Pedal board advice

Grolschevik

Having become annoyed at how long it takes me to set up/plug in may various effects -- to the extent that I can't be bothered to do so at home (which is kind of liberating, in a way) -- I'm in the process of assembling a pedal board with everything already connected that I can just plug in and go.

My problem is deciding on its size. I half want it to have enough free space on it so I can potentially use everything I have and add more units in the future. But realistically, and in rehearsals, I only use about 6 units.

I have two cases I can use: one holds the 6 main ones and a power supply neatly, but has no room for expansion, or even for a tuner. It's 50cm x 35cm.

The other is a converted instrument case (bazouki, to be exact). It's 90cm x 35cm. Ideally, that allows plenty of room to get everything I have (and then some) in. But is it too big in practical terms, thinking of the size of many of the stages I've been on in the past?

So: should I bite the bullet and go with the bigger (and consequently heavier) case? Or should I kit out the smaller case in the meantime and put the bigger case in storage until I really need it, if I ever do? The smaller case is probably more practical in the short term, but I sort of want to have one case that can handle anything I throw at it for years to come, and to get it sorted now...

What do you reckon?

feylya

How many effects pedals do you have and how many do you constantly use? You could get a huge pedal board and throw your back out every time you bring it to a gig but if you don't use all the pedals, why bother?

Grolschevik

The idea of the big case is that everything would be there, plugged in, ready for use, just in case!

The only ones I use consistently, though, are a wah, Visual Sound compressor/OD, distortion, EQ, chorus, delay. They're the basic 6. I also have another compressor (if used I'd change the Visual Sound settings to become a treble boost), a tremolo, a Sansamp Tri-AC (if added to the board it'd be pure distortion overkill!) and an Alesis Nanoverb.

I was thinking of swapping the Nanoverb for a compact reverb pedal. And if I want to use the Sansamp, it really needs a noise suppressor. And I was thinking of getting a muting pedal tuner, rather than routing my current tuner out of the second stereo out of the chorus and turning down the amp for silent tuning.

So the max, when eventually acquired and if used, would be the basic 6, plus trem, Sansamp, noise suppressor, tuner, reverb... too much?

-=al=-

http://www.thomann.de/ie/rockcase_rc_23020a_effekt_pedalcase.htm

that any use?

Gaspode

Grolschevik wrote:

What do you reckon?

Why not go with the bigger case - if you havent filled it completely with effects it can still serve to carry your leads, straps, tuner, spare strings, plugboard etc.

Grolschevik

-=al=- wrote:

http://www.thomann.de/ie/rockcase_rc_23020a_effekt_pedalcase.htm

that any use?

Actually, the lengthwise dimensions on that aren't too far away from my larger option.

I think I've decided on a compromise, which is to kit out the smaller case with velcro, power supply etc, but on a sheet of plywood. That'd be most useful in the short term, for rehearsals and such. If it becomes desirable or necessary, I can lift that board out of the smaller case and put it into the larger case and add whatever is needed on a separate similar sized board, with some repositioning of pedals and a foam buffer between them if necessary. That might be the best option, given my ongoing and never-ending quest for the best distortion pedal ever...

And I think I've decided (but ask me tomorrow) to get rid of my superfluous compressor, trem, nanoverb and the Sansamp. If 6 effects are all I have, then it's only 6 effects that I'll be worrying about positioning. It removes temptation. But then I think: "what if I need the Sansamp for direct recording, or what if I need to go direct to the desk", and what if, next week, I need a tremolo. I'm a hoarder, and I need to get out of that habit...

PS: re: "my ongoing and never-ending quest for the best distortion pedal ever". For a long while now, I've fancied a valve driven pedal. I know there are low voltage Vox jobs as well as high voltage ones, and I've heard good things about the Tone Bone range and the H&K units. Anyone got any words of advice about the merits of the various H&K, Budda, Vox, Mesa, EH, Soldano, Matchless, Rocktron, Seymour Duncan, Radial Tonebone, Damage Control etc etc pedals out there? I use a 30w non-master volume reissue amp that has no effects loop.

-=al=-

the best overdrive comes from tube amps

use distortion as a boost and u got what yer looking for


tonebones cool, i think EJ even uses one

Grolschevik

Ah, but me only got single channel non-MV amp. Valve based preamp pedal would give it a "second channel"...

Voodu Child

One of my heads is a single channel affair too. I thought it would be pretty limited but a clean boost and an overdrive (and a good volume pot) has most bases covered.

Grolschevik

Got both the clean boost and the OD sorted, but in my mind it wouldn't sound the same as a EH English Muff'n or a Mesa Bottle Rocket. Could be that I need a re-valve...

Voodu Child

Grolschevik wrote:

Got both the clean boost and the OD sorted, but in my mind it wouldn't sound the same as a EH English Muff'n or a Mesa Bottle Rocket. Could be that I need re-valve...

Ah no, you might be right.. if you say youre not getting enough variety with a boost and a OD then i'll take your word for it.

I certainly know that there are a few floor based valve pre-amps that you can run straight into the effects return of your amp. Thats as close to having a second channel as youll get. Mesa do one (v-twin), and a few others, but theyre all seriously pricey. Let us know how you get on.

Eoin Madsen

Grolschevik wrote:

Ah, but me only got single channel non-MV amp. Valve based preamp pedal would give it a "second channel"...

Not really. That whole thing is very much exaggerated. I won't deny that the Mesa V1 is one of the best distortion pedals I've heard, but believe me, it's not because of the valves in it. They run them off the 12V supply (normal operating plate voltage for an ECC83 is around 250VDC), so they're effectively just serving the purpose of clipping a signal which is being amplified by good old silicon transistors, like any other OD pedal.

Every "valve" pedal I've examined has proven to be the same. Maybe you can't get a floor pedal with 200 odd volts of direct current flowing through it to pass safety regulations. But that's just a guess.

Voodu Child

Eoin Madsen wrote:

Not really. That whole thing is very much exaggerated. I won't deny that the Mesa V1 is one of the best distortion pedals I've heard, but believe me, it's not because of the valves in it. They run them off the 12V supply (normal operating plate voltage for an ECC83 is around 250VDC), so they're effectively just serving the purpose of clipping a signal which is being amplified by good old silicon transistors, like any other OD pedal.

Every "valve" pedal I've examined has proven to be the same. Maybe you can't get a floor pedal with 200 odd volts of direct current flowing through it to pass safety regulations. But that's just a guess.

The v-twin pedal is billed as a pre-amp. So i take it its not an actual preamp, its just a fancy stomp?

Grolschevik

Eoin Madsen wrote:

Not really. That whole thing is very much exaggerated. I won't deny that the Mesa V1 is one of the best distortion pedals I've heard, but believe me, it's not because of the valves in it. They run them off the 12V supply (normal operating plate voltage for an ECC83 is around 250VDC), so they're effectively just serving the purpose of clipping a signal which is being amplified by good old silicon transistors, like any other OD pedal.

Every "valve" pedal I've examined has proven to be the same. Maybe you can't get a floor pedal with 200 odd volts of direct current flowing through it to pass safety regulations. But that's just a guess.

Maybe I'm chasing the rainbow... best I ever thought I sounded was through my favourite distortion pedal in front of my JTM 45 reissue.

Voodu Child

Is there an effects loop on your amp?

Grolschevik

voodoo_child wrote:

The v-twin pedal is billed as a pre-amp. So i take it its not an actual preamp, its just a fancy stomp?

Interesting stuff, cos I've heard people say that the Vox range of OD/distortions "aren't real valve distortion" beause they run, or are capable of running, on batteries. And such people will recommend the mains powered Boogies and such like.

If I take Eoin correctly, does that mean that a distortion pedal is pretty much a distortion pedal, whether or not it's "valve powered", or a Fulltone job or a Danelectro-cheapo or anything else?

I love this discussion! It's been what I've been looking for for ages on other sites!

Grolschevik

By the way, I use a JTM45 reissue, with no effects loop, and no nothing!

Grolschevik

voodoo_child wrote:

Is there an effects loop on your amp?

No. I don't trust that wicked voodoo science. I've always gone for amps where what you put in the front end is what you have

Voodu Child

I dont know all the technicalities like Eoin, but my own take on it is that using a valve for clipping the signal might be a bit more responsive or reactive than a silicon diode. Reactive as in the way it behaves with varying pick attack.

But im probably wrong.