Top 5 Pedalboard Mistakes

[@andy_watt]

A video on troubleshooting pedalboard issues/understanding your signal chain feels like a must. It would be great to get your insight into how to go about fixing an issue, and also some best practices when designing a board to minimize the chances of them occurring, or with failsafes built in to minimize the down time.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Noted!

[@anthonysclafani3963]

Point 6: don't get pedals cuz they're trendy or you want to impress people on the Internet. Get pedals you genuinely like, don't get them for internet points or for show. You'll end up regretting it and selling it.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

I Like this one. Very good point.

[@garrettbabcock9024]

You mean I don't need the strymon trifecta to get instagram likes??!?! You just saved me 1200 bucks!

[@dirgmario]

@@garrettbabcock9024 haha I know it’s a joke, but the Strymon Trio is super overkill for 99% of players and overkill for 75% of the actual owners.

[@TotalEvo7]

@@dirgmario That's why I'm going with a Collider and a Synesthesia

[@Billkwando]

I've been buying a pile of cheap amazon mini pedals, because you can get an armful for the price of one boutique pedal, and you always have 30 days to return if you don't like it.

[@lynyrddeville]

This video was so no nonsense good I decided to subscribe immediately. Now, I am off to see all of the other great content that I have missed from Goodwood Audio!

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Too kind! Thank you. If you see a video that hasn't been done yet, let me know!

[@dradbelson2736]

Me: Laughs in Boss GT100

[@getvicky13]

Oh man...point no.4 about understanding your signal chain has gotten me through so many issues on stage!! When I do experience pedalboard issues, it's during soundcheck, and I always carry extra patch cables, power cables and a multimeter to check for stuff that might have gone wrong. It's almost always a bad patch cable.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Not a Goodwood Cable I hope. If so - make sure to email me! You carry a MM! Well done. You've got one up on me. Great idea.

[@BillPrimo]

The first thing I ALWAYS start with when it comes to designing pedalboards for my followers on my Discord channel is to make sure that a tuner pedal, switch mode power supply and pedalboard estate are accounted for.

[@gcvrsa]

I find it much more convenient to keep my tuner pedal separate from my pedalboard. That way, my board can go on stage, and I can tune backstage, or I can tune my guitar at home without firing up the whole pedalboard. And then I get to fit another pedal on my board. I can always leave an extra power lead on the board to power the tuner once I get on stage. Biggest pedalboard mistakes, according to me: 1. Placing pedals too close together. 2. Placing pedals in an illogical order unrelated to your signal chain. 3. Using loop switchers when they aren't needed. 4. Using isolated power when it isn't needed. 5. Using too many pedals. 6. Not thinking about the ultimate size of the board and how it is going to be transported. I have made the decision that all future boards must fit inside a standard airline underseat flight tote/personal item, and still fit a change of clothes and toiletries for a weekend, personal electronics (iphone, ipad, chargers, headphones), and in-flight snacks. That way, I can fly with my instrument and everything I need for a weekend fly gig as cabin baggage. My pedalboard design is 390 mm x 290 mm, or about 15.5" x 11.5", a flat board only.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

I like it. I think you're right...if you do short fly dates, carry on is a HUGE perk.

[@JAF2991]

Good list, but I personally think, in my opinion. Isolated is ways necessary.

[@danielmccabe2805]

Another one I would mention is what you're using to secure your pedals- Velcro works for most, but some are heavier with awkward bottoms or screws or feet in the way. Something I've run into is having my MXR stereo chorus on the board. The bottom is just a big, dual battery compartment (18v pedal). Im somewhat aware of the risers and things out there but have never explored that, and velcro isn't always the best. Also, I mount a Voodoo Lab Mondo on the bottom of a homemade pedaltrain-style board with 10lb velcro and I feel like it still needs a couple zipties. I'd be interested to hear what you'd recommend. Maybe do a whole video on pedal mounting and dealing with battery compartments and all of that annoyance. Thank you for these awesome videos! I feel like you've definitely touched on the essential points of building a rig. You're approach is easy to understand and quick to the point. Keep up the good work! 🤘

[@gcvrsa]

I make pedalboard layouts by taking high resolution product images and dropping out the backgrounds and resizing them to life size in Photoshop. Then I use a a diagramming program like Microsoft Visio to lay out my pedalboard at life size with near-perfect accuracy. Visio also has the ability to create signal chain routing.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Sounds like a ton of setup, but once you have the basic pedal sizes, sounds like a dream. Might have to look into this.

[@Billkwando]

LOL none of my pedals will need updates...didn't even realize that was a thing

[@silverlightphotodesign]

Lots of great advice; thanks for posting and sharing....I would like to see more visuals paired with your advice.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

thansk for checking it out. Appreciate the feedback! Taken on board.

[@theaaronimal]

Oh man, option paralysis is a real thing. Great tips!

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Thanks Aaron!

[@2Plus2isChicken2013]

A couple of things I suggest on this subject are: 1) Consider the weight of your pedalboard. There are many kinds of boards made of all sorts of materials, some heavy and some light. Go for the lightest, best-made one that can hold what you need. 2) Always carry a good clip-on tuner, extra distortion pedal with power cable and extra instrument cables in your guitar case. If you do this you don't even need to worry about your pedalboard having problems because you can just switch to using that extra pedal and clip-on tuner and you'll be able to make it through with the bare minimum needed to finish the set. You can worry about fixing the board later when it's actually convenient. You could even pack a multi-effects pedal in case you absolutely need delay and other effects in the songs you're playing.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Nice feedback! You should check out the latest interview we posted with Marcus (fleetwood mac tech) he takes these redundancies to the next level and essentially says you need a quick solution to a rig going down mid set. I found it very helpful actually.

[@mattfleming2287]

Keep a backup, keep it simple and know your gear inside and out.

[@holmesy321]

I'd love an in-depth on point 4! 'm always carrying a few spare patch cables, power cables of various lengths with me. And, since I moved to using (and heavily relying on) the HX Stomp for amp modelling and most of my modulation/drive, even keep a couple of spare pedals (overdrive and a simple delay/verb) in an old flight case!

[@GoodwoodAudio]

I actually did a 4 part series on signal chain - check earlier in our channel and you'll see it! I was actually quite surprised by the results of that series... I learned a ton doing it.

[@absea7918]

Great tips. I agree with all of them. I'd only add that if I have an issue with my board playing live, and I can't solve it in 10 seconds, I plug straight into my amp. Have a spare Snark tuner sitting on your amp if you need it. I had to do one show like that, and no one noticed - which also raises the point of how important the boards really are... :)

[@GoodwoodAudio]

I like that!! Very good idea and so true. I am choosing to ignore the part about boards not being important though. Hurts my heart to read that - although I've experienced similar things along the lines of, "... oh, you were playing? Didn't notice" haha

[@absea7918]

@@GoodwoodAudio Thanks! Don't get me wrong, my board is important to me, and helps in my creativity makes me want to play more. Also for recording, its great to have the ability to shape the sounds. My experience playing live is probably more about the quality of the sound at the (small) clubs I played at - which was poor. At a proper venue with legit sound system, people notice the more differences a good pedalboard makes.

[@bobkelley6574]

Rhett Shull did a tour blog video about a year ago where he landed in England, gets to a gig with 10,000 people to find the TSA had half-disassembled his board. He played straight through the back line amp (think he said it was a VOX AC-30). Fun video, you can go to his channel and find it easily.

[@Billkwando]

What about remembering where the input and output jacks are, for signal flow, if you're going to run two rows. You need a longer patch cable to connect the pedal on the bottom left to the one on the top right, if you're going right to left (the only way that makes sense).

[@Cam_B]

These are great tips. My concern would be more of what my amp backup situation is if my amp fails? I usually carry extra power and patch cables for my board but if that doesn’t work, I’ll just bypass it completely into my amp. Now, an amp not working is a bigger issue. Whether I take an amp sim pedal or extra power amp (44 magnum) or both, I’ll always have a backup. I’ve never had to go DI at a live show but my 44 magnum has saved me before and did a great job. Guitar is also important. Always have a backup guitar. My other guitarist and I share a backup guitar in case strings break, etc.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Totally. Amps are tricky. Amp sim is ideal, but even just having some spare power tubes (pre-amps are pretty reliable) and a few spare fuses can go a long way. In my experience, whenever there is an issue with tube amps, 90% of the time you can fix it with new tubes / replacing a fuse.

[@ryanwhite5482]

I can't reinforce enough thinking about your feet. I didn't do this and lived with my volume pedal on the wrong side of my pedalboard for 8 years because the board was wired and drilled that way. Finally rebuilt the board with it on the other side

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Ouch!

[@sseltrek1a2b]

yup...everything needs to be reachable and usable for what you do- there's nothing worse than having to be super "accurate" when stomping on something, or things you use a lot during a set being spread all over the board...

[@dbutler721]

You mentioned setting up your board and signal routing for playing live. Can you do a video expanding on the situations that one may encounter playing live and how to set your pedal board up for that, to be able to handle any house situation? Thanks.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Good idea. Noted!

[@mikehancho7172]

bruh the first part about the tuner. i subbed instantly. way too close to home lol

[@GoodwoodAudio]

haha. Sorry it evoked such real emotion!

[@terryeaster1]

I've spent a month working on my new layout... I may have lost my mind yesterday

[@terryeaster1]

2 delays, 2 reverbs, 2 compressors, chorus, phase, 8 gain stages

[@jeffralston450]

Always have a cable tester with you. The $30-50 is so worth it. Makes trouble shooting a breeze. Also, If you patch cable shows anything intermittent, fix it if possible or right in the trash.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Agreed! Cable testers have saved me so much time and stress.

[@getvicky13]

Point No.6 - Carry some sort of amp sim pedal as a backup to your real amp.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

I like it! And have the power tap available to power it!

[@Cam_B]

Do amp sim pedals need a DI box to convert to XLR as well?

[@garrettbabcock9024]

@@Cam_B as a sax and guitar player I've found the d i box a must have for any fx rig and having some kind of amp in a box with extra patch cords and xlr cables. I actually ordered a stereo di so I can run wet dry wet on my sax rig.

[@garrettbabcock9024]

@@Cam_B any amp ir pedal you wanna run as a back up, depending on the situation, could theoretically still go straight into the board with 1/4 inch inputs too but sound guys would probably not mind if you had the xlr out.

[@Cam_B]

@@garrettbabcock9024 thanks! So, is there an overall benefit of using DI for xlr like sound wise? Is there maybe less hum? I know that there are usually those multiple xlr jacks on stage (I forget what they are called) so that would probably make it easier to go to the board. I’m not sure how you would run 1/4 to the board other than using a super long cable unless those xlr inputs on stage allow for 1/4 too. I’ve never gone directly to FOH live but I’m getting more and more curious.

[@evanpowers1795]

Question on "Interfacer", Is the tuner out also a buffered out? Reason, considering using Interfacer buffered out AND tuner out for parallel signal chains ( lots of ambient noises with less mud, possibly one more "dry" for clarity). If both outputs are buffered, you may consider promoting this option!

[@evanpowers1795]

Also, the Interfacer mute switch would make a cool kill dry all wet mode, since tuner out would not mute ( wet effects )!

[@GoodwoodAudio]

The Interfacer actually has a few extra tricks up its sleeve including a line mixer (left and right inputs) accessible via internal DIP switches (new models since mid 2019 only). I did a video specifically on how to use Interfacer for Wet Dry / Wet Dry Wet... its called "Alternate uses for TX Interfacer, TX Underfacer and Output TX". Glad you picked up on that! Very cool

[@GoodwoodAudio]

You can also adjust the mute switch with the above to mute dry only.

[@bradconklin2878]

Funny... I always forget the tuner in favor of an actual "sound" pedal on my limited space pedal board, and use a snark, or other "Y".

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Its a good call if you're into those tuners for sure... more sound = more fun.

[@joellebrodeur1015]

I always use clip on tuners. Switched from Snark to D'Addario mini tuner

[@PinchTune]

LOL. "I'm not changing this setup for the next two years." [ Two weeks later - completely rearranged ] Good talking to you today! -Danny

[@GoodwoodAudio]

you too Danny!

[@Souldoubtrocks]

Mason sent me. So glad he did.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

I'll have to say thanks!

[@marktaylor4615]

What do people use to label their cables?

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Check out Brother Label makers... Pretty affordable and well worth it.

[@silverxbladeX]

Love this video! Can you do one on how to plan out a pedalboard using virtual pedalboard planners?

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Noted!

[@Sharkbate211]

Always leave an inch between pedals for cables. Even the flattest still have a decent gap

[@JeffHendricks]

"If you use a volume pedal that could break, maybe it uses a string..." If I had a dollar for every EBVPJr user that posted "Well, I thought it would never happen to me" I would be independently wealthy.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

haha - out of all my points, I thought I'd get the most crap for that - glad to hear Im not alone!

[@coryholte5305]

For everyone using the VP Jr... stop... buy the Lehle Mono Volume... best volume pedal I’ve ever owned

[@sseltrek1a2b]

also- if you're making your own cables, test every single one (no matter how small) by plugging into your guitar and amp...having one bad cable and having to re-assemble your board once you find it is very annoying...

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Getting a cable tester is gold for this. There are a few out there (Cusack makes one, and other companies) for a very fair price.

[@Wells306]

Don't use solderless cables. Keep it simple- omit the pedals you only use once in a blue moon or consider good multi-effects. More gear + more cables can lead to more obstacles. Don't cheap out on the essentials, but don't feel it necessary to mortgage your house for that new gear. Plenty of really good options don't cost a lot.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Well said!

[@joellebrodeur1015]

I have a solderless kit, but ended up getting a different cable set. A friend of mine told me not to use them for a reason that I can't recall offhand.

[@heyou429]

Option paralysis is real

[@GoodwoodAudio]

been there too many times.

[@joellebrodeur1015]

This is so. I'm new to pedals and have 6 (chorus, modulation delay, delay/looper, shim reverb, fuzz and OD). I probably will only use 4 out of the 6.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

@@joellebrodeur1015 I like that. Better than feeling like you have to use every pedal in front of you and using effects when they aren't needed.

[@eventidewinds]

who wants a chase bliss pedal, overhyped;-)

[@GoodwoodAudio]

haha

[@TheEleventeen]

X🤘🏻X

[@GoodwoodAudio]

yew!

[@mattsmitchger259]

So glad I'm not a pedal guy. Sounds like a pain in the ass.

[@GoodwoodAudio]

haha. what do you use?

[@mattsmitchger259]

@@GoodwoodAudio Usually just guitar straight through amp with the amp's reverb. I have several distortion pedals, a delay pedal, a wah pedal. Never use them. It's just not my thing. I use an MXR distortion + quite a bit. But that's it. I believe less is more. And I actually play a lot more when I'm not screwing around with 1,000 different knobs. Pedals are no friends of OCD. 😆

[@GoodwoodAudio]

@@mattsmitchger259 I like it! I need more of that in my life. Recently moved and couldn't bring the majority of my gear... Been refreshing. But I know I'll miss it all soon haha. So true that having too many pedals stops you from playing though if you aren't careful.

[@mattsmitchger259]

@@GoodwoodAudio Nothing against pedals. I'm into classic metal and rock. Tonny Iommi, Angus, Keith Richards, Joe Strumer, etc. All my favorites never needed any of that. But they're fun sometimes.

[@PedalExperiments]

Pedal guy, here. You're right. 😂

[@rustysmalls]

The pedalboard in the thumbnail is one of those horribly overcrowded, the guitarist would be lost without it types

[@GoodwoodAudio]

Its full. But a lot of guys love it. do you take more of the guitar / amp approaches with a couple staples in between? Would love to know what amp you use if so!