pedalboards, are they worth it?

[redbandit599]

I played straight in for years but now enjoy my pedals very much, but I rely on my basic tone for a lot of the set just using combinations of my EQ, Chorus/Flanger, Envelope Filter, Bass Synth Wah and clean boost for certain bits of the covers we do.

I've got a VT Bass and a Cog Grand Tarkin 'waiting' in a cupboard - both great pedals but I've recently found that I get the hard rock sound I want occasionally from using the EQ pedal. So the drives are off.

I also have a simple on/off loop pedal on my board, so I can 'pre-load' several pedals and turn them all on and off at once with one tap. Instantly takes me back to just my core tone.

I can and do play without effects - but life is too short to not mix things up a bit!

[jack1592]

For me, it depends on the instrument that I am playing. If I'm going to be playing guitar, then I'll equip myself with a large pedalboard, no matter how small the gig.




If I'm playing bass, however, I go straight into the amp. Even the bass big muff only gets used with guitar.

[Deedee]

95% of the time i don't use any effects, but I have a Zoom b3 on which I use the tuner and (occasionally) the chorus/delay. I also have a VT bass for a bit of crunch when required. Once I'd bought my Line6 G30 wireless I wanted to get everything nice and tidy so I bought a pedal train mini and it's just the job.

😃

[Coilte]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1448833419' post='2918544']
Bass-lead-amp for me
[/quote]

Ditto here. Always thought I was in the minority. It would seem not, going by this thread.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1449073348' post='2920574']
That all sounds a bit sensible and orderly for my tastes


[/quote]

That plays complete havoc with my OCD (as do most pedal boards). Also IMO having a bunch of pedals and off the board negates the point of having one since for me it's all about efficiency of set up.

On a more practical note how do you activate any of the devices in the middle or back of the board? I have enough trouble with the upper tier of footswitches on my Line 6 Shortboard.

Edited December 3, 2015 by BigRedX

[EBS_freak]

I've built two sizeable pedal rigs...

I've sold two sizeable pedal rigs...

It's something I have to do from time to time.

I've only kept my MXR octave, MXR filter and Polytune (which I never use but seems to be a sensible pedal to have access to).

I'll no doubt get on the next synth pedal band wagon... and then sell it again.

In answer to the question... well, it's worth it if your music warrants it.

Edited December 3, 2015 by EBS_freak

[cheddatom]

Of course your sound has to fit with the music. If I was going to play with any sort of rock covers band I'd probably take a tuner, a pre-amp, and maybe one dirt box. That'd cover 99% of situations

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1449142779' post='2921011']
That plays complete havoc with my OCD (as do most pedal boards). Also IMO having a bunch of pedals and off the board negates the point of having one since for me it's all about efficiency of set up.

On a more practical note how do you activate any of the devices in the middle or back of the board? I have enough trouble with the upper tier of footswitches on my Line 6 Shortboard.
[/quote]

To be fair, that was just for a recording situation, and I've done much worse in the studio since. For gigging it's all on the board and a little bit tidier. To reach the pedals in the middle, I extend my foot forward until it reaches the pedal in question, and then press down - sorry to be sarcastic I just don't have a problem "tap dancing"

[DaytonaRik]

The whole 'tap dancing' phrase comes from turning on/off multiple pedals for different FX/EQ settings at the same time. E.G. flange and overdrive off, chorus and mid range EQ boost on. Admittedly, guitarists are more likely to struggle on this front!

Surely the sensible way to perform multiple simultaneous changes is via a midi footswitch either driving a rack mount multi effects/midi preamp or via a digital to analog switcher such as the VooDoo Lab Ground Control switch?

For those who use FX, how many adjust the parameters of any given FX pedal mid-gig?

Edited December 3, 2015 by DaytonaRik

[Naetharu]

I use a zoom ms60b multi-fx but I really just use it as a tuner/mute and sub-octave. The latter is so I can play everything on my 4-string rather than having multiple basses on stage.

I also use an ampeg scr-di since it means my sound will be pretty consistent even when using someone else's bass amp.

[Behlmene]

[quote name='GM10' timestamp='1448802601' post='2918217']
Are there many of you guys out there who don't use any pedalboard effects at all?
[/quote]

I have effects but I only use them to play around with when I'm bored. My opinion is they screw up my sound. To me a bass sounds best plugged straight in.

[fleabag]

3 pedals, 4 sounds, for 4 different tracks. The rest of the set is straight through, and i dont mess with pedal settings. They're set and thats it. The only trimming is backing off the volume at the beginning of the track for the Env Filter as there's a smidgeon of vol boost with that

[gapiro]

Like many I used to use lots of effects, when in an 80s band.

The main time I use effects now a days is for theatre work - quite often is an instruction for a particular effect - eg an envelope, or a "very high frequency chorus" or sim.

[AinsleyWalker]

I do at home and when jamming with people, but in bands I've generally just used one or two drives/distortion for a bit of growl. Except my first band where I used a delay on one section and a wah on another.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1448802812' post='2918221']
Yep, if I`m using my own amp - Aguilar Tonehammer 500 - it`s bass, lead, amp for me. I have an Aguilar Tonehammer DI/Preamp but that`s only for when I`m using a provided rig so I can still get my sound, as many amps don`t have drive on them.
[/quote]

Update on this, am putting a pedalboard together with my Aguilar Tonehammer plus an Aguilar TLC Compresor, and my trusty Boss TU2 Tuner. Just decided a bit of compression could be good, and putting everything on a pedalboard, well same amount of leads to connect up as when I use my tuner, plus everything there in case I need it.

[hairychris]

What bugs me is people who use pedals but don't have them on a board. It's so much faster and simpler to set up & break down.

For my band I currently run a tuner, compressor (always on) then into a line selector to give me some clean signal and a wet loop with a RAT clone (used in 1 song so far), Bass Muff (used a lot), Twin Earth Deluxe fuzz (used for OTT part in 1 song) and a delay (for texture in a couple of places). I could get away without it but I'd have less fun! I'd like a filter, though...

Edited December 8, 2015 by hairychris

[Behlmene]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1448805776' post='2918258']
I keep taking mine out...and then unplug it and do the gig natural.
[/quote]

Same here. Effects just mess up my sound. Nothing beats nothing in front of my amp.

[blue]

[quote name='Behlmene' timestamp='1449716538' post='2926274']
Same here. Effects just mess up my sound. Nothing beats nothing in front of my amp.
[/quote]

Managing a board full of bass pedals is hard to manage. There's a lot of tweaking needed to get it right. Especially when your using overdrive, distortion and octave pedals.

It's a pain in the arse but when you get it right it can be awesome.

Blue

Edited December 10, 2015 by blue

[blue]

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1449389557' post='2923045']
3 pedals, 4 sounds, for 4 different tracks. The rest of the set is straight through, and i dont mess with pedal settings. They're set and thats it. The only trimming is backing off the volume at the beginning of the track for the Env Filter as there's a smidgeon of vol boost with that



[/quote]

Clean looking board. I also have my Pitch Black tuner at The beginning of the chain.

I took my synth pedal out. I wasn't using it.

Nice!

Blue

Edited December 10, 2015 by blue

[fleabag]

That little pitch black is a great tuner !

I guess it looks clean Blue because it isn't overloaded. I only have what i need for the set we do.

E. Filter for Stevie Wonder, Phaser for Thin Lizzy, Synth Bass for Joe Walsh, Chorus for The Cult. Thats it and the rest of the set is without pedals

If the set changes ( and like most, we add songs and drop some ) and a pedal is no longer needed, it will be sacked from the pedal board.

Edited December 10, 2015 by fleabag

[blue]

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1449787720' post='2926966']
That little pitch black is a great tuner !

I guess it looks clean Blue because it isn't overloaded. I only have what i need for the set we do.

E. Filter for Stevie Wonder, Phaser for Thin Lizzy, Synth Bass for Joe Walsh, Chorus for The Cult. Thats it and the rest of the set is without pedals

If the set changes ( and like most, we add songs and drop some ) and a pedal is no longer needed, it will be sacked from the pedal board.
[/quote]

I'm using the TC Electronics mini for chorus, it's real subtle as I am mainly using it for the sustain.

I'm still struggling with distortion and overdrive. Were a 70s rock and blue band and I find that plenty of our material needs that grit and sustain. However control is an issue and palm muting helps.

The Pitch Black is great until your playing an outside festival and the Sun is bearing down on it. You can't see anything.

Seems like my German Crafted Hofner Club with the Humbuckers works better with pedals than some of my single coil basses.

Blue

Edited December 10, 2015 by blue

[Behlmene]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1449786904' post='2926958']
Managing a board full of bass pedals is hard to manage. There's a lot of tweaking needed to get it right. Especially when your using overdrive, distortion and octave pedals.

It's a pain in the arse but when you get it right it can be awesome.

Blue
[/quote]

It's an art in itself isn't it? Besides playing the right notes at the right time one is stomping the right pedals at the right time as well. I admire anyone who can do it with taste. Exclude me from that group, I'm a bit simple. Just handling the bass alone is enough for me .

-Scott

[dmccombe7]

Prefer natural bass sound but use either a Roland GT6B or TC Electronic delay & Reverb pedals for some variation when required. The Roland is mainly used for quick sound changes while using my Jazz bass I can have natural sound or set similar to a Rik via Valve amp and 15" cabs making it sound quite clicky and slightly overdriven amp and speakers or just a basic Ampeg SVT. Don't generally use it for much more than that.

Edited December 11, 2015 by dmccombe7