Big Pedal Board or Rack Switching System?

Multiple times, back and forth...until I finally just got it through my head that I'm lazy and I hate programming rack gear and lugging racks around for performance.

My recommendation? Put the rack gear in the studio and play out with a pedal rig. In the studio, tweak's the order of the day. On the gig, simple, portable and reliable = good.

At least, that's how it is for me.

R
A
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OR?

 

Why not get a loooper or something to keep the pedals out of your signal path until you use them? The only thing a rack system can do to improve on a pedalboard is switch multiple pedals in and out of your chain with one click. If you put all of your pedals in bypass loops and use good quality cable it won't sound any different from having them in a rack.

Another good argument for having a pedalboard is ease of tweaking onstage., and having access to switches on pedals (like tap-tempo). I've thought about putting my pedals in a rack, but having a wah and volume pedal, plus tempo at my feet mean I have to have a pedalboard anyways.

But I have committed to having a big pedalboard- but if you play with fx as much as I do you have to accept that that is your instrument- it's not as bad as being a drummer, yet. . .

 

Using a switcher like an Axess GRX4 or a Lehle D. Loop WILL give you the sound quality and flexibility of a rack switching system. These are 2 extremely high quality units.

Terry

 

Yes, I finally discovered the Lehle D loop and it solved years and years of rack and pedalboard problems. My main issue was turning on effects that were in the efx loop of my amp at the same time as channel switching and turning on pedals in front of hte amp... I originally tried to tap dance on a pedalboard and that didn't work.. Then I tried the voodoo lab gcx and rackmounted everythiing but it was so complicated I got tired of messing with it. NOw I run 2 lehle D loops and a midi switcher for a my rivera knucklehead. THe cool thing about it is the box can be programmed miidi or it can be dumb if you just step on one of hte loop buttons... no hassle and it doesn't add any noise or noticeable degrade of signal to my rig (to my ears)

 

I'd recommend putting all the pedals on drawers in a rack/racks with one or more of the GCX units (that's what I use). Use Voodoo Lab Pedal Power units to power the pedals, and one of those Furman Pluglock power strips for ac power.Wire it all up using George L's. Sounds better than a pedalboard (more transparent), and it's more organized. Depending on how many pedals, you could use multiple racks/GCX units, and just stack em up in the studio, and throw em in your car along with a ground control or similar midi switcher when going to gigs.

Once I got used to pushing one button to switch multiple pedals/change amp channels/a/b amps, I could never go back to a pedalboard. I still go see bands and watch the guitar players miss downbeats of choruses cause they are switching 3 or 4 things on and off between song sections.... why bother? There's a better way.....


Just one recommendation... run your germanium fuzz units BEFORE the buffer in the GCX, they won't sound good with a buffer in front...... I can tell you how to do this if interested..

 

Good point about the buffer... that's exactly the problem I had with the GCX so I bought the lehle d looper and use it to loop my fuzz pedals. It's buffer has an on/ off switch and I can still control everything via midi

 

I went rack to contain the clutter of moving pedals in and out, cabling, etc.



Pedals on a drawer, switch 'em with a used RS-10. No problems, sounds great, no clicks, the rack fits in the front seat of my Toyota (it's heavy, though). I put the wireless and some clean power in there, too, since I was doing it... but you don't have to have anything beyond a switcher and a drawer, really.

 

To my ears (and I have done a few A/B comparisons) nothing compares to Axess and Lehle in terms of transparency. Having owned a GCX (nice product), I prefer the sound quality of the Axess GRX4 and Lehle D. Loop currently in my system.

I have not tried everything out there of course. Products like the Switchblade and Skyrdstrup switchers apparently sound very good as well.

Terry

 

That is a cool setup. Do you have any more pics Ted? Maybe the back of the rack, and a pic of stuff on the pedal tray?

What kinda rack is that?

Thanks.

 

Pedals have changed a bit, but here ya go...







The rack is by Kriz Kraft, which went out of business. Awesome shock mount design. Stins sold the design to A & S if you're interested.

 

Right on. Thanks.

What kind of cables are those? Mogami? Do you know where to get them? I've been looking for something small like that without going to George L's.

...Did a guy named Brian down in OC put that together for you? It looks like some stuff I've seen him do years ago.

 

Oh... one more Q. Is that how you usually run your SS-2? The volume is basically off?

 

Brian Swerdfeger, yes. He did an awesome job. Mogami cables. I got it from Pacific Radio in L.A., along with the jacks.

I actually don't use the SS-2 in there anymore, but that knob isn't at the setting I used it. I think I ran the controls all at noon...

 

Thanks Ted.

 

And thank you for asking Ted all of the questions I was going to ask as I read through the thread!!

I am planning out something just like Ted's setup, but I'm not sure if I can do everything on one rack drawer. I don't want to go any bigger than a 10sp though, and that 8sp looks great. Awesome setup!

 

Thanks. Works perfectly... though I should say the key to it "working perfectly" is Mario's RX-1, which is just an insanely awesome piece of gear. Unfortunately, he has decided not to make them anymore. So get your order in now or try to find it used. If neither is possible, I would recommend the Skrydstrup switcher (though his only has eight loops and mine has ten). Steen is the Mario of Europe. You will pay a bit more, but by all accounts the quality is just as high. Next stop down would be the GCX or something by CAE.