Cheers for the honk guys! Re: Cali76, you hit the nail on the head Mick; it's not so much for sustain as it is to emulate that slight sag in an amp that's being pushed hard when in reality, I don't get chance to run my amps that hot all that frequently. The Cali76 is the only compression pedal I've found that does that whilst not robbing dynamic capability. Bloody brilliant pedal!
Howdy B&E and TPS.....same same. I was pretty blown away by this and am currently trying to find a comp for FX loop like you have demonstrated. I love it. Do you feel the 76 Stacked or Deluxe would be the play for this implementation. Thanks!
@@TapioHaanpera In general, compressor before dirt sounds better, but better is subjective. After dirt, it compresses more and sort of middies up the sound. Brian Wampler did a video about that. But in the end, it's what you prefer yourself that's best for you.
Muddy and thick are really close btw😚 I’m a bassist and run lots of effects at times and I run a guru optical comp at the end of my chain and set it to just grab when I dig in then I have a mxr micro amp right b4 the comp and I can thicken my tone up without level chain…. I only run nemesis delay last after the comp/boost so my delay tone/trails are not compromised
@@TapioHaanpera I’ve been using compression after (mostly for sustain) because it feels like it squashes the signal too much going into OD and loses attack.
Howdy Origin! This show has me trying to figure out which one of your comps I want to put into my loop to simulate tube sag/feel a lower volumes. Would you recommend your Stacked or Deluxe 76. Thanks so much!
My always on pedal for over a year now has been a Hudson Dual Broadcast on a light gain setting. It' reacts so well to guitar volume and picking dynamics, I love it.
Completely with you on this. I bought a Broadcast with intentions of using it as a 'lead tone', and using a klon clone as my always on. Ended up using the Broadcast always on, and selling the clone.
Thank you for mentioning that an active pedal is always buffered! There are so many explanations of buffers on forums and in videos that go through how great (or not great) buffers are, but they always fail to specifically mention that buffers only come into effect when the pedal is not turned on. Even if you have a pedalboard full of true bypass pedals, they *all* have to be bypassed in order for you to lose tone through the entire cable span.
Sorry to be that guy, but not all pedals are properly buffered when active. There are several pedals who take their output straight from the volume pot for example, meaning that their output impedance can be really high. Examples of this are earlier versions of the OCD and the Phase 90. Something like a Boss pedal leaves both the input and output buffers in circuit regardless of bypass state, which has both advantages and disadvantages.
Mines a mythos mjolnir. I bought it to use as part of my overdrive sound, fell in love with it so much I tailored all my sounds around it and never looked back. Greatest pedal I've ever bought.
For a few years now I have kept a Keeley or SP compressor as an always on pedal for a few years now. I use tube amps and a Kemper and I even use the compressor in front of the Kemper. I refer to it as a "MORE" pedal.
I think the interesting thing will be to hear your comments on this episode once you hear the audio back. Mick’s comments about the difference in sound being negligible but how it feels under the fingers is a valid and interesting point. Goes to show that even if the listener has no idea what pedal/guitar/amp/pickup combination you are using it’s how it sounds and feels to the player that is inspiring. Great show guys, thank you.
I recently put a buffer at the beginning of my signal chain, thinking that’s where it should go... My overdrive pedals sounded like garbage. I had no clue why, until this episode. Always so much to learn from this show! Thanks guys. What you do is so appreciated!
Love it how the recent shows have more focus on getting the point across. You successfully managed to demonstrate some pretty complex topics in the recent episodes. Well done.
I've been watching this show for years and I've learned countless bits of information, licks, chords, ideas but sometimes I think the most useful thing I get from watching, is the inspiration of seeing someone absolutely lose themselves in playing like Dan does towards the end of the video. The mutual respect from Mick of just letting that be the end instead of trying to one up is just the icing on the cake. Great episode as always and thanks for the inspiration!
That Cali76 is really intriguing, sounds awesome. A big part of what makes your show so great to me is how you guys are obviously fans of each others playing. It's great to see and brings a real positive vibe to what you do, after all isn't that what playing music is all about? Keep it coming guys, great stuff!
EP booster and HOF mini over here. Once I realised that I was including them in all of my patches, I took them out of my switcher and just placed before and aft. Freeing up 2 loops for other pedals.
Same, but I have a Timmy set up as a kind of always-on clean boost before my loops and then an ep booster after all the loops for a boost. Just realized I pretty much always used the Timmy and that I use the ep booster intermittently on almost everything or if I just want to push the amp a little more without messing with my guitar volume knobs and then the gain structure of my pedals.
@@thekramdens Great idea! I also lucked out because it is already engaged when powered up. But I'm not sure how to do that on purpose. I normally peek under the board just to make sure it's on, but I wonder if there's a setting I can set to ensure it's one when powered up.
YES! I love this topic. I have four always-on pedals. Five if I'm using two amps. Low-gain drive, compressor, tremolo, reverb, stereo/saturation - for those interested.
Hi guys, in Sep 2018 my home studio, with all the gear for my 6 person band, burned down and we lost everything; guitars, basses, amps, pedals, drums, keyboards, PA system, outboard effects, 4 computers, I/Os, studio monitors, etc. I found your show when I started researching what to buy for replacements. Despite the name of your show, you cover much more than pedals (such as amps, guitars, even I/Os) and have really appreciated your advice. Perhaps the biggest impact of your show is that we are buying all our gear with a desired tone and sound in mind, instead of just buying the newest shiny object. I’ve learned a couple things. First, I’ve been playing and recording for over 30 years and was shocked at how much I (and the band) had invested in gear. Over such a long time the total investment can really sneak up on you. Second, get insurance if you can. This may be obvious but if you haven’t “gotten around to it” you better be ready for disaster. Luckily we had insurance. Third, gear can be replaced but I don’t wish this on anyone. Here’s what can’t be replaced for me: my first guitar that my Mom bought me what I was 15, 20 years worth of analog recordings that I hadn’t yet digitized and saved off-site, our framed first setlist from 1995, etc. Thanks for everything!
The only “always on” pedal I use is the fulltone supa-trem.. It has a built in clean boost used as make up gain for the tremolo. I leave it on always and it buffers the chain back to the amp. We have our amps in doghouses off stage and use radial SGIs for the long cable runs. This kills the top end sparkle and the fulltone buffer gets it back. When I don’t need tremolo, I turn the mix knob all the way down. When I do, I turn it up.
I must thank you guys for--at some point--turning me onto the trick of putting a compressor between two different gain stages! It's tending to make me go for lower gain stages yet still getting tons of grit and sustain, and I've been literally making heads turn! Cheers!
The Vertex Steel String is the perfect always-on for me. Very subtle compression, accentuates the upper mids, smooths out the highs, and the transients are beautiful and present. Love it!
The realization of getting big sound at low volume is exactly why I fell in love with the Origin Revival Drive. Into a pair of quiet amps, it just feels and sounds awesome.
The way you have the compressor set is just about perfect, I just like to turn the attack/release counterclockwise to about 10 o'clock. As a matter of fact I turn all 3 knobs to about 10 or 11 o'clock and man it sounds killer. Sustain for days and it doesn't have to be dirty. Love me some clean sustain without having to blow the windows out. Been doing it like that forever, unless I'm outside or in some place really big, but normally my compressor doesn't get turned off. That and faint delay stays on.
27:16 Mick nails it. I always have something like a drive, boost, or preamp on because I only play at home these days and still want inspiring sound at lower levels. Just set to give a little sweetness when the tubes and speaker can't really do "that thing" that they do.
Aside from my diamond cpr and chsse tone secret preamp, my tim is my ultimate always on utility pedal. 1. Having a buffer without having an actual one 2. Having a light gain, sort of an amp breaking up 3. Stacks very well with my other overdrives to give more eq and harmonic contents 4. Solo boost Cant play without it!
I gig with an old Twin Reverb which I adore, and before I invested in an attenuator, I used to use a Boss Blues Driver with the gain set low as an always-on pedal whenever I had to really turn down. It worked a charm.
Thanks guys, another great show. For a very long time my desired base tone was a guitar (single coil or humbucker) into a Fender Deluxe Reverb with the volume set at about 6 or 7. This wasn't possible in most situations and over the past several years I've been trying to replicate that sound at much lower volumes. I finally settled on a Wampler mini Ego into a Tumnus Deluxe set at low gain which comes very close, but there always seemed to be something missing. When Dan turned on a short delay that was mixed very low I knew immediately that is what I needed. When the show was over I powered everything up and did the delay and my sound is now perfect and those 3 pedals are now always on. You guys are doing a fantastic job of breaking tone down into it component parts and training my ear to hear what's missing and how to understand what I want and how to get it. Thank you VERY much!
I have run my Timmy as my “Always On” for over ten year. Doesn’t matter which guitar or amp, the Timmy gives me “My” base tone. This video helped to put words to why I like my Timmy so much. Thanks guys!
Another pearl of wisdom today... “you want the Benson to impart it’s thing on everything that follows”... I first instinctively thought I’d want it last, chapeau gents for giving me something more to try!
Great show chaps! My Topanga and DD3 (approx 120ms slapback) are such essential parts of my sound that I can’t play the guitar if they are off (not that I’m great with them on!). My KOT is also on for 95% of a gig, except when i need a properly clean sound. I bought a Supro Trem today, for which I hold Mick 80% responsible.
Structure is good, but isn't everything. You two have a love for our art that is infectious. I've learned loads from your structured sections, but mostly from your rambles and from your enjoyable, insightful tangents. Thanks so much: you've opened my eyes (and ears!) the what's out there and helped me find more of what I love about guitar.
The way or use my preamp it's on the end of the signal path because when I go play at some random pub in London I find myself having to deal with a different Amp in a different room every time so for me my preamp is about consistency on how my pedals are going to respond and also EQ to compensate on the character of whatever Amp I'm using which I set up always as Flat as possible with no reverb, (I use my HOF for reverb) is the only way to keep my sound consistent throughout every gig.
Tried out the Xotic SP Compressor and it brought everything to life. It’s my main always on pedal - obviously use reverb and other things, but that compressor is on 100% of the time.
Because if they spill coffee on one of those pedals they wouldn't just grab one of the hundreds of other pedals in the room... I'm sure they are really worried about it.
It's not necessarily the coffee itself, but the cream that I can see is in it, and any sugar that I'll assume is in it, that would be the problem. Cream for eventual stinkiness and sugar for stickiness!
Lovepedal eternity is my always on pedal. Lately boosting with soul food and added compression when needed. Add in reverb and delay like salt and pepper and that's what I'm cooking all day
Hi another pedal that comes close to the origin is The diamond compressor I find gives you that dynamic sound to. I have mine always on and could never take it off it’s shapes my sound for the way I play really love it. Johnny Marr uses it and says the same thing.
Live: Hudson Broadcast, always on: it sounds very much like my amp is turned up more. Also by placing a volume pedal after it, I can create many shades of grit by either pushing the amp less or by cleaning up with the volume of my guitar. I started using a gain pedal to push my amps since in some venues, especially with singlecoils, having a loud and dirty amp with the guitar volume turned down = hum-galore. With a cleaner amp and controlling volume and gain AFTER a dirt pedal, this seems less so.
A few years ago, as a throw in for $20, to make an already sweet deal on a used Catalinbread Karma Suture in mint condition a local seller threw in a Calgary made Dingotone HZD, an upgraded version of the Boss FA-1. It blew my doors off so bad that I now own three of them. Being from Calgary myself I got hold of Dingotone and got one made for me as I was having a hard time finding one. I think I paid $179CDN for the third one and I don't care because it is that good, and I wanted an extra for other boards. It is the best boost I have ever owned. I'm going to be trying one in the loop of my Friedman Smallbox as a clean solo boost with top and bottom eq if desired. I think it will be amazing there.
Hello Dan & Mick! Thanks for bringing back the AC30! Please consider doing an episode on your pedalboards of yore...the actual boards and not necessarily the pedal setups you've used in the past, though that would of course also be very interesting...to show us what you liked about them and what aspects/issues with those lead you on to your current pedalboard. I have decided I want to move on from my board of 14 years as it's literally just a slab of honeycomb plastic with velcro on it. Looking at current options has been overwhelming as well as unfulfilling...I don't see quite what I'm looking for in the market yet. It would be great to learn more about your board journeys! I believe you're both currently using Schmidt Array.
My always-ons are a a Timmy and SP compressor into an AC10, and a Mad Professor Predriver into Suhr Corso (running in stereo). Adds a touch of grit and compression on each line, and improved upper midrange clarity on the Corso side. At gig volume (seldom) I tend to turn off the SP though. You guys make a good point that I should also count the always-on buffer in the RadialTwin City ABY early in the chain. Nicely executed and informative episode, thanks!
Great video - I use a Kongpressor as my always on pedal - It has studio quality compression that is highly dynamic and clear. I add the Boss Cs3 one for solos. Compression stacking 😊👍
Big fan of the 335! literally guitar goals for me. I've been putting away a little at a time and watching one after another come and go on reverb. Super cool guitar!
I know you guys have done EQ episodes before but I feel its such a fundamental skill that both of you have that I and I imagine others do not have...it would be great if you could make a video that transferred your EQ skills to us
Love the tone you ended up with toward the end of the episode. It's reminiscent of the sort of sounds I tend to go for. My always on: Holy Grail, Carbon Copy, Hungry Robot Low Gain, which serve some of the same purposes. This makes me strongly consider a compressor, for those country gigs... Great job as always, gentlemen.
I personally much prefer having dedicated control over a compressor's attack time instead of a "blend" control. Having both dedicated controls is fine of course, but I never found the blend to be of use to me in that case. Attack time control allows you to delay signal compression to avoid compressing the transients and instead only lifting the tail for a subtle increase in sustain/fullness. With long enough attack time, the compressor stays out of the way and doesn't create the pumping compressor effect sound that most people don't like about compressors. Of course, with extremely short attack time, you can avoid pumping, but then you also flatten your transients; OK for ultra-clean blackface Fenders or the like, but otherwise usually an undesired effect as well. I find the blend control to be an unwelcome compromise as it's just a mix of effected signal and dry signal. If you don't have the compressor dialed in to sound great on it's own, blending in the dry just makes for a murky mix of the two non-prefered signals...I'm also calling the dry signal non-preferred in this case as otherwise the compressor wouldn't even be on.
Agreed! After a year or so of messing about with comps that have blends, I've gone back to an old T-Rex Comp with a good dedicated attack control. I could never find the "sweet spot" with the blend so that it interacts with the other controls in a useful/pleasing way.
EP boost set 8-9 o'clock last in the chain for my always on! SD1 towards the front of the chain for my almost always on. Great show as always! I love when you discuss concepts versus reviewing gear.
I have both the Cali76 and Clover as always on pedals (with an Analogman modded GE-7 for more refinement). It really completes the overall sound. This video nailed it.
Loop switcher means I play with all my pedals always on ;) But seriously, EP boost (at the end) and verb always on (even if the reverb is changing all the time).
Love episodes like this. Thank you guys! As an aside, you should check out some Jackson Audio pedals sometime. The Prism is a great always-on boost (it kicked the EP Booster off my board). The Bloom is an EQ compressor boost thing that a lot of guys use always on too. They just came out with a drive pedal too.
I've decided the reason I love TPS, apart from all the great info and gear, is that you guys remind me of my favorite British TV show Detectorists. You guys are like Lance and Andy only with guitars instead of metal detectors! Great show guys. Thanks!
I recently got a Belle Epoch Deluxe, and today as I began assembling my first (!) proper pedalboard, I tested switching it into "trails" mode with the internal switch, which essentially turns the preamp section into an "always on" pedal. I'm liking it so far so I'm going to leave it that way for now.
Always on pedals for me are as follows: neunaber Immerse (Reverb) and Mooer Yellow Comp (optical compressor) Nearly always on is Hudson Broadcast run at 18 volts As you say guys its all about the feel under the fingers.
What a wonderful crescendo of creating more and more interesting tones and seriously good advice, leading into an excellent Dan solo. I wish this show was on TV when I was a kid. Good stuff. Pedals are awesome.
Awesome job guys. Please keep up these instructional exploration type videos as I am learning a lot from them. As a side note my always on pedal is the TC spark just to color the sound some. Just doesn't sound right without it.
Rip here...having coffee in my “WahFuzzOctave...” TPS cup after breakfast, listening while the wife does laundry...she’s says, “oh, That Pedal Show”. We have reached full saturation. Cheers from the south eastern US! Keep up the great work!
There's a point towards the end when all the pedals are on including D&M and dan is shredding and he holds that huge bend at the end and the decibel meter reads literally 100 for over a full second, and I swear that second lasted an eternity as I was watching and probably even longer for dan. That was epic, seriously 100!
At home i've been using a JHS Prestige after ODs, and an EHX Oceans 11, and swap between tumnus or EQD Dunes (or stack them) for my main tones. At my practice space, been trying a whitey tighty in place of the prestige for a little more sustain.
Great topic! Jumping on the band wagon - my always-on pedals are the Cali' 76 > Vox OTTB (pre-amp) and finally a Holy Grail. The 76' helps give that loud amp 'feel' at lower volumes, set up more as a parallel compressor, and the OTTB is my pre-amp, cuts through beautifully in a band mix!
hey fellas ! just want to thank you, you make my morning commute much easier and help me escape for a little while. I download all the podcasts. Nice to be in company with mates that understand that the little things make all the difference. cheers! Keith
Awesome show. Questions on the Clover. 1- Where would Edge put it in the signal chain. First in chain? After overdrives? After delay? 2- How much it differs from Korg’s SDD3000 preamp?
Mine is a Lovepedal Les Lius in the tweed twin mode. It's the perfect amount of gain that just smoothes things out. The second gain stage is added if I want more of an overdrive, but otherwise it has enough headroom to stay sorta clean, and sorta clean is where I live.
After Mick’s comment about not liking the sound of your amp I took out my always on drive I used to tame the eq a bit and spent some time properly eq’ing the amp. Now I have a spare slot for a new pedal! Great video for that alone!
I have my "Go To" always on pedals, but almost always find that I use them when I'm not absolutely in love with my amp. When I found the amp that gave me the goods and "my sound" - the always-on stomps were always off. Personal experience, of course.
I have been searching for an amp to give me "my sound" for almost 30 years, and tried everything up to my last amp, Mesa Mark V Half Stack, none gave me complete satisfaction, unfortunately.
@@kgriff1205 I ultimately went to Jamie at Booya! Amplifier in NJ and had a bespoke custom amp made. It cost me less than a new Boogie. Sure, I use pedals but never anything to give me "that missing something"
As always guys, great show. For me I play with Tumnus deluxe at the end of my drives which sets up amazing tones and the perfect amount light drive. Then I have my rv-500 at the end with always on reverb and a touch of delay also. I love the buffers in the newer boss pedals. I've had to go through the pain of turning down years ago. Even as someone who plays smaller, lower wattage amps, Learning the beauty of always on pedals and buffers to shape tone and feel was maybe one of the most beneficial lessons I've learned.
Loved the video!! The always on pedal concept always seem to change for me...whether it be Reverb at the end, Boost at the beginning or just everything on as an ‘always on’....sometimes I’m just feelin that. One thing I learned, as a strat player, was the value of the JHS Clover in conjunction with guitar’s volume. Seems like a nice alternative to having treble bleed on guitar. I have an idea....how about for another video having the “always on pedal board”?
I’ve found that high quality compression followed by a Klon type pedal allows me to get edge of breakup feel and sound no matter the size of the room or the level of the amps. The other drive pedals (TS, KoT, Plexi, etc.) all stack very, very well.
Hi Dan Hi Mick it’s Koen here from Sauble Beach Ontario Canada. I will always love your videos and your channel. It has really inspired me to learn more about the pedal world. By the way I just wanted to say that ever since I got them, my main 5 pedals out of all the pedals on my board have been the Timeline, Mobius, D&M Drive, Keeley Aria, and the FullTone Plimsoul and I haven’t changed those out since. I’ve had the D&M and the Aria since they came out and I’ve have had the Plimsoul for 3 years. The Mobius I got in November of 2018 and the Timeline I’ve had for a month. Just wanted to say how you guys and That Pedal Show actually means to me. Thanks guys and keep rocking. 😄✌🏻
I sometimes use an EHX hot tubes as an always on when using a solid state amp, Hot Tubes > OD Glove (ocd clone) > TC Darkmatter . I run the Hot tubes always on, click on the TC for crunch and when I want full hi gain metal I kick in the OD glove as well (set with low gain hi volume to slam the TC or similar sometimes us e a DOD gunslinger instead of the TC,) The hot tubes covers warm clean , adds depth to the crunch with the TC and helps drive the OD glove (which inturn slams the tc) this chain of slamming od's gives a very tube feel, a bit of sag and dynamic response in full on hi gain thats hard to achieve with a singular hi gain pedal I stack in this way in other combinations as well of different drives, but these 3 pedals mentioned match very well together (keeping all gains below 12 oclock , volume boost on the OD glove)
Great show as always. I've just one my first gig with an always on compressor and I swear the guitar felt so easy to play that the strings (10's), almost could have gone up a gauge!! Thanks for that.
My always on pedals are the chorus and the delay.Feels odd whenever I turn them off. Although that is dialled in for the specific sound I have for my current band.
I used to keep my ehx stereo polyphase always on in the env mode with the start and stop points set ever so particularly. It sounded so round yet hollow, and gave this particular touch sensitivity while playing that I just loved at the time playing through my old Fender Ultimate Chorus (transistor amp).
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Always on for me: Miku. Really livens up my weekly blues jam.
that actually made me audibly chuckle. kudos
I knew some comment was gonna mention the Miku but I still laugh out loud because I can just hear it in my mind.
Now we´re talking!
I trust you have it permanently on the "nyan" setting.
damn, I was about to say the same, kudos!
Cheers for the honk guys! Re: Cali76, you hit the nail on the head Mick; it's not so much for sustain as it is to emulate that slight sag in an amp that's being pushed hard when in reality, I don't get chance to run my amps that hot all that frequently. The Cali76 is the only compression pedal I've found that does that whilst not robbing dynamic capability. Bloody brilliant pedal!
Howdy B&E and TPS.....same same. I was pretty blown away by this and am currently trying to find a comp for FX loop like you have demonstrated. I love it. Do you feel the 76 Stacked or Deluxe would be the play for this implementation. Thanks!
Are you using your Cali76 before or after dirt? I like using my Cali76 SE before dirt. However i haven’t tried it after dirt for some time..
@@TapioHaanpera In general, compressor before dirt sounds better, but better is subjective. After dirt, it compresses more and sort of middies up the sound. Brian Wampler did a video about that. But in the end, it's what you prefer yourself that's best for you.
Muddy and thick are really close btw😚
I’m a bassist and run lots of effects at times and I run a guru optical comp at the end of my chain and set it to just grab when I dig in then I have a mxr micro amp right b4 the comp and I can thicken my tone up without level chain…. I only run nemesis delay last after the comp/boost so my delay tone/trails are not compromised
@@TapioHaanpera I’ve been using compression after (mostly for sustain) because it feels like it squashes the signal too much going into OD and loses attack.
Best part of Friday. Early lunch, proper coffee, TPS.
Amen
Even better in a TPS Mug!
Great to see that our Cali76 Stacked Edition made it onto the show :) That and the Blue Strat make a killer combo!
And spectacular it is too!
Howdy Origin! This show has me trying to figure out which one of your comps I want to put into my loop to simulate tube sag/feel a lower volumes. Would you recommend your Stacked or Deluxe 76. Thanks so much!
My always on pedal for over a year now has been a Hudson Dual Broadcast on a light gain setting. It' reacts so well to guitar volume and picking dynamics, I love it.
Very cool! That discussion is had here with the Benson, Clover and Servo. All doing essentially the same job, but with varying tonal results. Cool!
Completely with you on this. I bought a Broadcast with intentions of using it as a 'lead tone', and using a klon clone as my always on. Ended up using the Broadcast always on, and selling the clone.
lazaglider funnily enough I also had a k-type pedal that I sold for the same reason
I very much regret selling my broadcast...
Broadcast always on- yes! Great tone!
Thank you for mentioning that an active pedal is always buffered! There are so many explanations of buffers on forums and in videos that go through how great (or not great) buffers are, but they always fail to specifically mention that buffers only come into effect when the pedal is not turned on. Even if you have a pedalboard full of true bypass pedals, they *all* have to be bypassed in order for you to lose tone through the entire cable span.
Sorry to be that guy, but not all pedals are properly buffered when active. There are several pedals who take their output straight from the volume pot for example, meaning that their output impedance can be really high. Examples of this are earlier versions of the OCD and the Phase 90. Something like a Boss pedal leaves both the input and output buffers in circuit regardless of bypass state, which has both advantages and disadvantages.
Mines a mythos mjolnir. I bought it to use as part of my overdrive sound, fell in love with it so much I tailored all my sounds around it and never looked back. Greatest pedal I've ever bought.
For a few years now I have kept a Keeley or SP compressor as an always on pedal for a few years now. I use tube amps and a Kemper and I even use the compressor in front of the Kemper. I refer to it as a "MORE" pedal.
I think the interesting thing will be to hear your comments on this episode once you hear the audio back. Mick’s comments about the difference in sound being negligible but how it feels under the fingers is a valid and interesting point. Goes to show that even if the listener has no idea what pedal/guitar/amp/pickup combination you are using it’s how it sounds and feels to the player that is inspiring.
Great show guys, thank you.
I recently put a buffer at the beginning of my signal chain, thinking that’s where it should go... My overdrive pedals sounded like garbage. I had no clue why, until this episode.
Always so much to learn from this show! Thanks guys. What you do is so appreciated!
Hooray! Somebody who finally understands buffers by using their ears. Nice one Brian - so obvious when you hear it!
Love it how the recent shows have more focus on getting the point across. You successfully managed to demonstrate some pretty complex topics in the recent episodes. Well done.
I've been watching this show for years and I've learned countless bits of information, licks, chords, ideas but sometimes I think the most useful thing I get from watching, is the inspiration of seeing someone absolutely lose themselves in playing like Dan does towards the end of the video. The mutual respect from Mick of just letting that be the end instead of trying to one up is just the icing on the cake. Great episode as always and thanks for the inspiration!
That Cali76 is really intriguing, sounds awesome. A big part of what makes your show so great to me is how you guys are obviously fans of each others playing. It's great to see and brings a real positive vibe to what you do, after all isn't that what playing music is all about? Keep it coming guys, great stuff!
EP booster and HOF mini over here. Once I realised that I was including them in all of my patches, I took them out of my switcher and just placed before and aft. Freeing up 2 loops for other pedals.
Same, but I have a Timmy set up as a kind of always-on clean boost before my loops and then an ep booster after all the loops for a boost. Just realized I pretty much always used the Timmy and that I use the ep booster intermittently on almost everything or if I just want to push the amp a little more without messing with my guitar volume knobs and then the gain structure of my pedals.
Same. My HOF Mini was always on anyway, so I just mounted it underneath the board so make room for more on top.
@@MontanaFox I made a toneprint for mine that renders the knob inert. That way it can't get cranked or turned down. Perfect for an under board pedal.
@@thekramdens Great idea! I also lucked out because it is already engaged when powered up. But I'm not sure how to do that on purpose. I normally peek under the board just to make sure it's on, but I wonder if there's a setting I can set to ensure it's one when powered up.
@@MontanaFox you'd have to open it up and jump the footswitch. Easier to just lift the board and have a look.
YES! I love this topic. I have four always-on pedals. Five if I'm using two amps.
Low-gain drive, compressor, tremolo, reverb, stereo/saturation - for those interested.
Hi guys, in Sep 2018 my home studio, with all the gear for my 6 person band, burned down and we lost everything; guitars, basses, amps, pedals, drums, keyboards, PA system, outboard effects, 4 computers, I/Os, studio monitors, etc. I found your show when I started researching what to buy for replacements. Despite the name of your show, you cover much more than pedals (such as amps, guitars, even I/Os) and have really appreciated your advice. Perhaps the biggest impact of your show is that we are buying all our gear with a desired tone and sound in mind, instead of just buying the newest shiny object.
I’ve learned a couple things. First, I’ve been playing and recording for over 30 years and was shocked at how much I (and the band) had invested in gear. Over such a long time the total investment can really sneak up on you. Second, get insurance if you can. This may be obvious but if you haven’t “gotten around to it” you better be ready for disaster. Luckily we had insurance. Third, gear can be replaced but I don’t wish this on anyone. Here’s what can’t be replaced for me: my first guitar that my Mom bought me what I was 15, 20 years worth of analog recordings that I hadn’t yet digitized and saved off-site, our framed first setlist from 1995, etc.
Thanks for everything!
The only “always on” pedal I use is the fulltone supa-trem..
It has a built in clean boost used as make up gain for the tremolo. I leave it on always and it buffers the chain back to the amp.
We have our amps in doghouses off stage and use radial SGIs for the long cable runs. This kills the top end sparkle and the fulltone buffer gets it back.
When I don’t need tremolo, I turn the mix knob all the way down. When I do, I turn it up.
I must thank you guys for--at some point--turning me onto the trick of putting a compressor between two different gain stages! It's tending to make me go for lower gain stages yet still getting tons of grit and sustain, and I've been literally making heads turn! Cheers!
The Vertex Steel String is the perfect always-on for me. Very subtle compression, accentuates the upper mids, smooths out the highs, and the transients are beautiful and present. Love it!
The realization of getting big sound at low volume is exactly why I fell in love with the Origin Revival Drive. Into a pair of quiet amps, it just feels and sounds awesome.
Amazing how you guys explain what I have experienced and not been able to describe or fully understand. Keep up the great work!
The way you have the compressor set is just about perfect, I just like to turn the attack/release counterclockwise to about 10 o'clock. As a matter of fact I turn all 3 knobs to about 10 or 11 o'clock and man it sounds killer. Sustain for days and it doesn't have to be dirty. Love me some clean sustain without having to blow the windows out. Been doing it like that forever, unless I'm outside or in some place really big, but normally my compressor doesn't get turned off. That and faint delay stays on.
My secrets getting out. I’ve used the Boss DM-2 as an always on pedal for 11 years. What it does to your sound is amazing.
27:16 Mick nails it. I always have something like a drive, boost, or preamp on because I only play at home these days and still want inspiring sound at lower levels. Just set to give a little sweetness when the tubes and speaker can't really do "that thing" that they do.
Aside from my diamond cpr and chsse tone secret preamp, my tim is my ultimate always on utility pedal.
1. Having a buffer without having an actual one
2. Having a light gain, sort of an amp breaking up
3. Stacks very well with my other overdrives to give more eq and harmonic contents
4. Solo boost
Cant play without it!
Have you considered a digital horn with an analog dry through?
We'd rather just have an analogue one. Preferably made before 1965. /0)
Always the way, those NOS ones always sound better
@@ThatPedalShow A wet-dry-wet rig for the horn in the future?
@@ThatPedalShow It's definitely an all-tube horn.
Preferably buffered
I gig with an old Twin Reverb which I adore, and before I invested in an attenuator, I used to use a Boss Blues Driver with the gain set low as an always-on pedal whenever I had to really turn down. It worked a charm.
Thanks guys, another great show. For a very long time my desired base tone was a guitar (single coil or humbucker) into a Fender Deluxe Reverb with the volume set at about 6 or 7. This wasn't possible in most situations and over the past several years I've been trying to replicate that sound at much lower volumes. I finally settled on a Wampler mini Ego into a Tumnus Deluxe set at low gain which comes very close, but there always seemed to be something missing. When Dan turned on a short delay that was mixed very low I knew immediately that is what I needed. When the show was over I powered everything up and did the delay and my sound is now perfect and those 3 pedals are now always on.
You guys are doing a fantastic job of breaking tone down into it component parts and training my ear to hear what's missing and how to understand what I want and how to get it.
Thank you VERY much!
What an intro jam by Dan. Wonderful!
Keeley Katana boost always on set just a smidgen above unity. Gives you a little something I really like!
I have run my Timmy as my “Always On” for over ten year. Doesn’t matter which guitar or amp, the Timmy gives me “My” base tone. This video helped to put words to why I like my Timmy so much. Thanks guys!
Another pearl of wisdom today... “you want the Benson to impart it’s thing on everything that follows”... I first instinctively thought I’d want it last, chapeau gents for giving me something more to try!
Great show chaps! My Topanga and DD3 (approx 120ms slapback) are such essential parts of my sound that I can’t play the guitar if they are off (not that I’m great with them on!). My KOT is also on for 95% of a gig, except when i need a properly clean sound.
I bought a Supro Trem today, for which I hold Mick 80% responsible.
Worth a mention: Greer Lightspeed, definitely an "always on" pedal! That frequency knob helps dial in the sound no matter the amp or guitar.
Structure is good, but isn't everything. You two have a love for our art that is infectious. I've learned loads from your structured sections, but mostly from your rambles and from your enjoyable, insightful tangents. Thanks so much: you've opened my eyes (and ears!) the what's out there and helped me find more of what I love about guitar.
The way or use my preamp it's on the end of the signal path because when I go play at some random pub in London I find myself having to deal with a different Amp in a different room every time so for me my preamp is about consistency on how my pedals are going to respond and also EQ to compensate on the character of whatever Amp I'm using which I set up always as Flat as possible with no reverb, (I use my HOF for reverb) is the only way to keep my sound consistent throughout every gig.
Dan, your playing during the Taurus demo was, as you say, Ace!
Totally addicted to M&D's superb show. Starting to watch shows for the 4th time and even more! Thanks, guys.
Thank you!
Tried out the Xotic SP Compressor and it brought everything to life. It’s my main always on pedal - obviously use reverb and other things, but that compressor is on 100% of the time.
Boonar set for always on short delay works great and gives the swell button some real function for big washes
The coffee cup on the board is absolutely terrifying.
:D
Because if they spill coffee on one of those pedals they wouldn't just grab one of the hundreds of other pedals in the room... I'm sure they are really worried about it.
😱 Yes!
Yes, but definitely an always on thing. I noticed it was at half volume and not running very hot by the end.
It's not necessarily the coffee itself, but the cream that I can see is in it, and any sugar that I'll assume is in it, that would be the problem. Cream for eventual stinkiness and sugar for stickiness!
Lovepedal eternity is my always on pedal. Lately boosting with soul food and added compression when needed. Add in reverb and delay like salt and pepper and that's what I'm cooking all day
My always on pedal is voodoolab giggity! Conceptually I use it as a jack of all trades preamp (last pedal on board) for grit texture and eq control
Spectacular playing at the beginning Dan really lovely really makes me smile
Hi another pedal that comes close to the origin is The diamond compressor I find gives you that dynamic sound to. I have mine always on and could never take it off it’s shapes my sound for the way I play really love it. Johnny Marr uses it and says the same thing.
Live: Hudson Broadcast, always on: it sounds very much like my amp is turned up more. Also by placing a volume pedal after it, I can create many shades of grit by either pushing the amp less or by cleaning up with the volume of my guitar.
I started using a gain pedal to push my amps since in some venues, especially with singlecoils, having a loud and dirty amp with the guitar volume turned down = hum-galore. With a cleaner amp and controlling volume and gain AFTER a dirt pedal, this seems less so.
A few years ago, as a throw in for $20, to make an already sweet deal on a used Catalinbread Karma Suture in mint condition a local seller threw in a Calgary made Dingotone HZD, an upgraded version of the Boss FA-1. It blew my doors off so bad that I now own three of them. Being from Calgary myself I got hold of Dingotone and got one made for me as I was having a hard time finding one. I think I paid $179CDN for the third one and I don't care because it is that good, and I wanted an extra for other boards. It is the best boost I have ever owned. I'm going to be trying one in the loop of my Friedman Smallbox as a clean solo boost with top and bottom eq if desired. I think it will be amazing there.
Watching your videos becomes almost a zen-meditation. It´s so cool to listen to you and there´s so much to learn.
Hello Dan & Mick!
Thanks for bringing back the AC30!
Please consider doing an episode on your pedalboards of yore...the actual boards and not necessarily the pedal setups you've used in the past, though that would of course also be very interesting...to show us what you liked about them and what aspects/issues with those lead you on to your current pedalboard. I have decided I want to move on from my board of 14 years as it's literally just a slab of honeycomb plastic with velcro on it. Looking at current options has been overwhelming as well as unfulfilling...I don't see quite what I'm looking for in the market yet. It would be great to learn more about your board journeys! I believe you're both currently using Schmidt Array.
That would be very interesting. I hope they do a retro boards show.
I know you have had the Timmy on quite a bit but I think most people who have it use it as always on. I love you guys and your show is fantastic!
Yep or a Jan Ray. And no a Jan Ray is not the same as a Timmy.
Just got one of those all you need is fuzz shirts (same colour as the one Dan is wearing) and it's so soft and comfy I want to wear it all the time!
My always-ons are a a Timmy and SP compressor into an AC10, and a Mad Professor Predriver into Suhr Corso (running in stereo). Adds a touch of grit and compression on each line, and improved upper midrange clarity on the Corso side. At gig volume (seldom) I tend to turn off the SP though. You guys make a good point that I should also count the always-on buffer in the RadialTwin City ABY early in the chain. Nicely executed and informative episode, thanks!
Great video - I use a Kongpressor as my always on pedal - It has studio quality compression that is highly dynamic and clear. I add the Boss Cs3 one for solos. Compression stacking 😊👍
I was debating on picking one of those up for a bit there, I ended up getting a Keeley because I loved what it did to a Dano 12
Big fan of the 335! literally guitar goals for me. I've been putting away a little at a time and watching one after another come and go on reverb. Super cool guitar!
Now watching you guys converse through the merits of the tonal universe in 1.25x speed....doesn't mean I love you ANY less
Great idea
This should be called "the pedals that no one but the player can tell if they're on or off pedals" :) Love the show, guys!
Could have also been named Clean Tones v2 or getting big tones out of a quiet amp. Loved it. Thanks for each and every show guys. Cheers.
Maybe it's just me but it seems like Dan's playing has improved significantly over the last few months.
Reawakened I would say. Mick here. He has been consciously working on it. Just shows... Practise makes better!
I know you guys have done EQ episodes before but I feel its such a fundamental skill that both of you have that I and I imagine others do not have...it would be great if you could make a video that transferred your EQ skills to us
Love the tone you ended up with toward the end of the episode. It's reminiscent of the sort of sounds I tend to go for. My always on: Holy Grail, Carbon Copy, Hungry Robot Low Gain, which serve some of the same purposes. This makes me strongly consider a compressor, for those country gigs... Great job as always, gentlemen.
For metal music, at least, you typically leave a tube screamer on to tighten up the tone. I leave a ts9 and an isp on allways
I personally much prefer having dedicated control over a compressor's attack time instead of a "blend" control. Having both dedicated controls is fine of course, but I never found the blend to be of use to me in that case.
Attack time control allows you to delay signal compression to avoid compressing the transients and instead only lifting the tail for a subtle increase in sustain/fullness. With long enough attack time, the compressor stays out of the way and doesn't create the pumping compressor effect sound that most people don't like about compressors. Of course, with extremely short attack time, you can avoid pumping, but then you also flatten your transients; OK for ultra-clean blackface Fenders or the like, but otherwise usually an undesired effect as well.
I find the blend control to be an unwelcome compromise as it's just a mix of effected signal and dry signal. If you don't have the compressor dialed in to sound great on it's own, blending in the dry just makes for a murky mix of the two non-prefered signals...I'm also calling the dry signal non-preferred in this case as otherwise the compressor wouldn't even be on.
Agreed! After a year or so of messing about with comps that have blends, I've gone back to an old T-Rex Comp with a good dedicated attack control. I could never find the "sweet spot" with the blend so that it interacts with the other controls in a useful/pleasing way.
EP boost set 8-9 o'clock last in the chain for my always on! SD1 towards the front of the chain for my almost always on. Great show as always! I love when you discuss concepts versus reviewing gear.
I have both the Cali76 and Clover as always on pedals (with an Analogman modded GE-7 for more refinement). It really completes the overall sound. This video nailed it.
Hello! Where do you put the Clover in your signal chain?
Loop switcher means I play with all my pedals always on ;)
But seriously, EP boost (at the end) and verb always on (even if the reverb is changing all the time).
Love episodes like this. Thank you guys! As an aside, you should check out some Jackson Audio pedals sometime. The Prism is a great always-on boost (it kicked the EP Booster off my board). The Bloom is an EQ compressor boost thing that a lot of guys use always on too. They just came out with a drive pedal too.
I've decided the reason I love TPS, apart from all the great info and gear, is that you guys remind me of my favorite British TV show Detectorists. You guys are like Lance and Andy only with guitars instead of metal detectors! Great show guys. Thanks!
That is all at once tremendously flattering and extremely scary all at once. Love that show!
@@ThatPedalShow I mean it the best possible way
I recently got a Belle Epoch Deluxe, and today as I began assembling my first (!) proper pedalboard, I tested switching it into "trails" mode with the internal switch, which essentially turns the preamp section into an "always on" pedal. I'm liking it so far so I'm going to leave it that way for now.
Always on pedals for me are as follows:
neunaber Immerse (Reverb) and Mooer Yellow Comp (optical compressor)
Nearly always on is Hudson Broadcast run at 18 volts
As you say guys its all about the feel under the fingers.
I made a pedal from a dollar store walkman that would do everything you dialed it to and I used it as my guitar line driver.
Thanks for putting out such great content. Nothing else puts my two year old Son to sleep as well. Fantastic work guys.
What a wonderful crescendo of creating more and more interesting tones and seriously good advice, leading into an excellent Dan solo. I wish this show was on TV when I was a kid. Good stuff. Pedals are awesome.
Awesome job guys. Please keep up these instructional exploration type videos as I am learning a lot from them.
As a side note my always on pedal is the TC spark just to color the sound some. Just doesn't sound right without it.
My always on.. Wampler clean buffer, xotic soul driven and ep booster in the fx loop at the end of the chain
Rip here...having coffee in my “WahFuzzOctave...” TPS cup after breakfast, listening while the wife does laundry...she’s says, “oh, That Pedal Show”. We have reached full saturation. Cheers from the south eastern US! Keep up the great work!
There's a point towards the end when all the pedals are on including D&M and dan is shredding and he holds that huge bend at the end and the decibel meter reads literally 100 for over a full second, and I swear that second lasted an eternity as I was watching and probably even longer for dan. That was epic, seriously 100!
At home i've been using a JHS Prestige after ODs, and an EHX Oceans 11, and swap between tumnus or EQD Dunes (or stack them) for my main tones. At my practice space, been trying a whitey tighty in place of the prestige for a little more sustain.
best source of pedal (and music) G.A.S. of youtube
Great topic! Jumping on the band wagon - my always-on pedals are the Cali' 76 > Vox OTTB (pre-amp) and finally a Holy Grail. The 76' helps give that loud amp 'feel' at lower volumes, set up more as a parallel compressor, and the OTTB is my pre-amp, cuts through beautifully in a band mix!
hey fellas !
just want to thank you,
you make my morning commute much easier and help me escape for a little while. I download all the podcasts.
Nice to be in company with mates that understand that the little things make all the difference.
cheers!
Keith
Monday - audience interaction. Tuesday - product review. Friday - theory. Yep, this is really working for TPS!
Awesome show. Questions on the Clover.
1- Where would Edge put it in the signal chain. First in chain? After overdrives? After delay?
2- How much it differs from Korg’s SDD3000 preamp?
The original boss preamp clipped onto your guitar strap (not kidding) so it was right after his guitar.
Mine is a Lovepedal Les Lius in the tweed twin mode. It's the perfect amount of gain that just smoothes things out. The second gain stage is added if I want more of an overdrive, but otherwise it has enough headroom to stay sorta clean, and sorta clean is where I live.
After Mick’s comment about not liking the sound of your amp I took out my always on drive I used to tame the eq a bit and spent some time properly eq’ing the amp. Now I have a spare slot for a new pedal! Great video for that alone!
Klon clone(tumnus) low drive into JHS clover is just fantastic.
I have my "Go To" always on pedals, but almost always find that I use them when I'm not absolutely in love with my amp. When I found the amp that gave me the goods and "my sound" - the always-on stomps were always off.
Personal experience, of course.
I have been searching for an amp to give me "my sound" for almost 30 years, and tried everything up to my last amp, Mesa Mark V Half Stack, none gave me complete satisfaction, unfortunately.
@@kgriff1205 I ultimately went to Jamie at Booya! Amplifier in NJ and had a bespoke custom amp made. It cost me less than a new Boogie. Sure, I use pedals but never anything to give me "that missing something"
As always guys, great show.
For me I play with Tumnus deluxe at the end of my drives which sets up amazing tones and the perfect amount light drive.
Then I have my rv-500 at the end with always on reverb and a touch of delay also. I love the buffers in the newer boss pedals.
I've had to go through the pain of turning down years ago. Even as someone who plays smaller, lower wattage amps, Learning the beauty of always on pedals and buffers to shape tone and feel was maybe one of the most beneficial lessons I've learned.
Thanks for demonstrating this clean use of the Benson preamp !
Loved the video!! The always on pedal concept always seem to change for me...whether it be Reverb at the end, Boost at the beginning or just everything on as an ‘always on’....sometimes I’m just feelin that. One thing I learned, as a strat player, was the value of the JHS Clover in conjunction with guitar’s volume. Seems like a nice alternative to having treble bleed on guitar. I have an idea....how about for another video having the “always on pedal board”?
Klone, wet room reverb and a smidgen of slapback, all set!
I’ve found that high quality compression followed by a Klon type pedal allows me to get edge of breakup feel and sound no matter the size of the room or the level of the amps. The other drive pedals (TS, KoT, Plexi, etc.) all stack very, very well.
Hi Dan Hi Mick it’s Koen here from Sauble Beach Ontario Canada. I will always love your videos and your channel. It has really inspired me to learn more about the pedal world. By the way I just wanted to say that ever since I got them, my main 5 pedals out of all the pedals on my board have been the Timeline, Mobius, D&M Drive, Keeley Aria, and the FullTone Plimsoul and I haven’t changed those out since. I’ve had the D&M and the Aria since they came out and I’ve have had the Plimsoul for 3 years. The Mobius I got in November of 2018 and the Timeline I’ve had for a month. Just wanted to say how you guys and That Pedal Show actually means to me. Thanks guys and keep rocking. 😄✌🏻
one hour twelve minutes. hang on I need to cancel some appointments and meetings here at work.
Frank Meffert love ❤️ That. Priorities, mate!
Epic intro Dan!!!! All day long!
I sometimes use an EHX hot tubes as an always on when using a solid state amp, Hot Tubes > OD Glove (ocd clone) > TC Darkmatter .
I run the Hot tubes always on, click on the TC for crunch and when I want full hi gain metal I kick in the OD glove as well (set with low gain hi volume to slam the TC or similar sometimes us e a DOD gunslinger instead of the TC,)
The hot tubes covers warm clean , adds depth to the crunch with the TC and helps drive the OD glove (which inturn slams the tc) this chain of slamming od's gives a very tube feel, a bit of sag and dynamic response in full on hi gain thats hard to achieve with a singular hi gain pedal
I stack in this way in other combinations as well of different drives, but these 3 pedals mentioned match very well together (keeping all gains below 12 oclock , volume boost on the OD glove)
Great show as always. I've just one my first gig with an always on compressor and I swear the guitar felt so easy to play that the strings (10's), almost could have gone up a gauge!! Thanks for that.
My always on pedals are the chorus and the delay.Feels odd whenever I turn them off. Although that is dialled in for the specific sound I have for my current band.
Hope you enjoyed Joey Landreth at Bristol Thekla on Tues! What a great performance
I used to keep my ehx stereo polyphase always on in the env mode with the start and stop points set ever so particularly. It sounded so round yet hollow, and gave this particular touch sensitivity while playing that I just loved at the time playing through my old Fender Ultimate Chorus (transistor amp).
Awesome episode! I just bought the Jhs clover yesterday and loving it! It’s really lifted and clarified my tone!