How To Set Your Amp For Pedals [Gain, EQ, Volume & FX Loops]

Clean pedal platform, slightly crunchy or super gainy: where do you start? Life too short for long YouTube videos? Please see the ‘Interesting bits and go-to sections’ information below. Welcome to the show! Yes yes yes, this is a loooong video. Old-school TPS, you might say, where Dan and I go on a voyage of discovery, rather than offering quick-fire prescriptive advice on What You Should Do. Well, what you probably //should// do is worry less about where the knobs are set, and focus more on the core principles of gain staging and EQ so you can set that amp with your eyes closed, regardless of what the dials say. We also hope to address some of the really basic issues that you’ll come across when setting up your amp: volume, gain, effects loops and all that… Thusly, we take a clean pedal platform (Fender Hot Rod Deluxe), a crunchy mid-power amp (Vox AC15) and a higher gain amp (Victory VC35) and listen to what happens when you hit them with a basic selection of pedals. As you’ll hear, the results are markedly different. But why? Enjoy the video! • Pedals & stuff in this episode… TheGigRig Three2One • SonicResearch ST-200 Turbo Tuner • Keeley Filaments • Nobels ODR-1 • Benson Preamp • Universal Audio Astra Modulation Machine • Strymon Volante • GFI System Skylar Reverb • TheGigRig G3 Amps in this episode: • Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III 1x12 combo (links for version IV) • Vox AC15 C1 with Greenback Speaker • Victory VC35 The Copper If you use these links to buy stuff - any stuff – we receive a small cut. Thank you! ✅ UK & Europe: Andertons Music - https://andertonsmusiccompany.pxf.io/... ✅ USA: Sweetwater - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/5g6ALN ✅ Australia: Pedal Empire - http://bit.ly/2mWmJQf ✅ Europe: Thomann https://clickfi.re/OG0N7ONe Interesting bits and go-to sections… 0:00 Intro & playing 4:00 What are we do today and why? 5:42 Clean Hot Rod Deluxe setup 7:20 Hot Rod Deluxe EQ 13:40 Final settings Hot Rod Deluxe 14:55 What about the 335? 20:37 Clean amp too clean? 24:40 High gain pedal, clean amp? 25:51 Keeley Filaments & HRD 28:28 Nobels ODR-1 & HRD 31:56 Underdrive with the clean amp? 34:44 Crunchy amp, Vox AC15 35:26 AC15 gain and master settings 37:50 Finding the spot for playing dynamics 40:24 AC15 treble and master tone cut 42:40 AC15 final settings 43:00 AC15 with humbuckers? 46:05 AC15 & Epiphone Casino 47:38 Crunchy amp & high gain OD pedal? 51:25 Crunchy amp & Benson as boost 52:43 Clean or crunchy amp for delay & reverb? 55:10 No effects loop? Just do this… 56:45 Flanger into a crunchy and clean amp 58:10 Do you need an effects loop? 59:40 Gainy amp, Victory VC35 1:01:00 More bass? 1:02:49 Let’s make it gainy 1:07:15 VC35 & Benson 1:09:10 VC35 & ODR-1 & Filaments 1:11:25 Delay & reverbs and gainy amps 1:15:00 Closing thoughts Guitars in this episode: • Fender Custom Shop ’52 Telecaster – Dan’s video here:    • That Pedal Show – Dan's Fender Custom Shop...   • Gibson Memphis 1958 ES-335 – Mick’s video here:    • Gibson Memphis 1958 ES-335 – Mick's Vlog: ...   • Gretsch G6228 Player’s Edition Jet BT w/V Stoptail - no video yet • Epiphone Casino - Mick’s video here:    • Epiphone Casino Pickup Swap: Average To Aw...   We hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe to our channel. You can buy TPS merch to support our efforts https://www.thatpedalshowstore.com We are on Patreon – crowdfunding for creatives   / thatpedalshow   Please visit our preferred retailers! UK & Europe: Andertons Music https://andertonsmusiccompany.pxf.io/... Australia: Pedal Empire http://bit.ly/2mWmJQf