![]() Distortion occurs when a signal overloads an amplifier, or “gain stage.” Again, we’re not talking about a guitar amp, which is itself built from multiple gain stages, but a single electronic circuit designed to increase the amplitude (which we perceive as volume) of an electrical signal. In this case, “distortion” refers not to an overdriven guitar sound, but any unintentional clipping in the signal path. I know what you’re thinking: “But my favorite guitar tones are distorted?” Mine too. This makes a lot of sense because the goal of a guitar (or bass) rig is the same as a PA system - to reproduce the desired signal (or sound) as purely as possible to transmit a complete musical idea to an audience without obstruction, distortion, or interference. The article is written from a live sound/pro audio perspective, but guitarists can apply these same concepts in our own rigs to achieve the best signal-to-noise ratio possible and dial in the perfect tone for any acoustic space. In the article “Gain Staging Like a Pro,” Sweetwater defines Gain Staging as “the act of setting the gain for each amplification stage (gain stage) in a sound system to achieve a target system volume that minimizes noise and distortion.” However, with proper gain staging, you can minimize the noise floor and maximize the killer tone you’ve been chasing all this time. Manufacturers have battled this phenomenon for decades by installing humbuckers or reverse-wound single coil pickups, or by designing noise gates which eliminate much of the electronic noise while allowing the guitar signal to pass through more or less unobscured. Players of single coil pickups will recognize this along with the persistent buzz of 60-cycle hum which occurs when electrical current from the wall leaches its way into the signal path. If you’ve ever played a high gain amp and heard a hissing sound when you mute the strings, that’s the noise floor. ![]() The Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook defines Signal-to-Noise Ratio as “the difference between the nominal level and the noise floor.”įor our purposes, the “nominal level” is your guitar’s signal as it passes through your effects chain, and the “noise floor” is the combined electrical noise generated by the circuitry within your pedals and amp. That the two are forever linked should surprise no one. I know I just said all that stuff about being a natural musical extension or whatever, but there are two basic audio concepts to consider when assembling a pedalboard: gain staging and signal-to-noise ratio (or noise floor). ![]() Then I’m going to walk through my modest bass setup and explain my decision making process in hopes that it’ll get you thinking about your own pedalboard not as a puzzle to be solved, but as a natural extension of your musical self. That being said, a little knowledge of color theory and perspective never hurt an aspiring painter, and the same applies when thinking about the basic audio concepts influencing signal routing and pedalboard layout, which I’ll explain shortly. With so many variations on so few themes, it’s easy for aspiring pedalheads to get so lost in the weeds debating the merits of this type of transistor versus that, or if delay comes before or after overdrive, that we forget about the most important thing: making music. The truth is that it’s less about the paint and more about the picture. Others are pencils, sketching a rough outline before becoming hidden beneath layers of paint, but remain a vital part of the process. Some (here’s lookin’ at you, synth pedals) are the whole damn canvas. ![]() Others are sponges built to lightly feather paint onto a canvas and are best used sparingly. Some pedals are paintbrushes, used mainly for broad strokes. I think of effects pedals as art supplies. Spend enough time browsing the comments section of gear demo videos and if you don't lose your mind first, you’ll inevitably see the question: “Where should I place in my chain?”
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