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Artfully designed pedal boards


Zachman

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La sound design rules Bro!!!! Dave is as cool and helpful as they come as well... Theyre definitely going to do my rig when I get the clams...



Aloha, haven't talked to you in a while. Ya, I've been talking with him too, regarding the rack scenario. Super cool guy and one helluva guitar player too.

Hope all is well with jr. and the mrs. :thu:

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That medium sized board also includes a custom power supply for up to 12 pedals with varying voltages (handy with pedals like Radial which use 15V or MXR Flanger 18V), a single interface with an In/Out buffer if needed, and a Custom switch box (A/B, mute, loop).


I'd love to see some of your designs including the above, and done "100 times better" using the same quality components use to build the custom interfaces, power supplies and switchboxes, for a lot cheaper. I may have some customers for you.
:thu::idea:

 

I don't have the components nor do I claim to do serious rack designs. What I DO do though is design data centers for large companies like Seimens, Hines Horticulture (plants for Lowes and Home Depot), and Kinder Morgan Energy Parters (The gasoline supplier for the west coast). This companies rack wiring is good but not great.

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I don't have the components nor do I claim to do serious rack designs. What I DO do though is design data centers for large companies like Seimens, Hines Horticulture (plants for Lowes and Home Depot), and Kinder Morgan Energy Parters (The gasoline supplier for the west coast). This companies rack wiring is good but not great.

 

;)

 

Just like when designing data centers, there are intricacies that the experience of a seasoned designer brings to the table. Such is true, in the case here. It's more than just grabbing a CAT-5 cable and plugging it in, that makes a GOOD or a Well-designed, and well put together data center.

 

IMO, I still can't believe there are so many guys who have tons of pedals all hooked up in series on their pedal boards, when the BEST way to do it is so well known, yet they act like proud peacocks posturing like they are the hippest thing since sliced bread, while NOT doing it the BEST way.

 

Pedal boards are fine if you just want a few pedals and your switching needs are basic, But if you are truly serious about your tone, and you want many sound options available to you at any time (not to mention preset combinations and midi program change capability), a switching system is the way to go. No one said you have to turn on all the stuff at the same time! Besides, THERE IS NO CLEANER SIGNAL PATH FROM GUITAR TO AMP THAN WITH A SWITCHING SYSTEM, PERIOD. With a pedal board, even if every effect is bypassed, and you have "100% bypass" switches in all your effects (which is rare), you are still running through every pedal, and every cable and connection in the system. If something fails, good luck finding it. There is still a major capacitive buildup (which results in a severe loss of tone, mainly high end) because your signal must go through each cable and pedal. This is why signal buffers are so important. With a switching system, troubleshooting is easy because you can bypass to get effects out of the signal path, and you can patch in between various places in the signal path, when you know what to look for. With certain custom switching system the majority of the signal path is hard wired internally, and with a loop based system bypassing the effect bypasses the cables connecting the effect as well! This is impossible with a traditional pedal board.

 

Just saying that there are things to consider when building a pedal board or a rack system, that goes far beyond knowing how to plug in a 1/4 inch cable or to solder an unbalanced cable. Understanding where a ground lift may be appropriate, isolating grounds, proper conductance, polarity, etc... :thu:;)

 

I just thought this would be of interest to the pedal guys here. I wasn't looking for a debate or a fight of what is the best this or that. IMO the best does NOT end with pedal boards.

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Those LA Design boards are a bit on the ridiculous end of things. $1000 for a pedalboard? Forget that.

 

 

That cost is NOT just for the board, just saying... Looking at some of the pedal boards that are posted here, perhaps some guys may like to see what a PROPERLY wired board looks like, and if they want to try and emulate it themselves, GREAT! I say if you can, go for it.

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;)

Just like when designing data centers, there are intricacies that the experience of a seasoned designer brings to the table. Such is true, in the case here. It's more than just grabbing a CAT-5 cable and plugging it in, that makes a GOOD or a Well-designed, and well put together data center.


IMO, I still can't believe there are so many guys who have tons of pedals all hooked up in series on their pedal boards, when the BEST way to do it is so well known, yet they act like proud peacocks posturing like they are the hippest thing since sliced bread, while NOT doing it the BEST way.


Pedal boards are fine if you just want a few pedals and your switching needs are basic, But if you are truly serious about your tone, and you want many sound options available to you at any time (not to mention preset combinations and midi program change capability), a switching system is the way to go. No one said you have to turn on all the stuff at the same time! Besides, THERE IS NO CLEANER SIGNAL PATH FROM GUITAR TO AMP THAN WITH A SWITCHING SYSTEM, PERIOD. With a pedal board, even if every effect is bypassed, and you have "100% bypass" switches in all your effects (which is rare), you are still running through every pedal, and every cable and connection in the system. If something fails, good luck finding it. There is still a major capacitive buildup (which results in a severe loss of tone, mainly high end) because your signal must go through each cable and pedal. This is why signal buffers are so important. With a switching system, troubleshooting is easy because you can bypass to get effects out of the signal path, and you can patch in between various places in the signal path, when you know what to look for. With certain custom switching system the majority of the signal path is hard wired internally, and with a loop based system bypassing the effect bypasses the cables connecting the effect as well! This is impossible with a traditional pedal board.


Just saying that there are things to consider when building a pedal board or a rack system, that goes far beyond knowing how to plug in a 1/4 inch cable or to solder an unbalanced cable. Understanding where a ground lift may be appropriate, isolating grounds, proper conductance, polarity, etc...
:thu:;)

I just thought this would be of interest to the pedal guys here. I wasn't looking for a debate or a fight of what is the best this or that. IMO the best does NOT end with pedal boards.



Zach, I'm not trying to attack you or your gear AT ALL. You've got some cool stuff that sounds good. What I am saying is that to me the pedalboards aren't worth the $800 and their rack wiring ain't great. I like the idea of the power supply and would consider picking them up because of the voltage selection. The rack designs themselves may be superior to others, I don't know. I'm not a rack guy and probably never will be. I can respect the tidyness of their pedalboard creations but at the end of the day I have $200 in mine (w/o pedals) and I can change easily as I see fit.

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Zach, I'm not trying to attack you or your gear AT ALL. You've got some cool stuff that sounds good. What I am saying is that to me the pedalboards aren't worth the $800 and their rack wiring ain't great. I like the idea of the power supply and would consider picking them up because of the voltage selection. The rack designs themselves may be superior to others, I don't know. I'm not a rack guy and probably never will be. I can respect the tidyness of their pedalboard creations but at the end of the day I have $200 in mine (w/o pedals) and I can change easily as I see fit.



Understood. :thu:;) I appreciate your decorum and civility. It's is more the exception, than the rule around here lately, and is most welcome. Sorry if I came across as snippy. My feet are raw from trying to walk on egg shells around here.

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That cost is NOT just for the board, just saying... Looking at some of the pedal boards that are posted here, perhaps some guys may like to see what a PROPERLY wired board looks like, and if they want to try and emulate it themselves, GREAT! I say if you can, go for it.



Eh, I'm just happy with making a homemade board or maybe a Rondo Music board :thu:

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Understood.
:thu:;)
I appreciate your decorum and civility. It's is more the exception, than the rule around here lately, and is most welcome. Sorry if I came across as snippy. My feet are raw from trying to walk on egg shells around here.



Don't worry man. I'm hear to share ideas and talk with others that make music. I don't like everyones tone/gear/opinion but I can't bring myself to attack anyone. I think it's kinda dumb that people around here find it so easy to get all butt hurt over text and opinion.

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Don't worry man. I'm hear to share ideas and talk with others that make music. I don't like everyones tone/gear/opinion but I can't bring myself to attack anyone. I think it's kinda dumb that people around here find it so easy to get all butt hurt over text and opinion.



Ya... Exactly. I just want to learn and be helpful where I can be. I just wish the aggression was not a point of contention that so many try to excel at as if it were a sport they need to be good at. :thu:

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I would argue that there is no cleaner signal path from guitar to amp than one cable...
;)

 

With a W/D/W swiching system that is the case, and why it IS the way to do it right, preserving your original amp tone with nothing in the way and having your effects go to another amp, and speaker source. :thu:

 

I prefer not to do the neener neener thing. It's so 2nd grade, besides this IS the effects forum. ;)

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Ya... Exactly. I just want to learn and be helpful where I can be. I just wish the aggression was not a point of contention that so many try to excel at as if it were a sport they need to be good at.
:thu:



You know, we lack a sense of civility on the internet. 99% of people that are involved with forums and chat rooms would never speak to other humans the way they do when it's text. I don't speak to these things often but dang, if I interacted with people in my life the way I see others do on the net, I would never get anywhere in life. Just cuz forumites have a screen name and an avatar doesn't mean that they should be treated like dirt.

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You know, we lack a sense of civility on the internet. 99% of people that are involved with forums and chat rooms would never speak to other humans the way they do when it's text. I don't speak to these things often but dang, if I interacted with people in my life the way I see others do on the net, I would never get anywhere in life. Just cuz forumites have a screen name and an avatar doesn't mean that they should be treated like dirt.



;):thu:

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This may be the most civil thread I've ever seen involving Zachman. Usually things get ugly, for one reason or another, when even his name is mentioned!

 

 

I prefer it be civilized. It doesn't have to be otherwise, though we both know there are those who are antagonists who prefer to stir up {censored}, if someones opinion doesn't validate their own POV, usually based in ignorance.

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