Signal-Chain

[caption id="attachment_1439" align="alignright" width="215"] Mad Professor Ruby Red Booster Effects Pedal[/caption] An effects pedal signal chain is simply the order in which a series of pedals are connected. If you have ever seen a player use a pedal board, the order of his pedals make up his signal chain. And if by some chance you thought that you can simply place these pedals in any sort of order and still get the same results – think again! Even if you’re just working with two pedals, you will get a different sound depending on the order.   Let’s suppose we are using two very common effects pedals – a wah-wah and distortion. Distortion followed by wah will give you an overstated, thick, duck-like quacking sound while placing the wah before the distortion will give you a much more subtle (more importantly, musical) tone. Now, for most players, deciding what should go where on a signal chain simply came through trial and error along with a good dose of common knowledge. And while a player’s signal chain should be his or her own, those of you out there new to creating a solid signal chain can benefit from some of the general 'rule of thumb' type of advice that can get you started in the right direction. First of all, a good way to begin figuring out the best possible setup for creating an effects chain is by understanding the relationship between a guitar’s signal, the way effects  are applied, and the amp that will decipher the sound. Continue reading →