

So first of all, I'm fully aware that this pedalboard makes me look like a total douche but at the same time, being an automation engineer, I couldn't stop once I started heading towards building something like a rack system without having to build a rack.
The heart of this thing is that musicomlab switcher. Basically a programmable true bypass patch bay but it also sends MIDI commands and can control amp channels as well if required. It's really slick and is the most space efficient way I've seen to fit 8 bypass loops on a pedalboard. It also contains buffers before Loop 1 and Loop 5 and an insert between Loops 4 and 5. It's very easy to program.
So I built this thing. Because I can. And it was fun. And I actually find it very useful. It is basically a rack system on the floor and looks slightly less douchey than toting around a rack. And I like effects. And making things do neat stuff.
The signal path is;
-Cantrell wah
-EFX unit:
* Loop 1 - my DIY dynacomp clone.
* Loop 2 - Line 6 M9 (the patches are changed by MIDI from the EFX) doing filters, compressors, boosts, modulation and some delays
* Loop 3 - MXR 78 Distortion with a GE-7 after it. I really like the distortion but the EQ of the pedal isn't optimal for my amp so I stuck the GE-7 in there
* Loop 4 - Way Huge Green Rhino (a tubescreamer)
The EFX then has an out to insert other effects so the volume pedal is next. The EFX also has a tuner output that activates when you hit the mute switch so the TU-2 is plugged into that.
* Loop 5 - my DIY OCD clone. I added an output buffer to the circuit to help it get along with other pedals.
* Loop 6 - a send to the Diamond Memory Lane Jr. An analog voice digital delay. Sounds very good. The output of this goes to a second amp (or mixer input) and is set for delays only (no dry signal). The EFXs loops are configured that plugging into a loop send jack doesn't cut the signal through the unit, meaning you can run simultaneous parallel outputs from it.
* Loop 7 - a send to the right input/output of the Line 6 M5 (again, the patches are changed by MIDI) doing reverbs and delays. Again, goes to the second amp or mixer input for more stereo options. Basically, if the M5 is being used for reverb, I have loop 7 on to do stereo reverb. If it's set for delay, Loop is off.
* Loop 8 - the left input/output of the M5.
Out to the black patch box which I'm still experimenting with. The lowest output is the main output which goes to one amp. The middle one is the output from the Memory Lane and the top one is the output from one side of the M5 which go to the other amp. These last two outputs have volume controls to sort of blend delay and reverb. I'm having phase issues though since the M5 and memory lane are out of phase and will cancel each other. So I'm not sure I'll be able to get it to do what I want but we'll see. It'll end up being an active blender circuit probably.
The tap pedal is plugged into an expression jack on the EFX which you can then configure to send tap commands via MIDI so it's set to send tap tempo to the M5. I can hit the tap tempo on the memory lane and the M5 at the same time because now they're right beside each other. Useful for stereo delay.
Line 6 doesn't implement MIDI thru on their devices for some reason so I needed that little MIDI box underneath to split the signal from the EFX to the MIDI inputs on the M5 and M9. Normally you can daisy chain MIDI devices but not with Line 6. An easy fix but annoying.
Power units are a voodoo lab PP2 and ISO5 plus wall warts for the M9 and M5.





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