Pedaltrain Soft Case

[toast487]

How protective is the pedaltrain soft case? Do you think it would protect pedals from a drop while walking or carrying into a bar etc.

[Funky Monkey]

I hate to sound negative about it, but I've come to consider it nothing more than a dust cover. And, protection concerns aside, they're just not made very well. Handling it with care, a loaded pedalboard has proven to be too much stress for it. The bottom corners and strap handles just don't hold up over time. They've been know to replace them, but that's a hassle and then we're at you're original question. A drop or hit at the wrong angle could break a knob or switch. And, others have said it isn't an issue for them, but the last straw for me was constantly having to re-adjust knobs that got moved around just in transit. The hard case is durable, fully protective and, because my wah was the highest pedal, the other pedal knobs don't move around because they don't make contact with the lid. Well worth the extra money.

[Abandoned]

It'll protect from gentle side swipes but absolutely no drops.
It's not that great.

[toast487]

Is the hard case (non Flight Case) that comes with the PT-1 any good for protection against drops?

[jkokura]

It's more for carrying than for protection I'd say.

Smaller boards are more secure in them than larger. I throw my Nano acoustic setup around with no fear.

Jacob

[ES330]

I use the soft bag for the nano & mini just fine.

But my rigs are now small & lightweight

[lukeII]

Yep I agree that softcase its more for carrying and scrape protection than anything else. I actually cut out some bubble wrap to give some minimal shock protection.

the hard case protects a little more against drops (there is foam inside) but it isn't absolutely shock proof in my opinion. I think the HC protects against stuff being dropped on the case more than anything else but the weight of the hardcase is the trade off for that.

I decided that I didn't need the hardcase because I wasn't putting my pedal board in a truck or a plane cargo hold.

[Frankenstrat86]

I dropped my pt mini down a flight of steps while trying to balance it and my amp head down some stairs to a train home. My pedals were fine. YMMV

[HowardMusic]

Originally Posted by lukeII

Yep I agree that softcase its more for carrying and scrape protection than anything else ...

I have a mini, and I would agree with this statement as well. Haven't dropped it or bumped into anything so far, but not sure how well it would protect. I throw my instrument cables in there, and that seems to add some additional cushion/protection.

[4nd3h]

Previous owner of my PT-2 cut some foam for the top and bottom of the case, so a. settings don't get moved around on pedals, and b. it gets pretty good padding

[whoismarykelly]

I've used the soft cases for years and they work perfectly well. The ones from the last two or three years are made very well and dont rip, tear, or fall apart. The moving knobs and dropping issues are somewhat moot in my opinion. If you are incapable of carrying a bag with handles and a strap without dropping it, and if you are incapable of remembering how your pedals are set then maybe pedals aren't the thing for you...

[FLYING V 83]

Sold my PT Pro soft case soon as I got it and used my Island Cases 34x20 "flight case" I got years ago on ebay for $89.
I use 2 large pieces of 'eggcrate' foam 1" thick, and the Pro sits just fine in there.
Handles my 93lb Heritage VTX 212 combo on top of it in my trunk no problem.
Don't know if they're still around.

[chervokas]

Think of the soft case as a sort of gig bag for your pedal board -- and not a sturdy, foam reinforced gig bag like a Mono Case. It will transport the pedals, keep 'em dry in a light rain, keep 'em save from light duty dings and bangs, but no I wouldn't want to a pedal board in a soft case down a flight of stairs or anything.

[62Tele]

I'm not overly fond of either cases they offer. The soft cases are "OK" but I usually put mine into something else, be it a larger gig bag full of other gear, or a stiff sided tool box type thing. I would never put a board in a soft case in the back of a truck or trailer full of gear. The hard cases are reasonable, but cumbersome, and don't hold enough other stuff to negate a separate bag for cables etc.

For my money, something along the lines of a formed foam case would really be preferable - you get better protection than a soft bag, probably better than a hard case, and still light enough to throw over your shoulder. If they would go this route, they could drop both other cases and have a great single option. You see bags like these for keyboards, guitars etc and they work great.

[toast487]

Hmm so with only around 100USD to spend the dilemma is a PTJr. (which is all I really need for my setup) w/ a soft case or a PT-1 w/ a hard case (which is more real estate than I need but has the protection to protect all the $$$ on my board)