Hopefully this is a slightly different spin on the type of question that has been asked previously. If not, I'm going to play the "sorry I'm a newbie" card again.
Over the years I've used setups ranging from pedals, multi-fx units, rack gear and various combinations of these. However, there's always an ideal set of the sound/effects I aim for. Sometimes I have to make compromises, but this is my ideal setup, without giving actual product names.
In sequence:
1) Tuner
2) Compressor
3) Wah (actually combined with the Volume Pedal, but at this point in the chain when selected)
4) Overdrive
*5) Distortion (a higher level of distortion than the overdrive)
* 6) Noise Gate
7) Volume Pedal
8) Slap (86ms)
9) Delay (306ms)
10) Chorus
11) Boost (set depending on the gig, but usually 6dB to take all sounds to lead level)
12) Semi boost (set to 3dB to give things a slight lift or for background fills)
13) Reverb
14) Clean amplifier
*Edit: 4) and 5) are actually the other way around, which I spotted when it was pointed out by Phil_aka_PipFor some songs, I engage the Boost(s) and Overdrive and ride the guitar volume to go from low crunch to lead (i.e. the old way). On rare occasions I might use an octaver, whammy pedal and intelligent harmoniser.
Without giving actual product names, what's your optimum sound/effects
set up for live gigs, either as individual sounds or presets.
It's not a competition.
Comments
http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb376/musophilr/PedalboardMkIV.jpg
Main diffferences My equivalents of your 4 & 5 are reversed, ie the low distortion follows the high distortion. Not saying yours is wrong, but I like mine this way round enough to recommend you to try it.
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
I have trouble with big boards and usually gravitate towards a tuner, overdrive and delay. All the rest I get from the guitar knobs or adjusting the delay time with my foot.
So do you rely on the soundman? Although I do some gigs where I'm mic'd, I've not had the luxury of a regular fulltime soundman.
@Phil_aka_Pip
You're correct. I wrote the order of 4) and 5) incorrectly. I've edited my OP. When stacking it sounds better to me to have the low drive after the high drive. But I don't stack with my current setup because the distortion is pretty full on as it is.
@slacker
In the band I play for, the other guitarist uses the guitar knob approach, but what he calls clean I would call crunch. He gets a great sound that way and our sounds compliment each other.
My Pedalboard goes, Tuner - Wah - Compressor in the front of the amp.
Chorus - Delay - Volume boost pedal in the loop.
That's all I need for all of the gigs I do.
My amp is a Koch Studiotone XL combo, which is a 3 channel amp. (Clean, OD & OD+).
The compressor is on for all clean parts and usually off for rhythm parts with overdrive. I have the OD channel set up for a nice medium gain crunch with the volume on the guitar full up, I can then vary the amount of gain using the volume on the guitar.
I can then kick in the the compressor on this channel to boost the gain, giving me a lovely Lead tone, I can also switch in the OD+ channel on the amp to add even more gain if needed.
Chorus and delay come in and out depending on the song, and the boost pedal for a slight volume boost on lead parts.
http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr6/kennedydream/Pedalboard%20Feb2016_2.jpg
Bandcamp
Spotify, Apple et al