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Rockboard 2.1 vs On-Stage GPB2000

Feb 26, 2025
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I'm interested in these two models only. Will be 95% home use, so the 1.5 lb weight difference doesn't matter to me, but robustness does.

They're currently just $15 apart new, I can get the On-Stage for $58, the Rockboard for $73

Any preferences between the two? Since the Rockboard weighs less than half as much might it be less robust?

The On-Stage is 18.75" x 6" and 2.75 lbs, the Rockboard is 18.5" x 5.6" and weighs 1.1 lbs

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I have the Rockboard. No concerns about it lasting - feels very solid. As mcnach says it's pretty easy to get cables where you need them with the slots on the board. The one concern I have is that it isn't as deep, so the cables on the back of my pedals are hanging in space. It's really just a concern when going in/out of the bag - I keep an eye that the cables don't catch, or that any switches don't get flipped.
 
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If you plan to put a power supply below the board, do check the height.

I know. It's tough because the exact available dimensions for the boards -- not to mention the inexpensive power supplies I've been looking at (Caline, Mosky, Donner) -- are almost never used. From Amazon reviewers who have installed power supplies it seems that the maximum is ~ somewhere between 1.85" - 2.25" in depth. I actually don't need an 18.5" board and could get away with a smaller board but those models all have even less clearance as they're lower to the ground.
 
I'd actually prefer a heavier board for home use for less accidental slipping.

on the other hand, Rockboard has nice hard cases for the boards if that's your thing.

Right now I don't need more than a 12" board for 3 pedals, but all the tiny boards are low to the ground and I'd like to toss a power supply underneath, which is why I was looking at these two boards, which seem to have around 2.25" clearance underneath. If I was willing to have the power supply hanging off the board I'd just buy a $19 14" Chinese board off Amazon.

I saw on a recent TB thread that @Dave Siff has a little 14" mini Vohalo board ($30 without bag, $45 with) but I can't tell how he's powering it.

 
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Right now I don't need more than a 12" board for 3 pedals

I meant to say, out of two I'd choose the heavier one.

as for the power supply underneath, I'm pretty sure, a compact one like Strymon Ojai or MXR mini iso brick will fit the Rockboard, not sure on the on-stage one, but I'd guess likely also yes. in fact, I had a mini iso brick under my Pedaltrain Nano as well.
 
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I meant to say, out of two I'd choose the heavier one.

as for the power supply underneath, I'm pretty sure, a compact one like Strymon Ojai or MXR mini iso brick will fit the Rockboard, not sure on the on-stage one, but I'd guess likely also yes. in fact, I had a mini iso brick under my Pedaltrain Nano as well.

I'm looking to replace my daisy chain and build an el-cheapo board, which means I'm looking at $40-ish isolated power bricks that aren't particularly thin. One exception is the Donner DP-1, which claims to be 1.1" thick and has over 7,000 positive Amazon reviews.

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That power supply ought to fit in the two boards I asked about, but probably not smaller boards.
 
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Right now I don't need more than a 12" board for 3 pedals, but all the tiny boards are low to the ground and I'd like to toss a power supply underneath, which is why I was looking at these two boards, which seem to have around 2.25" clearance underneath. If I was willing to have the power supply hanging off the board I'd just buy a $19 14" Chinese board off Amazon.

I saw on a recent TB thread that @Dave Siff has a little 14" mini Vohalo board ($30 without bag, $45 with) but I can't tell how he's powering it.

All my boards have rechargeable power supplies mounted underneath. For that board, it’s a Solutek. I needed a 500 mA port for the Bass Synth. Otherwise I use Horse or Snails brand from Amazon, one 300 mA port and six 100 mA, $35 or so.
 
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All my boards have rechargeable power supplies mounted underneath. For that board, it’s a Solutek. I needed a 500 mA port for the Bass Synth. Otherwise I use Horse or Snails brand from Amazon, one 300 mA port and six 100 mA, $35 or so.

Thanks for the reply. That Vohalo looks solid, like a mini Gator or Dingbat. Do you know what the underside clearance of your board is?

I don't need a rechargeable solution right now, so I'm trying to find an inexpensive power supply that would fit.

Ironically I could get a much bigger used board (with lots of underside space) for the same price as the mini boards I'm looking at. But I really would prefer to stay with as small a package as possible.
 
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Thanks for the reply. That Vohalo looks solid, like a mini Gator or Dingbat. Do you know what the underside clearance of your board is?

I don't need a rechargeable solution right now, so I'm trying to find an inexpensive power supply that would fit.

Ironically I could get a much bigger used board (with lots of underside space) for the same price as the mini boards I'm looking at. But I really would prefer to stay with as small a package as possible.
Underside clearance on the Vohalo is 1.5”. The Solutek power supply is 1” tall.
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I've owned the On Stage GPB2000 for several years and like it a lot, and the slots on top are plenty adequate to route cables (IMO). I have six pedals on it right now that fit nicely (three are mini's...a mini Turbo Tuner, a Broughton HPF, & a Becos Mini Pro) and they all have side jacks except for one. All six pedals work perfectly with a OneSpot with 8-plug cable, and sometimes I'll even add pedals to the two unused plugs (off the board obviously), works fine, so I haven't even thought about trying to put a power brick under the board. Back when I got my GPB2000, it was only $40. One thing that you may not like about the GPB2000 is that it has no feet on the front (lower) side, it only has thin flat rubber stick-on pads, but I figure I can always drill some holes and attach some round feet if the need ever arises. I would heartily recommend the On Stage GPB2000.
 
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I've owned the On Stage GPB2000 for several years and like it a lot

Thanks for your report. Much appreciated. An eBay seller sent me a soon to expire offer for $58 (it’s normally $64), but there’s also a used GBP3000 online without bag for $50 shipped. (I don’t need the extra space up top but I might need the extra space underneath for one of the lower cost, thicker ISO power bricks I’m looking at.)

Amazon’s next Prime Deal Days are October 7th & 8th so right now my thinking is to wait to see what deals appear then.
 
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