NPD 2X (Catalinbread and Mini Volume) Completed Board

[mwalluk]

Genre:
Alternative/90s/Grunge
Modern/Hard Rock
Pop Rock

Guitars:
PRS CE 22 (Custom 5 / 59)
Gibson Les Paul (Screaming Demon / Pearly Gates)

Amp:
Mesa Stiletto Ace
Mesa Widebody 1X12 (Mesa C90)

Pedalboard Signal Chain: Line 6 G30 - TC Electronics Polytune - EHX Soul Food (Boost/mild OD) - Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret mk3 (OD/crunch) - Neunaber Echelon (Slap Back delay) - Neunaber Chroma (Scatter Delay Algorithm) - Neunaber Seraphim (Shimmer/Wet Reverb).

I'm extremely pleased with this setup. While basic in nature, it extremely versatile. Raw, organic, and transparent are the words I would use to describe it. I no longer GAS.

I wanted a pedalboard that not only compliments/enhances my sound/style, but one that I could use as a stand alone board (in the event that I had to play through a house amp). If I had to use a house amp, I would change the Chroma back to a chorus.

I was always a fan of using choruses/flanges/phasers to "clean" up a dull clean channel. Ever since I picked up the Stiletto, I pretty much stopped using those modulated effects. Hands down probably the best clean channel out of any amp I've owned. It's sparkles and shines on Fat Clean (Jazz) setting with a little delay or reverb mixed in. If modulated were to be added in, it would become over processed and actually take away from it's natural, organic tone.

EHX Soul Food is a really nice transparent boost/mild OD. I don't use it as a stand alone OD on a clean channel, rather it's used on the Crunch channel (low gain, edge of break up). Much like the EHX, Catalinbread is also used on the same channel. It could work as a stand alone on clean channel though. It's set for a light crunch to mild OD. Stacking the two together is magical. Catalinbread is really a platform style pedal. I would probably add an actually distortion pedal if I only used a clean amp. The Catalinbread and EHX are used for more of a change of pace tonal option. Some of my band's songs require a lighter gain. The edgier, harder songs I use the amps natural distortion (Tite Gain).

Neunaber Echelon & Seraphim are probably my 2 favorite pedals. The Shimmer and Wet reverb settings on the Seraphim put Strymon and Eventide to shame. They're that good. The Echelon is the most useable/best sounding delay I've ever owned. (Boss DD, MXR Carbon Copy, Cusack TME, TC Flashback,etc). The pedal can cover slapback, ping pong, scatter,etc. It also sounds really good with OD/Distortion.

Previously using a Ernie Ball VP, the Mini Volume is an adjustment. It's the size of the boss. May need to tighten the resistance, but out of the box it works well. I mainly use it for swells.

That's just my quick review of my board.

 

[jeremy]

Re: NPD 2X (Catalinbread and Mini Volume) Completed Board

looks cool. i assume you use the dls on the super lead setting

 

[mwalluk]

Re: NPD 2X (Catalinbread and Mini Volume) Completed Board

looks cool. i assume you use the dls on the super lead setting

To be honest, I just got it today. Took 12 days for UPS to deliver (WTH). I got it secondhand, so I'm not sure what setting it's on. I'm assuming SL. I'm going give it a more thorough run through and try both modes. I think both modes would work well with my amp and what I'm trying to accomplish. If playing through a house amp, I would need SL setting.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: NPD 2X (Catalinbread and Mini Volume) Completed Board

Nice rig!

How are you using that shimmer/wet Reverb in your genres? Everything else seems like great choices for it, and I'd love that as my rig.

 

[mwalluk]

Re: NPD 2X (Catalinbread and Mini Volume) Completed Board

Nice rig!

How are you using that shimmer/wet Reverb in your genres? Everything else seems like great choices for it, and I'd love that as my rig.

Shimmer is used sparingly (intro, breakdown, clean verse). Mainly used for more open chord arpeggio picking to give either a more melodic overture or a haunting eerie effect.

Simple 1-2 second hold of footswitch, it becomes a wet reverb. The reverb alone is fantastic. Shimmer feature is a bonus. Recommend anyone looking for a reverb to check out this company. Mono seraphim or mono wet reverb go for 130 range on reverb.com.