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Issue when using delay and reverb effects

Gadge

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
Messages
43
For as long as I can remember ive always wrestled with delay and reverb effects and trying to prevent the original guitar tone from becoming lost in the wall off sound the delay and reverb create.

If I hold a chord and play each string one at a time I can clearly hear my pick touch the string and each note individually but as soon as I hit the delay and/or reverb I lose that and its replaced with a very muffled note, so I drop the bass a bit and that helps a little but I now dont have enough bass.

Is there a certain technique to make sure the original signal stays the same and doesnt get absorbed so much?
Thanks, any suggestions welcome ive tried lots of things.

My effects chain is guitar - compressor - compressor - Phaser - Chorus - Delay - Reverb - GEQ

I thought about using Gilmours technique of splitting the signal and using just wet delay signal and a volume pedal but would this do what im trying to achieve?
 

sonar

New member
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
3,589
What brand of pedals are you using?

Two compressors? Is one an always on pedal?

What Amp?

Single coils or humbuckers?

Do you play clean, dirty or saturated gain?

Blues? Roots? Classic rock? Metal?

More information will give us a better understanding and maybe a solution.
 

Gadge

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
Messages
43
What brand of pedals are you using?

Two compressors? Is one an always on pedal?

What Amp?

Single coils or humbuckers?

Do you play clean, dirty or saturated gain?

Blues? Roots? Classic rock? Metal?

More information will give us a better understanding and maybe a solution.

Mxr comp, GLX comp, TC Electronics Phaser, zoom ms70 for delay and reverb.

To be honest there was a time many years ago I found a way to achieve this, I think I had the ability to just hear the wet signal from both delay and reverb but I cant remember for sure so long ago.

Im using 2 comps because its giving me the kind of squawky tone im looking for that suits the Phaser well without using distortion pedals that are too harsh, id prefer a booster then compressor but done have a booster yet.

Charvel Charvette humbucker pickup

This is very clean with just a hint of gain to give it a boost but not enough to be dirty.

Marshal DSL401 amp

Blues rock
 

Gadge

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
Messages
43
Just a guess but maybe I need to do this?

guitar - compressor - compressor - Phaser - Chorus - Amp input/send - Wet Delay - Wet Reverb - GEQ - Amp return

haha just realised after posting that wont work, that would just give you a wet signal. I think the answer is this but Id prefer to avoid all this.

guitar - compressor - compressor - Phaser - Chorus - Line Splitter - Amp1 - Mixer
-Line splitter - Wet Delay - Wet Reverb - GEQ - Amp2 - Mixer

I currently have a stereo setup and already using 2 amps and I could try this but none of my delay pedals offer just wet signal.
 
Last edited:

sonar

New member
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
3,589
Have you tried putting your time based effects through the amp effects loop?
 

Gadge

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
Messages
43
Have you tried putting your time based effects through the amp effects loop?

No but after thinking about it that would work, but ive managed to find a delay effect on the zoom pedal that has just a wet output and tried doing it the way I suggested above and its working well, definitely makes the dry signal more prominent when you have a second dry signal cutting through the delay repeats.
 

marshall1987

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
3,278
Absolutely be sure to utilize the amp's effects loop (if so equipped) for your digital/analog delay, and chorus effects. I'm not sure I would run reverb through an effects loop. But the modulation and time effects will benefit. That will increase the S/N ratio dramatically!

I would loose the 2nd compressor and replace it with an overdrive if that's what it is being used for.
 

Gadge

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
Messages
43
Absolutely be sure to utilize the amp's effects loop (if so equipped) for your digital/analog delay, and chorus effects. I'm not sure I would run reverb through an effects loop. But the modulation and time effects will benefit. That will increase the S/N ratio dramatically!

I would loose the 2nd compressor and replace it with an overdrive if that's what it is being used for.

The only problem I have with FX loop (on my amp at least) is modulation effects lose their intensity and become very subtle, but its been a long time so I will try it out thanks.

I have removed the 2nd compressor, I had a problem, after about 30 minutes of use the MXR compressor started to give a weird quiet gargling noise, no idea whats going on there, maybe a component inside is overheating after a while.
 

grimlyflick

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
Messages
1,276
Try phaser and chorus before the amp, delay/reverb in the loop.

And lose one of the compressors.

:salude
 

Mini Forklift Ⓥ

New member
Joined
Sep 18, 2018
Messages
69
I'd try sticking the delay in the FX Loop if your amp has one. For me, my delay (Strymon Volante) is right at the end of the chain and that works great:

OavjP9kl.jpg


If it was a smaller more basic pedal that I was running it would go in the FX Loop and I'd use it as an 'always on' pedal; a number of delay pedals can give a really nice boost aside to the delay itself :)
 

Gadge

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
Messages
43
I'd try sticking the delay in the FX Loop if your amp has one. For me, my delay (Strymon Volante) is right at the end of the chain and that works great:

OavjP9kl.jpg


If it was a smaller more basic pedal that I was running it would go in the FX Loop and I'd use it as an 'always on' pedal; a number of delay pedals can give a really nice boost aside to the delay itself :)

Thanks guys im using the FX loop now. The guitar is definitely more audible above the delay. I read years ago FX loops are not the best on Marshalls and I noticed that myself but its good for this purpose.
 
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