Do you guys run your distortion/drive pedals at unity volume ?

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Dyllheaven88

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I find for low volume playing unity with the master on the amp works well, at band volumes I always run my drives/ distortion pedals lower just because I feel like it sounds better . Wonder how everyone else runs their rigs ?
 
I always run my overdrives with the Level cranked and the drive at 0, tone at noon or 1'oclock. When I used to use a metal zone as a boost I would do the same, level cranked, drive at 0, all tone controls at noon... The metal zone is actually an excellent boost pedal, but very edgy. and great for boosting recto's or old school Randall's.
 
I like my SD-1 with level close to max but not all of the way, and drive cracked just above 1-2/10 when the clipping circuit kicks in. This is for 4 gain stage designed amplifiers.
 
Normally with the gain/drive knob on the pedal all the way off or very low. Usually, 11:00 o'clock at the very max. As far as pedal volume goes, I normally try to set it just a hair louder than the un-boosted volume sound level. The exception "sometimes" for me would be when using a DOD250 type overdrive when trying to get a real Yngwie sound. Then I would be much more inclined to crank the knobs on the pedal.
 
From 2 o clock to max, always, no matter the volume level.
 
Amp-in-a-box pedals? Unity gain.

Overdrive pedals? The entire point of an overdrive pedal is to slam the amp's input.
 
TheGreatGreen said:
Amp-in-a-box pedals? Unity gain.

Overdrive pedals? The entire point of an overdrive pedal is to slam the amp's input.
Click to expand...
This was more directed towards amp in box pedals, but I have used drive pedals for tone coloring and freq shifts , or the “hair” term. If we were on TGP.
 
Depends on how I'm using it - if I'm using it to switch between clean amp and pedal distortion, I run it at unity (or close to it)

If I'm using it to boost an already dirty amp, I dime the pedal's volume
 
It really depends. On an amp where I mostly want to boost and tighten up the input the Level may be max or almost max, gain 0.

Some amps already have gobs of gain but I still want a LITTLE boost and tightening of the signal, and then I dial the level just to the point where it does that without going into overcompressed/nasal territory.

Adding in pedal gain is another matter. If Incould say I have found a general rule, it’s probably that the more pedal gain I use, the less level I use.
 
Pretty much always at unity gain. There's no reason to boost a high gain amp for more gain, especially if you have high output humbuckers. It's about getting tightness and clarity, not gain. The exception would be a Dual Rec, which I like better with low output pickups and an actual boost.
 
TheGreatGreen said:
Amp-in-a-box pedals? Unity gain.

Overdrive pedals? The entire point of an overdrive pedal is to slam the amp's input.
Click to expand...
I usually like amp in a box pedals just a touch above unity gain. What I want to experiment with more with AIB pedals is with them with the volume low, so I can crank up the amp a bit more. When switching to clean, you would have to roll down your guitar volume.
 
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