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Hi folks, at age 56 the first time in my life and music "career" I think I need a pedalboard for an upcoming tour with a pop band (AOR – adult oriented rock). I don't have much and by now I could get away with just putting the few battery powered pedals on floor. For now I have / use:
- Fuzz
- Wah
- Tuner
I'm also using the channel switcher from my blackface amp for some very slight overdrive and boost – I'm thinking about adding an overdrive pedal so I can use any "clean" backline amp if I have too and still get some crunch.
The other guitarist in the band has a pedal board (a lot more and high quality) so I could just ask him. But as this is gear forum why not asking here?
- Should I rather get a flightcase board or one of these "frames" like Pedaltrain, Fender and other manufacturers offer? I'll probably never carry it on the train so maybe a case is a more solid investment?
- For the power supply I often see these boxes which still uses a wall-wart supply – are they just spreading power among the pedals? Only a few (like Fender) have a plug for a power cable – is this preferable?
Thanks folks.
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04-04-2023 03:19 AM
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One way to go is a Multi-FX pedal. There are a lot of them available. My choice is the Boss ME80 or, perhaps, a used ME70 (most of the same capability in a somewhat smaller package). These models are controlled entirely with knobs (well, almost -- there's a button for the noise gate) -- no menus. So it's like a bunch of individual boxes, BUT, you can save a patch. Meaning, save all the settings and access them with a footswitch.
They are built like tanks, so I wouldn't think you would need a fancy case to protect them.
They have every sound you're likely to need, which gives you the ability to change things on the tour without buying new gear.
They're also fairly easy to adjust on stage, if you need to do that.
I think a lot of players will say you can get better sounds with individual pedals. I don't know that for a fact, but it seems like it would be true. But, the ME series has worked for a lot of pros.
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Rather than a board I have one of these:
Road Runner CRZR-PB1 Pedal Board Bag | Road Runner Bags
A board probably works better as far as setting up the pedals goes, but this is easier to carry, and can function as a gig bag for a board.
For power, there are adapters made specifically to power multiple pedals (e.g., One Spot, Live Wire). You use one of these with a "daisy chain” extension with multiple plugs. Some tuner pedals can also function as power supplies for other pedals, so check if your does (and whether it puts out enough current for all your pedals) before buying a separate power supply.
I suggest adding a reverb pedal in case you run into non-reverb back line amps. If you don’t have a enough space on your board, you can leave out the tuner pedal and use a clip on.
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So, I have always been a BIG fan of the 'all in one' multi-effects units. I started with the original Digitech RP-1 in maybe '91 or '92 and it was great. I recently had a Fractal AX-8, but I just couldn't get my head around it. I didn't like the distortions so I ended up adding a couple of those pedals, and eventually I just sold it to someone younger with more free time to screw around with it
I bought a Pedaltrain kit (Classic 2 24"x12.5"), and a bunch of used pedals and a power supply and now I'm set. It all packs up neatly in its included gig bag, does everything I want, and 1 plug powers the whole thing. That said, If I was doing it all over again, I'd probably just buy a used Boss GX-100 and stick it in an old backpack and be done with it.
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I came to the realisation that
I need to have actual knobs on each fx
the menu driven multi-fx don't work for me
it's Ok to deal with the menus at home etc
Setting up a few patches you like
But as soon as you get on a gig , you realise
Something's not happening as expected and you need to tweak it
It's too much to deal with ....
So individual fx pedals or something like
boss ME70 or ME80 is much better
I have an old Korg ax1000 which is ok for the
VERY infrequent times I need a multi fx setup ....I
If I got a regular gig where I needed lots of sounds
I'd probably get a boss ME70
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If you're only using a couple of pedals consider the Boss BCB-3 or BCB-30 plastic boxes.
You can often find a used one for $30.
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I had a Roadrunner case and replaced it with a Pedal train which I much prefer. The Roadrunner gets rather nasty since the whole bottom part is velcro. Ends up getting dirty with dust, hair etc. and there's no way to hide the wires. Gets messy. I much prefer the Pedaltrain. It comes with a case and it's easy to just pull the board out. Roadrunner sounded nice at first since it's all in one but the cord from the guitar has to get in there as well as a cord going to the amp and the walls of the case get in the way.
I use a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 to power the pedals and attach it to the underside of the Pedaltrain (it's set up to do it that way).
Since you don't have many effects something line the Pedaltrain Nano would probably work great. If your just looking to get some boost and dirt I think the Wampler Tumnus (the mini) is great. It's basically a Klon Centaur clone but a great one. There's a LOT of good pedals that in the boost, little dirt zone though.
I've never used an all in one effect unit I thought sounded that great and they seem to need a lot of menu diving. Convenient but the ones I've tried seemed like a Jack of all trades master of none type of thing.Last edited by Helliger; 04-04-2023 at 11:45 AM.
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Agreed, the Roadrunner is kind of sloppy, but it's horses for courses. -- I mostly just throw an OD pedal and no other pedals into my guitar bag, but on the rare occasions when I need more than one pedal, it could be any of a few combinations. I like the Roadrunner because it's easier to throw in the pedals I need for the specific occasion, and not have to drag a whole pedal board when I don't need to. But if I were consistently using the same effects, I'd get a board.
Originally Posted by Helliger
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+1 on the Boss pedal board/case. I have the BCB-90 and it is awesome. Caveat: the cutouts are specifically made to fit Boss pedals. Other brands may not fit well without a little “MacGyver-ing”. You’d need to cut a little foam for a wah to fit. Originally Posted by Sam Sherry
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Yes! Wampler products are designed and built very well, and they sound great. Ever since I got it, my Tumnus Deluxe has been the only pedal I use at all regularly (and only on blues and commercial gigs - I have no reason to use it on a jazz date). I got the Deluxe because I like the added controls compared to the small one. But if the small one gets the sound you want, it's a bargain. Originally Posted by Helliger
I also have a J Rockett Touch and a Rowin Dumbler that do great light O/D. But the Tumnus Deluxe has 3 band EQ and a soft/hard O/D switch, so you can accurately dial in the sound you want. I also have a Zoom MS60B that I bought because it has a true stero chorus - and it's a preamp, so it drives power amps directly. The effects in it are fine, but it's a pain to use anything but presets on stage because everything requires a lot of knob twiddling and the LED display panel is not much bigger than my thumbnail.
I've looked at boards a thousand times over the years but never bought one. I do like the Pedaltrains a lot, and that's what I'd get if I needed one.
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I was going to say that the boss pedal boards only work with Boss Pedals, but it looks like they've redesigned them, and they're now universal fit: Originally Posted by rolijen
BOSS - BCB-30X | Pedal Board
Anybody wanna buy a used Roadrunner pedal gig bag
?
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I use a Boss MS-3 with my Marshall, because it has enough internal effects if I need them but mostly because it controls the channel switching on my amp via MIDI. That said, you can also run pedals in the loops of the MS-3 and do all types cool combinations with the internal effects and whatever additional pedals you may have. I mainly use it to dial in a clean, crunch, and lead tones with varying degrees of chorus, reverb, delays, and boost depending on the situation. Other than that, I use a Boss RC-600 for practice and all out goofing around. It also has loads of effects, like octaves for bass lines, reverb and freeze functions to create pads, etc etc.
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I still use my Boss ME8 from 1996 (I am in my mid 60s).Great analogue distortions and loads more. Easy to drive!
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There are different kind of products available and what is best for you depends on your needs and preferences.
- Should I rather get a flightcase board or one of these "frames" like Pedaltrain, Fender and other manufacturers offer? I'll probably never carry it on the train so maybe a case is a more solid investment?
Some pedalboards are kind of a flight case where you just detach the top and the bottom part is the pedalboard itself.
Other boards come with a case but are taken out of it during usage. Yet others are sold without a case or bag but a case/bag is available to be bought separately.
It is also not that uncommon to build a pedalboard from scratch. You can simply put velcro on a plank or plywood and that's already an improvement from having individual pedals loose on the floor.
I prefer a power cable connector (like IEC C13) for the sake of convenience and simplicity, but a wall-wart fulfils the same job of supplying power. Originally Posted by guavajelly
I have the Cioks DC7.
Isolated power supplies where each output is isolated is usually considered preferable. It can prevent grounding/noise issues (compared to daisy chaining). But daisy chaining can also work fine for some pedals and is cheaper.
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That Pedal Show is your friend.
watch episodes around building first boards, budget boards, different effects and how to use them and what the impact of pedal order is.
the core food groups of drive pedals, the core modulation or time based effects etc.
pedals are a huge expensive rabbit hole. The trick is to as cheaply as possible hone in on your ideal use case and build the board around that. A rock board, shoegaze, metal, jazz, worship board are all quite different.
Everyone is different as well in the tone they are chasing. Multi-effects were not for me as I would be buying a device of which I might use 20% of the features. But again your use case would be different.
Personally I found getting an idea of what would deliver a target sound and then mooer type mini pedals before worrying about more refined/specific/expensive circuits.
The two boards I have (pedaltrains) both use one spot power supplies- specific hardware to supply 9v outs through a SMPS with good clean isolation and bucketloads if amperage capacity. Daisy chaining stands the risk of noise. Daisy chains also may be insufficient to drive power hungry digital devices running at 500mA each.
TPS. Can’t recommend it enough.
cheers
EMike
ps the Tumnus is a great pedal if that is what you are after.
happy shopping!
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Cioks changed my power supply life.
I say just jump down that rabbit hole and enjoy the ride. I would say one could enjoy a decent pedal obsession at a 1000$/year. As long as you can moderate or have mild binges.
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Pedals and multi effects units can be really great, when used correctly and in moderation. But understanding how to use them in correct order as well as applying it to live situations is the key!
I generally feel people use to much echo, reverb, as well as compression most of the time. And in certain situations it can good like an Ambient background thing. But like spices, easy to overdo things and not realize how it sounds out front in the audience.
Always realize less is more and listen to the other players as much if not more than yourself.Then it will tell you what’s called for.
As far as multi effects Boss GT3 and GT8 are excellent and cheap used. For smaller and inexpensive try NUX Cerberus
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Originally Posted by jads57
I totally agree! Moderation is key.
I like fiddling with various artifacts like pedals, multieffects and even Bias FX2 on my phone to get a tone I like.
But once in a while I go back to square one and try to compare my direct sound with all the bells and whistles that go into my signal chain.
And sometimes I am baffled by how little these devices really add to my tone. OK, a litle bit of reverb and EQ is often necessary. But all the rest?
It's probably worth noting that putting Dogal strings 12-52 totally got me very close to a nice jazz tone whatever gear I may use.
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I really like the flexibility of the PedalTrain. I have three of the smallest sizes. I often have very different needs from job to job, and I try to travel light, so I take only what I need for a particular job. For the last show I did, "Matilda," everything it calls for fit nicely on the Nano+ at the bottom. So from job to job, I only take what I need. Unlike some others, I have never had a noise problem with the simple iSpot. But if any problems arise, I can upgrade that. A nifty little device pictured that another forum member turned me onto is a small canvas 9v battery holder with the cord built in. Perfect for when you only need one pedal, especially for a mini pedal. Also, note the Beaudens portable battery pack. If I want, I can power my amps and pedals without having to worry about the house AC, or especially for outdoor things. It hasn't run out of juice on me yet. Finally, instead of Velcro, I use 3M Dual Lock. The pedals "snap" firmly into place more firmly and it lasts much longer.
3M Dual Lock - Google Search
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Wow, that's a new one on me. Originally Posted by EastwoodMike
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I have both. I upgraded from the ME70 to ME80 thinking that the sounds would be better and the extra footswitches would be useful. I didn't think much about the increased width. Originally Posted by pingu
But, it turns out that I don't really hear any difference in the sounds I use and the extra footswitches haven't proved to be particularly helpful (it's one switch for the tuner on the ME80 which you have to hold down for a second or two -- two adjacent switches on the ME70, but it's instant -- pressing two together turns out not to be a problem at all).
So, the big difference is the width. The ME70 fits in an ordinary rolling briefcase (if that's the right term). The ME80 does not; it's too wide. The difference is about the width of the volume pedal. So, if I don't need a music stand, all my gadgets and cables (including guitar stand) fit in the rolling briefcase. I loop the handle of my Little Jazz case over the telescoping handle of the briefcase, put the guitar on my back and it's one easy trip with my hands free.
Full disclosure: I don't use all the capability of the ME80. It might have some features somebody else would need.
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This is a pretty cool concept, probably overkill for most of us here.
Templeboard Duo 24 - musical instruments - by owner - sale
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Similar to the OP….but will not be “gigging”.
I have bought an old Gibson GA-20 amp.
It does not have the two “effects” that I like….reverb and tremolo.
Is there a pedal thing that has these two features, with some adjustability? If there is, are these $20, $50, $100, etc. items?
Tom
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"Fly rigs" are popular these days, are you considering them?
Here are two good ones, the PSA and the Quattro.
The audio signal path of this one is all analog; the digital part is for settings, memory, and switching.
This one is all analog except for one chip in the chorus circuit.
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If #24 is directed to me but if not I apologize.
OK, now you got me.
What the heck foreign language is this? Humor me…all new expressions for me.
Hint… when I stopped gigging in 1978, these things did not exist. Reminds me of when growing up Catholic, attending mass, did I need to to take a night class in Latin to know what the priest was saying? I eventually changed to Lutheran… they speak English!
I’ll have to dig a lot deeper on this one!
Tom
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