Rise of pedalboard specific DI's

[paisleywookiee]

All the talk of "meh, you can't gig with Tonex/NAM/preamp du jour, because it's not an 'all in one professional' device" bullshit had me thinking, as this caught my eye today.

PCH Active Direct Interface - Strymon

Hear everything with PCH — a stereo active direct interface with console-quality headphone amp. The perfect companion to modern pedalboards.

www.strymon.net

Here we have a DI that's designed around getting your sound from your WHOLE board (whatever preamp you use, plus effects) to the mixer or interface, while also offering a headphone amp too, which is nice.

If I wasn't enamored with any of the traditional modelers (Helix, Fractal, QC, etc.), I'd have no qualms about building a trad board around either a ToneX, or something tubey, like a Victory or Friedman preamp. You get amazing tones from the preamp, plus a curated board of effects YOU pick.

My pal's shop has done a few of these, however the DI's were regular non-headphone variety, just for going to the mixer and that's it. These new DI's offer more flexibility for guitarists in particular.

Walrus also has one (though no balanced out nor XLR):

Canvas Rehearsal

The Canvas Rehearsal is your all-in-one rehearsal tool. Designed for musicians who use effect pedals, you can listen to your instrument through headphones, play with tracks via Bluetooth or 1/8” auxiliary input, and practice with a built-in metronome. The Canvas Rehearsal is the perfect...

www.walrusaudio.com

And KMA Devices makes a Swiss Army knife version, with power amp, cabs, stereo doubling, AND the XLR and headphone output:

https://kmamachines.com/machines/endgame/

This is some very cool shit, IMO.

 

[metropolis_4]

This is the way I’ll be going in the future when I’m not using an amp. I’d much rather have a board full of pedals of my choice than use an all-in-one device.

I’m considering options for a pedalboard amp ATM. I usually just use a DI off the board provided by the venue, and I’ve got a couple cheap ones I use at home. I’m tempted to get something nicer to integrate into the board though.

I think it would be cool if someone made a device that was designed to fully integrate a rig. Sort of like a combination of the EQD Swiss Things and that KMA Endgame. This would be my wish list:

• Input
• Tuner out
• Analog pre effects loop
• Send/return for an amp
• Noise gate post-return
• Buffered post effects loop
• Power amp sim that can be turned on/off
• Cab IR loader
• Footswitchable mute
• Footswitchable boost
• XLR out

Bonus points for:

• Aux XLR input to receive a feed for monitoring that only routes to the headphone out
• Headphone out with headphone amp
• Separate level controls for guitar and aux that only controls levels for the headphone out

That’s getting a little crazy though

 

[laxu]

I feel like with rigs like these you quickly get into those weeds where you might want to consider just having a HX Stomp, Two Notes Opus or some other more complex box rather than spending your money on an expensive end-of-chain box.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I feel like with rigs like these you quickly get into those weeds where you might want to consider just having a HX Stomp, Two Notes Opus or some other more complex box rather than spending your money on an expensive end-of-chain box.

 

[metropolis_4]

I feel like with rigs like these you quickly get into those weeds where you might want to consider just having a HX Stomp, Two Notes Opus or some other more complex box rather than spending your money on an expensive end-of-chain box.

I can still see a good use for new tools designed to accommodate the way players are creating pedalboard and hybrid rigs these days. I fully encourage that market to keep growing and moving forward.

I’m a big fan of modular approaches in general though as opposed to monolith/kitchen-sink approaches

 

[paisleywookiee]

I can tell you from first hand experience that a device such as the Strymon, coupled with a simple pre and pedals, is WAY more appealing than even the simplistic of HX Stomp or Opus configurations.

My friend wants nothing with a screen or app. Period. But he’s running into times when he needs a DI rig.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

Yeah , it's awesome. I use the Walrus Canvas with the Friedman IR-D. Perfect solution for those who don't like/want modeling but need a DI rig for certain occasions.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

does it even MIDI?

 

[ian_dissonance]

So do big pedalboard guys all by loop switchers too or just use one effect at a time or is dancing around part of the fun?

 

[dronerstone]

So do big pedalboard guys all by loop switchers too or just use one effect at a time or is dancing around part of the fun?

For me dancing around is definitely part of the fun, no matter if pedalboard or Helix Floor in 10 Stomp Mode.

 

[ian_dissonance]

For me dancing around is definitely part of the fun, no matter if pedalboard or Helix Floor in 10 Stomp Mode.

I can barely stand and play at the same time.

 

[paisleywookiee]

So do big pedalboard guys all by loop switchers too or just use one effect at a time or is dancing around part of the fun?

Anecdotally, based on hundreds of pedalboard builds over the years, but none for gigging golf course players (that I know of): I'd say less than 20% use switchers of varying complexity. Most indeed do tap dancing, be it a DI rig, or regular to-amp rig.

That being said, we've done some absolutely sick switcher builds, including a few with DI intentions, with GigRig, BOSS ES, and One Control.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I thought tapdancing was going to be a thing in comparing my FM9 gigging rig to my analog board with my amps but it's really not. Just gradually work up to the part's effects/gain profile and then ramp it back down when done. Despite what one might think; I don't do that drastic or weird or jarring of shifts in sound.

 

[ragingplatypi]

The Strymon box looked almost perfect except it doesn’t have the option to sum stereo inputs to one XLR which I think is a dumb oversight. I can think of more scenarios where I’ll want stereo coming out of the Thru outputs and mono out of the XLR than vice versa.