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Wah wah wah.... crybabies...


spawn2031
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So I think it has been pretty much the consensus of almost every thread I have read that the wah pedals built into the 500x's aren't all that great so I ran out and got me a Jerry Cantrell Crybaby.  My question to all of you awesome folks out there is where is the best place to place it?  Before or after the Pod?  I don't want to put it in the FX loop cuz I tend to need most of my blocks.  

 

Questions? Thoughts?  Snide remarks?  

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Depends on what sound you are looking for. 

In the days of 'pedals'. I used to have multiple of certain ones. First, because it allowed me to have different sounds (because they were knobs and not digital presets). But also, because sometimes I wanted an effect before an effect and sometimes I wanted it after. 

 

Most likely, you are going to use it before the pod -- especially if you are using the amp models. 

But, it really depends on what you are trying to do. 

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okay, that's where I've got it right now and it doesn't sound quite right.  I'll have to mess with the settings (the one knob) and see whats up.  This particular wah is supposed to sound really good and throaty but it's sounding alot more tinny and harsh in the toe position.

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So I think it has been pretty much the consensus of almost every thread I have read that the wah pedals built into the 500x's aren't all that great so I ran out and got me a Jerry Cantrell Crybaby.  My question to all of you awesome folks out there is where is the best place to place it?  Before or after the Pod?  I don't want to put it in the FX loop cuz I tend to need most of my blocks.  

 

Questions? Thoughts?  Snide remarks?  

 

The issue crusinon2 mentioned is the same thing for me; I am using the JTV vdi connection. I did mess with a bunch of different ways to combine guitar with analog effects and get them into the POD. In the end, I stuck with the JTV VDI connection, and spent some time programming the wahs to sound better.

 

Try this:

 

start with a wah model in the HD500, and an amp model. Get a wah that is close to what you want, then adjust the values at the toe down and toe up positions. See if you can dial in some smoother wah tones that what you get with the 'stock' wah settings.

 

As for outboard wahs, I also still run an analog pedalboard, which currently has a non-true bypass Vox wah on it. My solution for now has been to route the Vox wah through a Keeely fx looper 'true bypas' pedal. It's this tiny little pedal that let's me toggle the wah in/out of the signal chain without using the wah toe switch. Which is cool, you can set the wah to a 'cocked wah' sound, and use the Keeley footswitch as just an on/off to the wah.

 

But I would like to upgrade that at some point, get a Fulltone or something nice.

 

With my JTV-HD500-DT25 rig, I use both the mags and models from the JTV, and I split them into two amp models, and basically create two version of the signal path, including two wahs. I set the FS controls to be 1-8 rather than with the A-B-C-D patch change. I make the top two center FS (2 and 3 I think) control the wah on/off, and I make the wah's both control with the same EXP pedal. Typically I don't make the onboard EXP pedal the volume pedal, because I kept hitting it with my feet when I did tap tempo.

 

Anyway, two wahs at the same time, using different wah models can sound cool, and I also dig the parallel sound, when I have one wah on, and one off.

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In 20+ years of messing with more multi-fx units than I would be able to remember in one sitting, I've yet to meet one that had a wah that was up to snuff...always wondered why, as there are certainly more complicated fx. Anyway, I always find myself going back to using an external one. Love my Fulltone Clyde Deluxe...

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I think that this is because a real Wah connected directly to a real guitar has a complex interaction between the capacitive, inductive and resistive parts of the combined guitar, wah and downstream circuits, while a digital modeller can only model the static filtering effect in place when it was on the test rig being measured.

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I had my struggles with the Pod wah. So far, I only use the chrome custom wah in the pod. I bring the mix down to about 50% and it sounds pretty convincing. If the issue with the wah is the feel, and you like what you are able to dial in using the pod wah offerings, then a mission engineering expression pedal is a great choice.

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I agree with Tboneous.  The sweep/feel of the Exp pedal on the POD is to large.  I like the feel of a real wah much better.  And, the custom Chrome sounds the best on the POD, most like the Jerry Cantrell wah, which is the setting I use on my 535Q.

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I've found for me that any of the wahs sound best when both the mix and position are tied to the expression pedal. The position min and max values may vary depending on the wah:

 

Position: 0 ~ 35 to 75 ~ 100

Mix: 24 to 100

 

With this setup you don't need to worry about engaging the wah either. If the pedal is in the heel position it's essentially off.

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I personally love the amount of control L6 has given us, over the wah models. 20 years ago, I used to modify wah pedals so that you could dial in the start and finish point. I have always found most wahs to have the top end to be way to brittle and the low to be too bassy and muddy. Being able to control those points is crucial.

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I love the POD wahs....I love the optical pedal....less noise, no cable or tone suck...conventional wah isn't worth the trouble for me....

 

Perhaps for recording if I were to want a very particular sound like using a stock CryBaby tone suck to temper a really bright strat or tele....but then I can do that with the InputZ on the POD so I can't see the point any more...

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I play a lot of funk/wah type tones and am very thankful for L6 giving me decent wah sounds built in to my HD500.I have thought about carrying and powering and patch cabling an external wah at my gigs but have never done it.

Trying to carry/set up less gear not more and still get the job done.It must be working because I am awful damn busy!

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Well after much screwing around I did get my crybaby to sound awesome and in front of the Pod was defintly the way to go.  On another note, I did find a patch that comes stock with the pod that did have a nice Wah setup.  Must have missed this one.  It's "Heavy Chords" and it uses the Colorful wah.  Actually not that bad at all.  Too bad I didn't find it before I bought the Cantrell Wah!  Oh well.

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Advice on wahs: depending on the amp you choose and the type of tone you dial in, certain wahs sound better, at least to me. It's worth the time to audition them rather than just using the same one on each patch.

true... 

But in the old days of pedals, you bought one wah and used it for everything. 

So, there should be a wah setting that someone finds appealing enough to use as their 'go to' wah. 

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true... 

But in the old days of pedals, you bought one wah and used it for everything. 

So, there should be a wah setting that someone finds appealing enough to use as their 'go to' wah.

 

But in the old days, we bought one amp and made it sound as good as we could by tweaking knobs and adding pedals to it.
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