Are EQ and Compressor pedals redundant in front of the VP4?

aenlic

aenlic

Member
I have 5 pedals feeding into the VP4. a Blue Note drive and a Cryptid fuzz pedal, and a UAFX Orion that I know I want to keep... but I also have an Empress parametric EQ and a Wampler compressor that I've been trying to get to a 'fixed' setting that suits all my needs. (I have all five pedals in an MR5R-controlled loop, so I have MIDI control to engage and disengage them.)

I've just started sampling the capabilities of the VP4, but my gut feel right now is that I don't need (or even WANT) the compressor and EQ pedals feeding into the VP4. Has anyone faced this same decision, and if so what did you choose? Are you happy with that choice?

Thanks for comments from the hive mind...

Bob
 
Do you want to use 2 of your 4 VP4 blocks to replace the physical pedals?

If you're ok with that then you can do the same things in the box...
 
Thanks. Each preset has its own EQ (though not the full parametric capability). Of the presets I've sampled, not many are using the PEQ block. Have you found that insufficient?

Of the two, Iam more inclined to love the EQ pedal, and perhaps keep the compressor set to something generally useful.
 
My compressor is almost always on, first in my chain, and I use the volume and tone knobs in particular to adjust for different guitars, so it makes sense for me to have a dedicated hardware compressor up front. I use the Wampler Ego76.

4 blocks would be pretty limiting for me as well so with the VP4 I would definitely need to integrate some other pedals. Hard to say which ones. Possibly a delay and reverb after it. A dedicated EQ pedal would not be useful for me.
 
I love my Wampler comps! I use them in front of both my VP4 and FM9. I also have a yellow comp optical in front of the AM4.
 
aenlic said:
Thanks. Each preset has its own EQ (though not the full parametric capability). Of the presets I've sampled, not many are using the PEQ block. Have you found that insufficient?

Of the two, Iam more inclined to love the EQ pedal, and perhaps keep the compressor set to something generally useful.
Click to expand...
I don't have a VP4, I have the bigger brother units... However, I don't typically make use of EQ blocks...

But just because a factory preset doesn't use a PEQ doesn't mean you can't change them if that's what you want.
 
I would say keep them if you have the room! You have plenty of empty preset slots you can build around the external pedals. Pre EQ is pretty powerful for tone shaping and a different comp type could come in handy.
 
Thanks all. I have the Wampler EGO76 compressor and Cryptid fuzz. The EQ I have is the Empress Para EQ II Deluxe... and adjusting it for specific uses while on the Pedalboard is a PITA. I'll leave the Para EQ on the board for now, bypassed, and see how that works out. :cool:
 
Yes, they are redundant - in my case. I gave my compressor pedal to a friend, leaving this task to the VP4 when needed, and the compressor models are really good. If I ever needed EQ, I would use the 10-band EQ in the OUTPUT section of the VP4, but my two analog pedals Kingsley Minstrel and the Vermuram Budy G do the job easily. So, still three blocks left on the VP4, and there are combined reverb/delay blocks, with some modulation in one block to be had. Good god, option paralysis hits me when thinking about the two remaining blocks...
 
Last edited:
I found my EQ redundant so I sold it. I'm in the process of selling my reverb pedal too. I'll keep the compressor outboard though
 
Just got my VP4 today and I’m glad I wasn’t able to wire up my board right away because now I can skip out on the compressor. I have a Keeley Comp+ and I don’t keep it on all the time, I’d rather put a cool pedal in the loop it was taking up in the loop switcher, like the Freqout or a different fuzz.

I actually have that semi-sad feeling I got after getting my AxeFX a while back, the GAS-is-over feeling. I had a good run the last few months gathering pedals for this board and it’s all over now.
 
RevDrucifer said:
Just got my VP4 today and I’m glad I wasn’t able to wire up my board right away because now I can skip out on the compressor. I have a Keeley Comp+ and I don’t keep it on all the time, I’d rather put a cool pedal in the loop it was taking up in the loop switcher, like the Freqout or a different fuzz.

I actually have that semi-sad feeling I got after getting my AxeFX a while back, the GAS-is-over feeling. I had a good run the last few months gathering pedals for this board and it’s all over now.
Click to expand...
Guitar buyin time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom