Stereo pedal selection/signal chain advice

Hey all

So I am in the process of putting together a “pedal board” for synths, drum machines and sample processing/mangling. All hardware stuff. Not into ipads

Wanted to share what I have and look for advice on pedals to add or swap out ones for other options
But was also hoping other could share their stereo boards too!

The goal is to have a full stereo signal chain. I think I still have some pretty big sonic holes still but so far I have the following

Meris Ottobit (filter, bit crusher, sample rate destroyer)
Chase Bliss, Generation Loss MK2, coming in a few months (lofi God)
Walrus Audio, Julianna (stereo chorus)
Old Blood Noise, Float (dual filter with envelope and lfo)
Source Audio, Nemesis (multi type delay)

There is a huge reverb sized in this and I am not really sold on the signal chain as of yet

Reverbs I have had in mind
Meris, Mercury 7
Source Audio, Ventris
But also thinking about other options

But what other sonic sounds am I missing?
With adding a phaser or flanger possibly?

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Looks like you have a good start there. If you are looking for a stereo flanger, Earthquaker Devices Pyramids ticks the boxes. For stereo reverbs you could also look at OTO BAM, Vongon Ultrasheer, or Chase Bliss CXM 1979. If you are looking for a saturation/distortion/sound sculpting device, look at Elektron Analog Heat, or OTO BOUM (which also has a compressor that might come in handy at end of chain). You might be looking for a delay as well, and something like the Strymon El Capistan could work there as a good tape delay emulation.

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A tasty, colorful compressor would be the handiest tool imo.

If you can stomach the Empress Zoia interface, it’s an excellent utility for all things stereo. I use mine in new ways every day. Excels at everything besides pitch shifting and analog flavored dirt.

Bit crushing and SRR are great for crunchiness, I would add saturation/overdrive/fuzz for more flavors of dirt.

GFI Specular Tempus might fill your reverb hole. Ventris looks great too, I have no real opinions here as I don’t own either of these but am considering both for my own reverb needs.

Something to consider is to set up a patch bay, or something like the Bored Brains Patchulator. This way you can reorder effects on the fly.

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Oh yes you read my mind.
I have been thinking about the Source Audio Atlas as a compressor and the only reason Zoia isn’t on the list is because I see the Euroburo version in my future as my gateway to modular

I also do have a patchbay that is hooked up to my blue box. The plan is to actually have the board right on top on the patch bay so I can switch the sound source easily but I kind of like your idea to have one just for the pedal signal chain

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I recommend the EHX Platform as an end of chain stereo compressor for not much $$. Great bang for the buck.

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I like the ideas around saturation. I feel like I may have that cover partly, as one of the sound sources is the Syntakt or other gear running through the AFX chain, but I have to imagine putting something like that at the end of the pedal chain would add so much character
Thoughts on just sending it back into the syntakt as the end of the chain?

Edit I guess that would only work for other audio sources but the syntakt itself would get it at the beginning

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Soon you will have got a complete list of who is who in the pedal universe. :wink:

My 50 ct looking at stereo pedals for synths:

Bitcrusher: Red Panda Bitmap 2 as modern Ottobit alternative with online editor

Strymon Nightsky Reverb

Chorus: Eventide TriceraChorus

Source Audio*s Neuro Editors are very powerful enhancements to their pedals.

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Wow the Specular Tempus was not on my radar but it is now
Appreciate it!

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I’ve read somewhere here that the Atlas compressor is intended mostly for guitar, the frequency response range won’t do well with bass, drums, synth etc.

Zoia seems like a no brainer if you’re already considering it. I’ve considered doubling down and owning two many times. Is this going to be a tabletop pedalboard?

Can you reorder effects with your patchbay?

Tempus seems like a very well received reverb, im glad you dig it! The source audio one sounds great too.

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Yeah, you can experiment with saturation at various parts of a signal path, that is what I do sometimes. I was just thinking something like the BOUM could be good for end of chain because it has a compressor, plus it can do the saturation thing, but it isn’t mandatory.

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Yes this will be a table top board.

I have another board I use for bass and sometimes guitar.

The plan is to have the on top of my box that holds my rack units, which includes a 48 input patchbay that I have setup with the io if my main gear and mixer
I really love you call out on having a patchbay for the io of the pedals themselves. Brilliant. That way I can change the order at will and even have certain things patch in at certain parts of the chain.

The Zoia is certainly a contender, although it does seem to me to be the type of thing that I would enjoy in a modular situation as opposed to pedals. Not currently doing much with modular past the Moog Mavis and Werkstatt. Since the eurorack version came out, it kind of seems like a no brainer intro to modular, as opposed to a multi effects pedal (although it can do it)

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Yes this is a good point, I think I may be on the look out for a dirt/saturation/compressor or some combination of those three effects. I guess the more separate they are, the more opportunities to mess with the signal paths

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There’s this little known Stereo box called Analog Heat that a few people like…?

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:joy::joy::joy:
Yeah as I was typing out the above I am also checking the prices on reverb. Will likely end up with one for this but just interested to see what other options exist

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The Gen Loss 2 hype, and pulling my Rat out of storage have triggered a cascade of purchasing silliness. Now I have a Mood, and a Boum. I’ve had to buy a PSU (Cioks, because). And because I’m cavalier, a Radial Reamp. I’ve spent the last couple of days wondering about reverbs and most of the Strymon mkiis. And I want a Habit.

This thread is, further, making me wonder about having a mono chain and a stereo chain.

I’m gonna need a (bigger) board.

The GAS is real y’all.

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Yea the gen loss 2 triggered some of this for me.
I am currently just using them together with some other mono pedals I use for my bass mainly, but with that and the Float’s recent release (literally got that one today!), I just realized I need to split them out formally and trying to do it in a way that’s more measure before I leap from here to try and limit the expectations and GAS, but one could argue this is really fueling it more that anything

All is fair in love and music as long as you are getting enjoyment!

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It’s like you get a LFO Controlled analog multimode filter and envelope follower for free when you buy the box

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The big Strymons and the v2s are a good choice, though pricey. Note that BigSky and some of the Timeline engines sum the inputs prior to processing. I don’t consider that to be a big deal but it’s worth noting as some do. They are also pretty performable over a sequence with plenty of knobs and space. You can send and receive MIDI CC too. Some people aren’t on board with the Strymon aesthetic, so it might be good to have a listen at a local dealer. Pricing is basically the same at all retailers so you won’t miss out on a big sale and can support a cool local guitar shop too.

A slightly less spendy multieffect option is the Boss 500 series with reverb, modulation, and digital delay. When I was researching it seemed like they are pretty deep but you might also have to work at them to get the sound you want as the presets may not be to your taste. Also fewer knobs and more menus.

It’d also be worth considering older rackmount effects units such as Alesis or Lexicon. I haven’t had the pleasure but there’s a lot of good sounds there and pricing seems like a good value.

I really love the cool designs on guitar pedals and I could easily spend way too much on collecting them, but the Strymons have been a big GAS killer for me. I have the effects I need and I like their sounds. I would love it if they did a big box pitch multieffect along similar lines as I’d dig a good harmonizer/octave/etc. I’ll give them a bit and then pick up a Fever Pitch if they don’t get on it. :slight_smile:

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Microcosm.

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@Tchu :trophy:
The only real question is do I need a dedicated reverb past having it?

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