My Direct + Amp Pedalboard Built By XTS - AZ 185

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After rebuilding my board numerous times depending on if the gig was an amp or direct situation, I decided to have a pedalboard built that could easily do one or the other, or both if needed. I started with my favorite pedals, then added the UA Dream 65 amp modeler, and a Walrus Audio Canvas Line Driver. This would allow me to go direct. To be amp-friendly, we needed a junction box that would bypass the Dream 65 and Canvas. Since we were adding the junction box, and there was space available, we also included insert jacks (before delays, and after overdrives) to allow me to use a volume pedal or other effects in the right position in the signal chain.
Gear used:
Turbo Tuner, Mirage Compressor, Analogman Boss TR-2, Ibanez Mostortion, Boss DM-3 analog delay, Line 6 Echo Park. UA Dream 65, Walrus Audio Canvas Line Driver, Metro 24 board, and a Truetone CS6 power supply.
#askzac #pedalboard #Xacttonesolutions

[@ajsrhodes]

Zac, it’s not a sickness, it’s being prepared 😉

[@johncox2552]

The signal chain sticker is genius. Very practical.

[@jsguitarking3367]

The sticker is a map flag

[@Tubescreamer81]

I literally could take THAT board and play an any gig I am going to play!! I need to see if XTS can make me one of those Junction boxes. I am so glad to see you are liking the Dream. I just got one a little while back and have not had a chance to use it and was worried I would not like it but after hearing you (a Deluxe Reverb player) like it really helps ease my mind.

[@davidmurphy4844]

I've been running a similar board for about three years with a Radial Direct Drive at the end of the line feeding analogue XLR to the PA and a through feed to my amp for a stage monitor.

[@musicman1976]

I've bought so much gear anywhere from my pedal train board up to my Deluxe Reverb and Paisley Esquire from watching Ask Zac. You have never steered me in the wrong direction. Thanks for everything 🎸 🎶 ❤️

[@telecasterbear]

My current bass head is the Warwick Gnome, so it's easy to carry two of them. I also carry an Ampeg DI box. I just played my first ever new years eve gig. Never played out on that night.

[@hoagyguitarmichael]

I used to take all new pedals to a gig and my boss at the repaor shop where I worked would say, "Brave or stupid; you be the judge."

[@AskZac]

True words

[@kevinkey7241]

I use the Dream 65 and Canvas mono DI all the time, and I have a Boss GE7 that I run in front of the Dream to carve out a little bit more of the “direct digital” frequencies. I keep the 3 of them on a small pedal train nano board and take it with any of my other pedal boards when I need to go direct.

[@AskZac]

Very cool!

[@J1s1p1]

I’ve found your channel recently and I’ve been digging it big time. I went back and watched the Albert Lee episode. I was struck to hear that your entrance into the world of Albert Lee was Clapton’s Just One Night as well. I remember being a kid and having to deal with the hard fact that my idol got smoked on his own album. The tone he gets on that outro to Cocaine and his phrasing in general blows my mind to this day. I’ve heard and my ears suggest that he was playing a Les Paul there.

[@jutukka]

Pedals are like Strats, no other option than both to love and hate them. 😁

[@codymessick7745]

Just did this exact same thing so I always have a backup "amp". I also had mine built into a flight case so I can check it if I need to and the top of the case makes for a great amp stand!

[@a_dubs_]

I’ve been thinking about about a Dream 65 with a Canvas as a mini rig then lo and behold you build it. Awesome idea on the normalizing patch bay for the volume pedal too.

[@brianrollins7275]

Good to see another video. I like your board and the pedal choices. I need a good delay and a compressor, tough to decide with so much to pick from. I’ll do my research and hope my choices work for me. I did good with my reverb pedal, after endless researching I finally settled on the Catalinbread Talisman and I stand by my decision. Leaning towards their Echorec for delay but still researching. Anyway, I always enjoy your videos and I have learned a lot from you. Thanks for all the entertainment. Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year.

[@BradRocker]

Excellent travel board Great quality there.

[@AskZac]

Yes indeed!

[@goswo]

Just what I needed, right now. Thanks :-)

[@goldy7135]

Very tricky. Such a great idea.

[@mauricioveiranoguitar6141]

Congrats Zac! Happy new year!!!!

[@AskZac]

Happy new year!

[@pcau]

Wow! Nice board Sir:)

[@AskZac]

Thanks!

[@TheHamebusk]

Nicely done...

[@dananthony6258]

Shout out to the Gummy Nerds addicts. I need to see my dentist. 😂 God bless y’all Happy New Year.

[@None-lh5mx]

That's the only flaw of the CS6 is the dipswitches are not more recessed.

[@dwise3651]

Yes-I put two strips of painters tape across. Haven’t had an mis-switch. Give it a try!

[@michaelgranka7904]

Always great content Zac. Happy new year.

[@mrbuttons1243]

BTW, those Nerds gummy candies are amazing!

[@PaulWilliamsIE]

6:40 ahh but that amp output won't go thru your delay pedals ? which means you are not getting the advantage of the great output buffer in the line6(breaking the pedalboard golden rule of having a high quality buffer on the first and last pedal in the chain and every other pedal tru-bypass), seems like you really need two of those junction boxes ? do xts sell them off the shelf ? I have a similar set-up with two short depth boards that can be chained together. Thanks for sharing Zac, the canvas and hopefully the xts box are going on my board for sure.

[@AskZac]

Split is after the Line 6

[@victorbeebe8372]

Aloha Zak! Happy New Year!

[@AskZac]

Happy new year!

[@Courtney-Childs-Johnson]

Happy New Year!

[@AskZac]

Happy new year!

[@bradrehn1007]

First off, I'm no tech guy. So, pardon my naivete on this subject. Buffers, I've watched these Zac/XTS videos and never even heard them mentioned. Yet many other videos insist they are necessary when running a group of pedals. I realize many pedals are sufficiently buffered. Are all of Zac's this way (thus negating the need for a separate buffer(s) before and/or after the pedals)? Thanks!

[@traceyoungs1637]

“Two is one, one is none”

[@suede__]

Would love to know where to get or how to make one of those junction boxes. I don’t always want to make room for a volume pedal!

[@AskZac]

Contact XTS

[@bks252]

I’m not from the tech world but I never go to a gig without at least one backup for everything. I’ve had too many things fail on me over the years. Things break and quit working. They’re man made so they will eventually fail.

[@chrisquinn9104]

The one thing I wonder about for you is how your drive and compressor work into the modeler as opposed to an amp. I’ve found I’m often using different pedals with different amps for better compatibility, especially drives. The Mostortion works equally well with the amp and the modeler?

[@AskZac]

It does

[@chrisquinn9104]

Your work flow doesn’t require much tap dancing? I use about the same number of pedals, but Carl Martin Octaswitch to keep down on tap dancing.

[@christopherhester2845]

Can you talk a little more about the XTS junction box or the effects loop box. I looked and could not find any info on it. Thanks

[@AskZac]

It is in insert for the volume pedal, and output to an amp. It is a custom box made for my board.

[@SalmiRahman]

"lamb tops" is that a new alternative for velcro?

[@nedward5871]

With the dream, any thought of delay after it? I know going into an amp they're in front; I've found with the Iridium that Chorus and Delay sound better to me after and before the DI, but you do lose Reverb... XTS does solid stuff!

[@AskZac]

I have not tried that, but I bet that works well too.

[@kimw994]

..or use a ToneMaster (Princeton) in my case : direct out and a great monitor...What do you think about ToneMaster IR vs. Dream? Best from Germany

[@AskZac]

Both are great, but prefer the Dream

[@mattfirst4832]

Eric from XTS mentioned the "lam-top" that they used as the pedal surface on top of the pedaltrain board, is that a product sold in standard sizes for pedaltrain boards, or are they making those? Good video, I like that rig and versatility!

[@AskZac]

They make those

[@suede__]

I remember seeing them mention it being 1/4” plywood that they laminate.

[@iannicholls7476]

Thanks

[@AskZac]

Thank you so much!

[@MrBluesmanJunior]

Sadly the Dream 65 has very little clean headroom, as opposed to other Deluxe Reverb simulations. And it doesn’t take pedals very well.

[@AskZac]

You have to turn the master up, and the volume lower

[@willjam3068]

Dream still has output with the volume knob at zero, plenty of clean headroom there. I use it as a pedal platform and it works great

[@craigmaddenmusic3408]

Hey Mate, still not sure why you need the line driver? Is it purely to boost signal? Is dream 65 not enough on its own? Cheers

[@AskZac]

To have XLR outs, and to to line level or mic level.

[@craigmaddenmusic3408]

@@AskZac ah I see. Cheers.

[@rhcpschipper]

Great board, with awesome choice of pedals. What volume pedal are you using with this board?

[@AskZac]

A Dunlop or a small Boss model

[@matthewcasey892]

Trem before gain stage,hmmm, I have not done that before?

[@AskZac]

My other video explains why

[@matthewcasey892]

@@AskZac cool which other one, what did i miss?

[@matthewcasey892]

@@AskZac sorry i missed the other video, just watched it, I see what you are doing, interesting, I will try it, thanks

[@masterWindu_01]

I can't help but wonder, why no EQ pedal?

[@AskZac]

I did not have room

[@Strumbum01]

Hey Zac! Just picked me up a used DM-3. What mods do you do to yours? Thanks in advance!

[@AskZac]

I just do the stinkfoot mod to make it run on 9v instead of 12v. Does not change the sound

[@Strumbum01]

@@AskZacthat’s an easy enough mod for me to do myself. Thank you, Zac!

[@jacobpittman1996]

…it just goes on and on, my friends…

[@AskZac]

Like the river flows

[@bstoner1300]

Dream 65 is listed as needing 400mA…how’d you get that from an old cs6? Or does it really need quite a bit less?

[@AskZac]

The CS6 can output more than the stated numbers. Works fine!

[@KreikreiKreiner-pk9tf]

Could you have taken an out from your Canvas to your stage Katana?

[@AskZac]

Yes, however I want to also to be able to go to a tube amp, and not have the coloration of the Dream 65 or the canvas.

[@fc373cem]

Zac, how are they mounting the pedals to the board? There doesn’t seem to be any velcro.

[@xacttone]

It's a 3M product called dual lock

[@fc373cem]

Thanks I’ll have to try it!😊

[@stevenjanssens9741]

What impedance volume pedal do you use AFTER some pedals? Thanks

[@AskZac]

mostly low

[@TM-td3zk]

You gotta have two....if you have one you have none.

[@alguitarchristie]

With the dream 65, can't you plug the line in straight to the board? Or it it better to use the D.I. and xlr out?

[@mkrj2576]

I asked UA and they said direct to pa was good.

[@AskZac]

I like having XLR outs

[@Scary-Detective]

Why the DM-3 as opposed to the Waza DM-2w?

[@AskZac]

I have used the dm3 since 1991. I know it well

[@Scary-Detective]

@@AskZac I kinda figured that was the reason. Have you tried the DM-2w? Readily available and phenomenal.

[@jsguitarking3367]

Awesome pedal board except for the map flag. I'm sure it's not purposeful and I'm sure you don't even realize what that flag means, but it means minor attracted person or map. Look it up.

[@AskZac]

Not the right colors.......