Pedal Board Problems--help!!!

[DaveAceofBass]

I am trying to set up a pedal board, but I don't have room to fit all the pedals. Also, I want to add pedals at some point in the future. I need guidance on effects order. I need to buy cables that will make this all work. I have been running everything into the front of the amp, because the chorus sounds richer through the input, as well as some other effects. So I need an expert's advice. Okay, here's what I've got. I have a J-Retro STMP-01 preamp pedal, an EHX Bass Micro-Synth, an EHX Black Finger, a Korg DT-10 pedal tuner, an MXR M-188 auto Q, a TC Electronics SCF Chorus/Flanger, and an Aphex Bass XCiter. Sometimes I leave the Micro-Synth at home, and that one may or may not need to be on the pedal board. It's a bit touchy with active basses, it tends to overload with hotter basses, and if you adjust the trimpot, there is no volume left. I don't always use the STMP-01, but sometimes I will, so I may or may not put it on the board. I have a Core One pedal board. My current order is STMP-01, then Micro-Synth (when I have those pedals), then DT-10, M-188, Black Finger, TC Chorus, Aphex. The TC overloads easily, so that's why I put it after the Compressor. I might want to soon add on a Fulltone Bass Driver, an EBS Octaver, and another or different Envelope Filter. Help!!!!

 

[David Wilson]

If your pedalboard is too small, either get a bigger one or use less /smaller pedals! I use the powered Furman SPB-8, there are others - SKB do powered pedalboards also. If you prefer to use your own PSU, there's a bunch of vendors - nyc pedalboards, pedaltrain etc. The NYC pedalboards are custom made, and have an optional 'second level' - this could be handy for those fx you don't take to all gigs.

To minimise disruption when adding/removing the microsynth or other pedals, why not get a loooper pedal and put the synth and other optional effects in a loop. That way, when you add/remove it you're only removing cables from the pedal input/output and not your main chain.

I use George L's cable system to make my own custom length cables.

Your current pedal order sounds ok. There's really no one size fits all answer. For example, distortion before wah or wah after distortion - both give you two different sounds, just depends what you want.

The order becomes more important when you're going to have more than one pedal on at a time.

BTW, be careful with the micro synth live. Those sliders break VERY easily with an accidental kick or something dropping on it, I speak from unfortunate personal experience here.

My current pedal setup is Bass -> Tuner -> 3 loop loooper -> EBS Multicomp -> Analogman Clone Chorus -> MXR M-80 DI
Loop A - Digitech Bass Synth Wah (for octaving) - Fulltone Bassdrive
Loop B - Fuzz pedal - EBS Bass IQ
Loop C - Wah
I don't always bring the Wah, so the cables for loop c input/output are long enough to reach past the side of the pedalboard. I just put the wah at the side of the pedalboard when I use it live.
The 3 loop looper also has a master bypass switch, so I can bring in / out loops any combination of loops A/B/C with one push.