A tour of my comically ostentatious pedalboard

exhausted

So first of all, I'm fully aware that this pedalboard makes me look like a total douche but at the same time, being an automation engineer, I couldn't stop once I started heading towards building something like a rack system without having to build a rack.

The heart of this thing is that musicomlab switcher. Basically a programmable true bypass patch bay but it also sends MIDI commands and can control amp channels as well if required. It's really slick and is the most space efficient way I've seen to fit 8 bypass loops on a pedalboard. It also contains buffers before Loop 1 and Loop 5 and an insert between Loops 4 and 5. It's very easy to program.

So I built this thing. Because I can. And it was fun. And I actually find it very useful. It is basically a rack system on the floor and looks slightly less douchey than toting around a rack. And I like effects. And making things do neat stuff. :fp:

The signal path is;
-Cantrell wah
-EFX unit:
* Loop 1 - my DIY dynacomp clone.
* Loop 2 - Line 6 M9 (the patches are changed by MIDI from the EFX) doing filters, compressors, boosts, modulation and some delays
* Loop 3 - MXR 78 Distortion with a GE-7 after it. I really like the distortion but the EQ of the pedal isn't optimal for my amp so I stuck the GE-7 in there
* Loop 4 - Way Huge Green Rhino (a tubescreamer)

The EFX then has an out to insert other effects so the volume pedal is next. The EFX also has a tuner output that activates when you hit the mute switch so the TU-2 is plugged into that.

* Loop 5 - my DIY OCD clone. I added an output buffer to the circuit to help it get along with other pedals.
* Loop 6 - a send to the Diamond Memory Lane Jr. An analog voice digital delay. Sounds very good. The output of this goes to a second amp (or mixer input) and is set for delays only (no dry signal). The EFXs loops are configured that plugging into a loop send jack doesn't cut the signal through the unit, meaning you can run simultaneous parallel outputs from it.
* Loop 7 - a send to the right input/output of the Line 6 M5 (again, the patches are changed by MIDI) doing reverbs and delays. Again, goes to the second amp or mixer input for more stereo options. Basically, if the M5 is being used for reverb, I have loop 7 on to do stereo reverb. If it's set for delay, Loop is off.
* Loop 8 - the left input/output of the M5.

Out to the black patch box which I'm still experimenting with. The lowest output is the main output which goes to one amp. The middle one is the output from the Memory Lane and the top one is the output from one side of the M5 which go to the other amp. These last two outputs have volume controls to sort of blend delay and reverb. I'm having phase issues though since the M5 and memory lane are out of phase and will cancel each other. So I'm not sure I'll be able to get it to do what I want but we'll see. It'll end up being an active blender circuit probably.

The tap pedal is plugged into an expression jack on the EFX which you can then configure to send tap commands via MIDI so it's set to send tap tempo to the M5. I can hit the tap tempo on the memory lane and the M5 at the same time because now they're right beside each other. Useful for stereo delay.

Line 6 doesn't implement MIDI thru on their devices for some reason so I needed that little MIDI box underneath to split the signal from the EFX to the MIDI inputs on the M5 and M9. Normally you can daisy chain MIDI devices but not with Line 6. An easy fix but annoying.

Power units are a voodoo lab PP2 and ISO5 plus wall warts for the M9 and M5.

gimmesometruth27

that is really awesome

you sir are not a douche.

you are a mad scientist

is it bad that i have been gigging for 10 years and would like to think that i have a decent understanding of gear and i did not understand half of what you described above? :oops:

i have never experimented with some of the things you have on there. partly because what i have always used works for me and partly because i like my rig as simple as possible. it is easier to troubleshoot that way. god knows i have had enough near heart attacks when i show up at a gig and something does not work :fp: i don't have the patience to do all of the trial and error of creating my own board. i want to plug things in simply, dial them in, and rock.

that said, if i had unlimited time and unlimited funds i would attempt to make a board like you have done. the lead player in my band has done something similar. he has a trailer trash board and a couple of pedal power bricks and like 16 pedals on there and all effects are on at all times, but he has these pre-set settings assigned to a 4 button switch which disengages certain pedals to give him the tones he wants. i am guessing it is similar to what you have. it is pretty cool too... i give him shit all of the time because he has a 1981 jcm 800 and i never get to hear his amp tone

nice work. your board is awesome.

Johnny Aggro

Well I have just creamed me kaks!


Savage set up!

Lone Drawn Meteor

I dunno what you just said, but for some reason I am 100% hard right now…
That's one bad ass rack.

All Those Yesterdays

I'd be lost and forget everything instantly

acutejam

YEAH! As someone who just gave up and bought a DigiDesign all-in-on many years back before I headed for mainly acoustic and now uke playing ... oooh my.

If Built to Spill ever adds a 4th guitarist, I'm sending them your way!

DriftingByTheStorm

i can haz?

exhausted

http://runoffgroove.com/splitter-blend.html

That's what I need to build in order to blend the delay and reverb signals for the second amp. Well, I really just need the phase switch part of it but we'll see.

inlet13

That's solid, bro. Nice.

RedmosquitoIA

That is a beautiful board and very clean. I wish I knew more about outputs and ohms and stuff like that but I does love me a pretty board. BTW Not douchie at all you should be proud of it

JH228

Nice work!

I have wired up a bunch of pedal boards like yours but yours is the first one I've seen that has the bottom like it does. That's a smart way to do that, instead of drilling through velcro and plywood. Very clean.

exhausted

I finished the interface box last night.

All Those Yesterdays

exhausted wrote:

I finished the interface box last night.

I'll bite, so the stupid question of the day is "is the Altoids box there to hold picks?"

exhausted

Yeah, just picks.

All Those Yesterdays

exhausted wrote:

Yeah, just picks.

Legends have been doing this for years...

brianlux

Nicely done- very sharp! Bet it sounds killer too!

puremagic

You never cease to amaze. You’ve come up with cord combinations that make us wonder how you maintain that lefty grip. You’ve made wonderful pedal and guitar modifications and now you’ve converted the features of a rack onto a board. This is your muse and it’s always nice to see the outcome of your so-called tinkering. Maybe when you have some time you could post some samples.

exhausted

A couple clips...

The typical Buckley big reverb sound.
http://snd.sc/Kv4UQe

And the typical POG organ sound.
http://snd.sc/Kv50Yh

Both of those are presets. Go from completely dry guitar to that with one click.

I ditched the MXR 78 distortion and equalizer and filled the space with an EHX POG 2. To replace the 78's distortion tone I'm actually using the Tube Drive model in the M9 now. I like it better.

AfghanTwilight

Really nice work. I'm guessing you have a case top-latch system to tote this around? It's so much easier than hauling a rack around. It's just like carring another guitar case.

Deadlogic

Very, very nice.

exhausted

All the old photos are dead but a wee update.








I now dream of designing and building these things as a business. Too bad there's no market for it here.

mccreadyisgod

Damn, Greg. That looks like hot sex.

BTW, I listened to some of your soundcloud tracks, very nice. The pedalboard demos were sweet, the Buckley and U2 stuff, but I also dug the two songs on there. Just makes me wish we lived close, I would be in your band for sure. Makes me wish I had my recording gear around, so I could get my own ass in gear and put stuff up. I haven't recorded anything in too long.

Cheers!

exhausted

Thanks. I wish I had more time to do it. I haven't recorded anything original in a long time and haven't written a real song in years. Just no time to actually get into the headspace required to write or let along record. I have done a bunch of covers but they're not on soundcloud lest I anger the copyright gods. They go on dropbox and only go to my facebook page.

I would like to try to set up some sort of remote recording thing but of course now I'm using Logic instead of protools which makes that even more difficult I suppose.

I'm loving this pedalboard though. Totally amp-free. Of course it's just the same thing that the PODs/HDs can do, or the AxeFX, or eleven racks, made bulkier and more expensive but I like the personal touch you only get from hired goons, I mean, real pedals. The Tech 21s sound so much better to my ears than PODs.

The timefactor has been great. It's power far surpasses the M9. Having stereo delays available across all models instead of just one is excellent. I'm more on the fence about the space. It's really hard to dial but sounds great once you do. Plus it allows modulated reverbs which sound brilliant. However, the Line 6 plate model does the Buckley thing a bit better, mostly in the predelay. Lacks the modulation though. Luckily I have all the Line 6 stuff still available in the M5 and in my POD farm plug-in in logic. The Space chokes on preset changes a little bit but I'm hoping a software update cures that. Lots of people complaining about it on their forums.

Pacomc79

Wow. That is tasty Greg!

Easy to Grab and Go too becuause there's no need for amps.

Now all you need is a lefty Jeff Tweedy SG... and you know the requisite time to have fun with it all.

The wiring is brilliant.

exhausted

Thanks. I'm liking it a lot. There are a couple of bummers regarding the MIDI control and the Space reverb but nothing insurmountable. The MIDI controller I'm using isn't smart enough to filter out redundant program changes like some do so it cuts off reverb tails at inopportune moments but short of racking everything and using something like a ground control it's unavoidable unless Eventide updates their software.

I really like having everything within sight though so I can tell exactly what's going on and any adjustments are right at my feet.

If I ever do need actual powered speakers with it I think I'll just try the Tech 21 Power Engines.

Not a tube to be seen. :fp:

My amps are gathering dust.

All Those Yesterdays

exhausted wrote:

Thanks. I'm liking it a lot. There are a couple of bummers regarding the MIDI control and the Space reverb but nothing insurmountable. The MIDI controller I'm using isn't smart enough to filter out redundant program changes like some do so it cuts off reverb tails at inopportune moments but short of racking everything and using something like a ground control it's unavoidable unless Eventide updates their software.

I really like having everything within sight though so I can tell exactly what's going on and any adjustments are right at my feet.

If I ever do need actual powered speakers with it I think I'll just try the Tech 21 Power Engines.

Not a tube to be seen. :fp:

My amps are gathering dust.

Please ship all tube related material to Northwest Ohio.... PM for details... I'll post pictures off everything you send on facebook so you can see how they are all doing...

exhausted

My Marshall Class 5 is for sale right now. Not sure I can let go of the DRRI or PRRI though.