Help me walk through my latest insanity

[metropolis_4]

Ok, I started a project today and I’m gonna use this as a sounding board and a place to collect my thoughts out loud as I try to figure it out. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to do this.

The goal:
To create a pedalboard capable of handling both electric and several acoustic instruments in one rig.

Requirements:

1. Must have separate inputs for up to 6 instruments and handle switching/muting between them.
2. Must have a single tuner and volume pedal that all instruments run through: one source of tuning/muting, one source of volume control.
3. Electric guitar path goes to pedals then to an amp
4. Acoustic instruments all go to a single separate DI output
5. Acoustic instruments must have a minimum of EQ and gain/level controls for each instrument. Comp and reverb can be shared if necessary.
6. Can’t be too big. 30x16 MAX, preferably smaller

Bonus:

• Split signal path for electric tones - clean path / overdrive path
• Switchable chorus for acoustics
• Keep analog signal path for electric

Here’s my first attempt. This is using a 24x12 board with a 2nd tier on the back row. I went through every switching method I could think of and landed on 2 ML5’s being the best option.

1. All instruments go in the first ML5 input and loop returns
2. Out from ML5 goes to input of the second ML5
3. Second ML5 loops:
   1. A: send to tuner
   2. B: clean electric pedal path
   3. C: dirt electric pedal path
   4. D: volume pedal
   5. E: out to SDE-3000D
4. Output of second ML5 goes to input of HX Stomp
5. The two electric paths are merged together in the SDE-3000
6. Output of SDE-3000 goes to amp

• The top row of switches on the MC6 select between the inputs and select a dedicated Stomp preset for each.
• Loop D on the second ML5 is always active
• Loop A (tuner) is toggled by one of the bottom switches on the MC6
• The other two switches on the MC6 toggle loops B & C to switch between the two paths
• Amp goes to Mic-no-mo to board
• Stomp goes to DI to board
• As a bonus the Stomp can act as a backup amp if needed.

Still a WIP… ignore the individual pedals, they might change.

In this photo the clean pedal path goes Dynacomp-> ge-7 -> SCF -> Monk

And the overdrive path goes Chorus Ensemble -> DOD 250 -> Rattler -> Morning Glory

The little green pedal is my page turner for my music on my iPad. The top board is the shelf that will cover the top left of the board. The Morning Glory will always be on so it can be covered.

 

[Whizzinby]

… dual tier, duel ML5 action.

 

[metropolis_4]

Single tier thought. This is 28x16 and that’s as big as I’d want to go. The ML5s would be mounted under the board here. The question is would it be too big to access the top row without a switcher? I do like having more room for drive options. Thinking the JHS Switchback would switch between

DOD 250 -> Timmy -> Morning Glory

On one side and

Rattler -> ge-7 -> ODR-1

On the other side. Probably overkill…

 

[holoholo]

Met right now:

 

[Mongillo19]

Single tier thought. This is 28x16 and that’s as big as I’d want to go. The ML5s would be mounted under the board here. The question is would it be too big to access the top row without a switcher? I do like having more room for drive options. Thinking the JHS Switchback would switch between

DOD 250 -> Timmy -> Morning Glory

On one side and

Rattler -> ge-7 -> ODR-1

On the other side. Probably overkill…


View attachment 52024

That's quite the spread. Yeah I would definitely say overkill. Id go the 2 tier route if you are going for it all

 

[Whizzinby]

Single tier thought. This is 28x16 and that’s as big as I’d want to go. The ML5s would be mounted under the board here. The question is would it be too big to access the top row without a switcher? I do like having more room for drive options. Thinking the JHS Switchback would switch between

DOD 250 -> Timmy -> Morning Glory

On one side and

Rattler -> ge-7 -> ODR-1

On the other side. Probably overkill…


View attachment 52024

I have a 28x16 board and I can comfortably fit two rows of pedals plus a quartermaster, (with some room to let everything breathe ) but I’d pucker a little trying to squeeze a third row in from a wiring perspective and tapping in without erroneously hitting something. You could tier up that third row, (which is what I did on mine) but it’s a chunky mofo.

Are you going to be hauling this on the reg or just setting up once for residency type runs?

 

[metropolis_4]

Yeah I’m leaning against the 28x16. It’s a bit overkill. The 24x12 2-tier is almost perfect… I wish it had room for just 2 more pedals.

Who else makes good tiered boards? I think if I could find even 26” it would be perfect.

Here’s an idea based on a TheGigRig large board with the full width top tier. It’s a tight fit, but it might work.

The more I think about it the more I like having two switchable “base” tones in my overdrive chain with a could different drive/boost options in front. So the Switchback toggles between the MG and ODR-1 with the 250 and Rattler in front.

 

[metropolis_4]

Another possibility is to ditch the SDE-3000 and use the Stomp for delays. I could run acoustics out one output to a DI and electric out another output to the amp.

But I’m worried I won’t like what the Stomp does to the signal in front of the amp…

Are you going to be hauling this on the reg or just setting up once for residency type runs?

This board will be something I’ll set up once for long runs, so transportation isn’t a big concern. But sometimes space is limited so it can’t be too big.

 

[the swede]

Use the Stomp to its fullest capabilities or just put use it alone by itself. Its either or. No middle grounds. Max using the Stomp has the benefits of being able to replace a pedal or two there, and you have lots of control there to. So id go that route if i were you, the delays and verbs are fine in the ol stomp

 

[metropolis_4]

Use the Stomp to its fullest capabilities or just put use it alone by itself. Its either or. No middle grounds. Max using the Stomp has the benefits of being able to replace a pedal or two there, and you have lots of control there to. So id go that route if i were you, the delays and verbs are fine in the ol stomp

That’s a thought, I’ve considered using the Stomp for delays and get rid of the SDE-3000. My only concern is that the way the Stomp changes the tone and response of the amp will bother me. I tried using my fm3 in front of my amp and I didn’t like what it did to the tone.