One Rack to Rule Them All

[LLL]

Rack gear is still very much viable today. And in many cases, easier to deal with and use (once you get things programmed).

[Aceman]

Post #11, second pic. THAT I dig!

[dystrust]

Post #11, second pic. THAT I dig!

That was the ideal layout, but it was unfortunately a few inches too wide to fit on either the board I have or one that's readily available. To make that layout work, I'd need a board:

• At least 36" wide and 14" front to back
• With a carrying case (I'm OK with buying it separately)
• Doesn't weight a ton
• Doesn't require adhesive to attach pedals
• $300 or less including the case

I'm willing to be somewhat flexible on price, but I don't want to spend $500 or more for an empty pedal board. If you know of something that fits those criteria, I'm all ears. Otherwise I'll have to stick with the less-than-elegant board I currently have along with a smaller auxiliary board for the expression pedal and aux switch. I'm also planning a second aux board for the Two Notes, a BOSS IR-200, and a Radial JDI Stereo so I can use both channels of the IR-200.

[Aceman]

This is where "make your own" rules

[dystrust]

This is where "make your own" rules

You do you AceBob

I thought of trying to DIY something, but a wood board would likely be too heavy, while I doubt I could make something even comparable to the Holeyboard out of metal.

[Aceman]

I would make it shaped like a bracket [

Landing spot for the pedals and the board in the middle or just attached at the top.

[maug2122]

Mine is rather simple and straightforward.

[Dudeman7]

I clicked on this thread and half expected someone to post a picture of boobies, or at least make some kind of boobies-related remark.

This is page 2! What the hell is happening here!

[PFDarkside]

I clicked on this thread and half expected someone to post a picture of boobies, or at least make some kind of boobies-related remark.

This is page 2! What the hell is happening here!

You can find a nice example of that kind of rack anywhere on the internet. Now a rack of beauty like this, much more rare.

[crguti]

The TC G-major is a suck toner. Try to put the GM in a loop and you will find out why I’m saying this.

[dystrust]

The TC G-major is a suck toner. Try to put the GM in a loop and you will find out why I’m saying this.

Are you talking about the original, or the G-Major 2? I've never had a problem with either of them, but I suppose it may have changed from one to the next. If you're saying I should put it in a bypass loop, I tried that and it made absolutely zero difference. I'm not using it in a loop because I don't need to, and because using the same loop switcher for effects both in front of an amp and in the loop is a potential cause of ground loops. The only other explanations for tone suck I can think of are maybe a problem with a particular use case or setting it up wrong. What I know for sure is that the loops in my Marshall 2525H and 2555 are optimized for line-level effects, and I have zero issues with tone suck whether or not I connect the G-Major 2.

[dystrust]

Update: 18 months later I finally solved the mystery of the Ground Control Pro while giving it a final test prior to sale. Unlike in my previous tests, it acted up while connected to several different devices, and even failed to properly initialize a couple times. I'm told the problem is somewhere in the voltage regulation circuit, and the guy I sold it to was glad to get a great deal. I'm glad to have one less unused item cluttering my music room.

I likewise spent months looking into various custom pedalboard solutions to fit my controller, aux switch, and expression pedal, and I even mocked up a few of my own. It was while working on one of these mockups and considering drilling or routing holes in a plywood board for weight savings that I found myself thinking it would be nice if wider Holeyboards were available. Then I remembered that the Holeyboard Dragonfly was extendable up to 37" compared to my previous board's 32". Unfortunately they're not made anymore, but I did manage to luck out on Reverb a couple weeks ago:



And here it is powered on with zip ties clipped and most of the cabling routed under the board:



I really love the ergonomics of the curved layout, and I don't understand why they're no longer made. The current model Holeyboards aren't as wide, so maybe a curved layout is less important. Either way, with this layout I can keep the Mastermind GT centered and easily reach the volume, wah, aux, or expression without needing to step over or lean awkwardly.



The other change occurred late last fall when I replaced the GT-500 with a Decibel 11 Dirt Clod. As Securb mentioned in the NPD thread, the Dirt Clod is very flexible and able to mimic most basic distortion pedals with a bit of tweaking, so my first order of business was to essentially copy my favorite sound from the GT-500. After that I set up an alternate compressed clean sound with scooped low mids and boosted treble. The final preset I'm using in the Dirt Clod reminds me of a MIJ BOSS DS-1 with low gain, boosted output, and a slight mid scoop. I mostly use it for a Recto-like boosted rhythm sound, though it'll do a cool, aggressive lead sound too.

At this point I find myself still pondering an RJM Effect Gizmo in place of the GCX, mostly for the extra loops and increased flexibility, though the simplified phantom power implementation would also be nice. I'm happy with all of the pedals in the drawer now, though I do feel a bit of G.A.S. for a Line 6 M5 if I can manage to fit one I'd love having the option of pre-gain echo, as well as the synth block and a few of the modulation effects. It'll probably happen at some point, though I must admit that the rack / board rig finally feels complete.

[Mincer]

Just today I had my rack with guitar synth and stereo Oberheim Echoplex Loopers out. It is in a 4 space rack, but I need a separate mixer and a whole lotta cables to make it all work, which makes it more difficult to use live.

[NegativeEase]

Mine is rather simple and straightforward.