Practically everything in life has an order… and this also includes pedals. Logically As pedals modify different parameters of the guitar signal, if you place one pedal incorrectly before another, the original meaning of the effect will be lost or may cause problems. For example, putting a reverb at the beginning of the chain would make a super mess. .This is why it is essential to place your pedals in an order that makes sense. In this article, I am going to explain how to organize your guitar pedals in 5 stages. The order of the pedals by category is:
- Dynamic effects
- Filters and shifters
- Gain/saturation effects
- Modulation pedals
- Time effects
Order of guitar pedals
1. Dynamic effects
In the first position of all we have the dynamic effects.
Dynamic effects are those that process the dynamic range of the audio.
In the case of pedals, the best known are the compressor and the noise gate/remover. These two pedals are the ones that should go at the beginning of the chain, since they make signal processing adjustments In the case of the compressor, it reduces the gap between the loudest and softest sound, so that it sounds more balanced. And the noise gate helps remove the noises produced by the guitar pickups. Also if you have a pedal volume, it should go in this position. Since it would replace the function of the volume knob on your guitar.
2. Filters and shifters
Once you have the guitar signal clean and balanced, it’s time to apply the filters.
The filters include an equalizer (EQ) that helps increase or decrease low, medium and bass frequencies.
And on the other hand, also the pedals known in English as “shifters” which would include octaves, pitch shifters and harmonizers. All of these pedals are what change the tone and frequencies of the guitar. This is why it is essential to send them immediately after the compressed signal.
3. Gain effects
After adjusting the guitar signal and tones, it is time to place the gain pedals. The reason is quite deducible, only after having the signal and tone established, will we need to put effects that enhance the guitar. In This category includes overdrive, distortion and fuzz pedals. Some guitarists often place a boost before these pedals to boost the guitar signal. So that it reaches the end with more force, but only if you feel it is necessary on your pedalboard.
4. Modulation Pedals
Modulation pedals are those that precisely “modulate” some parameters of the guitar audio.
Within modulation we have chorus, flanger, phaser, vibrato and tremolo.
All modulation effects duplicate the guitar audio and modify a signal with different parameters. For this same reason, it is accepted that it is advisable to place the modulation pedals after the dynamics, filters and gain. If you duplicate the signal before, for example, a compressor, the chain would become confusing.
5. Time effects
Finally we have the time effects: the delay and the reverb. The delay is an effect that duplicates the track and delays it to generate that delay effect. On the other hand, the reverb is an effect that simulates environments and It greatly increases the depth of the guitar. Traditionally the delay is placed first and then at the end of everything, the reverb. This is mostly accepted because in this way we obtain a clearer delay sound. If you reverse the position, the reverb will become cloudier and muddier. Still, you can try if it is what you are looking for.
Considerations for organizing your guitar pedals
So, this is the list to order your guitar pedals in a logical sense. But you have to keep in mind that also by altering the order of some of the pedals, you can obtain other sounds. Therefore, it is not a fixed rule either. That is, this order is so that the audio is balanced in a rational way. But still, you can try different combinations and hear how it sounds. If it sounds good, why worry? Of course there are pedals that, if placed incorrectly, can generate unwanted noises… in that case, check this list again.