Multieffect Order Recommendation

[Beo]

I'm building a modulation multieffect pedal into a studiomaster mixer enclosure, it's about 17 inches wide by 13 inches deep. Right now I'm auditioning different circuits, and I haven't 100% committed to the current list. Right now, the effects are Tap Tempo Echo Base (using TTG taptation), Little Angle Chorus (may opt for CE-2 or Small Clone), Causality 6 Phaser, Tri-Vibe Vibrato, MXR EF autowah and Tap Tempo Tremolo. Here's the layout I have so far for the switches and knobs:



I plan on using switching jacks so that I can change the order or jumper bypass effects (e.g route through echobase repeats fx loop). However, I'd like the default order to be decent, so normally I wouldn't need any patch cables plugged in. The effect order does not have to match the layout order. (This is helpful as it's tricky to manage the spacing of the stomp switches and knob panel layouts).

Anyways, Delay, Chorus, Phaser, Vibrato, Autowah, Tremolo. What default order would you recommend for these effects?

Thanks,
Travis

[Mark Hammer]

No order whatsoever.   But that's me.

Personally, I think you're best off with a bunch of jacks along the rear skirt and some short patch cords.  The thing is that you may want to be able to insert other things like distortions or EQ between these "modules", or perhaps use a splitter to run two of those effects as separate stereo outputs.

[digi2t]

First off.... NICE!!! It sorta, kinda looks like a bastard child of a Pete Cornish board, and a Ground Control.

As for the order, I think that's going to be a trial and error process. I would tend to think that you'll have to spend some time, and mix and match your effect order, until your ears say "YEAH Baby!!!".

I wonder if you could make a board with DIP switches to set the order? I'm thinking of the Octa-switch right now. Not quite the same thing, but I'm just thinking out loud.

Cheers.

[jkokura]

I wouldn't quite do a patch for every effect, but I would definately throw some loops in there.

Order is a pretty interesting thing. There's lots of 'expert' advice out there, but I try to recommend to people to remember that whatever order you put your pedals in be experimented with.

For instance - we all know Delay and Reverb go at the END of the order right? Well I was jamming with a guy recently who had never heard the rules for pedal board order and simply put pedals down where he found them easiest to get to. It meant that he had a DD3 first in his chain before a Boss Distortion Feedbacker unit, a tremolo and a bunch of other stuff before a reverb pedal used to the max. He came up with some CRAZY sounds.

But back to the point. Conventional ordering wisdom would put them: Autowah, Phaser, Tremolo, Vibrato, Chorus, Delay. HOWEVER, I would generally put an Autowah and a Phaser before my gain pedals on my pedal board, and I may also want to put other effects between my Tremolo and Vibrato, and between my Chorus and Delay. So I would build it thusly:

Autowah, Phaser, Effects loop using switching jacks, Tremolo, Effects loop, Vibrato, Chorus, Effects Loop, Delay.

Good day,

Jacob

[Beo]

Thanks for the feedback. I will definitely use switching jacks for each effect, and this will allow me to switch order, split stereo/parallel, or insert other fx loops/pedals. A lot of testing will be needed, not just to be sure I like the sounds with the final order, but also to make sure the effects play nice with each other (impedance, clipping, noise, LFO ticks, etc).

Does anyone think it would be annoying to have the physical switch/knob layout (left to right) different from the electrical order? I could try arrange the physical layout to match electrical, but I'd likely lose the aesthetic symmetry of the enclosure layout and it might be trickier to stomp.

[jkokura]

Because of the nature of wiring you can wire it any which way you want inside! If you like the symmetry outside, use that. It's really what matters. Inside however, you can make the order anything you want! I have done it for larger multi effect pedals, just so you're aware.

Jacob