Pedal board chaos.

[Arpangel]

I’ve got into buying too many pedals, and connecting them up is becoming a nightmare.
I need to have all my pedals available to my two synths at any time, or completely bypassed, to preserve the tone of the dry synth if needed.
At the moment I’ve got a couple of pedals connected to the aux sends of my mixer, and some others permanently connected to my synths, which isn’t ideal.
To avoid constant re-patching, and to have everything available I need something else, but what? Is there a pedal board that can mix, and patch lots of different pedals, or am I going to have to make a patch-bay just for my pedals?

[Sam Spoons]

https://www.boss.info/global/products/es-8/

[zenguitar]

Boss make several programable FX loops/switchers. Might be worth checking if any of those suit your needs.

https://www.boss.info/uk/categories/acc ... switchers/

Andy

[Arpangel]

https://www.boss.info/global/products/es-8/

Thanks, but these Boss units I notice, have only two inputs.thats not enough for my synths.
I’m thinking it’s probably best to build a small patch bay, but I’m still not sure.

[Hugh Robjohns]

How is a patchbay going to 'avoid constant re-patching'?

[Arpangel]

How is a patchbay going to 'avoid constant re-patching'?

Not having to move pedals around, from synth to synth, crawling around on the floor under table etc.
I’m finding also that a lot of peals because of their nature, really do degrade a signal, even in bypass. I know it’s going to end up with me buying yet another big mixer with loads of aux sends, just what I didn’t want to do, I can’t think of anything else that’s going to give the flexibility.

[zenguitar]

It's worth downloading the pdf manuals for the Boss units and double checking. They can be configured to work so that some effects are before the amp and others inserted in the amp FX loop. So it may be possible to use one of the loop inputs as an additional instrument input.

And don't forget that you can also put an A/B (or A/B/C) switch before the input to switch between multiple instruments.

Andy

[Arpangel]

It's worth downloading the pdf manuals for the Boss units and double checking. They can be configured to work so that some effects are before the amp and others inserted in the amp FX loop. So it may be possible to use one of the loop inputs as an additional instrument input.

And don't forget that you can also put an A/B (or A/B/C) switch before the input to switch between multiple instruments.

Andy

Thanks, yes, this requires careful working out.

[Arpangel]

It’s got to be just a bog standard patch bay, I’ll only need one, it’ll solve all of my problems in the cheapest possible way.
I can wire all of my pedals to it, and my synths, I know I’ll still be patching, but it will be really flexible, and won’t require total re-patching and crawling around on the floor.

[al_diablo]

I'm pretty sure a gigrig g2 would do exactly what you want

https://www.thegigrig.com/g2

Plus they make input switching units that chain so you can alternate between multiple inputs

[ManFromGlass]

I'm in a similar situation where a mixer with quite a number of sends might make the most sense. But then I also like the idea of chaining the pedals so maybe a patch bay is better. I'm not going into an amp but need stereo out into the computer.
Some of my pedals are in and out mono, some are in and out stereo, some are mono in but stereo out, one crazy one, Lexicon Vortex, reacts differently if you send it mono or stereo, but it is stereo out.
Following this thread with interest.

[Arpangel]

I'm in a similar situation where a mixer with quite a number of sends might make the most sense. But then I also like the idea of chaining the pedals so maybe a patch bay is better. I'm not going into an amp but need stereo out into the computer.
Some of my pedals are in and out mono, some are in and out stereo, some are mono in but stereo out, one crazy one, Lexicon Vortex, reacts differently if you send it mono or stereo, but it is stereo out.
Following this thread with interest.

I’ve actually gone down the mixer route, I’ve got a cheap AntMix 1204FX, it has two aux sends, plus a sub group that I can also use as sends, so I’ve basically got four aux's there.
A couple of pedals are in-line with my synths, so that’s all that solved for now, until a I get more pedals!
I’m lusting after a Specular Tempus, and an EHX Ring Thing, and about another five EHX pedals in general!

[ManFromGlass]

The Pedal Acquisition Syndrome is an intense and expensive sub-branch of GAS!
There is no cure yet although I’ve tried Feigned Indifference and hiding my credit card - with no luck

I keep going back the YouTube’s from Chase Bliss, Red Panda and the Quebec, Canada company, is that the still water one?

[Arpangel]

The Pedal Acquisition Syndrome is an intense and expensive sub-branch of GAS!
There is no cure yet although I’ve tried Feigned Indifference and hiding my credit card - with no luck

I keep going back the YouTube’s from Chase Bliss, Red Panda and the Quebec, Canada company, is that the still water one?

Hi, the Shallow Water is by Fairfield Circuitry in Quebec.
Chase Bliss, I’m not sure, a bit expensive, and complicated, what I like about pedals is the traditional simplicity, EHX are one of my fave brands, and Boss are still good.
But that Specular Tempus reverb is just mind blowing, the quality is just beyond anything I’ve heard.

[ManFromGlass]

Nooooo don’t say that!
ignore Specular Tempus, ignore Specular Tempus . . .

[DC-Choppah]

Get another audio interface just for your pedals. Set up the audio interface so that each pedal is a hardware send effect in a DAW that just configures the pedals.

Then plug your synths into the interface too, run the DAW and patch the effects the way you want. Now take the output of the interface and connect that to your current interface.

Now you have a separate DAW that just acts as a pedal patcher.

Don't try to record with this DAW, just keep it in lowest latency real time mode.

You don't need a second computer, you can run the two DAWs (the pedal switcher and your normal DAW) at the same time. You just need the second interface, and a bunch of cables, and those reamp boxes.

You can also use software based pedals in this DAW too, like GTR or Bias FX, or any effects. So you can combine hardware and software effects in your rack and patch all inside the DAW.

You will need an audio interface that has as many output/inputs as you have pedals + synth inputs.

SO if you have 16 pedals, and 16 audio outputs for the synths you need a 32x32 interface.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -interface

[Arpangel]

Nooooo don’t say that!
ignore Specular Tempus, ignore Specular Tempus . . .

Isn’t it amazing? Years ago you’d have literally spent thousands to get the quality of reverb that’s in the Specular, and now you have that in a 300 buck pedal.

Get another audio interface just for your pedals. Set up the audio interface so that each pedal is a hardware send effect in a DAW that just configures the pedals.

Then plug your synths into the interface too, run the DAW and patch the effects the way you want. Now take the output of the interface and connect that to your current interface.

Now you have a separate DAW that just acts as a pedal patcher.

Don't try to record with this DAW, just keep it in lowest latency real time mode.

You don't need a second computer, you can run the two DAWs (the pedal switcher and your normal DAW) at the same time. You just need the second interface, and a bunch of cables, and those reamp boxes.

You can also use software based pedals in this DAW too, like GTR or Bias FX, or any effects. So you can combine hardware and software effects in your rack and patch all inside the DAW.

You will need an audio interface that has as many output/inputs as you have pedals + synth inputs.

SO if you have 16 pedals, and 16 audio outputs for the synths you need a 32x32 interface.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -interface

Wow! But that’s all too much for me, the whole attraction of pedals is their simplicity, and ease of use when playing live, and I’ve never used a computer live.