boss ds-1 unity gain

[mbengs1]

i have a ds-1 and when i use it with a chorus, the chorus is louder than the ds-1. i have to lower the volume of the chorus quite low so it balances with the ds-1. the ds-1 unity gain is at 3' o clock, is this right?

[1001gear]

The tone knob probably determines the loudness you perceive. Use ears.

[WRGKMC]

Boss pedals are not true bypass. Even when you switch them off the signal is running through a SS device. They're pedals are clean when bypassed so it doesn't make that big of a difference.

 

Many Chorus pedals tend to sound boosted. My Marshall Chorus pedals tends to do this. I turn it off and you hear a dip in volume. I often run it low in the background to give the sound a slow movement and just leave it on. I dont have to deal with the volume dip.

 

I'm not sure why you're worried about having a 1:1 Ratio. There's only one of two ways to actually get it. You can run your pedals into a device that has meters, or get yourself a dB meter you can stick in front of the speaker to measure the actual volume level.

 

Gain and frequency are linked when it comes to actually hearing the gain levels. Our ears are most sensitive in the midrange frequencies between 1~3Khz. Low frequencies need a higher gain level to produce an even perceived volume level, and what you may set as 1:1 at low volume can change at higher volume levels due to the way our ears work.

 

Your gain pedal may seem like its 1:1 at low volume but crank the amp up to concert levels and it may seem to take a dip. This is why most experienced musicians simply use their ears when balancing pedals. When they play with real people producing real changes in dynamic volume you adjust the pedals to work best with those players. A gain pedal usually needs to match a live drummers crash cymbals. Bypassed you may want the clean guitar to match the snare and high hat. Knowing if a pedals set 1:1 is simply a starting point. It needs to be tweaked from there to match other players in a real world situation with real music containing dynamics that match the emotional content of the music.

 

The way I do it is to set my cleans to match the drummer's normal playing level. Then I use a couple of gain pedals. I'll use something like a Tube Screamer to give the guitar some tube like gain that's maybe a DB or two higher then clean, then I'll use an intermediate gain pedal that's set higher then the first, then I'll use a high gain pedals that's a little higher then the second. This way I can step my gain up in stages depending on what's needed for the music. I can also combine them for super sustained leads.

 

I'll also add, most gain pedals have a 1 to 1 gain at about 12 o'clock. Theres always exceptions, especially on older pedals that weren't designed very well. Most Boss pedals I've tried have unity at noon but again it comes down to perceived vs actual gain levels both of which change drastically at higher volumes.

 

One trick that can help. Bypass your pedals and turn your amp down to where it can barely be heard. Then turn the pedal on and listen to the loudness of the effect and then match the volume. You'll find this is easy to do at the bottom end of your hearing sensitivity much more easily then high volumes because you're only using your ears. When you try and do it at cranked volumes you'll wind up letting the speaker vibrations influence your judgements based on what you feel, not by what you hear.

[Phil O'Keefe]

i have a ds-1 and when i use it with a chorus' date=' the chorus is louder than the ds-1. i have to lower the volume of the chorus quite low so it balances with the ds-1. the ds-1 unity gain is at 3' o clock, is this right? [/quote']

 

I don't recall where unity gain is to be honest... but it's easy enough to check using a simple SPL meter app for your smart phone. Hit pedal, check volume on meter... bypass pedal and compare SPL level. Adjust output level on DS-1 (and yes, the tone knob can change the level, so set that first), then repeat until they are equal.