Trying to put together my first proper pedalboard. Would love some opinions/ideas!

[Tito83]

Spent quite a bit of time finding something I actually enjoyed playing while retaining the flexibility I need.

Dream 65, J rockett Animal and Sparkle Drive Mod make the core of the tone. HX has the signal chain split, first half is in the loop of the ES5, so I can have whammy, vibe, phaser and all that before dirt. The output of the ES5 goes to the Dream, then it goes back to the HX for time based stuff.

So, as the title says, I never had a proper pedalboard before. I'm worried I'm missing something and just realize it after actually building the whole thing.

1 thing I'm considering is the expression pedal. I'm using it directly into the HX, but I'm not really sure if I could make more of it running it through the ES5.

I also have two extra loops from the es5 and 2 outputs from my power supply unused... I thought about having a compressor and another OD, prefer those being analog, but I don't really need those really.

What am I missing? What would you do differently?

 

[AFKAEjay]

I'm worried I'm missing something and just realize it after actually building the whole thing.

What makes you think there are other scenario’s?…you build it…decide you want it different…repeat

If this was my board I’d be looking to add an eq/compressor/boost pedal…jackson bloom, hamstead zenith…something like that…remotecontrolable via the ES.

Kick in the compression for cleans
kick in eq / boost to taste before gain stages…allows you to 1/ get a gain boost from your existing ones using the boost 2/ change the sound of your current ones 90degrees using the eq.

To me these kind of pedals make add a lot of versatility to your board. I got 2…one for cleans, one for drives…also use them as “master eq” for these different gain stages…allows an easy tweak at the gig. You could to it with your HX…only not as accessable as a hardware unit.

I also use an ES…every second click (curnum) on an overdrive sound adds a clean boost before the gainstage.
every 2 nd click on a clean sound adds a compressor.

 

[laxu]

I don't think you'd really gain anything using the expression pedal with the ES-5.

Try the effects HX has for comps and drives. I think they are very good stuff and IMO you don't need additional pedals for that.

 

[Tito83]

What makes you think there are other scenario’s?…you build it…decide you want it different…repeat

If this was my board I’d be looking to add an eq/compressor/boost pedal…jackson bloom, hamstead zenith…something like that…remotecontrolable via the ES.

Kick in the compression for cleans
kick in eq / boost to taste before gain stages…allows you to 1/ get a gain boost from your existing ones using the boost 2/ change the sound of your current ones 90degrees using the eq.

To me these kind of pedals make add a lot of versatility to your board. I got 2…one for cleans, one for drives…also use them as “master eq” for these different gain stages…allows an easy tweak at the gig. You could to it with your HX…only not as accessable as a hardware unit.

I also use an ES…every second click (curnum) on an overdrive sound adds a clean boost before the gainstage.
every 2 nd click on a clean sound adds a compressor.

I do have a Boss EQ, maybe I'll add that. One thing I realized is that versatility for me is very important, I need to have at least one spot on the looper I can change stuff depending on the gig. Never realized I could have stuff changing clicking more than once on the footswitch. I need to get into programming the ES5 properly. I'm still struggling to figure out the midi stuff, I never had to deal with it.

I don't think you'd really gain anything using the expression pedal with the ES-5.

Try the effects HX has for comps and drives. I think they are very good stuff and IMO you don't need additional pedals for that.

I have tried, many many times. Back when I had Helix, than my first HX Stomp and with HX Effects. The drives don't cut it IMO. They work fine on a pinch, maybe if I want to have fuzz on once on a wedding gig for some specific tune, but won't be replacing the analog stuff.

 

[laxu]

I have tried, many many times. Back when I had Helix, than my first HX Stomp and with HX Effects. The drives don't cut it IMO. They work fine on a pinch, maybe if I want to have fuzz on once on a wedding gig for some specific tune, but won't be replacing the analog stuff.

I sold a D&M Drive because I could replicate both of its sides just fine with the Helix Floor's models. Sounded very much identical straight to tube amps.

 

[AFKAEjay]

do have a Boss EQ, maybe I'll add that. One thing I realized is that versatility for me is very important, I need to have at least one spot on the looper I can change stuff depending on the gig. Never realized I could have stuff changing clicking more than once on the footswitch. I need to get into programming the ES5 properly. I'm still struggling to figure out the midi stuff, I never had to deal with it.

Worth it checking “assigns”…check “curnum” for the “do something else on 2nd click” options…can be anything really.
Start with the manual to get your head around it.

My board: 1 click: relay switches an analog pedal, activates an eq block on my modeler, resets volume, and sends a midicontrol to another pedal. All curtesy of the “assign” functions.