Dirt pedals gone bad

RVA

RVA

Ambassador
Mates,

I recently reconfigured my pedal board, which included a loop switcher. This cleaned up a lot of excess noise issues. However, it seems that since that time, about 2/3 of my dirt pedals sound horrible. Basically, they are cut in volume output, always oversaturated, and make the reverb expand to a very unpleasant tunnel effect. This is especially true of the fuzz pedals, but includes OD and distortion also. It happens with the dirt pedals before or after reverb.

I am at a loss. Please help!
 
RVA said:
Mates,

I recently reconfigured my pedal board, which included a loop switcher. This cleaned up a lot of excess noise issues. However, it seems that since that time, about 2/3 of my dirt pedals sound horrible. Basically, they are cut in volume output, always oversaturated, and make the reverb expand to a very unpleasant tunnel effect. This is especially true of the fuzz pedals, but includes OD and distortion also. It happens with the dirt pedals before or after reverb.

I am at a loss. Please help!
Click to expand...

Can you describe the offending pedals by name???

I've had all my pedals - with the exception of the TS-9 - nodded for quiet operation by Modest Mike.
 
It is almost all of them, which include - clone fuzz, One Control Baltic blue fuzz, Bad Monkey, clone Honey Bee, etc. - Maybe te Timmy is OK. They are not noisy. They just seem over saturated and blow my reverb up.
 
RVA said:
It is almost all of them, which include - clone fuzz, One Control Baltic blue fuzz, Bad Monkey, clone Honey Bee, etc. - Maybe te Timmy is OK. They are not noisy. They just seem over saturated and blow my reverb up.
Click to expand...

I understand. I would suggest giving Modest Mike or the fellow at Wampler a shout. I know Mike has mentioned correcting effect levels on pedals in past discussions...
 
RVA said:
Mates,

I recently reconfigured my pedal board, which included a loop switcher. This cleaned up a lot of excess noise issues. However, it seems that since that time, about 2/3 of my dirt pedals sound horrible. Basically, they are cut in volume output, always oversaturated, and make the reverb expand to a very unpleasant tunnel effect. This is especially true of the fuzz pedals, but includes OD and distortion also. It happens with the dirt pedals before or after reverb.

I am at a loss. Please help!
Click to expand...

Do they still sound good on their own out in front of the amp?

What's the signal path?
 
think i got 8 in a line on OD board. Ended up putting a cheap buffer at end & a good cable to amp. I read somewhere to try that.Its very quiet at idle even all goosed up, The other day had this crazy moise noise pop out of nowhere, & nothing sounded right at all, Started with each pedal & sure enough 1 of my short cables was the culprit.
 
gball said:
Do they still sound good on their own out in front of the amp?

What's the signal path?
Click to expand...
Since I installed the loopers, the signal path is minimal, and they each sound bad on their own.

I am going to try messing with my amp eq settings tonight. I have dialed the low end in and treble and mids down on most. That seems to be the most likely culprit right now
 
BFT Gibson said:
think i got 8 in a line on OD board. Ended up putting a cheap buffer at end & a good cable to amp. I read somewhere to try that.Its very quiet at idle even all goosed up, The other day had this crazy moise noise pop out of nowhere, & nothing sounded right at all, Started with each pedal & sure enough 1 of my short cables was the culprit.
Click to expand...
I have a buffer in the loop and a very decent tone with no dirt and other effects
 
syscokid said:
Daaaang, RVA... Me thinks your Room of Sonic Mayhem is haunted... :ohno:
Click to expand...
So I played with my EQ settings on varios amps. Since I have been going for the Dumble sound, everything was dialed in bass heavy. A more normal EQ helped, maybe even solved, the expanded reverb and mudd issues. However, I was still not very happy. Since I have been playing more with "touch sensitive" amps, and depending on natural breakup or a quality OD channel, it may be that pedal od/fuzz/distortion seems "fake" or a bit overdone at the moment. This is exacerbated at higher volumes, where it is added to the natural breakup and saturation increases.

I need to reset my head!
 
I had 3 buffers in front
- TC Polytune Mini 3 with bona-fide buffer, set for display always on
- Empress Buffer +, which I was using for its outstanding clean boost
- AMT Little Loudmouth 2

I got rid if the AMT and the Empress with great benefit. I tried the TC in True Bypass mode, but it was not having any effect as the only buffer, so I put it back in buffer mode.

Onward till the next issue arises!!
 
Last edited:
RVA said:
I had 3 buffers in front
- TC Polytune Mini 3 with bona-fide buffer, set for display always on
- Empress Buffer +, which I was using for its outstanding clean boost
- AMT Little Loudmouth 2

I got rid if the AMT and the Empress with great benefit. I tried the TC in True Bypass mode, but it was not having any effect as the only buffer, so I put it back in buffer mode.

Onward till the next issue arises!!
Click to expand...
Info link:

Analog Man Buffer Pedal

www.analogman.com

Analogman:
Where you don't want a buffer
Some pedals like the vintage circuits of a Fuzz Face or Rangemaster won't work well with a buffer or buffered pedal before them. The buffer won't let them do their "clean up" magic and can make them sound brittle. Put buffers or buffered bypass pedals AFTER these.
 
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