Building the dream board - Plans and Questions

[WhoopingHonky]

I am currently in the process of building my dream, all in one purpose board. Will be the definition of overkill on anything I do. Current process:

Chain is currently set to go:

Seymour Duncan Studio Bass -> Future Impact -> MXR Bass Octave Deluxe -> DOD Carcosa -> Earthquaker The Depths -> Earthquaker Westwood -> Earthquaker Dunes -> Catalinbread SFT -> ISP Deci-Mate Noise Gate -> Mission VM-Pro Volume Pedal -> Source Audio Orbital -> Source Audio Nemesis -> Keeley Caverns -> TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2 -> Broughton Low + High Pass Filter -> DI

Tuner will be on the split out of the VM Pro, and the Future Impact will be controlled with a Disaster Area MIDI controller, haven't decided on the micro or getting the 3XL and adding the Source Audio pedals to the mix. It'll be my first foray into MIDI. Compressor, SFT, noise gate, and LHPF would be always on.

Pedalboard is going to be tiered, with the back row of pedals on risers. A Walrus Audio Aetos is going to be under each riser, with the other space being the SFT and Deci-Mate on the right, and my DI on the left. Wanting to do the two power supplies to keep the volume pedal in the middle, and this would let me power 16 of the 17, running an 18v adapter off from one to power the SFT.

I spent a lot of time researching the effects I wanted to make sure they would fit into the size of a hard case I have, but I am running into a few questions I could use help with.

1. Would there be a problem powering one of the Aetos power supplies from the 120V out of the other one? This would let me keep everything on one power cord coming from the board, but I wasn't sure if that would open up noise issues or underpower anything.
2. Does the tuner split on the VM-Pro volume pedal require their cable, or would any TRS Y-splitter work? I have the cable that came with the pedal, but it's a bit bulky and I'm using EBS flat patch cables for everything else. Wondering if that would work to save some space or not.
3. Current DI is a Radial Stagebug, the active version. I have heard tones of good things about other passive DIs, and I'm wondering if it would make sense to switch. I always play passive basses, and I heard the good rule of thumb was passive bass = active DI, but with this much crap on the board, I wasn't sure if that would still apply.

I'd appreciate any feedback on this. I'm not new to effects, but it's always been small one or two pedal chains with constant switching up, this is the first time I've tried to plan out one board to do EVERYTHING I want.

 

[Alien8]

Here's my 2 cents, take it with a grain of salt as it's all subjective anyway:

- consider a switching system that uses MIDI; something like a Boss ES-5 or Disaster area system. This saves so much tap dancing and can control your MIDI units, distribute expression control etc.

- you have some redundancy in your very capable effects. Nemisis, Caverns and HOF for example, and the FI and MXR octave. You can likely remove the Caverns and MXR to get space back, and really take advantage of the powerful pedals.

- Tuner takes up a lot of space, as does the expression pedal. Look for smaller ones.

- should be no issues chaining Ateos together.

 

[WhoopingHonky]

Here's my 2 cents, take it with a grain of salt as it's all subjective anyway:

- consider a switching system that uses MIDI; something like a Boss ES-5 or Disaster area system. This saves so much tap dancing and can control your MIDI units, distribute expression control etc.

- you have some redundancy in your very capable effects. Nemisis, Caverns and HOF for example, and the FI and MXR octave. You can likely remove the Caverns and MXR to get space back, and really take advantage of the powerful pedals.

- Tuner takes up a lot of space, as does the expression pedal. Look for smaller ones.

- should be no issues chaining Ateos together.

I plan on using a Disaster Are for MIDI control. I'm debating between the DMC-3XL and the micro. I know I have room for either, I'm just not sure how in depth I want to be with the MIDI setup. I would never use all of this in one set, this is more so I can have one setup to do whatever I like. Go in and play clean in church, come home and play Queens of the Stone Age, or plug in my guitar and mess around with swells and delay tricks.

Does the Future Impact do a simple octave well? Most of what I have seen has been showing off the more intense and complicated sounds it can pull off, I didn't know it could replace and octave with a patch. With the Caverns, I actually like the modulation reverb way better than the Mod reverb on the HOF, but I like the HOF's Shimmer and other settings too much. I haven't even gotten into the toneprints. I've got the delay set up as a very dry long delay to use with swells, I was looking at the Nemesis to do the weirder delays.

As far as getting space back, I actually want the real estate taken up. I'd need about that much space in the back row to fit everything for power and pedals under the tiers. I actually have a DPV4, but with my foot size the full volume pedal is more comfortable.

If I were to drop the MXR and the Caverns, would you have any suggestions to put in their place? Trying to keep all of my pitch tracking and driver before the volume pedal, and treating everything after the volume as an effects loop of sorts.

 

[cosmicevan]

Here's my 2 cents, take it with a grain of salt as it's all subjective anyway:

- consider a switching system that uses MIDI; something like a Boss ES-5 or Disaster area system. This saves so much tap dancing and can control your MIDI units, distribute expression control etc.

- you have some redundancy in your very capable effects. Nemisis, Caverns and HOF for example, and the FI and MXR octave. You can likely remove the Caverns and MXR to get space back, and really take advantage of the powerful pedals.

- Tuner takes up a lot of space, as does the expression pedal. Look for smaller ones.

- should be no issues chaining Ateos together.

I'd add onto this that you should jump on the Future Impact rehouses available now especially if you are going to use an ES-x to control everything.

 

[Matt Dean]

IMO, it takes 10 years of trial and flipping to build the dream board.

 

[Bfieldy]

IMO, it takes 10 years of trial and flipping to build the dream board.

Not if you know exactly what you need to accomplish the objective of your specific project. Also not unless you're subject to having your hair blown back by every "boutique" distortion/fuzz/overdrive/synth etc. pedal that's released (mostly derivative of something that's already been done).

 

[blindrabbit]

I am currently in the process of building my dream, all in one purpose board. Will be the definition of overkill on anything I do. Current process:

Chain is currently set to go:

Seymour Duncan Studio Bass -> Future Impact -> MXR Bass Octave Deluxe -> DOD Carcosa -> Earthquaker The Depths -> Earthquaker Westwood -> Earthquaker Dunes -> Catalinbread SFT -> ISP Deci-Mate Noise Gate -> Mission VM-Pro Volume Pedal -> Source Audio Orbital -> Source Audio Nemesis -> Keeley Caverns -> TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2 -> Broughton Low + High Pass Filter -> DI

Tuner will be on the split out of the VM Pro, and the Future Impact will be controlled with a Disaster Area MIDI controller, haven't decided on the micro or getting the 3XL and adding the Source Audio pedals to the mix. It'll be my first foray into MIDI. Compressor, SFT, noise gate, and LHPF would be always on.

Pedalboard is going to be tiered, with the back row of pedals on risers. A Walrus Audio Aetos is going to be under each riser, with the other space being the SFT and Deci-Mate on the right, and my DI on the left. Wanting to do the two power supplies to keep the volume pedal in the middle, and this would let me power 16 of the 17, running an 18v adapter off from one to power the SFT.

I spent a lot of time researching the effects I wanted to make sure they would fit into the size of a hard case I have, but I am running into a few questions I could use help with.

1. Would there be a problem powering one of the Aetos power supplies from the 120V out of the other one? This would let me keep everything on one power cord coming from the board, but I wasn't sure if that would open up noise issues or underpower anything.
2. Does the tuner split on the VM-Pro volume pedal require their cable, or would any TRS Y-splitter work? I have the cable that came with the pedal, but it's a bit bulky and I'm using EBS flat patch cables for everything else. Wondering if that would work to save some space or not.
3. Current DI is a Radial Stagebug, the active version. I have heard tones of good things about other passive DIs, and I'm wondering if it would make sense to switch. I always play passive basses, and I heard the good rule of thumb was passive bass = active DI, but with this much crap on the board, I wasn't sure if that would still apply.

I'd appreciate any feedback on this. I'm not new to effects, but it's always been small one or two pedal chains with constant switching up, this is the first time I've tried to plan out one board to do EVERYTHING I want.

There's a nicely priced Orbital in the classifieds right now (no affiliation).

As for making a dream come true, I'll just say it wouldn't be referred to in the singular.

 

[Basehead]

So, I’ll jump on the Boss ES-5/8 wagon as a suggestion. Either WILL make usage of your board much more user-friendly.

 

[fuzzspiral]

 

[WhoopingHonky]

I will admit, I haven't looked into MIDI much past changing presets and patches on the Future Impact and possibly the Nemesis. Between the genres I play, I really play the majority as clean, with a pedal going on every song or two. Didn't really think it would be that much or a help. I'll take another look into it.

I definitely hear the 10 years of trial and flipping. I currently have 6 pedals I'll be looking to offload in the future, not counting four I have loaned out to other musicians to see if they like them. I was almost looking to flip the SFT, before I did another read through of the manual and some more knob twiddiling.

 

[fuzzspiral]

I was almost looking to flip the SFT, before I did another read through of the manual and some more knob twiddiling.

The SFT Catalinbread seems to be a solid choice for dirt needs...I would wait until every piece of the puzzle is in its place before starting to "flip" pedals. You'll avoid to have to buy another one in the future, wasting money
(at least this happened to me ), so you can try how every pedals affect the others and in what order.
When you put your hands on a good pedal switch off internet connection and take your time to explore it!
Have a nice trip! (I don't write "safe" because it won't )

 

[WhoopingHonky]

The SFT Catalinbread seems to be a solid choice for dirt needs...I would wait until every piece of the puzzle is in its place before starting to "flip" pedals. You'll avoid to have to buy another one in the future, wasting money
(at least this happened to me ), so you can try how every pedals affect the others and in what order.

This is the reason for the Dunes and, to a lesser extent, Carcosa. Originals were a Pork & Pickle and a Cloven Hoof. After a lot of fiddling, I found out I just didn't like either for my set up. Waaaay happier with the Dunes for OD, and while I was originally hoping to find a Dirt Transmitter, the Carcosa hits the fuzz sound I was after way too well for the $60 I paid for it.

 

[fuzzspiral]

Yes the Carcosa is very good, maybe not as main fuzz for my obsessive tastes, but it's great expecially for the price. It's one of the pedals I was talking about that I regret to have sold...
(and the graphics is just killer!)