Help with my guitar rig: pedalboard issue

killthepixelnow

killthepixelnow

Do it right or dont do it
Hello guys, I've been using a pedal-board form a time now and although I like the way is set, I have some concerns that the order of the pedals might be hurting my signal. As you will see in the diagram below, I split my signal in order to use two amps instead of one. The issue is that from time to time, one signal goes completely off. I suspect the one using the Noise Gate (blue one in the diagram) is the culprit. Do you think is bad to use two noise suppressors? Any suggestions of what might I do?

Notes:
[1] I basically use the EQ as a boost for solos.
[2] The Delay, the Reverb and the Maximizer will sound better via the send and return of the amp, but this is how I have set it for now.
[3] I'm using high quality Oval and Mogami pedal couplers, so don't blame them.

pedalboard_002.jpg pedalboard_001.gif

Thanks in advance!
 
The way you have the initial guitar signal going to NS1...and then you re-feed it back to NS1, while also splitting off a second feed to NS2...I dunno, just an odd way to hook that up, IMO.

If I was going to run my guitar to two amps, and have some pedals between the guitar and each amp...the first thing I would do is split my guitar signal using an A/B splitter....not a noise suppressor.


Then you can have straight signal chain for each amp, instead of all the send/split/return stuff.

There's just something messy in your signal chains...and I don't mean that as personal shot, just saying there's a better way to do it, IMO.

Split the guitar signal into two...and then decide what you want on each leg of the split, with no "mixing" between them.

Start with something like this...and you may not even need the noise suppressors, since this has hum elimination options.

Radial BigShot™ ABY - True Bypass Switcher
 
I've always thought the noise gate goes at the start of the chain (no sound from guitar, it turns things off), and the noise suppressor goes at the end of of the chain, to quiet any noise from the pedals.
 
Well, your approach sounds good in theory. However, as you can see I'm using an OD and a distortion pedal for both channels. How can this work out with a switch pedal. In that case, I would need to purchase another OD and another distortion to have independent distorted signals. Let me know your thoughts on that
 
mjbphotos said:
I've always thought the noise gate goes at the start of the chain (no sound from guitar, it turns things off), and the noise suppressor goes at the end of of the chain, to quiet any noise from the pedals.
Click to expand...

Hmmm... perhaps that is what is not working on my chain. When I turn the volume down between songs, maybe the noise gate turns things off and therefore my sound is gone.
 
killthepixelnow said:
Well, your approach sounds good in theory. However, as you can see I'm using an OD and a distortion pedal for both channels. How can this work out with a switch pedal. In that case, I would need to purchase another OD and another distortion to have independent distorted signals. Let me know your thoughts on that
Click to expand...

Well then stick everything you use for both amps, right after the guitar...and then split the signal...then add what you want extra for each amp leg.

I still think you can clean up that setup without doing that send/split/return thing all through the noise suppressor. I think there's something odd happening to the signal with that setup...but go with what you think is best.


killthepixelnow said:
Hmmm... perhaps that is what is not working on my chain. When I turn the volume down between songs, maybe the noise gate turns things off and therefore my sound is gone.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but then when you turn up your volume, it should/would open again...unless you have your gate threshold wrong.
 
miroslav said:
Well then stick everything you use for both amps, right after the guitar...and then split the signal...then add what you want extra for each amp leg.
Click to expand...

OK, that makes sense: putting all my effects before the AB splitter and then adding extra layers where required.

miroslav said:
I still think you can clean up that setup without doing that send/split/return thing all through the noise suppressor
Click to expand...
I still think I need to do that routing to clean up the noise. In fact, I did that because I read about the correct use of the Boss Noise Suppressor: the guitar signal must go out via the SEND output and pass through all the noisy pedals, go back to the RETURN input and then through the OUTPUT. In the end, I will have something like this:

pedalboard_003.gif
 
Unless you also want all the switching capabilities, you shouldn't need anything special to split the signal after the noise suppressor. A y-cable would work just as well.
 
Yeah...but it's kinda hard stepping on a "Y-cable" to make it switch between amps or combine them. :)
Plus, the Radial switcher give you a few more options that can quite useful.
 
miroslav said:
(...)the Radial switcher give you a few more options that can quite useful.
Click to expand...
Like the ground noise reduction and the phase flip. That last feature would come in handy since I noticed my sound got a bit thin when I connected two amps at the same time.
 
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