What's your favorite pedal combo?

I've never done a combo build, but I love seeing the build reports.

The Destiny Behemoth project @jjjimi84 did was a pretty well thought out all-in-one if you're thinking about something that will cover the basics on it's own. That started out as a giant combo build, and developed into a PCB. (I still have one of his PCBs to finish.)

If you're looking to get away from the basics and go to outer space @Pauleo1214 's build reports page is pretty amazing.
 
lrgaraujo said:
Oh nice, thanks! Looks like most people are suggesting pairs, though, since the box was smaller than the one I got
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Way Huge got it right -- tube screamer into tube sound fuzz (red llama).

Could always smash a couple lovetone in there: ? Flanger, string ringer, brown source into big cheese.... Possibilities are endless!
 
I’d go for fuzz and phaser somewhere. I’d also probably go for stuff with 6 controls each for the sake of a continuous layout and maximum flexibility given the form factor.

Perhaps something like this as a standalone mini rig to plug into the front of a tube amp at the edge of some light breakup:

Aloysius Fuzz > Circulator Phaser > Frost Drive > Deflector Reverb


On the other hand, if I was going for a portable “all in one” rig to put into a super clean and neutral pedal platform amp or direct into a power amp, PA system, or interface with cab-sim, I’d maybe go for:

Aloysius Fuzz > Circulator Phaser > Boogie Monster or Mofeta Preamp (both seem neat in different ways) > Spatialist Reverb


Also for either I’d probably add a foot switch for a green ringer circuit (squidward?) too.
 
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For me, I'd go in the "make this my very portable board" direction, maybe with one twist. I'd chain the Tso (compressor) into a drive (probably Chop Shop or Champ Stamp), into the Equinox Mini, and then (since I have very usable reverb and Trem on my amp, to either a second drive (probably Pot and Kettle or the Chauffeur), or possibly the Seabed. The twist would be that there would be an in/out between the first drive and the EQ, so that I could add in whatever mod pedal I'm currently infatuated with. Although my "pedal board" is still all unfastened, I have a similar in/out positioned so I can easily add in a different mod than the ones on the board. Oh, and place inside for a few parallel 9V batteries or a rechargeable; since this is PORTABLE, I'd want to skip needing a power supply.

I have toyed with this notion several times in the past.
 
not for everyone, but this is what i would do:

1) your favourite YATS
[little green scream machine / extreme scream machine / frost drive / mean green metal machine / greengage overdrive]

2) Distortion
[disarray distortion / crunch captain / guvernator distortion]

3) Chorus, Phaser, or Flanger (pick x1)
[ceasar chorus, phase II, byzantium flanger]

4) Delay
[magnetron delay, seabed delay]
 
thanks for all the responses, folks!
let's see if inspiration hits once the box is delivered

Bricksnbeatles said:
I’d go for fuzz and phaser somewhere
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phaser is my favorite modulation, but I think a tremolo might be more useful in different scenarios
Alan W said:
The twist would be that there would be an in/out between the first drive and the EQ
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I really like the idea of having a send/return loop, so I can insert other effects if I choose to do so
owlexifry said:
not for everyone, but this is what i would do:

1) your favourite YATS
2) Distortion
3) Chorus, Phaser, or Flanger (pick x1)
4) Delay
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that's pretty much what I'm considering right now, but with a tremolo for modulation
 
lrgaraujo said:
phaser is my favorite modulation, but I think a tremolo might be more useful in different scenarios
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Phaser is always the best tho! Lol

I agree tremolo has its uses though. In that case, in lieu of the spatialist reverb, you could build an arachnid with a custom eeprom of both spatialist and radium springs patches— the black face and brown face reverb patches have standard and harmonic tremolo respectively alongside a simple spring reverb
 
I kind of hate combo pedals because I change things so much. But if I have to pick, two that I find useful to combined and still leave some room for flexibility would be a delay and reverb with an order switch.
 
Could you point me to where you got that enclosure? I've been looking for something like that.
 
The Red Wheelbarrow

so much depends​
upon​
​
a red wheel​
barrow​
​
glazed with rain​
water​
​
beside the white​
chickens.​

— William Carlos Williams​


Suggestions should depend on your giving us some direction. 🤏
What are your tastes? What's your guitar/amp/style-of-music? 🤌
For someone in a Pantera tribute band playing through a Krank amp 🤘 I'm going to give completely different suggestions than what I'd suggest to someone running through a Blues Junior playing along to Youtooblues vids in the basement 👌.

Your response to Owlexifry's suggestion finally gave us some indications of your intentions/preferences; and you let us know you like phaser, that you want to try something new other than that ol' 45 and that you want a tremolo... :unsure: Now we're getting somewhere. 🚕 (y)
I can now drop the bass-specific suggestion of Envelope-Filter > Compressor > Fuzz > Flanger. 😸
So...
1) YATS
2) Distortion
3) Tremolo
4) Delay


Given the size of the enclosure, you could squeeze 5 effects in there if one (or two) is (are) a small PCB (1590A-sized) such as a boost/fuzz.
Boost can push a tube amp into more saturation, add fuzz for leads...


The enclosure's big enough at the back that I'd put in switching jacks for each effect, that way you could insert an external effect-chain before or after any circuit within the combo. With nothing plugged into the inserts, the signal just flows through whatever you've put in the box, of course.
Maybe that's overkill and you just want one or two inserts at strategic locations such as between the distortion and tremolo to plug in a Phase45.


1) YATS
Most screamers are 3-knobbers, most of Robert's PCBs are standardised for 1 drill template — so if it's a 3-knob yats, you could add in quick-connects to swap out different YATS, or any 3-knob OD;
most of the 4-knob ODs in Robert's offerings share the same drill-template too. So really, it's a question of do you want a 3-knob or a 4-knob YATS/OD?
Or if you're okay with a few extra holes, drill for the Frost Drive (six holes) and a standard 3-knob YATS could still be bunged in at a later date or vice versa. OR you could leave a "ghost" pot in place if you don't like holes.
It's not a quick-change, but having the quick-connects on the wires means not having to bust out the soldering iron when changing out the YATS, just a matter of taking off the knobs and loosening 3 (or 4) nuts.


2) DRIVE 2/DISTORTION
Marshall in a Box? A Rat? Why not go with a Six-knob solution, and again have the quick-connects on the wiring. Then you can swap out the board in this slot as well:
Pestle (EQD Zoar) / Blue Shoe Gaipan / Dingo (VFE Alpha Dog) / Thermionic (Friedman BE) / Paragon Mini (KoT) / Plaid Preamp ( Funny Little Boxes 1991) / Mofeta (EAE Model FeT / Boogie Monster / Bayonet Fuzz (BoE Musket) / Blues Captain (MI Blue Boy) / Captain Bit (oct-fuzz!) / Chela (EQD Talons) / Death Cap (Fuzzhugger Doom Bloom) / Sea Monk (VFE Merman [klon]) /
Ghost-pots would open this up to some of the 5-knob options for even more versatility, or add a mod to the 5-knobber to make it a 6-knobber.
You could even sub out a Delegate compressor in this spot!
OR SMALL PCB (to make room for adding a boost) one-knobbers:​
The Crankshaft (EQD Speaker Cranker) / El Sol (EQD Acapulco Gold) / Aft (EQD Bows) / Mini-Muffin

3) TREMOLO
Why not Nick's Arachnid suggestion? 8 hand-picked FV-1 effects including Tremolo.
If not, then choose a flavour...
Pendulum for Harmonic Trem / Woodpecker for Hard Chop / Special Porpoise fuzz-trem (Catalinebread Antichthon)


4) DELAY
Arachnid AGAIN, but with all 8 FV-1 algorithms being some form of delay/reverb.
Or continuing the quick-disconnect theme, these share the same drill template:
Bugg FX Daydream / D3lay / Unison Double-tracker

BOOST
Compact one-knobber with a flip-flop switch to put it at the end of chain for a clean solo boost/driving the amp,
or at front of chain to push dirts 1 and 2 in the chain after it.
Amentum (EQD Arrows) / Black Tiger



Thanks for the inspiration, lrgaraujo, I might have to do something similar to what I've just suggested!
 
I’m think
1. Fuzz Aldrin which can do overdrive and fuzz pretty well and has lots of tone shaping options.
2. Either Mofetta, Thermonic or Doxie as kind of a general tone shaper that can also do some distortion, maybe not so much distortion with the Doxie but in case your a fender voiced fan.
3. I haven’t built one but now I want to and it seems like a good choice the Circulator or the pendulous harmonic trem seems cool.
4. Seahorse it can do some chorus, delay, faux reverb. A little hard to dial but lots of sounds. There is a thread somewhere that talks about mods for fine tuning it.
 
Feral Feline said:
Given the size of the enclosure, you could squeeze 5 effects in there
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Once the enclosure arrives, I'll get a better idea, but I think 5 will be doable

Feral Feline said:
Pendulum for Harmonic Trem
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I'm considering a harmonic trem, it'll be a nice change of flavor

DailyDovetails said:
I’m think
1. Fuzz Aldrin which can do overdrive and fuzz pretty well and has lots of tone shaping options.

4. Seahorse it can do some chorus, delay, faux reverb. A little hard to dial but lots of sounds. There is a thread somewhere that talks about mods for fine tuning it.
Click to expand...
Those sound very versatile, I'll give it some serious thought (love the fuzz aldrin, don't know much about the sea horse)
 
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