Stacking Drive Pedals - Does Pedal Order Matter?

In this video, I look into if the order of drive pedals actually matters. I've always thought that drives should go from lightest drive to most driven, In this video, I test the different options. The Studio Rats are core band members Paul Drew on guitar/production/mixing, drummer James Ivey and Dan Hawkins on bass. They collaborate with singers and musicians to produce radio-ready songs.
#revvamplification #twonotesaudioengineering

[@jordanb9511]

What I learned was get that amp and any pedal order sounds gorgeous. Cheers!

[@FeelingMinnesota]

You always have such great tone man. Bloody glorious!

[@lowfatmatt433]

Some absolutely glorious drive tones in these pedal combo's, you can tell you were enjoying the sounds, it was reflected in some very tasty playing 👍

[@TheStudioRats]

Cheers Low-fat!

[@stevesalazar9658]

I use both personally. Since I do chicken Picken as well my boost will end up too loud for post drive, so I use it for clean boost & to drive ODs into more saturation. I then have 3 ODs. Light / Med / light with a comp & EP in front total can also be used to drive anyvOD if choice as well if desired. Last one in chain for solos. If you have too heavy of an OD or use distortion, then all you end up doing is mudding up the sound & clarity, such as in this demo when thr TS goes into the heavier OD. That's why he noticed more dynamics & clarity the other way around.

[@aristocaster]

I put always distortion before overdrive, overdrives compress always signal, so when that signal goes to distortion, all you get is just compressed mess without any dynamics, other way around it is more dynamic and punchier. Aka Angry Charlie goes to the Morning Glory, Tubescreamer is always too compressed for me.

[@grantdickey]

Sounded amazing heavy into light

[@TheStudioRats]

Yeah, I would never have thought I’d prefer it that way.

[@knockknock3686]

With headphones, much more definition with last combination. Day and night... good exercise that one Paul...

[@TheStudioRats]

Cheers Knock Knock.

[@Breuschling11]

I’ve always preferred lighter drives in front of heavier drives but I always try it both ways. One thing I’ve noticed is that the last pedal usually has a more significant affect on the tone (eq) than does the first drive pedal. Sometimes that is a bigger factor in deciding which pedal I want to put in which position.

[@TheStudioRats]

Cheers brian, of all my years of playing I’ve only just realised that.

[@sublyme2157]

I notice the biggest difference is when pedals have buffered outputs; true bypass going into buffered sounds a lot different than buffered going into true bypass. Sometimes it works, sometimes it sounds a little unmusical. Aside from that, the pedal at the end of the stack seems to have the biggest impact on the overall EQ/color of the tone.

[@TheStudioRats]

Thanks for the tip

[@manbeast713]

Awesome vid dude! Dan I be cheeky and ask you for that harmonic minor esq lick you keep playing… the big sequence one? I mean do you have a tab or something? :)

[@carltonjones2915]

Thanks Paul that was a great video enjoy the versatility of seeing how the pedals came together. I have one question for you though I have a katana 100 mark 2 do you think it would be wise to put achille or any kind of compressor prior to going into the amp since I can't put the compressor pedal prior to the booster in the amp change just using it alone thanks a lot.

[@TheStudioRats]

Yeah personally I like using an external compressor with the Katana. As you can then have it before the drive.

[@rangelraul2]

Plumes in the front sounded so good.

[@TheStudioRats]

Yeah, its a cool little pedal.

[@davidwoods358]

Pedal order matters. I love my Keeley 4 knob. I hit that first, then into a Wampler Equator (eq and boost) then a Soul Food and into a Kat. 100 Mk2. Simple but effective.

[@TheStudioRats]

Nice!

[@raglanroadworks]

My stack: a cheap tube screamer clone into Boss/Fender FBM-1

[@SjaakShirly6559]

Excellent video. How did you match the levels of each individual pedal? The Plumes before the rest sounds the best imo.

[@TheStudioRats]

Cheers.as the D20 was already set slightly crunchy, level really just adds more gain to the front end of the amp so levels I guess aren’t as critical than if I was using a higher headroom amp.

[@SjaakShirly6559]

@@TheStudioRats ok. Thanks.

[@samgeorge2494]

Amazing sound, what are these pickups installed in your strat?

[@TheStudioRats]

cheers, im not sure the exact models they came with the strat.

[@sgblues4238]

Keeley Tone Workstation has this all worked out.

[@goatedsapien]

My friend, Which pickups are loaded in this Strat?

[@TheStudioRats]

I’m afraid that guitar has long gone. Although it was a custom shop 62 Strat, looking at other 62’s will tell you what it is loaded with.

[@goatedsapien]

@@TheStudioRats thanks mate!

[@matttorrence2900]

Diminished licks, and harmonic minor scale

[@davescupper5789]

Ten hag