Side Jacks or Top Jacks?

[Blu bro]

i am really enjoying the fact that most my pedals are top jacks. i only have a handful that have side jacks.
However I am looking for a compressor and am leaning towards the M87 (side jacks) but am becoming more more tempted to go towards a compressor with top jacks like the "warden" or "TLC" so i would be lying if i said i didnt factor it in when buying a pedal. But if i really like a pedal i make it work. Eg. LS-2

Previously i wouldnt even think about it, but now that i am actually trying to put together a pedal board it definetly crosses my mind.

 

[LSMFT6]

I have no preference.
Top-mounted jacks do save space, but there's nothing more annoying than accidentally turning a pedal on/off that's next to the one you were aiming for because they're too close together. If you need more space, get a bigger board.

 

[aledeville]

tmj for the win!

 

[nshuman]

What would be cool would be if a pedal had recessed jacks on the sides and top mounted jacks.That way you could combine whatever you wanted.I know it would make the insides more complicated and more space hungry, but it could work for certain pedals, especially with slightly deeper enclosures.

This would make everyone happy and might even have a butterfly effect that would bring about peace on earth.*

*That last part is total BS

 

[Hopkins]

I don't care, I don't but my pedals up against each other anyway so there is room for either.

 

[mmbongo]

Since I have a Pedaltrain board I'm going to convert all my pedals to have bottom jacks

 

[nshuman]

Since I have a Pedaltrain board I'm going to convert all my pedals to have bottom jacks

You could flip the board around and pretend they are all bottom jacks

 

[mmbongo]

You could flip the board around and pretend they are all bottom jacks

I literally meant the bottom! Like underneath...I guess that would actually be BackJacks.

 

[nshuman]

I literally meant the bottom! Like underneath...I guess that would actually be BackJacks.

Ahhhhhhhhh. Ok, now I understand

 

[silky smoove]

I literally meant the bottom! Like underneath...I guess that would actually be BackJacks.

I absolutely love this idea. Back jacks, with back power as well would allow for such a neat and tidy Pedaltrain type board.

 

[nshuman]

I absolutely love this idea. Back jacks, with back power as well would allow for such a neat and tidy Pedaltrain type board.

It could work, but you would need to have smaller horizontal beams, and more of them. To make sure that multiple sizes would fit more easily.

 

[TerribleLiar23]

I'm fine either way.
I have pedals of each style.
They play nicely together

I don't care either. Size is all that matters.

 

[bassbrad]

Top Jack for me, since I have purposely limited myself to the F16 I want small with top jacks. There are several pedals I would add but will wait hoping for top Jack, hint Bongo really need/want a Smoothie.

 

[Greg75]

 

[friendlybass]

I like tops. But! Sometimes get a weird buzz when the power cables run along the signal cables. Like a ground hum kind of

 

[Nephilymbass]

I have a mix, don't really care. I'm not one of these folks trying to cram as many pedals as possible into my board.

 

[JimmyM]

Don't care personally. Wouldn't ever buy a pedal based solely on where the jacks are located.

 

[BioWeapon]

I like tops. But! Sometimes get a weird buzz when the power cables run along the signal cables. Like a ground hum kind of

Cables carrying a current generate an electrical field around them. One could assume that that is the source of the hum.

 

[FretNoMore]

Don't care personally. Wouldn't ever buy a pedal based solely on where the jacks are located.

Of course functionality and sound have highest priority, but if there is a choice between pedals of similar kind then things like jack placement and enclosure size make a difference to me. My board is so maxed out now that it's a factor even where on the top or side the jacks are placed, whether pedals can be placed next to each other with staggered plugs for instance.

 

[Greg75]

^+1 - wouldn't make a decision based only on whether jacks were on top or sides. But I am glad most of my favorite pedals are available with top-jacks.