Rigging up a small pedal board...

[Big Hoss]

I have a couple of VERY basic pedals as it were. And am not at this time looking to grow past them, at least not in the next year or so... But I am running into a pedal based problem...

Pedal and cord management is getting to be a nightmare to deal with...

So far, my VERY limited inventory on pedals is thus...

#1. Fender overdrive footswitch for my Rumble 500 amp.
#2. Digitech BP-50 Multi Effects pedal.
#3. Moog EP-3 Expression Pedal.

I am considering building a basic pedal board / box that I can contain them in, and their cables as well.

I am considering a box build, something I can stuff the power and feed cables into, close up and drag with me housing everything neatly and solidly.

I would effectively have 4 cables coming out of the back, which would be..
#1. OD switch cable, 10'.
#2. Instrument cable between effects pedal and amp. 10'.
#3. Instrument cable between effects pedal and my bass. 20'
#4. Power cable from power outlet strip to power effects pedal and 1 or 2 potential expansion pedals down the road...

How should I orient things, particularly routing of the cabling to insure I do't get any interference, either via electrical conduction OR physical interference?

How can I secure my pedals down in the box so they stay put, particularly in transit?

 

[Alien8]

Good wire routing practice should have electrical perpendicular to audio cables. Not always possible, so try to separate them; ie don't bunch them together, run them apart. Again not always possible. Wait to get a power supply for more pedals when you get more pedals. Daisy chaining can cause noise, but not always, so you will just have to test later.

Industrial Velcro is good for holding them down, just be sure to clean the surfaces with alcohol and remove rubber feet and pads. Other options are zip ties, and there are screw down figure 8 shaped washers that work too. Zip ties wear quickly.

As far as orientation goes, it's all upto you. For the most part there is little noise caused from this; sometimes a pedal over a power supply will, but it's rare. It sounds like you want your cables to stay in the box during travel, so consider that extra space needed. Be careful of how you store your cables so they don't push on the other jacks, this will lead to malfunction eventually.

Don't feel so bad about 4 cables. Some go for 2 cables and a power cord. I have 8-10 cables and 2-3 power cords to hook up. Worth every second I spend doing it.

 

[Dave W]

Advice above is spot on.

I wouldn't really worry about routing your cables all that much other than trying to make it neat.
I've always used industrial velcro or 3M dual lock. Velcro is basically the industry standard, although there are companies trying to reinvent the wheel
Orientation is totally up to you. You've got very little, so whatever is most comfortable for you. If you had a ton of single effects the signal chain would matter, but you don't.\

If you'd rather just buy something I would recommend Pedaltrain. I've used their boards for years now. They are light, solidly built, very simple, and include a decent bag or hard case if you spring for that option.

 

[Big Hoss]

Not sure how I could get velcro or zip ties around the pedals without interfering with stuff. How would you rig that?

 

[Pat The Bassist]

I double on electric and upright, and I've got mild OCD about neatness. Zip ties and velcro are key to this setup. Everything is in order and completely essential (except the chorus pedal, thats just for me). I've got an entire rig in one bag, and I'm ready to go just by opening it and flipping the power strip on.

 

[Dave W]

Not sure how I could get velcro or zip ties around the pedals without interfering with stuff. How would you rig that?

Velcro goes on the bottom of them