Painting yourself into a corner with multi-fx

[Orvillain]

Nowadays I would love to move over to a singles based board, so I can pick and choose my favourite effects from the different companies, so I can benefit from more flexible midi options out there (GigRig, Morningstar, etc), and so I can minimize the number of buffers and AD/DA stages that my signal goes through.

But bloody hell, with the Helix as my main effects platform (not using the amps for my live stuff) I have really painted myself into a corner.

Anyone else get this, and how do you get out??

 

[Steinmetzify]

I…..can’t.

I use an HXFX and it does so much all my pedals are in storage except for my Pharaoh.

Everything else is just good enough and so tweakable I just don’t see the point in going back to my huge board anymore.

 

[Whizzinby]

Nowadays I would love to move over to a singles based board, so I can pick and choose my favourite effects from the different companies, so I can benefit from more flexible midi options out there (GigRig, Morningstar, etc), and so I can minimize the number of buffers and AD/DA stages that my signal goes through.

But bloody hell, with the Helix as my main effects platform (not using the amps for my live stuff) I have really painted myself into a corner.

Anyone else get this, and how do you get out??

I’ve been rebuilding a pedalboard, which has a certain hell on earth charm about it. It’s fun right up until the point it’s not and you realize you have an amp or two worth of pedals sitting on the floor. lol

It’s convenient to have everything in one box, but I think for me I always find myself wanting some single pedals anyway for specific tones you can’t cover with a multi.

I’ve been eyeing a GigRig too, despite it being entirely overkill for my purposes.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I am such a mix and match person as it is. I love the FX from the Boss stuff but have realllllllllly got tired of their modeling. I think much of the effects in the HX are great but they are too centered on going the full blown pedal nerd route and I am not that either. The dual pitch in the Boss kills the HX equivalent too and I have to have that. The FAS stuff is great but I go to use it and if I have had a long day; I am ready to chuck their devices from being wayyyyy too obtuse when my brain is gone. Single pedals don't really appeal to me either. I'm kind of a mess apparently

 

[DrewJD82]

No corners in my place! I love gear and adding more to the collection of stuff. My dad was giving me sh*t the other night for the pile of pedals I had surrounding my FM9, “You have to Fractals that can do all this already, you’re just throwing money away on pedals.”

Keep in mind, my father is a legit hoarder and regularly buys broken keyboards he says he’s going to fix and they just pile up next to the other pile of sh*t he bought that collects dust.

But I actually use the sh*t I buy, even if it’s sparingly or once in a blue moon. It’s not like any of this stuff is making me money, so it’s all enjoyment and ensuring I never have to limit myself by the constraints of my gear. MORE IS MORE.

 

[andergtr]

everything is just a tool. some tools work better in certain situations than others.

but they are just tools.

 

[the swede]

For me, well... as i am using the stomp, i have always felt that i can move in any direction i want. Mostly i am pretty content with just the Stomp, but have periodical pedal relapses. Like a "falling of the wagon" kinda thing.
A few times I painted myself into a corner but more in the ways of "this is to much and it doesn't really add anything but technical challenges". Those things ended pretty much with me selling every pedal and slap my stomp on the Metro 16 again with a expression pedal and my Jet micro controller. done...

Received a impulse bought pedal yesterday though that I found cheap second hand.
Solid Gold FX EM-III. Its sounds awesome on Youtube at least.
Buuuuut... i dont know... I think Stomp delays cover everything including some lightly weird stuff. It may stay in the drawer until winter.

 

[sleewell]

i have both available and consistently pick the helix.

 

[Bob Zaod]

Some folks tie fly's, some paint figurines, some work on cars and boats... Me I put together pedal boards and then never use them. I find it therapeutic though. Meticulously placing everything just right and getting all the cables routed neatly etc etc. I have 6 pedalboards ranging from 3 pedals to 12 or so.

 

[the swede]

Me I put together pedal boards and then never use them. I find it therapeutic though. Meticulously placing everything just right and getting all the cables routed neatly etc etc. I have 6 pedalboards ranging from 3 pedals to 12 or so.

Are we twins... maybe we were separated at birth or something. Im gonna go ask my parents because this is spooky.

But you got to teach me how to keep the builds.... I tear them apart and do it again after a few months. Now I have been in a "no pedals" period using only Stomp.... but im slowly building up GAS and YouTube pedal review time and have a few baskets around with stuff waiting for the satisfying order now click.

 

[Bob Zaod]

Are we twins... maybe we were separated at birth or something. Im gonna go ask my parents because this is spooky.

But you got to teach me how to keep the builds.... I tear them apart and do it again after a few months. Now I have been in a "no pedals" period using only Stomp.... but im slowly building up GAS and YouTube pedal review time and have a few baskets around with stuff waiting for the satisfying order now click.

Well my fathers side of the family are Linquists (Lindqvist) so it's quite possible!

 

[DrewJD82]

Some folks tie fly's, some paint figurines, some work on cars and boats... Me I put together pedal boards and then never use them. I find it therapeutic though. Meticulously placing everything just right and getting all the cables routed neatly etc etc. I have 6 pedalboards ranging from 3 pedals to 12 or so.

I’m with ya, there! Ripping apart a bunch of cables and zip ties to re-organize a board is a blast to me. Just the same as guitar maintenance/repairs. I can spend a whole day doing setups and be totally excited to do it. The Fractal stuff doesn’t necessitate a lot of pedalboard building in the traditional sense, but the last tidy one I did was my FC6 board-



When I was soldering all the jacks, I forgot to put the damn sleeves on before I soldered them.

I’m REALLY anxious to do my next pedalboard; the last time I did one with actual pedals, loop switchers and breakout boxes weren’t commonplace items. I can’t wait to finally assemble a complete board instead of having all these damn pedals floating around. Hell, even building the boards themselves I enjoy (I built both the ones above)

 

[supertruper1988]

I painted this picture back in 2017 after we had our first kid. I had been playing for years with my amp in an iso booth so I hadnt played hearing my amp in several years. That was pretty much the catalyst to trying the Helix because of the ease of having my rig in a single package.

I borrowed a helix from a friend for a couple months and did some heavy comparisons and the Helix won out. I had 3 pedals I still wanted that arent in the HX models. That drove me to get the Helix Rack and slap it in shallow 6 space rack with a power conditioner and shelf for my pedals to go on.

I can count on one hand how many times I have played with my amp on stage in the last decade. The last two times were with the helix going 4CM and it was everything I could have needed. I am super happy with where my tone is these days.

 

[Orvillain]

I painted this picture back in 2017 after we had our first kid. I had been playing for years with my amp in an iso booth so I hadnt played hearing my amp in several years. That was pretty much the catalyst to trying the Helix because of the ease of having my rig in a single package.

I borrowed a helix from a friend for a couple months and did some heavy comparisons and the Helix won out. I had 3 pedals I still wanted that arent in the HX models. That drove me to get the Helix Rack and slap it in shallow 6 space rack with a power conditioner and shelf for my pedals to go on.

I can count on one hand how many times I have played with my amp on stage in the last decade. The last two times were with the helix going 4CM and it was everything I could have needed. I am super happy with where my tone is these days.

I guess I'm not entirely happy, otherwise I wouldn't be window shopping!!

At the moment I'm thinking this:

Which would give me better control options, better delay and reverb tones, and some analog juice for the front end!

 

[the swede]

I guess I'm not entirely happy, otherwise I wouldn't be window shopping!!

At the moment I'm thinking this:
View attachment 217

Which would give me better control options, better delay and reverb tones, and some analog juice for the front end!

Pedal playground is a dangerous place first you go there and play pedal Tetris, then you start to checking the online stores haha.
I always seem to have a pedal playground tab open in my browser….with different layouts. But I think it’s fun.

Btw, I did see a QC on several Tacoma pictures on IG, who’s using that?

 

[HotRats]

I guess I'm not entirely happy, otherwise I wouldn't be window shopping!!

At the moment I'm thinking this:
View attachment 217

Which would give me better control options, better delay and reverb tones, and some analog juice for the front end!

I don't know, I used to play somenthing similar and was great (picture below) but in the end was heavy as hell (16 kg/35 lbs) and less flexible (not always) than the helix foor I have now.

Looked good, sounded great and was a lot of fun to slowly modify.

I'd go back to a 100W head and 4x12 in a minute for the right project but I don't see my self go back to the huge rabbit hole of analogue peadalboards.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I guess I'm not entirely happy, otherwise I wouldn't be window shopping!!

At the moment I'm thinking this:
View attachment 217

Which would give me better control options, better delay and reverb tones, and some analog juice for the front end!

I cannot get behind the Plethora. Not for Behringer reasons, either. It just looks like it's going to be clunky and bland. For whatever reason.

 

[supertruper1988]

I guess I'm not entirely happy, otherwise I wouldn't be window shopping!!

At the moment I'm thinking this:
View attachment 217

Which would give me better control options, better delay and reverb tones, and some analog juice for the front end!

I think that this board is a great start but the Flashback has some issues with expression inputs if you need that and I generally liked the Strymon TimeLine I replaced my Flashback X4 with back in my pedalboard days.

I havent seen that TC thing but I am off to google how much trouble I can get it when I read more

 

[HotRats]

I cannot get behind the Plethora. Not for Behringer reasons, either. It just looks like it's going to be clunky and bland. For whatever reason.

Me neither. My experience with TC pedals is mixed and I really hate the toneprint thing. Some hof reverbs and X4 alter ego delays were good, other meh and there's nothing you can do about it.

 

[Orvillain]

Btw, I did see a QC on several Tacoma pictures on IG, who’s using that?

Oh that's our 2nd guitarist. He was using Helix like me for ages, but decided to try the QC. He keeps saying he misses the Helix!