Which Switcher Is RIGHT For You?

Which programmable pedalboard switcher should you choose? With so many different switchers on the market with varying capabilities and accommodations, picking a switcher that best suits your needs can be a daunting task. Today, we’ll take a look at some of the best switchers in our industry, and determine which switcher is the best option for you. Whether you’re new to MIDI, a seasoned MIDI veteran, or somewhere in between, there’s a switcher out there for you!
SWITCHERS FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO
Gigrig G2 - shop.thegigrig.com/g2/
Gigrig G3 - shop.thegigrig.com/G3/
EHX Super Switcher - bit.ly/3dVlUR0
BOSS ES5 - amzn.to/329kVY3
BOSS ES8 - amzn.to/3dbs68m
Disaster Area DPC-8EZ - amzn.to/32d7eHC
Musicom Lab EFX-MKV - bit.ly/3uOOF8U
Musicom EFX LE II - bit.ly/3wWyqsm
RJM PBC6X - shop.rjmmusic.com/b-stock-mas...
RJM PBC/10 - shop.rjmmusic.com/mastermind-...
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
00:00 Introduction
01:02 3 Types of "Switcher" Customers
02:30 Customer 1: Beginner Switcher
06:49 Customer 2: Intermediate Switcher
10:36 Customer 3: Pro Switcher
15:31 My Budget Pick
16:56 Most Bang for your Buck Pick
17:48 My Favorite Overall Switcher
19:26 Conclusion
What’s on My Pedalboard with Dani Rabin (feat. Gigrig G2)
• Dani Rabin’s Pedalboar...
⬇️Private Tone Consulting from the Rig Dr. ⬇️
therigdr.com/collections/all/...
🔽Buy our Pedals/Pedalboard Materials🔽
Zip Ties: www.therigdr.com/collections/...
Tie-down Mounts: www.therigdr.com/collections/...
Velcro: www.therigdr.com/collections/...
Pedalboard Patch Cables: www.therigdr.com/products/pat...
Instrument Cables: www.therigdr.com/products/gui...
Pedalboards: www.vertexeffects.com/store#!...
VERTEX Pedals: vertexeffects.com/store
⬇ DIY BUFFER INTERFACE DIAGRAMS, TEMPLATES, & MATERIALS ⬇
Mono - vertexeffects.com/diy-buffer-...
Mono w/Tuner Out - vertexeffects.com/diy-buffer-...
Mono w/Splitter - www.vertexeffects.com/diy-buf...
Mono w/Audition Loop - vertexeffects.com/diy-buffer-...
4 Cable Method (FX Loop) - vertexeffects.com/diy-buffer-...
Wet/Dry - vertexeffects.com/diy-buffer-...
Stereo - vertexeffects.com/diy-buffer-...
🔻 //rig consulting//🔻
therigdr.com/collections/all/...
🔈 //podcast//🔈
Apple: apple.co/36dSQzK
Spotify: spoti.fi/2WGLku8
⬇ RECOMMENDED MATERIALS ⬇
some urls below contain affiliate links
//buffers//
Vertex DIY Buffers - vertexeffects.com/diy-buffer
Mesa Boogie High-Wire (dual buffer) - bit.ly/2lZwS0s
TC Bonafide Buffer (x2 input + output) - amzn.to/2vrTSug
Truetone Buffer (x2 input + output) - amzn.to/2NLDA8l
//power supply//
CIOKS 7 - amzn.to/3d4qOty
CIOKS 8 - amzn.to/2zW5YOn
CIOKS 4 - amzn.to/33jWAOZ
Strymon Zuma - amzn.to/3dpZANe
Strymon Zuma R300 - amzn.to/2ZgLclt
Truetone CS6 - amzn.to/2wWLbII
Truetone CS7 - amzn.to/2x1Nf2k
Truetone CS12 - amzn.to/33rfLq3
Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 3 - amzn.to/3asqK6r
IEC Plug Covers - bit.ly/34fpGl3
//dc power cables//
2.1mm DC Power Plugs (right angle) - bit.ly/2pGqXzI
2.1mm DC Power Plugs (straight) - bit.ly/36wd1sA
Bulk Power Cables (pre made) - amzn.to/3ev1q0t
//midi//
MIDI Plugs (right angle) - bit.ly/2oKHDFG
MIDI Plugs (straight) - bit.ly/32fNNLF
MIDI Cable (bulk) - amzn.to/2tPAHWQ
//velcro//
Vertex Super Lock - therigdr.com/collections/all/...
//cable management//
Zip Ties - www.therigdr.com/products/zip...
Tie Down Mounts - www.therigdr.com/products/tie...
Tone Essentials Kit - www.therigdr.com/products/ton...
//pedalboard tools//
Soldering Iron - amzn.to/2TTdMI4
Solder (60/40) - amzn.to/2U7XhsD
Solder Dispenser - amzn.to/2GpgMpR
Octopus Arms - amzn.to/2V3O8OD
Wire Strippers (30-20 AWG) - amzn.to/2BBMI6n
Wire Strippers (20-10 AWG) - amzn.to/2EbhBR3
Wire Snips - amzn.to/2EazwqU
Vise - amzn.to/2E9eTLO
Heat Gun (embossing gun) - amzn.to/2BwGdlm
Label Maker - amzn.to/2BCBcHU
Label Maker Tape (black) - amzn.to/2Cd3CZe
Label Maker Tape (clear) - amzn.to/34piDD4
Deoxit D5 Contact Cleaner - amzn.to/2GEm4gu
Truetone Milliamp (mA) Reader - amzn.to/2F9v3VN
Tone Brush - amzn.to/2HIfze3
Upholstery Crow Bar - amzn.to/2HIOU0K
Multimeter - amzn.to/2YW9BdE
Goo Gone - amzn.to/31rGJeS
#pedalboardswitcher #programmableswitcher #rigdoctor

[@VertexEffectsInc]

What's your favorite switcher of the bunch? Or one that we didn't mention? Tell us below! SWITCHERS FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO: Gigrig G2 - shop.thegigrig.com/g2/ Gigrig G3 - shop.thegigrig.com/G3/ EHX Super Switcher - bit.ly/3dVlUR0 BOSS Es-5 - amzn.to/329kVY3 BOSS Es-8 - amzn.to/3dbs68m Disaster Area DPC-8EZ - amzn.to/32d7eHC Musicom Lab EFX-MKV - bit.ly/3uOOF8U Musicom EFX LE II - bit.ly/3wWyqsm RJM PBC6X - shop.rjmmusic.com/b-stock-mastermind-pbc-6x/ RJM PBC/10 - shop.rjmmusic.com/mastermind-pbc-10/

[@mikeolivera149]

BOSS MS-3!!!

[@peterpink5393]

I have now G2 and I use Selah Quartz with it to program midi when I need more complex programming and display. I'm going to buy G3. G2 is so easy and fast to use and I'm really happy with it and when I get G3, I don't need that Selah Quarzt anymore.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

@@mikeolivera149 not really the same thing...more of a multieffects unit.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

@@peterpink5393 Nice!

[@gadielescalante8378]

Morningstar MC6

[@briancherry8088]

I learned a very important lesson in this video - I am too poor to buy a switcher

[@VertexEffectsInc]

In time....or second hand!

[@briancherry8088]

@@VertexEffectsInc I thought when the kids grew up it would be my time.... now Grandkids. USED IT IS!

[@adamkrasneski3679]

Learn to solder. I think i can build a basic one for around $25. Just no midi.

[@lavadoraautomatica1]

Lol!

[@watcherdan7437]

Yes Brian me too way out of my budget. I can only afford cheap Chinese knock offs. Yea

[@smeemusic]

Just sold my ehx super switcher and purchased a boss es-8. I couldn't be happier. I was too limited on my ehx with only having 1 pc and 1 cc message at a time. Now I can program way more than I need on the es-8 and its super easy. Small learning curve but seriously not that bad.

[@boabglen]

Is the manual shit? I've heard so

[@davidharrold9189]

G2 does a lot. It also has stereo outputs one of which is isolated with a transformer and allows the phase to be reversed (specifically designed for stereo amps). It provides 120 presets, which is less than some, but still quite a lot. The bank function is well thought out, you don’t have to navigate through loads of banks, hit the bank button and pick your desired bank by hitting switches 1 through 8. Allows you to use switches to turn presets on/off or you can assign a switch to turn any effect on/off (I.e. set your basic sounds to presets, then use switches to selectively add or subtract a desired effect). That’s way better than remembering a load of presets, although you can do that also. It’s ease of use doesn’t compromise functionality, it’s really well thought out. Lastly and most importantly it has top quality sound.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

David, many of the switchers on here have that feature, and do it for less money with more options. Musicom Lab, RJM both have this feature as well with isolated outputs, switching matrix, etc. Sound quality is difficult for most to determine since they're not comparing switchers side-by-side. Most of them, in bypass at least, are all pretty good, not many discernible differences internally in terms of how the wiring of matrix might impact the tone. The buffers on them however are very different and The Gig Rig buffers aren't at the same level as the RJM or the Musicom Lab - they both have around 100-150 ohm output impedance. The Gig Rig version is around 1K (10x higher). That's not great for driving long lines without degradation of sound.

[@tranquilitybase6417]

Happy that I stumbled on this video. 2 years on and still so many options. I have a VERY unique requirement that will require a lot of interesting programming. Can’t wait to dig in further as I finally rebuild my rig.

[@BillyRogan]

This channel is the ultimate resource. Thank you for all the amazing info

[@julio.eduardocenteno1471]

Thank you so much! Your review is truly comprehensive! Stay well!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ThomasHope73]

I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge Mason’s articulation and the video production values; this is great content. 👍

[@benfcormier]

This guy is a fantastic communicator. Really nice job!

[@user-ok3po8gz4w]

I am new to the world of midi, and I ordered EHX Super Switcher few days ago. Your suggestion makes me confident on my decision!! Thanks Mason

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Have fun! Good luck with the build!

[@ronpatterson5483]

All videos are Truely so informative. Can’t quit watching.🤘🤘🤘

[@VertexEffectsInc]

I appreciate that!

[@NefariousDreary]

I watched this video over a year ago and it has been a great help. I got me a super switcher and it has been perfect to use for my synth pedals. The boost on it is killer.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Great!

[@Telecaster65]

Great, great lesson... well learned. Also thanks for your nice and very understandable english... I'm Italian. Thumb up and subscribed. ❤

[@countrybroadband]

I posted this in a reply here but I think it’s worth mentioning. I have had the Boss ES-8 for several years now and even though there are 8 loops I came to the point where I needed an extra loop and I had run out. It was after a bit of consideration that I realized that my 2 midi controlled pedals, Strymon Timeline and Bigsky, do not need to run through the two stereo loops and could actually just go in the chain on the out of the es-8 switcher. This would free up two additional stereo channels to use. How I then turned the Strymon pedals on and off was by simply always sending a midi command to each pedal since I use the ES-8 in song set mode using presets. When I want to turn the delay or reverb off I send a midi command from the es-8 to that pedal to change to a “dry” preset I’ve saved on that pedal. This in turn means the pedals wet effect is not affecting the signal so it’s the same as if I had turned the loop off. Hope this helps someone. This in theory would work with any switcher that had midi functionality. Great Video!

[@colejolley]

This was very helpful. Setting up a studio board and doing comparative research on all the switchers available. I'm advanced on programming and not terribly interested in the "simplicity" approach, but absolutely needed as many loops as I could get. I also absolutely needed a robust computer editor for presets. That took the Gigrig product off the table, unfortunately. Your discussion sealed the MusicomLab EFX MK-VI for me. Thanks!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tmitz73]

Great Video Mason, you're turning me into a Pedalboard Expert!!!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Glad to hear it!

[@The-End-Of-The-Line]

Excellent clear review. Thank you!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Glad it was helpful!

[@blackie75]

Great, vid. Really helpful, thanks 😉😉

[@peterschaefer1665]

Thank you for this! I think the ES-8 might be the one for me. The Musicomlab unit I tried a couple of years ago was to difficult to program from the unit.

[@LyndonWesleyMusic]

Thanks mate. Fantastic information and very thorough.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Glad it was helpful!

[@compucorder64]

Thanks for the rundown. Went with the Boss ES-8, because second-hand units are really good value in UK, around £300 - which gives you a lot for the price of just 3 cups of coffee ;) The Disaster Area is about that price new, ever here. Might have gone ES-5, except they only go for £40-50 less than the ES-8. I guess people value the small size of the ES-5. But I need a couple of stereo loops for loopers, and delay/reverb. Chase Bliss Mood, Cosmos / Polymoon, Mercury X.

[@stevemorovek6470]

Thank you for this!! I was looking at the Boss 8. I’m definitely dude #2 lol. 👍

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Perfecto!!!

[@JeffMarbut]

Easily the most helpful video on this topic. Thanks!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Thanks so much!

[@flipside-entertainment]

Thank you! I am comparative shopping and your insight is very helpful. I am tech savvy after 25 years in IT and Devry University. Thanks again...

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Glad it was helpful!

[@piotrtrypus]

awesome presentation, thank you!

[@joshuaraysummey7679]

This was a great vid. Thanks man!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Anytime!

[@joeralphs9157]

Well thank you for taking the time to sort all this out and it's great to hear it from somebody so experienced. I do have a takeaway question, I would like to place more than one pedal in my Loop and it seems most of these are designed for individual pedals / Loop. My question would be Can I stack three or four together anytime Loop if I chose to?

[@aaronlebos]

Man this was great and very informative, I def subscribed and gave you the thumbs up, thank you! I fall into group one where I'll mostly be using my board for live, I would like to save some $ and go with the EHX but since I will have between 14-16 pedals on my board I feel that I really need the extra two that gigrig2 offers, and even then I will have to double pedal on some loops. I don't think I need much more than to do a little less (or at least cleaner) tap dancing, and improve my signal since now I just go straight through all my pedals.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Thanks for watching! Hope it was helpful!

[@joshcarlton9184]

This is the best review of midi switchers I have seen. Ever.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Glad it was helpful!

[@windowsoflife]

Really practical for anyone! 🙏🏽

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Thanks for watching!

[@naMnivraM]

My Super Switcher is on the way. I've always been a Fender amp with compression and a Blues Driver/ Tube Screamer kinda guy. Been getting more pedals and it's getting annoying turning one off and one on at the same time now that I have about 8 pedals. Looking forward to hitting one button and having a whole new loop at my feet! Thanks for this video.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Very cool! Enjoy!

[@JimmyGkavano]

Excellent recommendations!! Thanks, Mason! What about the Morningstar system? I would like some review at some point, because as everyone else I know you know your stuff, and we trust you! Again, thanks for all these videos you put out there!!

[@BAND-MAID-USA]

Well, all their stuff is usually sold out out of that says anything.

[@ryanmbisson]

As a Musicom EFX user, I can’t praise it enough. I’ve used switchers from Disaster Area, One Control, Boss, and Carl Martin; all of these switchers are nice but I found these switchers to be lacking as my needs/knowledge grew. Doc, you classify this as the tier 3 type switcher, and I agree, but fellow watchers I think it could have been put in each tier. It’s incredibly user friendly. So go buy one, you won’t regret it. Great video, Doc! *edit :: for context I sit between person 2 and 3. Tech enough to get by and nerdy enough to dive in and learn on my own.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Well said, I agree!

[@hoplon88]

learned a lot here. thank you. I just bought a tri parallel mixer from ehx, which will become my switcher.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

cool!

[@HowardFrischer]

Absolutely incredible. Thank you.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Thanks Howard!!!

[@kevie3]

Couldn’t agree more Howard 👏

[@jesusfreakster101]

I opted purchase the Voodoo Labs PX-8, which has met my needs well… up until I added Iridium and Collider to my rig. It has MIDI capability but I cannot figure out how to do that yet 😞. Great content as always Sir. If you put your ability to explain things to simpletons like myself into a switcher, you’d score a win.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Have you tried reaching out to Voodoo Lab?

[@philfrank5601]

Gigrig is a fantastic product, Dan really runs a great company. Their MIDI14 was great sounding, lots of functionally. The next gen G2 took it to another level, but the MIDI14 still could be figured out by new users.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

I suppose we'll see when the G3 really gets out there. I think the G2 has value for a lot of users as outlined here.

[@billytremoloband7456]

Great informative vid as always. After having an es8 (which shit the bed just out of warranty. 😭) and now es5 I can defo say the boss ones are pretty versatile! Would like to get my hands on a g3 atom at some stage.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Nice! But bummer on the Boss!

[@filipedelbel]

Great video! I have been using ES-8 for years! Too bad it needs a midi/usb cable to create presets on a computer, but interface is not that bad!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Yes, great unit

[@bobcuzi]

Incredible video thanks! So glad to hear about smaller switchers and different brands I hadn’t heard of Would you still put separate input and output buffers on either side of a more simple true bypass switcher like the gigrig quartermaster?

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Yes, buffers on the input and output always!

[@kevinberthoud9347]

Thx Mason! I use G3. I like the interface and so far there hasn't been anything I want to do that I have been able to do. That said it is pricey and it may not be for everyone. Morningstar engineering has a lot of good products as well. I especially like their computer interface that makes programming super simple ...

[@BAND-MAID-USA]

Surprised you didn’t even pick 1 do MorningStars switchers. They are VERY well loved and almost always on back order.

[@lyleanderson5407]

Nice video very informative. I'm a big fan of the Boss MS-3 since I just don't need anything more and the built effects sound great. A simple budget midi controller without loops is Disaster Area Design DMC -7 or similar which you can pickup for less than 100 US used. It all comes down to budget and purpose.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Nice! Thanks for watching!

[@TeslaChad]

I didn't see it mentioned but the best decision I've made regarding pedal purchases was the Boss MS-3. It's saved so much space on my board and it takes away all tap dancing I would have to do so it helps me perform better than being stuck behind my board the whole time. There's a handful of times I've taken some pedals off the board because some of the onboard effects sounded better than the ones I was using. I also like that it helps me save space on my board so I don't have to carry around a huge board. The MS-3 comes at my highest recommendation. It'll never leave my board.

[@TeslaChad]

Also, I know it's more of a Multi-Effects Processor but I bought it because of the Loop Switching elements. The only downside to the MS-3 is the ability to not be able to switch your loop orders but that's not a huge deal to me personally.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Because it's a multi effects I didn't mention it here. Check some of our early rig build videos and it's on there!

[@TeslaChad]

@@VertexEffectsInc For sure I totally get it. Just wanted to throw that out there for anyone reading these comments that may not wanna go as big with the other switchers like me. I got it as a switching system first and an effects unit 2nd

[@demetrioerrigo6314]

Finally the video I was waiting for.... please explain how to use a 6 or 8 loop switcher when you have 12 pedals (if you can). Maybe using stuffs as the strymon timeline just with the midi? Or leave some pedals out of the loops? Which pedals can stay out of the loops? I saw your friend Daniel Pedalboard from Virginia in the “Mastering your church Pedalboard” episode and he had an Es8 with more than 8 pedals. Sorry for my English, I really love your videos thank you.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

The MIDI pedals can be used outside of the loops and controlled via MIDI. We did this with Rhett Shull and others with their switcher rigs as you can change settings and turn pedals on/off without being in a loop of the switcher. Ordinarily this would be time-based pedals like delay and reverb, modulation, any sort of looper, things like that.

[@jonasr9330]

Hey! Thank you for this great in depth video! I was wondering… I always play in stereo, but actually heard the first time about isolated audio outputs.. always leaned towards the RJM PBC6 for my future midi controlling.. do you think you would prefer the MK5 when it comes to playing in stereo? Is the difference really that big? 😊

For those wondering about the buffer specs of the Disaster Area, apparently they updated the manual info and it has an input impedance 1M ohm (which is sweet) and a selectable output impedance of 560 ohms up to 33k ohms (that last one a whopping number you will probably never need).

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Cool, thanks for this!

[@pjsalty]

As a "customer #1" this is a fantastic review. Thank you

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jasonstallworth]

Thank you. All I’m looking for is to be able to switch from rhythm to lead on stage with an added boost and delay with one click instead of two. That may not sound like a big deal but I play and sing so that one less click would make a huge difference!

[@Juan_M_Juarez]

Boss es 5 has boost built in unit

[@nickymcficksurschitz3688]

fantastic video! i love how it was broken up for three tiers of nerdliness! well done!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@theelmagoo]

The RJM stuff is top notch!! I love their switchers! And also a great company!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

One of the best

[@krisyoungsteadt9139]

I have a Disaster Area DPC-5 Gen. 3. It's pretty nice, doesn't take up much space, and midi controls my Zoom MS-70 CDR straight out of the box. Super cool!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Nice! Thanks for watching!

[@joeymiller2633]

saving fora gig rig g3 right now!, you can also get an extension hub, which allows you to keep your pedals offstage, and if you want add more controllers onstage, its beyond the rest you mentioned. cant wait to get it. gig rig g3 all the way!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Most of the switchers will allow this function, even 15 years ago.

[@safedangerband]

I’ve got a G3 on one board and PBC6X on another board. I think they are both top of their class and I really dig the RJM app. I wish GigRig would make the app more fully featured. Yeah it’s easier to program on the G3 hardware itself but the RJM app literally has just about any midi command you would want basically preprogrammed for you.

[@jegl1012]

Spot on about Boss units. They also come with software

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Boss is great, easy to use.

[@bjlatter]

I paid for a switcher then saw this video was about to drop and was waiting to see something I didn't know about be mentioned more suitable. Still pretty happy that I'm picking up a second hand Musicomlabs efx mk3 tomorrow. Looking forward to see what I can get out of it.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

They're great switchers!

[@bjlatter]

@@VertexEffectsInc Thanks Mason, love the content and learn alot.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

@@bjlatter I'm so glad!

[@MojoP]

Awesome channel with excellent content - THANK YOU!! Question - you've made it clear unless it's a setlist or gig context, switchers may not be the bees-knees. But I'm in the session/studio/professional hobbyist category and I'm trying to clean up my signal path. That's where I am wondering if it's switcher material, or just buffer material? I'd love to also control my multi-channel amps of which I run 2 in stereo - both MIDI compatible. I currently use a Lehle S-Go-S splitter, but have multiple FX in front and in the loops - with several of the FX being stereo. Thoughts?? Thanks for any feedback.

[@KKMcK1]

First time hearing about Musicom. I am one of those who wants to write out the entire show and be able to switch forward through the songs and their various parts sequentially. This will include both in-front-of-amps devices as well as stereo backline effects in a wet/dry/wet system. Up to now I have been primarily focused on the RJM Mastermind GT22. But, being that no-one makes exactly what I want, I think that, at the end of the day, I need to have everything I want/need custom-made to my specs (cleaner/easier end-product). To be able to tell/show others what I am after so it can be made so that my job during a performance is simplified to an extreme level. Literally just the ability to shift forward through the entire show with just one button, plus some expression pedals for volume, wah, and modulation controls (speed and depth) for more than one effect/device at a time. The next concern is how many wires are running from the front of the stage to the backline. Ideally, 2. One for power and one for AOIP/MIDI sends/receives (DANTE/MADI?). I have other ideas, but they do not apply to this discussion (EXT LED).

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Sounds like a fun project!

[@nedim_guitar]

I just got into switchers. I got one used, a simple by OneControl for $35. Another guy is sending me his Moen GEC8 JR Looper/Switcher, and if I like it I can keep it for $50. But I'm looking at a bigger board so I can fit the Electro-Harmonix one on it and all the pedals that I want to use, without overcrowding my board. This video was very helpful!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Glad it helped!

[@JJDon5150]

Saw your past video on switchers and now I'm thinking of getting one so I don't have to tap dance around all my pedals. Only problem is, I'm having trouble finding one that is compact enough to fit on my pedalboard, but has at least 5 switches, can accomdoate most of my pedals, can switch the clean/dirty channel on my Mesa Boogie Mark V, and can work with the "4 cable method" of FX In/Out of my amp for my effects and noise gate. My current setup looks like Tuner>Noise Gate>Synth>Digitech>Volume>Wah>Compressor>Big Muff>Phaser>OD>Front of Amp and then Effects Send>Tri-Chorus>Delay>Reverb 1>Reverb 2>Loop Station>Effects Return. Any suggestions?

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Well...you tuner doesn't need to be in the loop. Nor does the Volume and wah. Those can be before. If any of your pedals have MIDI like the Chorus, Delay, or Reverb, they can live out of the looper as well and be controlled via MIDI. RJM is my favorite.

[@antonioguedes6903]

The disaster seems like a sweet little guy and so compact. The g3 of that thing can make so much, and you can do even more with the tuner jack and turned it into a multi jack.

[@joseph2707]

Question: I have 4 amps. I use different effect pedals with each amp. (I think about this as 4 different "rigs.") Is there a switcher, which will enable me to include all 4 of my rigs? (The switchers I've seen contemplate only 2 amp outputs, but I have 4 different amps I want to include in my switcher.) How can I do this?

[@Scarecrow6459]

Loves the video! I'm just getting into looping and I really liked some of the options you laid out here. I do have a question though: If I want to use a pedal switcher to not only switch between effects but also guitar amps. Will any of these switchers do that? I really like the EHX Super Switcher but does it have the ability to switch between amps?

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Some of them have an A/B option but often require you to sacrifice one loop, so if it's a 10 loop switcher you only have 9 loops available with one going to the second amp.

[@craigheadland3210]

I am currently putting together my board and this channel has been a blessing! You have also answered all of my questions in the comments which I am really grateful for, so thank you! I have one more if you don’t mind 🙃 I have a Boss ES-8 and I’m wondering if it’s ok to put a pedal in the volume loop to gain an extra loop. Is this something you have done before?

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Glad to help! You can put any pedal in the VP loop, doesn't need to be a volume pedal you just won't have an IA footswitch for it unless you program that or use an external switch of some kind.

[@craigheadland3210]

@@VertexEffectsInc Great! Thank you

[@julio.eduardocenteno1471]

I totally agree!

[@MrDreamTeamGamer]

Joyo has an 8 loop switcher for like ~$150. Been using it for years and it works perfectly for me

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Great!

[@RobertNolan]

I use a BYOC Super8 switcher. Good for what I do and it doubles as a great project which you've gotta build yourself. If I was placing it near any product, it is similar to the EHX. Simple and effective, and a fun build for the tinkerers out there. If I was upgrading to anything, and I don't see it happening but one never knows, I would go with the Boss ES-8. You can do so much with that fantastic piece of gear.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Thanks for watching Robert!!!

[@chipsterb4946]

Funny I never noticed the Super8 Switcher project on BYOC. Really cool device, but I’d lose my mind trying to remember what’s in Preset bank B-3. Thanks for mentioning it - looking at the schematic gave me a much better idea of what’s going on inside these beasties.

[@RobertNolan]

@@chipsterb4946 all you gotta do is tap on that preset and it turns the "On" pedals LED. So you know what is on. I only wish it was easier to cycle through presets and back to switching on/off mode.

[@nosoupformecom]

Hey Mason, could you help out with some advice? I'm torn between two switchers for the board I'm building. It's between BYOC Super8 - 8 loops, compact, no midi - and Boss ES5 which you know well. I'd like midi, but it isn't a show stopper. 5 loops on ES5 is a bit too few - ES8 is too big for the board (Rockboard Quad 4.1) - but it does offer changing the order, which BYOC does not. Especially for my Chase Bliss Condor I think would be good to be able to move around. But again, 5 loops would mean not all pedals could get one, so you see my dillemma. Any super clever tips/ideas/suggestions? Thanks bro.

[@kylezakk]

I'm looking for one that won't break the band, thoughts one the Blackstar live logic 6-button or MeloAudio midi commander?

[@marconowajewski2133]

Hi Mason! First of all, thanks for the video and all the information you share. Sorry to bother you, but I have a question for you. I will be for ever grateful if you can answer. I just bought a Musicom Lab EFX MK VI, and I need to know if I can use the 4CM with 3 Loops (Phaser/Tremolo; Chorus; Eventide H90). I'd really like to use it through the FX Loop, but I don't know how. Thanks again Mason, and sorry for my english 😬

[@carlbrady6132]

Hi Mason! Love the content on the channel. I got a PBC 10 and you got me intrigued with the buffer mods. Any chance you could send a diagram or instructions to perform these mod?

[@VertexEffectsInc]

I'm going to check with Ron and Sherri before I release anything! I don't want them to have a bunch of "tone vigilantes" on their hands LOL

[@thishandesilva2500]

Question - I’m relatively new to the world of switchers, so I only have a basic understanding of how they work. So I have a 2-in-1 distortion/OD pedal (Magnetic Effects Dual Drive) which I absolutely adore - no midi functionality or anything special like that. Left side is a Proco Rat clone and right side is a TS clone. I adore this pedal and it’s my go-to for all my gain needs, but it can be a real pain sometimes having to switch between the distortion side and OD side (especially mid-song) since it has a relatively small footprint and the on/off switches are pretty close together. I usually end up engaging both sides by accident. Is there any switcher on the market that would allow me to have 2 separate patches/presets - one for the distortion side in high gain scenarios, and another for the OD side in low gain scenarios? If not, is there any mod that can be done to the pedal to make this possible? Thanks in advance!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Unless it has as way to separate them internally you'll be stuck always having to change one channel manually or modding the pedal to separate the channels.

[@fabzbmc2609]

Really interesting. Thinking about getting a switcher and probably the boss ES8. My only concern if finding the info if loops can be routed only to a specific amp out (using 2 amps with specific effects hitting each of them and no effect loop on these amps). Maybe you have that info and a way to do it. In any case thanks for the video !

[@sqlb3rn]

I like RJM stuff, I have the Effects Gizmo full stereo version rack mount with pedal shelves, 2 amp gizmos for stereo half stacks, and the Mastermind GT10 midi controller. A pedalboard switcher for stereo rig would require a ton of cable length between the amps and pedalboard, and none had enough stereo TRS loops for my signal pathing. With the rack setup, only a midi foot controller is needed, and some midi controllable pedals like reverb and delay and wah and midi volume modules for both amp fx loops. May seem overkill but my setup is for a live rig as the only guitarist in a metal band, and I use clean tones too... so I run two amps in stereo with a doubler and both fx loops with stereo pedals. It took a ton of research and studying manuals, but a mono rig would have been wayyyy cheaper and less complicated, but not the sound I want.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Thanks for sharing!

[@gal_aizic]

Hi Dr! I'm kinda torn between the ES-8 and the Musicomlab V. Both are about the same price here, and have mostly similar features. any reason I might be missing to choose one over the other? also, how do they compare size-wise and sound-wise? Thanks :)

[@hrvojemolnar7806]

Which switcher can support 2 input/output as I am using my delay/reverb/chorus in amp fx loop. And I want to keep them there and in front of the amp I am using other pedals: comp, OD, EQ... So I want be able to keep that chain and use a switcher to activate e.g. pedals from chain in front of the amp and in the fx loop. Any ideas?

[@straker101]

Great overview! I'm new to the loop switcher realm, but looking to see if there is a readily available solution to what I'm after. Apologies if this is a simple and easy answer, but I've been searching and can't seem to find a definitive solution. Hopefully you can help! I currently run a simple analog board starting with mono pedals then with the last couple of pedals being stereo. The last pedal is a TC Mimiq Stereo doubler which runs into two amps (Twin Reverb and HiWatt DR504). Below is my current chain: Volume > Tuner > Wah > Pitchfork > Hoof > Fuzz War > Plumes > Whirlwind Orange Box > Walrus Monument > OBNE Dark Star > Strymon Brigadier >> Mimiq >> Stereo out to Twin Reverb and DR504. My gain sound all comes from my fuzz pedals (EQD Hoof and DBA Fuzz War), near the front of my chain (after wah and pitchfork). I use both of those fuzz's interchangeably and sometime stack them. What I'd really like to do, if somehow possible, is be able to split those two fuzz pedals and run them individually to each amp. Problem is that there are mono pedals between the fuzz pedals and the stereo pedals. Is there is a loop switcher or device out there than can: 1) Accommodate splitting my signal into two chains (with the fuzz pedals at the front of each chain) 2) Both chains be identical to each other, as per above (both utilizing the same mono pedals at the same time) with the exception of the fuzz pedals (chain one would use the Hoof, chain two would use the fuzz war) 3) Activate/deactivate both fuzz pedals at the same time with one button 4) Stereo outs (chain one to the Twin Reverb, chain two to the Hiwatt) 5) Ideally in a small'ish package

[@VertexEffectsInc]

I'm not fully following the signal path, but RJM is the most sophisticated, perhaps contact RJM?

[@straker101]

@@VertexEffectsInc yes sorry I’m probably making it more confusing than necessary. Basically need to know if I can run parallel chains with both chains utilizing the same pedal at the same time.

[@kombik7189]

Just finished putting together a board around a PBC 6X and then put all of the songs, set lists and presets into it, ready for a solo gig this week. It is the gold standard. If you can afford one the RJM stuff is the industry standard. Cry once, buy the best.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Yes indeed!

[@kombik7189]

@@VertexEffectsInc for the record, I owned one of the other ones you recommended and while it was great, it then developed faults. It was fully repaired under warranty, even though it was 3 years old, but I felt I couldn’t trust it. Hence, the importance of buying best first time.

[@jawsxx8683]

This is probably a dumb question, but which of these would you recommend for a 3 amp setup (sometimes stereo) for an advanced user (using one for clean, one for dirty, one for both).

[@jessedaly7847]

I’ve preordered a g3 atom for my wet/dry/wet board. I’ll use it for all my stereo pedals (6 stereo loops), and for the front end of my dry amp I’ll be adding a morning star ML5 (5 mono loops) which is super compact and can be slaved to the g3.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Cool! What are you using for the parallel mixer for the stereo wet effects?

[@jessedaly7847]

@@VertexEffectsInc the g3 has at least one parallel mixer, but honestly I may run an impure wet (some dry) in order to run delay into reverb without loosing the initial sound (before the delays are happening) in the reverb. But I’ll play with doing the delay and reverb in parallel with kill dry too... I am also interested in running a couple delays in parallel though.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

@@jessedaly7847 right but you can only have one effect in the mixer that's fully wet.

[@jessedaly7847]

@@VertexEffectsInc I'm not sure I understand what you mean here, frankly i'm a decently smart guy with a math degree, but the whole parallel killdry signal chain thing can get pretty freaky pretty fast and I'm not sure I really get it all the time. But since the Atom allows you to change the mixer configuration and even pedal order per preset it's going to be a great platform for figuring out how to do this stuff, and experiment without having to rewire my board every time I'd like to try a different approach. I would have thought that you could run 2 stereo effects in parallel both in kill dry, being fed by the slave out of my dry amp and get a decent result, but maybe that's not what you are getting at? In any case I have a lovely analog stereo phaser, as well as a stereo tube tremolo, in addition to a pair of stereo delays and reverb, oh yeah and a chorus/flanger... So obviously i'll be having a less than pure killdry situation going on downstream of my dry amp. Now if I had stereo dry amps AND stereo wet amps...

[@VertexEffectsInc]

@@jessedaly7847 you'd have to break the loops somehow, similarly to how you would do a 4CM set up, but fed by the line out from your dry amp into the switcher after you've already exited the switcher with your dry path. The line level input would feed your mixer with your 100% wet effects set to kill dry, however, I don't think you can have multiple parallel mixes in this unit and I'm also not sure if your trem or phaser go 100% wet, a lot of them don't and aren't designed to be "return only" effects like you'd see in a mix bus.

[@westofsunday2779]

Very informative and useful as usual Mason!! I just ordered an EHX Super Switcher but am already rethinking that decision based on this video because of the potential buffer issue. I guess I’ll have to see how it sounds but am I better off turning off the SS buffers and just using my Polytune and Timeline at the beginning and end of my chain? Thanks!!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Yes, I think so, using external buffers on this is preferable.

[@jasonriveraactual]

Great video! Will you be making a video of your WET DRY WET PBC6X rig? I have a PBC6X myself and have been wondering what the best way to go about routing this setup is? I’m having issues with isolation/grounding issues right now. Not sure how to remedy this and hoping you’ll talk about it.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Yes, I will be! I'm not using the PBC to do the Wet/Dry/Wet...it's not great for that internally.

[@jtkennedy182]

Mason, another question I have about routing with switchers. I have a few pedals that have a single input and dual outputs (a Boss CH-1, an MXR 10 band EQ). I currently run the Boss in mono with my switcher, and the first output of my MXR goes into my switcher, and then the second one goes out into the second input of my Roland JC40. That line is only engaged when that pedal is in the loop I’m using, if that makes sense. How would I run multiple pedals like this into that second Roland input? I’m considering getting a Boss flanger with the same type of setup. Only thing I can imagine is like a box where it has 3 inputs for those 3 extra outs on those pedals, then a single cable into that second Roland input. Hopefully this makes sense. Is this possible? What gear would make this work? Thanks Rig Dr!

[@jtkennedy182]

The switcher is a Voodoo Lab PX8 plus!

[@me0_0irl]

You mentioned around 18:55 that RJM does not allow to change the order of the effects, but I'm pretty sure that RJM PBC 6X does (while PBC 10 does not): "What’s new about this model? The big new feature is the ability to rearrange loop order. Your effects can automatically be placed in a different order for each preset. Aside from that, it’s smaller and less expensive than the original Mastermind PBC, making it more suitable for smaller pedalboards." Great video, I'm a Musicomlab user myself, great piece of equipment.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

I don’t think anything is said in the video to disqualify what you said about the RJM, we talked about both models, and you’re correct only the PBC6X has that switching matrix.

[@me0_0irl]

​@@VertexEffectsInc around 18:50 while comparing PBC 6X to EFX V there's a quote "and the fact that you can change order with that same matrix is really really helpful, the RJM equivalent doesn't allow you to change the order and the positioning of the effects"

[@VertexEffectsInc]

@@me0_0irl I think that quote was talking about the EFX V that's the equal to the RJM PBC10. The MKV has 9 loops and a volume loop, the RJM has 10. The EFXLE is the equivalent to the PBC6x

[@me0_0irl]

@@VertexEffectsInc got it!

[@mikestroud9969]

Guy gives us some good info. Thanks man. I think most of us can only afford a few toys. 😎👍👌💯🎸🎸

[@VertexEffectsInc]

You bet

[@dj4blues]

Hi Mason. Great videos and very helpful - thanks. A question: I use a small pedalboard going into the front-end of a Marshall but chorus, trem & delay are separated from the rest and use the amp's fx in/out loop. Are you aware if any switchers allow this type of configuration so I can stop using the extra two cables (for the fx loop)? Hope this question makes sense.. Cheers.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Most of them have some ability for 4 cable method. You’ll always need 4 cables

[@darrylmcclendon]

Thank for the great review. Question......Have you seen/reviewed the Carl Martin Octa-Switch "The Strip" It's new on the market and really seems like a great switch.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

I've seen it...seems to be more along the lines of the Disaster area but with fewer features.

[@joegrantjr]

Hey Mason - Great content as always! What are your thoughts on the Morningstar MC8 with a Voodoo Lab Hex or ML5?

[@VertexEffectsInc]

The Morningstar is a disaggregated unit, two pieces, not all in one. This makes it impractical to compare to these fully loaded switchers. Same with the Hex.

[@Guitarman007]

A little surprised you didn't dig into the EFX LE II. Great buffers and buffer control. Loop reordering, parallel mixing etc.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

It's mentioned in there I think...we talk about a few different models from Musicom Lab.

[@Guitarman007]

Nope. You mention the V but not the LE II.

[@DIYGuitarMods]

Hi, excellent comparison. I wanted to ask, in your experience, do any of these switchers have send and return volumes that can also be saved as presets along with the loop order?

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Yes, most of these have that feature standard.

[@jamiewatson1873]

Thank you for the thoughtful and informative video on this topic. I am primarily interested in finding a switcher that facilitates sound design and song writing (rather than midi control or programming set lists for stage performance). I will be using the pedal board with multiple amps - some of which have effect loops and some don't. I would prefer to use a computer to play with the pedal order and otherwise program the switcher presets, rather than having to do a lot of button pushing and menu diving on the front panel to audition different rig configurations. Expandability is also important if I can get it. What switcher would you recommend for me?

[@VertexEffectsInc]

I like the RJM and the Musicom a lot for this!

[@sterlingmcvay2469]

Have you done a video on your Wet-Dry-Wet Build? Would be interested in seeing that. Thanks, this was VERY INFORMATIVE. I'm in the Contemplation zone right now, but know I will be getting a Switcher this Year, Sometime. Also, now you have to Look at the Brand New Carl Martin?

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Not yet, working on it slowly. I've seen the new Carl Martin, it's not quite like these, more like the Voodoo Lab DingBat series stuff.

[@schipbreukeling3]

I can't wait to see al these musicians in real live action again with there amazing pedalboards.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Me too!!!

[@SpiritCrusher89]

Got myself a new MusicomLab EFX-LE II for 410€, shipping cost included. Should arrive this Friday. What a bargain!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

Great unit!

[@AndyBoldry]

@VertexEffectsInc first of all, great video about these switchers! It’s given me a jumping off point for my research regarding which one to buy. I had a question related to the PBC 6X, which looks like an early contender for me. Mason mentioned how the PBC 6x, through use of the stereo loops can actually get you to 11 loops (forgive me if these weren’t the exact numbers). I was curious as to how that actually works. I know the concept involves using stereo loops in mono, but when I’ve done research on the PBC 6X specifically, it just looks like, for a mono board, the cap would still be the 7 if you included the expression loop. Can you elaborate as to how you actually get to the 11 loops? Thanks again and I hope that isn’t a stupid question. I am currently leaning in the direction of the PBC 6x switcher. - Andy

[@MultiGuitarDave]

Are there also switchers without a foot switch? Which I can control with, for example, an external foot switch or the Kemper Stage.

[@TannerCPetersonMusic]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Joyo PXL loop switchers. Very affordable and seems to be one of the best deals, at least on the surface.

[@VertexEffectsInc]

I haven't seen any in person

[@getvicky13]

Loved the video! Mason, are there any other products like the Parallelizer? I do believe that the Wetter Box by Gig Rig is one, and then there are the rackmount line mixers. But is there anything else that's pedalboard friendly?

[@VertexEffectsInc]

It's not the same product. The Wetter Box, or even the Xotic X Blender (what preceded the Wetter Box), are only a single loop with no dedicated dry (just a mix knob, fully left is dry, fully right is wet, but most of the effects still have dry in them so...not really a wet/dry rig) - they're not really designed for a wet/dry/wet rig specifically. The Parallelizer is actually pretty small, smaller than you think, stereo, and has three stereo mixes and a separate dry mix and all the effects inside it should be set to kill dry or return only.

[@getvicky13]

@@VertexEffectsInc got it. Thanks!!

[@Lennartvdijk]

Awsome video! I was wondering, if there is a switcher out there that can do the change order thing for 18 pedals? Im using the es8 for that now, but im still stuck with the order on some pedals bc they are in the same loop. Two es8's wont work in that way unfortunately. Would be great to hear your thoughts!

[@VertexEffectsInc]

No, not that I know of. Not 18 pedals. I think the G3 can do 12. RJM can do 10.

[@adambosse]

does the es-8 have isolated outputs that are phase reversible? of all of the switchers out there.. this seems like one of the most important things for a switcher to have but I'm finding a lot of them lack it

[@VertexEffectsInc]

No and no. You would need to have something like a Lehle P split on top of one amp to isolate it and have polarity control. You could also get around the polarity thing by having one inverted speaker cable if the amps didn’t match up. If you kept them on the same grounds you may not need the galvanic isolation

[@brunodeoliveira331]

Hi ! Just received a Musicom Lab EFX MKVI and I've tried to send multiples midi messages (CC12/CC13/CC14) to channel 1 (TC Electronic Triple delay) to activate one delay and turn off the other, and that's not working well. I've set it like this and when I'm selecting preset.001 it takes several stomps on the footswitch to actually do what I asked for. Do you have a solution ? It was working with my first switcher (One control OC10W) : PC1/CC12/CV127, PC1/CC13/CV127 and PC1/CC14/CV000 to turn off delay 1 + delay 2 and turn on delay 3 I'm kinda out of solutions...

[@VertexEffectsInc]

These switchers aren't all 1:1...you might consider asking Musicom as they're very helpful in this process. Typically, as I'm learning new software, I'll try one function at a time and then build the rest one by one until I get the hang of it. Sometimes it's hard to isolate if the issue is you or the software if you do too much at once.