-20 to go into my effects loop. Another question, then:

I use lava cables. I have two 20 ft planet waves cables from my previous life. Will using these two cables in the effect loop degrade from my dry signal?

also, my amp can be set for +4 or -10 in the effects loop. I know the dd-20 can be set like this as well. Does it make a difference?

Finally, and this is a noob question, is there really such a difference between the dd-20 in the effects loop or just in ones signal?

 

[fr8_trane]

I want to know, do I put my clean boost before or after it? Will the DD-20 eat up some of the volume boost that I use my booster for?

In general you want your booster to be the last pedal in the chain. The reason being that what ever is after the booster becomes the limiting factor. For example it is very possible that the DD-20 does not have enough headroom to cleanly handle your boost level. So what happens when the DD-20 runs out of headroom? Digital distortion - which you want to avoid at all costs! By the same token overdriving the input of your TUBE AMP sounds fantastic and is the whole point of boosters.

I have two 20 ft planet waves cables from my previous life. Will using these two cables in the effect loop degrade from my dry signal?

Its possible you would lose some hi end due to cable capacitance but I'm not sure you would notice. Are the Planet waves lo capacitance cables? If not who cares? Plug the damn thing in and play. The whole "tone suck" thing is WAAAAY overblown IMO. Lots of guitar players used 100' lengths of ****** cable back in the day and sounded fine.

also, my amp can be set for +4 or -10 in the effects loop. I know the dd-20 can be set like this as well. Does it make a difference?

+4 will give you better signal to noise ratio. In other words it will give you a cleaner signal with less noise. Definitely recommended for this application.

is there really such a difference between the dd-20 in the effects loop or just in ones signal?

Delays DO NOT sound good with distortion AFTER them. If you use pedals for all your OD needs you can put the DD in line after your dirt pedals for ease of use or in the FX loop for a cleaner signal - your choice. If you run your amp dirty or switch to a dirty channel often you would be better off keeping the DD in the FX loop.

 

[Moe45673]

Thanks for the informed response!

Guess I've gotta do a bit of rewiring now

I don't mind putting it in the effects loop, but the amp at the jam space I go to doesn't have one. For the record, all my ODs are in pedal form, and the DD-20 was gonna be last. I figured the boost will go after it, though.

Cheers!

*edit* YES! my board cables were long enough to do the rewiring without any further purchases.

New question: I'm going to put an ISP noise decimator last in my chain i.e. right after the boost. Will this eat up my boost at all?

 

[Moe45673]

*bump*

 

[fr8_trane]

Hmmm... I don't think a noise gate would hinder the boost since it only kicks in when the volume gets low. However, the headroom issues still apply and if the noise gate can't handle what your boost puts out it could distort in an ugly way. Try it before and after the boost and see what works. As a general rule I still like the boost to be the last pedal in the chain.

 

[Moe45673]

Yeah, I was thinkin about that too.

Also, I hear a noisegate after a delay is murder on the delay. luckily, my eq-20 (the last pedal before the dd-20 in logical order of signal flow) is at the end of my pedalboard, so I can hook it up with no problem as needed. I'm only using it as a "when I really need it" kinda thing, so it won't always be in my chain.

Thanks!

according to the specs on the website, the ISP can only take up to +9dBs, and my SCP goes up to 30 dBs (though I don't have it on that high). looks like a no-brainer here.

Or I can put the noise gate in the effects loop.

Okay, new question. If the noise gate is in the effects loop, won't it kill all hum/hiss/radio signal/whatever that comes before it, even if it's comign from my long-ass signal chain?

 

[fr8_trane]

Okay, new question. If the noise gate is in the effects loop, won't it kill all hum/hiss/radio signal/whatever that comes before it, even if it's comign from my long-ass signal chain?

Yes. Essentially the noise gate will create a "circuit breaker" between your preamp and power amp sections when used like this. However If you do this I would also put your delay in the FX loop AFTER the noise gate (or just put the gate between your OD's and delay in the chain). Long delay's or soft delays may allow the noise gate to kick in between repeats creating an unnatural choppy sound.

 

[Moe45673]

Thanks for the info, fr8. You've been very helpful

 

[Cranknfrank]

Folks,
If you can find the TQR with Robert Keeley featured, he has a great wealth of info on this subject. He's got a formula that he uses...cool stuff. But basically it's this.....Compressors first, then Wahs, next are distortion, etc., then boosts, etc., last in the chain are time-based effects....chorus, delay, etc.

If you have quality cables (George L's, etc.) and very clean power you should not need a noise gate. Look at the pedal boards of many top players....you won't see any noise gates...

 

[Moe45673]

I use lava cables and a godlyke powerall.

When I kick on my distortion, I still get a high-pitched humming, which my boost.....boosts.

And you can have the cleanest rig in the world and still play a club where you'll have more noise then I made when I was 14 and got 4 teeth drilled with no anesthetic.

Like I said, the noise gate is not on my board permanently, but it's nice to have it there for when I need it.