where to put new octave pedal

Lumpy Waters · Post by **Lumpy Waters** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 3:53 am

I recently picked up a TC Electronic Sub n' Up octave pedal, can't decide where I should put it. I'm using it with an old Gallien Krueger rackmount preamp and trying to ditch my compressor and dirt pedals and use the compressor and dirty channel of the preamp. In the effects loop, with some gain going on, the Sub n' Up gets a bit shrieky, but sounds great on the clean channel. Going guitar straight into Sub n Up, then into preamp, it sounds muddier with some gain and compression. I'm starting to think maybe I should dig up the compressor pedal and go compressor->octave->distortion, but then I'm back to the compressor pedal I was hoping to ditch. Anyway, I'm wondering what order seems to work best for most, octave->comp->dist, comp->dist->octave, or comp->octave->dist?

Post by **Doog** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 8:18 am

Before your distortion source is typical usage reeeeally, although Tom Morello uses his Whammy in his amp fx loop, there's obviously no 'rules' to this stuff.

To be honest, the Sub N Up is quite a dark sounding octaver (I've looked into it for some time to replace my Micro POG), and maintains a lot of low end in the lower octaver so I'm not sure how you're gonna make it sound less 'muddy' without just tweaking EQ settings a little bit? The Micro POG is definitely a bit brighter and squeakier, maybe that'd work better for you?

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Brandon W · Post by **Brandon W** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 2:41 pm

i've moved them around and while it's always different, i can't tell where it sounds "better".. like doog said, work the eq to get rid of the mud

Brandon W · Post by **Brandon W** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 2:43 pm

also, as i've always heard but only began applying lately, always begin by using the eq to subtract instead of adding..

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 3:05 pm

Doog wrote:Before your distortion source is typical usage reeeeally, although Tom Morello uses his Whammy in his amp fx loop, there's obviously no 'rules' to this stuff.

To be honest, the Sub N Up is quite a dark sounding octaver (I've looked into it for some time to replace my Micro POG), and maintains a lot of low end in the lower octaver so I'm not sure how you're gonna make it sound less 'muddy' without just tweaking EQ settings a little bit? The Micro POG is definitely a bit brighter and squeakier, maybe that'd work better for you?

[youtube][/youtube]

at 5:22 he starts playing the coda riff to CITY HALL!!!

yesssss!@!!!!!!

5:12 in

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robroe · Post by **robroe** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 3:09 pm

this ear of mine is a fucking curse for riffz identification

George · Post by **George** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 3:19 pm

my pitch shifter goes straight after my univibe before any buffers (so second in chain). it seems to blend best there with the least amount of noise as putting a buffered pedal before it adds too much high end when engaged. really its up to you, and its cool to experiment putting it between or after drive pedals for synthy tones

in your situation i would try comp>octave>dist if the comp is unbuffered, or octave>comp>dist if it is buffered. i haven't tried a comp and an octave together, but i imagine you'd want comp before octave if you're looking to control the wet/dry mix of the different octaves

Brandon W · Post by **Brandon W** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 5:13 pm

actually i can't put mine in front of the phaser or reverb because they are all together..

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:19 pm

I like my octave pedal after my overdrives but before modulation. I think it gets too muddy before overdrive.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:33 pm

Doog wrote:although Tom Morello uses his Whammy in his amp fx loop, there's obviously no 'rules' to this stuff.

Whaaa???

Massive fanboi but didn't know this. I put mine first, as it happens.

Post by **Doog** » Sun Dec 11, 2016 4:26 pm

Bacchus wrote:
Doog wrote:although Tom Morello uses his Whammy in his amp fx loop, there's obviously no 'rules' to this stuff.
Whaaa???

Massive fanboi but didn't know this. I put mine first, as it happens.

Yeah man, all of his effects are in the loop, hence why his wah stuff sounds so extreme.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Sun Dec 11, 2016 4:32 pm

Might start experimenting with effects loop. I've never, ever put anything in the loop, always in front of the amp.

Brandon W · Post by **Brandon W** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 10:11 pm

Bacchus wrote:Might start experimenting with effects loop. I've never, ever put anything in the loop, always in front of the amp.

oh you're missing out.. it's even more options.. i have some effects in the loop and some in front and sometimes i'll do stereo going to different amps .. the ehx sitar pedal blows my mind set up like this.. the drone strings only go out to one amp and everything else to another amp.. now i need an expression pedal because you can nail an even more realistic sitar sound with an expression pedal .. plus a shit load of sounds i've never heard before.. mind blown.. i put pedals that i can't place right in the chain in the loop