I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

[Artie]

I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Not the studio 500 series modules per se, but a dedicated mini-rack for pedal modules. It would put all the controls up where you could "fiddle" with them easier. You could control them with a simple multi foot-switch pedal, and it would really clean up your wiring/cables. Not to mention the fact that these modules could easily have true +/- 15-volt bipolar power. Much increased headroom and elimination of a lot of caps in the signal path. Also, the actual cost of individual modules could be less than their pedal counterpart due to no need for an enclosure, jacks, power connectors, and foot switches.

Just seems like a good idea for the 21st century. Me thinks. :scratchch

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

21st century would control them from an iPad or phone.

 

[Artie]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

And if people in the audience download the app, they can control your tone. Or, cut you off.

P.S. I was actually serious about the question.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

I saw a couple of bands with H9s, the thought crossed my mind that I could try to hack the Bluetooth connection.

A few companies do 500 series modules but they are few and far between, so they are pretty expensive.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Hard to get people as traditional as guitarists to reformat their entire rig just because technology. Pedals work.

 

[Mincer]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Actually, there are some companies using 500-series enclosures for effects. I can see the usefulness. However, guitarists are generally more mobile than the average synthesist, and it would seem a little like a step backward, technology-wise. Racks made sense for awhile, and then they didn't.

 

[Artie]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Yeah. I thought about that, but aren't devices like the Fractal Axe-FX, Digidesign Eleven, and Kemper Profiler making a come back? More modelers seem to be gaining acceptance also. On the other hand, it would mean that pedal makers would need to make two versions of their pedal. Economically, may not work.

("Come back" wasn't exactly the right term. They're fairly new devices.)

 

[Silver]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Edited for clarity:

There are already rack based multi-fx, of course. They tend to be units that are hugely powerful but far less intuitive to program than fx pedals.

Perhaps guitarists who embrace racks are happy to sacrifice tweakability for the sake of huge effects chains and amazing flexibility in routing, etc.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

I prefer to have neither immense power nor tweakability.

 

[Artie]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

^ Yeah. I get that. I'm still searching for an electronic substitute for talent.

 

[Silver]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

I think a similar thing happened with amps too. Rocktron tried modular tube amps in a rack... But I think of you're going with a rack based tube amp then people just preferred the flexibility of something like the Mesa Triaxis or whatever it's called.

 

[Mincer]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

I think the floor-based modelers are gaining more traction than the rack + foot controller idea. And things like the Kemper are not usually seen in the rack configuration (although they make it). The 500 series would make sense for individual 'pedals', but in the end, you are separating the circuitry from the footswitch. You can already do that with a true bypass looper.

 

[Aceman]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

I'll tell you why; A guy did invent that. Then he went to road test it with a band. I was at the show. The guitar play spent more time adjusting his delay times, tweaking the compressor release, the eq in particular frequencies, and trying to get just the right cascade from his OD to his distortion, than he actually did playing.

I went up on stage, took the guitar out of his hands, and beat the inventor to death with it. When the police arrived, the crowd all reported that the guitar fell on the guys head repeatedly all by itself.

I told the audience there was no need to thank me and left. No one has ever tried to recreate this horrible product.

 

[LLL]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

80's SR&D Rockman Rockmodules are probably the closest thing to a 500 series config for guitar; especially their 500 watt stereo head.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

And where are they now? Out of production and overpriced on the used market for geek collectors.

 

[LLL]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

And where are they now?

In my rack. :naughty:

 

[Sirion]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Years ago I actually thought about gutting my pedals and putting them inside rack enclosures, and putting the switches on a board. Then again, multi-effects these days are powerful enough that I, upon revising my rig last year, decided to go with a G-System instead. My very modest pedal needs can be sated by the four-unit switcher built into it.

I like your idea, but I don't think it is very feasible these days. I think the pedal format is about the dumbest and most impractical solution to that particular problem that could be found: it forces huge cable runs onto anybody interested in using the effects loop, generally cramps cables together in a high-friction environment, exposes your precious pedal board to liquid projectiles from the audience and will more often than not have severely limited capabilities to accommodate a stereo rig. Unfortunately, it HAS become a very strong standard. One reason for this is that it allows competitors to put out products that can be used together without coöperating on a standard interface. That is another aspect where I think ideas for replacements usually fail: brand loyalty isn't very strong when it comes to pedals. Hence one would either have to convince competitors to use a common interface, or have guitarists split their effects into two sections, neither of which would be very plausible.

 

[Mincer]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

I often wonder how designing a modern guitar rig would be approached if you weren't tied to tradition, form factor of current products, and 'vintage bias' from guitar players. I think it is an interesting theoretical dilemma if you got people who weren't guitar players (and no knowledge of guitar trends/history/gear) to do it.

 

[jeremy]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

pretty sure the axefx is what a rig might look like or similar software running on a laptop with a wireless or bluetooth connection to the guitar

 

[dystrust]

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

Re: I wonder why guitar pedals aren't made in a quasi "500 series" configuration.

pretty sure the axefx is what a rig might look like or similar software running on a laptop with a wireless or bluetooth connection to the guitar

The AxeFx is pretty amazing. I thought about getting one for a while, but I ultimately decided not to because they're really expensive and essentially non-repairable. The idea of sinking $3K into something that'd become a paperweight / door stop if something went wrong really didn't sit right with me.