Question: Pedalboard Newbie - Managing Sounds/Volume

[Deep Eddy]

I'm not particularly knowledgeable about pedals, and I could use some guidance. I'm playing a show soon, and I need 2 basic sounds for the show: (1) clean with chorus for The Pretenders Back on the Chain Gang and (2) distortion. I have a few solos where I need to be able to boost my volume, too.

I borrowed a friend's Voodoo Labs Analog Chorus pedal at a rehearsal the other night, and this was my first time using it. I didn't have much time to adjust settings since we were rushing to try to run the entire set.

I was running Guitar > Boss TU-2 > MXR 78 Badass > Voodoo Labs Analog Chorus > Peavey Classic 30. Not going into the Effects Loop.

When I turned on the chorus (distortion off), I got a sudden boost in volume. Any thoughts as to why this happened? Should I run the distortion and chorus through the effects loop?

Also, if I want to be able to boost my volume for solos, would it work to have 2 different volume levels set for the clean and overdrive channels on the amp, and switch between the channels (using footswitch) when needed? Or would it be better to simply use a pedal for boost?

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

I had a 90s MXR Phase 90 that boosted the volume when used in an effects loop. I tried it out front and liked the sound better. But check for a volume trim pot first. If not, ask Voodoo Labs. They may have a solution.

As for your second question, that's a matter of preference.

 

[Ignored Member]

If the chorus pedal is boosting your volume, that's something wrong with the pedal circuit.

Since you're using it on a clean sound, the easiest solution is probably just to roll back the volume at the guitar. At least you won't need another volume boost for your clean sound now.

Getting a volume boost for solos is a bigger pain in the neck than it should be. I used a Digitech RP-50 multieffect for reverb at the end of the chain. I ended up duplicating some of the patches with a "normal" level and a "lead" level as the next patch. I tried using a volume pedal but it was too easy to accidentally bump and go loud when I wanted to be soft or vice versa. When the big solo comes, you just want to stomp on one thing and go.

I also tried doing the clean/OD channels on the Peavey but the Classic's circuit has a bass cut on the OD channel to keep it from being muddy. I wasn't crazy about the sound changing but it did get the volume up. The bass cut might be a good thing for solos anyway.

A simple clean boost might be the easiest answer. I don't know that it's necessary to shell out big bucks for a boutique -- most of those are designed for guys who want to color the tone and push the amp a little harder. Unless it jacks up your sound, I think a clean boost is kind of handy to have in the toolkit anyway.