MoonTone FX / Signal chain consulting
Signal chain consulting for pedalboards and Quad Cortex rigs
I review signal chains for guitarists who care how their pedals work together, whether that is a stompbox board, a Quad Cortex setup or both. Remote by video, or in person around Northeast Florida.
What a consult covers
Pedalboard planning
A remote video session of about one to two hours. We plan the board around your pedals, your goals and how you play.
Signal flow
Remote by video, or in person around Northeast Florida. I replicate your gear (within reason) on my bench and help you dial in your sound.
Problems a consult solves
Two examples from the bench.
Gain hiss
Two ISP Decimator II noise gates linked, one first and one last in the gain chain, remove the hiss and keep the dynamics of your playing.
Overdrive placement
An Ibanez TS808HWV2 sounds best stacked into other gainy pedals, not at the end of the gain chain.
Where do pedals go in a signal chain?
A common starting order is guitar, tuner, filter or wah, compressor, fuzz and overdrive, modulation, delay, reverb, then the amp. Each pedal works on the signal it receives from the one before it, so gain pedals feed the effects that come after them.
Treat that order as a starting point, not a rule. Fuzz pedals often like to sit first in the chain, a noise gate can work at the start and the end of the gain section, and a modeler like the Quad Cortex can take over part of the chain or all of it. The right order depends on your pedals and the sound you want, and sorting that out is what a session is for.
An engineering approach to tone
My background is in engineering and product development. I started building pedalboards in 2009 and have spent years buying, using and selling pedals, from vintage analog to the newest digital and hybrid modelers. If you want the sound fixed before you spend money, a consult is the cheaper first step.
Want a board built after the plan? See custom pedalboards in Jacksonville Beach. Want pedal sounds for your Quad Cortex? Browse the capture packs.
Questions about consulting
Is the consulting remote?
Pedalboard planning is a remote video session of about one to two hours. Signal flow work can be remote by video, or in person around Northeast Florida.
Do you work with the Quad Cortex?
Yes. I help with Quad Cortex setups, stompbox boards and hybrids of both.
What should I send before a session?
Message MoonTone with the pedals or modeler you have and what you want from them. You will get a quote.
Can you hear my rig on your end?
Within reason, yes. I replicate your gear on my bench and help you dial in your sound. Everything on my bench is streamed through a Universal Audio Apollo X4 Gen 2 interface, so what I hear is true to the gear.
Does a consult include a pedalboard build?
A consult is planning and signal flow help. If you want the board built too, see the pedalboard builder page.
Book a consult
Message MoonTone with the pedals you have and what you want from them. You will get a quote.