Looper's Delight Archive Top (Search)
Date Index
Thread Index
Author Index
Looper's Delight Home
Mailing List Info

[Date Prev][Date Next]   [Thread Prev][Thread Next]   [Date Index][Thread Index][Author Index]

Re: dragging instruments around



My attitude towards gear schleppage goes back and
forth like a pendulum. Since I like to use a wide
variety of instruments, that entails carrying a lot of
stuff, and then of course it goes to figure that if I
*have* a processor, it might as well be wired in and
accessible, so the rack/pedalboard grows
exponentially. Guitars in different tunings on stands,
spares for things I use a lot... It's great;
everything I use is at my feet or fingertips. My
solution to the setup time problem is (like many of
you also do) to use a pedalboard and a rack where
everything, mixer and all, stays wired; just pop 'em
out of their cases, plug in a couple of cords, and
you're ready to go. My full rig only takes about five
minutes to set up. Once it's transported, that is...
(You can see it in the photos section at
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pedalboards/>)

One downside, though, is the effect that the sheer
bulk and weight of such a system has on spontaneous
creativity. I live in a second-story apartment. If a
friend calls and says "Let's play", it's a fairly
major deal to transport the full rig alone, even if
the actual setup is efficient. And, depending on the
gig, I don't always need multi-instrument looping
capability.

Since the rack/pedalboard system is pretty involved
and a lot of work went into it, I've been reluctant to
tear it apart to 'smallerize' it, and then not have
the full setup as an option. But I've just found a
happy medium; without disassembling the big board
(with its built-in power supplies and routed cabling),
I've just built a smaller one (24" x 19") into which I
can pop selected pedals. Right now it consists of (in
order) a Rolls 4-in 1-out passive mixer, an ancient 
Guyatone Z-II overdrive, an EQ, a Mister CryBaby
volume/wah, a Boss delay (a PS-2 which isn't working
correctly, so this might be a DD-3), a DigiTech
DigiVerb whose two outputs go to a Headrush and an
RC-20, each of which go to a small 1-12" combo amp.
There's a power suppy, an AC strip and a little output
box on the board as well, and the cover fits onto it
so it carries like a suitcase. It's all carpeted so
the pedals velcro right down to it.

If I want to use the full system, all I have to do is
put the pedals back on...

So... I've been getting into working with the
limitations imposed by using a smaller rig. One thing
I really miss is the ability to fade non-synched loops
in and out with the mixer, but I (sort of) found a
work-around this morning. I took some 1.5" rubber
protective feet
<http://www.markertek.com/MTStore/product.CFM?BaseItem=TCH%2D1603>
and pressed them down onto the 'level' controls of the
Headrush and the RC-20. (I made little indicator
labels for them so I can see the setting.) Now I can
fade the loop in or out with the side of my foot while
playing! It had annoyed me that neither of these
pedals have separate wet/dry outs, but this way it
works to my advantage as when I fade out one of the
loopers, the straight signal is still going through
the other one. It's not full-range, and therefore not
suited to looping multi-instruments, but for a simple
guitar looping rig, it's working pretty well.

I'll post a shot of the small pedalboard at the above
link soon...

-t-

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Web Hosting - establish your business online
http://webhosting.yahoo.com