In/out and DC jack placement on pedals - What's your preference?

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Dark Barn

What is your problem Jimmy, did I offend you?

Edit: whatever I've said up to now in this thread was not directed personally, just broadly goading people who have no opinion, but it wasn't meant to offend, sorry if it did.

Ya, I guess I got a bug up my butt for no apparent reason. Don't worry...I'll get over it Sorry bro.

[Dark Barn]

It's ok.

[blastjv]

On smaller pedals I don't care alot. I never liked how my Agro wouldn't accept right angled connectors (though I'm aware of the recent redesign, it's not worth re-buying the pedal, I made it work). On a larger pedal I prefer top (back?) mounted. I agree that side mounted on a smaller pedal kind of serves as a 'spacer' between pedals. I need a little room between pedals to keep from hitting pedals accidentally. My Agro, for example is pretty narrow, and top mounted, but I keep the pedals on either side about an inch away, so if it had been a side mount it wouldn't have been a problem.

-JV

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by Dark Barn

Fair enough, do you also not care about pedal board real estate at all? Some people have more room than they'll ever need, or don't use boards at all so I appreciate why it wouldn't matter to them.

Jack placement on top allows for tidier wiring if you are using a pedaltrain type board and tighter spacing if you are using any kind of board at all.

Right now I have 9 or 10 pedals crammed onto a PT Jr. That's including a ParaEQ, ParaDriver, and Wonderlove which are all larger pedals. If I could smash them onto a smaller and lighter board, I'd do it, but power jack placement isn't going to solve that. I agree with you that jacks on top can make it neater, and depending on the layout of the pedals can put them closer together. I do like to have a little bit of space between my pedals though. I don't like stepping on one of them but accidentally hitting something on another.

The ParaDriver has the DI out sticking out the side. No matter where the DI is placed it could limit where you put it. I like my dirt towards the front of the chain, not at the end. The Wonderlove has an expression jack and a blend knob on the left side.

I could easily fit them all onto my PT Pro, along with all of the other pedals I wish I could be using all the time. However, I wouldn't have enough room on stage.

I actually don't care about the jack placement.

I lol'd.

[Fuzz Aldrin]

I prefer everything on top. On larger pedals, side jacks might make me not want to buy them because they take up too much real estate on my pedalboard. On smaller pedals it is not such a big deal. If there are two similar pedals and only one has top jacks, that might push me to buy that one. Although they would have to be very similar otherwise.

[drewfx]

You don't really have an option for me - I prefer I/O on the sides and power on top.

But the most important thing wherever they are located is that the power plug shouldn't be in the way for those of us who use right angle plugs.

[Ibanezsr500]

Huh, we'll this is interesting... I would have thought that there would have been many more people in favour of top mounted jacks than any other layout.

[Doner Designs]

I voted side only because that is where most of them are and for me consistency is most important.

The best IMO would be if there were standardization on the side mounting so that you could use double male plugs to join them in a perfect row.

[derrico1]

+1 to top-mounted i/o and power, to economize on pedalboard space.

[Dark Barn]

Originally Posted by Doner Designs

I voted side only because that is where most of them are and for me consistency is most important.

The best IMO would be if there were standardization on the side mounting so that you could use double male plugs to join them in a perfect row.

I'd recommend you away from the double male plugs, they can stress the jacks or worse if the jacks are mounted to a PCB.

[heliotropic]

I can work with whereever, just don't put the power jack below the input or output jack like on the VT Bass:

[NKUSigEp]

Top mounted ins/outs, power jack wherever.

[EricssonB]

[Bassamatic]

It seems to me that ALL the jacks should be on the rear. I really don't know why they are not. The pedals could be close to each other and short jumper cables used to connect them.

[macribas]

Originally Posted by Bassamatic

It seems to me that ALL the jacks should be on the rear. I really don't know why they are not. The pedals could be close to each other and short jumper cables used to connect them.

You are correct. I am here thinking... wow most people prefer top mounted but I have not seen a single pedal with a top mounted jack yet. Then I read and understood that they were not talking about the top of the pedal (where you step on), they were referring to the rear.

[Reaper Man]

either side or top.

[999Brent]

Top for both

[Dark Barn]

Originally Posted by Bassamatic

It seems to me that ALL the jacks should be on the rear. I really don't know why they are not. The pedals could be close to each other and short jumper cables used to connect them.

Well, the designation "top" depends on orientation, and of course "side mounted" is universally true, each jack will be mounted to one of the pedal's 6 sides.

Pedal jargon has it's own idiosyncrasies and "top mounted" is like this:

[Jay2U]

One could imagine that a standardized location at the back side would be very useful. So input right, output(s) left and power in the middle. It doesn't consume space in between the pedals and it allows for very short patch cables, both straight and angled.

[whitedk57]

Originally Posted by Dark Barn

Well, the designation "top" depends on orientation, and of course "side mounted" is universally true, each jack will be mounted to one of the pedal's 6 sides.

Pedal jargon has it's own idiosyncrasies and "top mounted" is like this:

OK, now that that's cleared up, I would prefer...

Input - top right
Output - top left
Power - top center

 
   Out   Pwr      In
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