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Building a Pedal Board

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  • Building a Pedal Board

    I'm building a pedal board for my rig. Here's a draft. Most of my rig has been multi-effect processors and such; so, putting pedals in proper order is a new challenge. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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    -Butch

  • #2
    Re: Building a Pedal Board

    How do you use the volume pedal? I don't have one now, but preferred to use it at the end of the effects chain (but before delay/reverb) to act as a kind of master volume.

    You show most of your pedals at the back of the board . . . I like to have as many pedals as possible close to the front of the board, so there's less dangling on one foot trying to kick stuff on while playing. If you move the amp foot switch off the board, you could probably fit all of them in a straight line across the front. Would make using them easier.

    What's SF?
    Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

    Originally posted by Douglas Adams
    This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

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    • #3
      Re: Building a Pedal Board

      Pedal order you can find tons of detailed information on online and from other, more qualified people than myself right here in the forum.

      The one tip I can give you that you won't find online is in all likelihood you have one dominant leg (just like you have a dominant hand) that you're going to be more comfortable to switch things with. If you've ever ridden a skateboard or gone surfing, this would be the leg you kick with and keep at the rear of the board. Alternatively, try operating your wah or volume pedal - you'll almost certainly feel more comfortable with one foot than the other.

      For me, it's the right one, and since I don't want to have to cross my feet while tap dancing all over my pedal board, I've set up my pedal layout to keep the ones I use frequently to the far right. That's my delay, my solo boost and my wah. In the middle I keep things that I usually keep on all the time but might need to turn off every once in a while; noise gate, reverb. On the left is the stuff I never need to mess with during a song; tuner (and wireless, though technically not a pedal).

      Figured out my optimal layout through trial and error, but if you already know how you use your effects, you can plan in advance and save yourself a bunch of time and money on super short cables that are just gonna end up in a drawer.
      --------------------------------------------------------
      1973 Aria 551
      1984 Larrivee RS-4 w/ EMG SA/SA/89
      1989 Charvel 750 XL w/ DMZ Tone Zone & Air Norton
      1990's noname crap-o-caster plywood P/J Bass
      1991 Heartfield Elan III w/ DMZ mystery pups
      1995 Aria Pro II TA-65
      2001 Gibson Les Paul Gothic w/ PG-1 & SH-8

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      • #4
        Re: Building a Pedal Board

        A couple of things. Whats an SF?

        1) Volume Pedal placement may change once you exercise this setup -volume pedal at the front really changes the gain structure and tone massively and can be annoying for some people who like to dial in gain structure and tone and then affect that tone with volume treatment.

        2) I would use a composite multi-conductor cable to integrate your input, loop and even your footswitch into one cable that is stage rated -like a Belden 8777 or similar.

        3) DOn't cheap out on the power supply -especially with digital effects.. I've tested most of them -The Ojai is really quiet.
        “For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.” Yvonne Chouinard

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        • #5
          Re: Building a Pedal Board

          Originally posted by GuitarStv View Post
          What's SF?
          Electro Harmonix Soul Food. I use it as a clean boost. As for volume pedal, my foot is on it all the time. I want it so that delay tails are allowed to continue. That's why all modulation and delays are in the effects loop.
          -Butch

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          • #6
            Re: Building a Pedal Board

            Originally posted by Butch Snyder View Post
            Electro Harmonix Soul Food. I use it as a clean boost. As for volume pedal, my foot is on it all the time. I want it so that delay tails are allowed to continue. That's why all modulation and delays are in the effects loop.
            Sorry, I'm very familiar with the Soul Food, I just didn't recognize the acronym.

            Especially with a clean boost at the front, I'd say you are going to prefer the Volume pedal later in the the chain.
            “For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.” Yvonne Chouinard

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            • #7
              Re: Building a Pedal Board

              Originally posted by NegativeEase View Post
              I'd say you are going to prefer the Volume pedal later in the the chain.
              Hmmm, interesting....
              -Butch

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              • #8
                Re: Building a Pedal Board

                Oh yeah, important question -Active or Passive pickups in the guitars that will feed this board?
                “For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.” Yvonne Chouinard

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                • #9
                  Re: Building a Pedal Board

                  Originally posted by NegativeEase View Post
                  Oh yeah, important question -Active or Passive pickups in the guitars that will feed this board?
                  Passive...
                  -Butch

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                  • #10
                    Re: Building a Pedal Board

                    Then if it were me I definitely wouldn't put a volume pedal at that location unless it's a Volume Pedal with a buffer (An active Volume Pedal) -What kind or model to you plan on putting there?

                    Otherwise it's just adding another potentiometer than can only cut your signal strength and weaken your tone before the signal get's reconstituted by the buffer in the Soul Food or RT66.
                    “For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.” Yvonne Chouinard

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                    • #11
                      Re: Building a Pedal Board

                      Originally posted by NegativeEase View Post
                      Then if it were me I definitely wouldn't put a volume pedal at that location unless it's a Volume Pedal with a buffer (An active Volume Pedal) -What kind or model to you plan on putting there?

                      Otherwise it's just adding another potentiometer than can only cut your signal strength and weaken your tone before the signal get's reconstituted by the buffer in the Soul Food or RT66.
                      I'm using an Ernie Ball VIP Jr.
                      -Butch

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                      • #12
                        Re: Building a Pedal Board

                        Originally posted by Butch Snyder View Post
                        I'm using an Ernie Ball VIP Jr.
                        Thats a Passive Volume pedal I believe -it's basically another guitar volume pot in row as your one on your guitar.

                        I say try it out, but I'm guessing your signal being buffered before Volume tweaks in a pedal will be preferred. I prefer to get the strongest signal from my pickups to my first buffer point (which for me is usually my compressor or a OD.

                        You never know though, I'm giving you things to think about -not right or wrongs.
                        “For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.” Yvonne Chouinard

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Building a Pedal Board

                          Originally posted by NegativeEase View Post
                          Thats a Passive Volume pedal I believe -it's basically another guitar volume pot in row as your one on your guitar.

                          I say try it out, but I'm guessing your signal being buffered before Volume tweaks in a pedal will be preferred. I prefer to get the strongest signal from my pickups to my first buffer point (which for me is usually my compressor or a OD.

                          You never know though, I'm giving you things to think about -not right or wrongs.
                          I agree. I'm going to have to play with the order. When I got my Soul Food, I was told to put it first; right from my guitar. Didn't sound good there. I ended up with the following order: Guitar -> Boss DS-1 -> Route 66 -> Soul Food. That order sounded best. In that rig, I was using my Line6 Flextone III with a floor controller that had an onboard volume pedal.
                          -Butch

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                          • #14
                            Re: Building a Pedal Board

                            Originally posted by Butch Snyder View Post
                            I agree. I'm going to have to play with the order. When I got my Soul Food, I was told to put it first; right from my guitar. Didn't sound good there. I ended up with the following order: Guitar -> Boss DS-1 -> Route 66 -> Soul Food. That order sounded best. In that rig, I was using my Line6 Flextone III with a floor controller that had an onboard volume pedal.
                            Soul Food is a Klon style transparent overdrive -they can sound brilliant but that can be at a cost -it can really make the less desirable parts of your playing stick out on the first position -especially arpeggios and notey things -but that can also make you a better player long term by being able to clearly hear the accentuation in your playing.
                            “For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.” Yvonne Chouinard

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Building a Pedal Board

                              Originally posted by NegativeEase View Post
                              Soul Food is a Klon style transparent overdrive -they can sound brilliant but that can be at a cost -it can really make the less desirable parts of your playing stick out on the first position -especially arpeggios and notey things -but that can also make you a better player long term by being able to clearly hear the accentuation in your playing.
                              And I don't need any less-desirable parts of my playing sticking out. I'm a bad enough player without help.
                              -Butch

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