Suggestions for pedal boards

[formsie]

i’m in the market for something like the behringer pb600. anyone have a board they particularly like? any tips on what i should be thinking about (power supply? cable management?)

also welcome are suggestions in general about organizing/using a suite of pedals. i’m currently googling like mad for other resources so links to external guides for this stuff are

thanks!

[Jonny]

What works best for me is the Voodoo Lab 4x4 and a Pedal Train. I’d recommend that you stay away from daisy chain power supplies (go with isolated power if you can) and make sure whatever you get has enough power, especially with all the digital pedals available. I used to use a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 and it was great until I started using several Strymon pedals (they now have their own power supplies, which are worth a look).

The Pedal Train is nice because the power and cables can be organized under the board.

[Drewsky]

I agree with above. Pedal Train is light and durable and has plenty of space for cable management and of course a space for the power supply. Voodoo is great. Not sure if the strymon fits in the same space well, but worth looking into. Personally, I am changing pedals and cables all the time so the flexibility of Pedal Train is awesome. Other board solutions with specifically placed holes for cabling is way too committal for me, haha. PT’s hard cases are sturdy for regular gigging too! I’ve never tried the soft ones, but I bet they are great.

[Simeon]

+1 for pedal train and +infinity for staying away from daisy-chained power.

[Andrew_Sblendorio]

I’ve been using the T-Rex Tone Trunk for a couple years now and really like it. It looks like they’ve updated it since I got one. Mine doesn’t have a riser. Anyways I like it because I can wrap the cables up underneath and in the openings (also can use zip ties for pedals that won’t take Velcro or that you don’t want to put Velcro on) to hide them and I like the that it has an angle…I put it slanting away from me and sit on the floor and find it to be very ergonomic. What does get tough is always the cables, I’ve been wanting to get into the Lava Piston cables http://www.lavacable.com/index.php?id=287 because you can customize the length and the ends are all small right angles. Also I’ve been using a one-spot for a while too and have never had a problem with it.

[marcus_fischer]

I have had a pedatrain w/ hardcase for years. It’s held up being dragged around on many different flights and seen action from Japan to Iceland. No complaints here.

[kisielk]

I’ve been looking at getting a board from Templeboards. Their design and mounting system seems cool.

[s_hamann]

I recently just got one. I had been exhaustively searching through custom/boutique/innovative board makers for months, mostly because they’re pretty, but in the end decided that I was overthinking it and a Pedaltrain was the best solution for the flexibility I wanted. A few months in, it was definitely the right choice for me, has worked great.

For power, I’m using a Yankee HS-M10, which has been superb. I used a Godlyke Power-all daisy chain power supply for years, but it can be a little flaky (and recently may have started crackling/sparking. I heard something, not sure exactly where it came from) and has no flexibility for pedals with different power demands. The Yankee power supply justfits mounted underneath the Pedaltrain Classic 2.

For cable management, I’m using a Patchulator 8000, which has turned out to be one of the greatest things I’ve ever bought. I couldn’t find any other pedalboard patchbays that were as flexible for active patching, and the 1/8" patch matrix suits my set-up perfectly (up on a table, next to a eurorack modular and a mixer). I can even overlook the excessive graphics on the thing, it’s been so useful. Loop-Master makes some nice low-cost patchbays if you have less of a need to constantly change signal paths.

[ioflow]

i’ve also been considering a pedalboard, as i’m hoping to do some live shows and/or setup my modular rig someplace in the field with a power pack (as discussed in the mobile modular thread) with a minimum of fuss. something that offers secure mount points for my isms skiff, two small strymon pedals, 802-vlz4 mixer, grid, and arc…everything firmly attached to the board surface in one travel case, plugged in, ready to be pulled out and turned on without a bunch of separate pieces strewn about the place. not counting cable runs or power supply, that’s 385 square inches of gear to fit on a pedalboard.

there aren’t many reasonably-priced and -sized pedalboards that are large enough to accommodate isms’ 24" width along with the other pieces. nearly all of them rely on ludicrous amounts of sticky adhesive-backed velcro to ruin one’s gear forever. also, i doubt velcro can securely hold a heavy skiff and mixer.

monome shipped the complete isms system in a perfectly-cut and -sized pelican 1700, but that’s just a case. i’m hoping to find a pull-out board with all the pieces anchored, plugged in, and ready to play. i found a cheap, decently-sized rondo pedalboard, but it’s flat, velcro-only, no cable or PSU management.

[ether]

For power, check the new Strymon units. Perfect.

Strymon - fine music electronics and effects pedals

[Jonny]

That set up is pretty tricky…especially given the width of the isms case. Personally, I would be happy with the Pelican case for isms/grid/arc and a separate case to handle everything else. I’ve seen pedalboards with holes to attach pedals, but I’ve always been fine with using velcro - goo gone or some isopropyl alcohol would get rid of most residue if you changed your mind (then again, it depends on the finish of the pedal - be careful!). Regarding the ability of velcro to hold gear, the industrial stuff that’s included with the Pedal Trains is super strong.

[puggo]

+1 for voodoo lab (pedal power 2+) + pedaltrain (incl. bag). very happy with this combo.
you can easily install the power2 beneath the train with the included mounting brackets. very practical to carry/move it everywhere

[steveoath]

I built my own pedal board into one of the DJ type metal CD boxes. I found that far more durable than the plasticy BOSS pedal board I had before.

Kind of like a DIY this:

[apeirophobe]

Not the best picture, but here is my setup (a couple of pedals have been swapped out since taking this). I’m using a Temple Audio Duo 24: http://templeboards.com. I’ve got an Eventide Powerfactor secured underneath (using the Temple board fasteners). On the left I have a Behringer XR18 (also secured) to which all the pedals are connected for a pretty flexible routing system. I also use the onboard FX, EQ and dynamics on the XR18. Midi is routed from the Pitchfactor through the other pedals and into the XR18. I can then control the pedals and the XR18 from the G2 (or laptop/whatever). I transport it in a Pelican 1650.

[kisielk]

Thanks for this! That gives me a good idea for what kind of sizing I should be after for a templeboard…

[greenerpastures]

been using a skb ps-100 so I can have an electrix repeater for looping integral to the actual pedalboard. Best solution i’ve been able to find to using a rackmount piece of gear and having it accessible.

[jwudel]

Quick plug for the ikea-shelf-DIY pedalboard.

Here’s mine, the product name at the time was Gorm, which I think they’ve discontinued. Probably $30 for the whole thing, including the second shelf in the pack shelf I gave to a friend so he could do the same?