How to use a boost pedal in 5 different positions

[@PostColorGear]

Fantastic video! I've been playing for a long time and this always befuddled me. That's what I get for not playing around more. I always assumed you had to run a boost in the fx loop. Thanks for showing that it still works as volume as long as it's after the distortion, even in front of the amp

[@mattmallguitar]

Thank you I’m so glad it’s helped!

[@tjborekvideo]

Been playing guitar for 30 years, and I wish I had seen this video when I was a teenager. I would've saved time, money, and frustration. Great video for newer electric guitarists who are learning about signal flow, even if using digital modeler where different effect categories appear as "blocks" (HeadRush, Helix, etc.) as effect order can yield very different results. Excellent video.

[@mattmallguitar]

Cheers Tim 🙏🏻

[@shichen4805]

A boss eq pedal could be a magical so called 'boost' with great ability of shaping the tone in any place of the pedal chain, i personally use it in the loop and I love it!

[@mattmallguitar]

Great choice!

[@Dixey3]

I have same pedal, used to do that, and now I’m looking to see if there’s newer better options. But that worked for me for years 😎

[@organjoe]

Bought and sold a few of these over the years. Just bought another one, placed it after pedals, right before amp, both dip switches down, now it's always on gold!

[@mattmallguitar]

That’s awesome!

[@SisterSandoz]

Great Video. Just picked up an EP Boost to run in Effects loop of a Mesa Tremoverb as a solo volume control. Was advised to run it after my delay chorus and Tremolo, but found in front of the effects really enhanced them. I run it all the way off, just using the preset DIP +3 and works perfectly. It's not colorless but adds faint solo voiced eq. I watched this video before my purchase. The 2 pedals I tried before were OD pedals that added color, compression, and gain. This pedal works wonderfully. Thanks.

[@gionbongiovi9346]

very interesting and clear examples... Nice video, Matt. Grazie mille... Will use it in practice to prepare a gig just tonite!

[@mattmallguitar]

Cheers dude!

[@marshallohio5512]

I recently gigged with a new home built amp head. Band mates were blown away by the amp head. The head looked like a tube amp, for I built it that way. However, I turned it around after finishing the night in showing amp off. I actually was playing through a Quilter Mach lll head using a TC booster in effects loop. Everyone looked baffled, but was taken back in how clean and full my sound was .

[@scottmacfeat5137]

You definitely helped me out. Thank you.

[@Dixey3]

That was helpful because I coincidentally just got a G3 and was looking into best ways to get a good solo sound, with the gigrig, so you gave me good ideas. Thanks

[@CarstenStepanowicz]

This video helped me a lot Matt! Thank you!

[@mattmallguitar]

Ah nice one dude! 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻

[@grahamkelly8299]

Very good demonstration!! Great tones, achieved by using the right choice of pedals and placing them in the right order.

[@mattmallguitar]

Cheers Graham 😊🤘🏻

[@ARQUEBUS-ROCK]

A really big help Matt - many thanks - just could not work out why I wasn't getting volume boost on OD tones, thanks to this, issue is now fixed!😃

[@mattmallguitar]

Cheers, I’m glad it’s helped 😊

[@barron267]

Great, simple and clear video. Exactly the info I was looking for. I’m using a Zoom multi effects pedal in the FX loop of a Marshall DSL 20 to increase its volume a few db and it works like a charm. I just wanted to make sure it wouldn’t hurt anything

[@AlainChatlut]

Super vidéo très bien expliquée, merci pour le partage.

[@giovanni_guitar]

Super useful video!

[@mattmallguitar]

Thanks I’m glad you found it helpful 😊

[@dhavewala]

GREAT video mate!! 🤟

[@DavidJonesMusic]

Really great video and demo!

[@mattmallguitar]

Thank you!

[@pattillo21]

Man this was very helpful!! I’m used to running everything in front of the amp, but I just got a new amp that I now run my delays and reverb through the fx loop because I’m using the amp’s dirty sound. Still had my booster in the front and couldn’t understand why it wasn’t working lol. I’m gonna run the booster through the fx loop as well and see what happens.. Thank you so much for this video!

[@mattmallguitar]

Ah that’s great Mike glad the video helped! Let me know how you get on!

[@bygiksify]

Great job man, thanks

[@mattmallguitar]

Thanks Gabe 🙏🏻

[@alessandrodibona7453]

A really great video!!!!!

[@mattmallguitar]

Thank you

[@stuartkelly396]

Nice video mate thank you 🙏

[@marctorrez774]

Thank you!! You’ve solved one of my problems!!

[@AndrewMooreLearningLicks]

Great stuff 👏🏼 instantly subscribed 👍🏼

[@mattmallguitar]

Awesome, thank you!

[@GregVasquez777]

very kewl and informative thanks Aand i happen to love that distortion from the Angry Charlie, I'm assuming. Reminds me of the Boston distortion, some. Thanks... lots of good new toys to research. Peace

[@leynardvista4239]

Thanks for sharing bro, very useful tip. Greetings from the U.A.E.

[@mattmallguitar]

Thanks Leynard no worries! 😊🤘🏻

[@J1Z06]

Liked and Subscribed! Your tone is $$$$$$

[@mattmallguitar]

Thanks Jay! 🙏🏻😊

[@J1Z06]

@@mattmallguitar You're very welcome! 🤘🏻🎸😎

[@georgewilkins4231]

Nice., well done..

[@mattmallguitar]

Thanks George

[@artreemusic2646]

Hi, what effect or amp distortion channel do you have in this chain? Great sound, just the way I like it

[@mattmallguitar]

Hey buddy, I’m using the JHS Angry Charlie

[@admit8318]

Whats your fav settings on xotic dip switches ?

[@szveszs]

is the clean boost on the loop of an clean channel works? Like, just more for volume than drive stuff... ? Thanks.

[@josephturnner6390]

One important thing that was not mentioned is that a boost pedal can shape tone as well. So placing a boost in front of the overdrive doesn't just give more dirt, it adds to tone. Same with placing the boost after the overdrive, you don't just get more volume ,you get a different tone.. By mixing both the pedals you can get a sound you normally couldn't. For example the Kelly Kantina in front of the Vertex steel string clean drive, or after is going to give you a rich warm tone.Mixing the two pedals whether the boost is in front of the overdrive or after is going to give you a beautiful sound you normally could not achieve otherwise.. It's not just going to raise the volume or add more overdrive depending on the placement, it's going to shape tone no matter where the placement of the boost pedal. Either way it's about mixing.(like an engineer) By controlling the knobs on both pedals you're going to get many tones from out of this world. So the stereotype is this, People always tell you depending if you want more volume or more overdrive do this with your boost..... But I'm here to tell you as an engineer that couldn't be more further from the truth.

[@mattmallguitar]

Yes absolutely dude, especially with the EP booster, really shapes the tone in a beautiful way with it being based on the echo machine EP3 pre amp 🥰 this wasn’t really a video on how to demonstrate how a booster can colour the tone, that’s a whole other rabbit hole to venture down in another video for sure! But more to help other guitarists understand how they can boost their level or just add more gain in front of an overdrive (to start with), I was hoping people would use their ears to ‘shape’ the tone accordingly when experimenting with boost pedals 😊 The idea came from doing a show and the support band was having issues boosting their guitar level and they were running the boost in front of the overdrive, told them to put it in the amps loop and instantly got what they were after 🤘🏻😊🤘🏻

[@Brennosguitarsandgear]

Great vid mate , sub'd 👍🏽

[@mattmallguitar]

Cheers mate 🤘🏻

[@tubodelgas7275]

Can a guitar booster pedal only be used for the guitar or for something else?

[@nkapz627]

Any electronic instrument would work with any pedal. You could boost the volume on a guitar, bass, keyboard, electronic drums, etc.

[@stephaneparis6535]

I believe you have all your pedals connected in that footswitch in front, what's that product? Does it let you preset 2 or more effects at once?

[@swissanthony]

When running the boost in the fx loop , does it always need to come before the time based fx ? Cheers

[@nkapz627]

No, but it would be beneficial to do so because you will have your amps clean tone boosted, then into any modulation pedals. Where as after those modulation pedals, you would be boosting those effects.

[@mattmallguitar]

Definitely have a play around and see what you like best. Part of the fun is to try this stuff out 😎

[@tubodelgas7275]

un pedale booster per chitarra può essere usato solo per chitarra o anche per altro?

[@mattmallguitar]

Can be used for many applications

[@glennsteen4249]

You think the ep booster could be used as just a solo boost? I've been looking at thia or the tc spark booster for boosting my solos live but can't decide 😫

[@mattmallguitar]

Hey Glenn! I use my EP to boost my solos live and I love it, works for both clean and over drive, definitely worth trying one out to see if you prefer it over the spark, it’s got a little ‘something else’ about it

[@glennsteen4249]

@@mattmallguitar Cool! 😃👍 yeah i've heard so from others as well! Does it bring up the volume only or and add gain as well you think?

[@mattmallguitar]

@@glennsteen4249 if you run the booster hot you’ll get it clipping, really depends on what you’re running it into I guess, if you want to add more gain to an overdrive or a pushed amp then yes it will definitely do that

[@glennsteen4249]

@@mattmallguitar Great! Then i'll get the EP Booster! Thanks a lot man! 👍🙏

[@MikeyRavone]

Glenn, the Spark does not affect your tone at all. The EP Boost does, but in an incredible way. It was built to emulate the tonal traits of the Echoplex from the 70s. And it does. So if you want a boost and nothing more, the Spark is great. If you want some tonal changes that warms up your boost, the EP is magical.

[@SteveJamsEcono]

I'm really glad I stumbled upon this today, as I've been experimenting with the loop in my Victory RK50 and was contemplating using the EP Booster in the loop to similar ends. Glad to see that it might be exactly what I need to do! This begs the question - Both the Channel 2 w/boost in loop and Clean w/angry charlie and boost after sound pretty great and almost interchangeable to my ears, do you have a preference between which you generally use and why? I have to imagine each have advantages.

[@mattmallguitar]

Hey Steve, great question! I generally use the angry Charlie with the EP boost as for me it has a slightly smoother tone with what I play, but equally the victory OD with the EP booster sounds awesome too, I may use it a little more depending on the set in playing! Lots of options!

[@emilianoespindola4214]

Great Video!!! Which are your internal DIP switches settings of the EP booster when you put in on the effects loop?

[@mattmallguitar]

Thanks Emiliano! I’ll have to double check those settings, I’m pretty sure I left them as they were but I’ll take the back off and have a look just incase

[@emilianoespindola4214]

@@mattmallguitar Thanks Matt !!!

[@joonstar]

Hi Matt, I'm using just the boost pedal in front of amp and the pedal works like a on/off switch rather than a boost pedal. Once pressed, it completely shuts off the signal and when pressed again, it turns on the signal which is so weird. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

[@mattmallguitar]

Ah that’s interesting, I don’t think it should be doing that, are you using just the boost pedal and then straight into the amp?

[@joonstar]

@@mattmallguitar Thanks for your quick response. Yes, I am just using the boost pedal straight into the amp to try it out.

[@mattmallguitar]

@@joonstar ok, I guess the next thing to check is the power, are you using a battery or a power supply?

[@joonstar]

@@mattmallguitar I am using a 9V power supply.

[@mattmallguitar]

@@joonstar that is strange, does the blue LED come on when you switch the pedal on? And are you plugged into the input on the right of the pedal? (Sorry if that seems like a daft question but many of students have made that mistake before!)

[@tonycicarella876]

I feel like I need a college degree on guitar pedals to understand all this stuff. Very confusing. :(

[@jacksonanderson2926]

If you’re interested in learning more, research simple guitar signal chains! There are no rules and everyone does it differently!

[@MetalHeadPyro510]

You're not boosting it loud enough; the on/off was so subtle, I had to replay it just to hear the difference in vol. 😂

[@mattmallguitar]

KZbin compression sadly, in the room it’s super loud, wasn’t the purpose of the video really to show how loud it goes, more to demonstrate different ways of applying the boost in your signal chain, I’ll do a separate video demonstrating how much it can blast your face off, or even better, if you come down a show and put your head in front of the speaker you’ll hear the difference and probably lose your hearing as result 🤷‍♂️🤣

[@MetalHeadPyro510]

@mattmallguitar Well, when showing the differences between pre - and post gain, having that knob so close to unity barely shows the difference between pre - and post gain. Clean boosts not only raise the volume post preamp but alter the gain and eq where as before the preamp, it only does 1 thing being add sustain which isn't very thrilling on its own. The more you raise the boost in post gain, the more valvelike distortion comes out of the amp. Valve like as in growling distortion as opposed to harsh thin static mess that is very unpleasant.

[@mattmallguitar]

@@MetalHeadPyro510 I just listened back to the video to check those levels, and if you're listening in headphones you can hear a massive difference with the Angry Charlie on it's own, the EP Boost after the Angry Charlie, there's a big jump in volume which is exactly the point I was trying to make with that example, also the unity gain thing, I'm not sure where you're getting that from, if you're looking at the post gain signal on my G2, that's totally irrelevant, it's the boost in the chain that's boosting the volume, not the post gain circuit of the G2. Appreciate the comment though