Both analogue and digital effects have their pros and cons. It’s up to the individual guitarist to choose what sounds and works best for them. I tend to use both. I like digital delays, but I prefer analogue modulation. Go figure.

I love the Clone Theory. Very warm and lush. People complain about the background hiss when you turn it on, but it’s not an issue when playing live. I played a gig last night with it on for the entire set. Works beautifully with other pedals, especially delays.

“Shoegaze” is much more than pitch bending My Bloody Valentine-style noise. Much if it involves ambient effects-laden soundscapes. Modulation, Reverb, Delay and more Reverb. I suppose some would call it dreampop, but there is so much overlap between the two that they almost become interchangeable terms. I tend to think bands like Cocteau Twins and The Chameleons were equally if not more influential to the genre as The Jesus and Mary Chain were. Thus you have bands like Slowdive, Kitchens of Distinction, Lush, Secret Shine, Alison’s Halo, Sianspheric, Air Formation, Tears Run Rings and The Meeting Places with more of an atmospheric sound than MBV, Fleeting Joys, Thrushes, etc…

As to what effects to get, it all depends on the sounds one wants. For me Chorus, Reverb and Delay are essentials followed by other types of modulation (Flanger, Phase, etc..). OD/distortion/fuzz are of least importance to me, but I do use them on occasion. That’s my own preference. There’s no clear standard to follow, no specific brands to get and no set pedal order to lay down. It’s just choosing the effects what work for you and connecting them in ways to get the sounds you want.

There are a bunch of guitarists I admire, but the three that have influenced me the most in the way I play guitar are:

Dave Fielding (The Chameleons)
Julian Swales (Kitchens of Distinction)
Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins)