There are four main components of an effects pedal setup:

1. Microphone
2. Preamp
3. Effects Loop
4. Power Source

Microphone / Pickup

Once you have your instrument, you will need a good microphone to play into. Another alternative for brass players is to use a Yamaha Silent Brass Mute: with a pickup in the mute it can be run directly into your pedal chain and used in place of a microphone

Preamp

That microphone or Yamaha Silent Brass Mute will then plug into a preamp, which boosts the signal of your instrument closer to the level of a guitar signal, which is needed for using the pedals.

Effects Loop

After the preamp, your sound will go through the “Effects Loop,” where refers to the chain of effects pedals through which you run your sound. Though you can, and should, experiment with the order of pedals, a good general rule is to place tone-based pedals towards the front, and time-based pedals towards the end of the effects loop.  It’s better to be delaying a distortion sound than it is to be adding distortion to a delayed sound. After the signal runs through the effects loop, it can to go to an amp, speaker, or other monitoring device for playback.

Finally, you’ll also need power for your pedals. Each pedal requires its own power supply. When you’re using multiple pedals, a singular power source with multiple outputs saves space, such as the Voodlab Pedal Power 4×4

Pedal Types 

Here are some of the pedals you might want to include in your chain as you get stared:

Preamp 

A preamp is crucial for any instrumentalist or vocalist that wants to incorporate effect pedals into their live or recorded performance. Radial Engineering’s Voco-Loco PreAmp and Effect Switcher has built-in phantom power for using with standard dynamic or condenser mics.

A two band EQ makes it easy to add warmth and shimmer, and individual send and receive controls optimize signal-to-noise ration and reduce distortion. Tone and blend controls let you smooth the sound of the pedals and allow you to mix the original “dry” signal with the “wet” effects signal. The Voco-Loco also has footswitches that allow you to activate your effects loop all at once, as well as mute your instrument mic entirely.

Wah Pedal

Wah pedals alter the tone and frequencies of your signal to slide you pitch up and down, mimicking the human voice, and is one of the most recognized sounds in modern music. The Dunlop Original Cry Baby Wah Wah Pedal is the original wah pedal, used by guitar greats like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Wah pedals are smooth, silent, and easy to use, and the Dunlop original Crybaby’s ultra-durable diecast still construction will last this pedal for years and years.

Wah pedals should go towards the beginning of your effects loop.

Octave Pedals  

Octave pedals double your sound an octave up or an octave down, making it great for a big sound and organ-like effect. Most octave pedals have separate controls to mix the sub octave, the octave up, and your natural “dry” sound. By mixing down the dry signal and boosting either the sub octave or octave, you can sound like you’re playing an entirely different instrument, such as a trumpet sounding like a tuba, or vice cersa, or vice versa.

The BOSS OC-3 Super Octave Pedal also includes a “drive” mode to add distortion for a fatter, more aggressive sound.

An octave pedal is a pitch shifting effect and should be placed towards the beginning of your effects loop.

Delay Pedals 

A delay pedal adds an echo, to your sound. Delay pedals feature controls for the number of repeats for each note you play, the time between each repeat, and the ability to mix the volume of your original sound vs. the delayed sound.

The BOSS DD-7 Digital Delay Pedal includes additional features for creating short loops, and several different delay modes each with different sounding characteristics.

Delay is a time-based effect, and doesn’t alter your instrument’s tone.  This type of pedal is recommended to be at the end of your effects loop.

Shop All Delay Effects Pedals

Reverb Pedals

Reverb is the most commonly used audio effect, and is a great first pedal to purchase. A reverb pedal adds depth and resonance to imitate your sound in different spaces, such as the natural resonance you might hear in a small venue or the huge sound of playing in a giant arena. Reverb pedals have controls for type, length, and level of the reverb effect.

The MXR 300 Digital Reverb Pedal has 6 different styles of reverb to choose, and features “Trails Bypass,” which means your reverb will fade out when you switch the pedal off, as opposed to being abruptly cut off.

Reverb is a time-based effect, and won’t alter the tone of your instrument.  This type of pedal is best place towards the end of your effects loop.

Shop All Reverb Effects Pedals

Looper Pedal 

A looper pedal allows you to layer melodies by recording your sound, playing it right back, and then playing over it again. t’s a must-have choice for the horn player that wants to play and build on multiple lines at once, whether playing alone or in a small group.

The TC Electronic Ditto Looper is one ofthe most popular looping pedals out there, and is known for its ompact size, simple controls, and affordable price. The single button controls give you everything you need. Record, undo/redo, stop and erase are all triggered by different foot-commands, with up to 5 minutes of total looping and unlimited overdubs.

Looper pedals are great for building a song all by yourself, and should be place at the end of your pedal chain