What's The Future For Pedalboard Switchers and MIDI?

Episode 48: What's The Future For Pedalboard Switchers and MIDI?
Welcome to the Chairmen of the Boards Podcast! The ultimate pedalboard podcast with the foremost rig builders in the world: Grant Klassen (Goodwood Audio), Brian Omilion (Omilion Audio), and Mason Marangella (Vertex Effects/The Rig Doctor). We've teamed up to democratize great tone and provide you with our best tricks, tips, resources and hacks so you can build the pedalboard of your dreams!
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#Pedalboards #RJMMusic #PedalSwitcher

[@gregdavis9376]

I am Ron's microprocessor supplier and a guitar player, EE (day job), rig builder and general fan of all you here. We are 90% back to normal with supply now and the last 10% will be back to normal by the end of the year! Plus we have been keeping RJM in parts all along with some extra personal effort :) We love supporting the arts and anything that positively impacts humans!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

How cool! Thanks for chiming in Greg!

[@geo5772]

Doggone it Grant! Missed this! All four of my mentors go live, ah well, it’s great to be able to view it after the fact! Best to you all. Sometime you’ll have to ask Ron if Sheri still loves the Blue Tesla I gave her for Christmas a year back.

[@jacobpittman1996]

What a gracious guy! Thank you, Chairmen, for keeping good company.

[@Kyuslydian]

Self confessed nerd watching this but I love it. I'll have a RJM switcher real soon. Too cool not to. The chairmen have answered the questions I didn't know that I had.

[@aaronc675]

MASON - I bought a Boost MKII recently & I love it!! Thanks for making it!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@sqlb3rn]

My stereo pedal rack has an Effects Gizmo full stereo looper, Mastermind gt 10 phantom powered midi controller, two mini amp gizmos with two custom amp cables, and two expression pedals

[@LysanderLH]

I can easily answer this. After almost 40 years of playing, I still do not know what MIDI is or what it does. People have explained it to me over the years but it’s like my brain instantly goes blurry in a sort of analogue way. So while i’m absolutely certain a pedal switcher would make my life easier, unless Mason is willing to come over here and fix it into my pedal rig, it is not goingbto happen.

[@SweetcornTA]

Definitely echo the comments on how well designed the software workflow is with the RJM PBC/GT’s.

[@ryanwhite5482]

Thinking of upgrading from my Disaster Area to an RJM. The disaster area is nice but has a couple features I want that could be added in firmware that they won't do. Even after they told me one of my ideas was a good idea for their product... 🤦‍♂️

[@jeffgreene468]

Any plans for the MEGX to do parallel routing?

[@koski666]

Love my PBC 6X!!!

[@rogerwilliams1180]

The encoder/switch isn't new the TC G-System have used them for several years.

[@kospandx]

The G-System was such an innovative system! It was first with so many things, so it has a few idiosyncracies, but once set up properly it can still be a contender!

[@rogerwilliams1180]

@@kospandx If TC hadn't walked away from the G-System development and support they would likely still be real competitors. If the editor were fixed and reliable I wouldn't be trying to use the Plethora X5, I'm incredibly frustrated with it. The new editor seems reliable in what it does, but doesn't do what is needed. No MIDI master clock ability, you can't lock the boards, if you make a change or accidentally bump something while your using a board, it automatically stores the change and the original board setting are just gone. All the signals I'm able to read point towards TC Electronics just turning into the most "common" of companies after being swallowed up by "The Most Common of Companies". Good luck to them with there new corporate masters. Just a tip to the other X5 & X3 owners, don't hold your breath on any new updates or capabilities I think they have mentally disconnected for them already.

[@kospandx]

@@rogerwilliams1180 The G-System would still have been technologically outdated by now, and, what is more important, conceptually outdated. I *love* it for what it is, that is, a thoroughly solid professional unit that offers you everything you need and can withstand the rigours of touring. I suspect that it is too large and heavy for most players today, since the bedroom market seems increasingly defined by professional KZbinrs with little need for such, and those looking for an all-in-one rack solution these days I think are likely to go for something with amp modelling. That said, the algorithms are still up there with the best, in particular the delays and reverbs. A revamped G-System would surely have been strong enough to allow for a fuller integration of stereo and freer placement of units before and after the preamp, which are my main gripes with the units. The sounds are already there!

[@markallen381]

Fully stereo with midi is the future of Pedalboard switchers.

[@aaronmurray4893]

I assume the buffers in the pbc10 are good quality. Does this eliminate the need to use external buffering completely?

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Yes, they're good, I prefer to mod or request a 1M input impedance on the input buffer however.

[@aaronmurray4893]

@@VertexEffectsInc thanks Mason. I'm sure it won't be too long before I purchase one!

[@geo5772]

OMG, plug n play MIDI? Query abilities? I see the pedal manufacturers having cows over that aspect, (for a while) not to mention what, where, how could older Gen midi enabled devices be kept from obsolescence?