Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

[lex666]

How do you manage having so many effects?

1 BIG pedal board?

2 pedal boards?

Constantly swap pedals in & out of your chain?

Use a looper?

Other tips, tricks, ideas?

I have alot of pedals and I'm too lazy to swap them in & out all the time. I had to expand to 2 pedal boards but that equals one long azz chain.

Thanks!

[ericmeyer4]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

I found that a multi-loop true by pass pedal switcher helped a lot. I didn't have to do a lot of tap dancing to switch pedals. I only have 4 pedal now so no longer need to really worry about that.

If I ever went to a huge pedal board I would probably go to a midi setup. Keep just the midi board in front of we and store all of the pedals in a rack.

[Tor]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

One fairly big board.. I refuse to go bigger, which forces me to really choose my pedals and priorities critically.

[mwalluk]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

Cater your board to the style/songs you play. If your playing out live, cater the board to your setlist. Have one for covers and one for originals, etc.

[frankfalbo]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

One big board. Some loops just to cure the tone suck, but primarily designed based on a buffer up front, then liberal use of buffered and TB pedals throughout. No snobbery one way or the other. Some buffers sound okay, others stink and need to be true bypassed.

Probably 80% of the board stays put, then some are constantly swapped on and off the board on a "per gig" basis.

THEN....(bracing for flames) I have an Ibanez EPP400 in a rack with some junk in it, and the pedal to control it is on my board. If I ever want something in a loop, after my distortion, I can place it into one of the EPP400's loops. Right now it's an old Ibanez 8-bit digital delay. The loops are laced with Tube Screamer style buffers between each one. So it's a tone suck or a "warming loop" depending on how you look at it! LOL.

[Hoss]

One fairly big board.. I refuse to go bigger, which forces me to really choose my pedals and priorities critically.

I'm more like this...

But, if you have too have them all...a looper is the way to go.

[lex666]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

Cater your board to the style/songs you play. If your playing out live, cater the board to your setlist. Have one for covers and one for originals, etc.

That's kind of what I do now.

1 small pedal board for my commonly used effects.

The 2nd board contains all my 'extra' effects and amp footswitches. A Loop Master bypass pedal puts the 2nd board in & out of the chain plus allows me to activate multiple effects at one time.

I know that when the 2nd board is 'on' I have a long, tone suckin' chain. Not really thrilled about the idea, but it works. I guess I'm looking for other, better alternatives - if they exist.

[jcthejester13]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

I have one big ass board with 12 pedals on it and I don't toy with it unless I add or remove a pedal from the chain. It has stayed the same for about the past year.

[marcello252]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

one 8-unit pedalboard and a couple of drawers full of effects i constantly switch in and out of the board

[guitarkid]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

I just have one big board that I built to fit all the pedals I use.

[ericmeyer4]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

If you have a really big board, something like the Voodoo Labs GCX might interest you.

Google Brad Paisley or Keith Urbans rig. Both of those guys run lots of pedals and lots of amps. I believe each of them run a few of the GCXs to control everything effortlessly.

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

What do you call LOTS of effects??

[SrDeMaFp]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

A big-ass looper and a big-ass pedalboard.

[ericmeyer4]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

What do you call LOTS of effects??

I think it differs from person to person, but for me...

8+ = a lot

4-7 = healthy

0-3 = ideal

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Q for you guys with LOTS of effect pedals...

I'd never sting all my pedal up at one time, it's just stupid...too much signal loss and no need for that much stuff.

I have around 8-10 pedal on my main board at any given time but they all serve a purpose and I have a need for them all.

I also keep a small board on hand for grab and go and gigs with small stages, its only got a few pedals and is more limited than the big board but it'll get me through a gig or open mic with no issues!

If I find myself not using a pedal very often I often pull it, no need to carry and power a pedal thats not getting used.

All this said I have had boards with more than 10 and boards that had just 2...