Pedal board order with Vox Stomplab g2 added

[slope]

I got a new toy a Vox stomplab G2 multi effect box. So far a lot of fun, but it can maybe over complicate things a bit too. There are a lot of different sounds, effects and to top it all one can make 20 own sounds.
So I would like to be able to use the pass thru for when I just know I can make the sound I need fast and easy with the other pedals. Over time when I get more used to the Vox stomplab I might use only that one.

Other pedals I got:

Tuner
Noise Gate
Distortion
Overdrive
Delay

The vox got tuner built in so I could probably loose the tuner pedal?

How will the Vox Stomplab fit into the chain of pedals? Sometimes the vox will be used, other times just pass thru.

[palico]

The order will depend on what you plan to use the Vox for. Your typcially chain:
Wah > Noise Gate > Gain/Distortion > Modulation > Delay > Reverb

Modulation>Delay>Verb all might or might not be in the effects loop of the amp depending of it the amp has one or desired sound.
Since the Vox is multi-effect how to you plan on using it? If for Modulation effects (chorus, tremolo, flanger etc...) likely would put after the overdrive and distortion before the delay. Maybe in the effects loop of the amp if desired. In the effects loop you never want to use any gain stuff, so might be better in front of the amp so you could use it for distortion or something if wanted but seeing you ave a overdrive and distortion maybe you not going to use for that. If you looking for VH type of Phaser sound I like that in front of any gain (although behind isn't bad just different). So kind of all depends on what you intend the pedal to do, since it can do many different things.

My initial thought would be
Tuner
Gate
Overdrive
Distortion
Vox
Delay.

[slope]

Thx. The thing is where we practice now we only have access to PA, Mixer and plain power amps. So we can't rely on classic amps like Marshall or Peavy or whathaveyou.
That was the reason I got the Vox box to be able to make more noise. However we got some ground isolation, or electrical wire problem or something causing hum, static and various odd noise that is not wanted. I know for my part sound got cleaned up surprisingly well with the Noise Gate.

I've only brought the Vox with me to practice one time yet, but on some of the sounds it seems the vox box actually adds some unwanted noise as well, so that lead me to think maybe the vox should be in front of the noise gate. What do you think, will noise gate take away from the noise we actually want from the vox box?

Also the Vox got a Wah, as wah is new to me I have not really played around much with it before. So I am not sure how a wah effect the sound. I mean I know how the wah sounds as pedal goes up and down, but what is happening behind the curtains? Will the wah sound bad if put in front of noise gate?

I will try you suggestions on next practice, I guess testing and playing around is the only sure thing. Unless someone got kind of similar setup? Or even people with Vox stomplab might weigh in and let me know if the vox replaced your other pedals or if you placed the vox in a multi pedal setup?

[palico]

Ah so you are using the Vox for full Amp simulation, I'm familiar with Line 6 amp sim but not so much with Vox.

The noise gate can likely really go anywhere. I like it up front. The reason is what a noise gate does it basically turn on and off the guitar signal at the set threshold. That's why it's called a gate. If the input level gets above the Threshold DB it opens the gate and lets the signal through. If it drops below it shuts the gate keeping the signal out. It doesn't actually reduce any noise while you are playing. So position of the gate in the chain is not as important. I like it up front as I find it easiest to set there where there is nothing but a guitar signal (okay maybe a wah).

A wah is basically a spike EQ filter you move around creating the effect. Really a simple device. When using a normal pedal wah you want it up front. The sound on many many hard rock albums (Hammett from Metallica is heavy user of this) is a wah into distortion (either amp or pedal or both). With a version like you have on the Vox, you don't have to worry too much.

The ideal setup for some mixed pedal and a amp modeler would be to put the pedals in the effects loop of the modeler and then use it to set if they are before or after the model of the amp. In this case that Vox unit only has a input and output so no dice on that one.

So Tuner first, which is also a nice mute switch.
Next I would go Noise gate, but it can really go about anywhere in the chain.
Now the hard ones. The gain effects. I think I would try them up here, because they really need to go in front of the modeled amp. After they will likely sound like trash. But they will end up in front of the wah, if you try to use it. Since the Vox unit has some items label "Metal" "Hard Core" etc... maybe you don't use these? Depends on which you think sounds best.
Lastly I want delay after all gain effects, so I want it after the Vox. You can put a delay in front of amp, in the old days that how everyone did it as there was no other option, it just creates a different sound.

You likely have duplicates of the most of the pedal effects you have on that Vox, so at least for practice do you even need any of them? Aside from the tuner and it might have one of those too. Again I don't know the particular Vox unit you have. You might try asking this on forum for Vox as it would have people experienced with the exact unit.

As for your PA, that sounds like a grounding issue. However if the amps are under powered for the volume level or speakers they are pushing they can get noisy as well. If it's grounding issue some units have ground lift that is useful for it. Although be careful with ground loop problems. The extra ground is for your protection from shock. It's not common but people have been shocked by wiring issues where you have mis-wired plug. Usually the shock is minor and more annoying that anything, they can get to deadly levels.

[Chris.Liepe]

I'd set up the Stomplab as a dry, clean amp sim and run it LAST in the chain.
Tuner - Overdrive - Distortion - Noise Gate - Delay. THEN, if you tune things right, you can use reverbs, other delays and mod effects in the G2 and use WITH your pedals in this order. Just make sure, as a general rule, you don't put delays, reverbs or mod effects in front of your gain effects. Hope this helps!

[palico]

I'd set up the Stomplab as a dry, clean amp sim and run it LAST in the chain.
Tuner - Overdrive - Distortion - Noise Gate - Delay. THEN, if you tune things right, you can use reverbs, other delays and mod effects in the G2 and use WITH your pedals in this order. Just make sure, as a general rule, you don't put delays, reverbs or mod effects in front of your gain effects. Hope this helps!

Why put that delay in front of it? So you have a delay (pedal) in front of the amp (sim) and use one in the unit for post?

[Chris.Liepe]

ya just a bit of flexibility. The assumption when using the delay before the "amp" is that the amp would be clean. But it gives you some options if you want to do some interesting things with delay pre drive and you have the option this way

[palico]

ya just a bit of flexibility. The assumption when using the delay before the "amp" is that the amp would be clean. But it gives you some options if you want to do some interesting things with delay pre drive and you have the option this way

Yea I could see that, my thoughts were mainly around thinking the delay pedal is going to be better delay than what is in the sim, so using that in the post position.

[Chris.Liepe]

from what I know of the stomp lab, it doesn't have an FX loop in it anyway (might b mistaken?) so of course, if you're using it with an amp sim that DOES have a loop, put it there for sure