Distortion-Octaver or Octaver-Distortion?

[GREEN FUZ]

Quick question. I'm preparing to box a Red Llama and Green Ringer in the same enclosure. In series. Popular wisdom seems to suggest the distortion would go first in the chain but I thought I`d seek the forum`s thoughts and views before committing.

[Mark Hammer]

I have a board with a Distortion+ followed by a Scrambler.  Sounds decent.

The thing about both octave up and down is that both lean towards having a fairly steady input signal, albeit for slightly different reasons.  Just about all distortions will introduce some compression of their own, and also provide a sustained output signal, so that moves in the direction we want.  On my own Green Ringer, I stuck a booster stage in front, and that improved performance.

So, on both counts, you probably want to go distortion->octaver.  Just try to keep the tone smoothed and the treble tamed.  The other thing to consider is that the Green Ringer, like just about all octave-up units of its type, generates a lot of non-harmonic components, especially when you bend notes.  Trust me on this one that you would rather generate non-harmonic derivatives of the lower-order harmonics in the guitar signal than generate harmonics of the non-harmonic derivatives (sum and difference signals).

[GREEN FUZ]

That`s good enough for me. Many thanks.

[alex frias]

The Mr.Hammer answer is very well thought and makes a lot of sense.
But experimentation has given me a lot of interesting results... But not everytime.
Some perverted use of guitar fx's can be adictive, so be careful with those insane boxes stream.
I´ve tried an octavia style box before and after some distortions. It´s good after fuzzes and overdrives, but a serious killer before some kind of overdrive boxes, dirty channel tube amps and amp simulators like SansAmp line of pedals.

[g3rmanium]

Quick question. I'm preparing to box a Red Llama and Green Ringer in the same enclosure. In series. Popular wisdom seems to suggest the distortion would go first in the chain but I thought I`d seek the forum`s thoughts and views before committing.

With the Green Ringer I like some distortion first.

Sound clips Arion Tubulator -> Green Ringer

[alex frias]

I agree with you as some overdrive before the Green Ringer is a must. I've used a TS/FullDrive before it with excellent results, but IMHO, the RM Octavia is great with a mild good overdrive after it, it really screams out and the sustain is very rich in coloration.