# Pedal board help



## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

So I’m waiting for someone to come pick something up this weekend and if he does I’m picking up 7 pedals and few later on since I have yet to out how rents working out this month since I started working again.

ok here’s my question

I know nothing about power blocks or even the board platform it’s self.
I’m not sure what size board I’ll need or if there’s boards with built in power blocks ect most time I would have ran two or three just on the floor but I want things to be neat and tidy. Thsnks


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Get something that has isolated output like Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 or 2 plus etc.

Pedals have different jacks, and they have tip and sleeve either positive or negative tip.

Different voltages (ie- 9v, 12v, 14.5v, 18v etc).

They are usually dc (direct current like a battery, but sometimes are ac or alternating current like the wall plug.

The also have mA requirements that have to be met.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

You don’t buy a complete pedal board in one go. You build one piece by piece, swapping out pedals until you get it just the way you want. Then you tweak some more.

Start small and build as you go. Get your tuner, a drive pedal and maybe some kind of modulation then add stuff later.


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## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

player99 said:


> Get something that has isolated output like Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 or 2 plus etc.
> 
> Pedals have different jacks, and they have tip and sleeve either positive or negative tip.
> 
> ...


now I never thought of that and I’m assuming you can’t mix and match voltages



JBFairthorne said:


> You don’t buy a complete pedal board in one go. You build one piece by piece, swapping out pedals until you get it just the way you want. Then you tweak some more.
> 
> Start small and build as you go. Get your tuner, a drive pedal and maybe some kind of modulation then add stuff later.


Yeah I guess I don’t need to rush .
the ones I’m mostly interested in are
Strymon flint
Friedman dirty Shirley
Earthquaker avalanche run

actually that being said the avalanche run is also reverb and I don’t need 2 I might try the jhs lucky cat


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I plan my board out for what pedals I'm going to use then I decide what power supply I'm going to use. I've had some more complicated boards that have needed power supplies that were more versatile. For example I've used Kingsley pedals that required a high MA (500-600Ma) a Diamond Memory Lane that required 18v - 24 v center positive and a Cali 76 that I preferred run at 18v. For that board I used a Cioks DC7 which came with a mix of center negative, center positive cables, voltage doublers, etc and was able to supply the mA I needed. As well I was able to buy a nice Cioks mount for pedal train boards. I check the power requirements of all the pedals I plan for a board and go from there.
Right now I'm running 2 smaller boards, one that has my drive pedals, using a Cioks DC4 as it has enough to run my Kingsley Page and the other that runs my time effects I use a Voodoo Labs pedal power x4


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

For all the pedals you're interested in buying, make sure you add up the total current draw (mA = milliamps). Your power supply needs to be able to supply enough to all the effects you want. You can usually find the mA in the specs.

Plus, each outlet on the power supply also needs to be able to supply adequate current to each pedal.

My recommendation is a Truetone CS7 (1900mA total) or CS12 (3000mA total). They're a step up from the old-school Voodoo Labs stuff. They use a switching power supply so that you don't have to worry about an output not having enough current. The power supply automatically redirects current as needed. As long as you have enough total current, you should be good.

Other things to consider (as others mentioned) are whether a pedal is center pin negative (they usually are), AC instead of DC, and how many volts are required (e.g. 18v or 12v instead of 9v). That might also influence the power supply you purchase.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

PedalTrain Jr offers good bang for your buck. Many power supplies have brackets designed for mounting with PedalTrain.

I recommend getting some of your pedals first before buying the board. That way you can physically measure them out to see how everything will fit. Plus, it helps to see exactly where the inputs and outputs are located.

This article might be helpful. The stuff about buffering is good to know about.









Pedalboards: How to Build the Perfect System from Start to Finish


We unravel the mysteries behind pedalboard design and building




www.guitarplayer.com


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

I like the Temple boards but they're not for everyone. @JBFairthorne gave some good advice - better to get your pedals one at a time and get to know it. I bought a full board from a guy last year, and it was a bit overwhelming.


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## markxander (Oct 24, 2009)

Hey if you want it neat and tidy and you never want to worry about power and patch cables (or even a board!) the Helix HX Stomp is an awesome alternative.


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## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

markxander said:


> Hey if you want it neat and tidy and you never want to worry about power and patch cables (or even a board!) the Helix HX Stomp is an awesome alternative.


What are they like can you use multiple on one effect. I hated that you couldn’t with the boss gt6 and tuning your settings was really limited. The helix will be in my price range when buddy come to pick up that old amp . One day is one thing and another thing the next. Had to pass on a amp I had interest in because he ended up being called into work and didn’t want to leave the other guy hanging.


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## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

BlueRocker said:


> I like the Temple boards but they're not for everyone. @JBFairthorne gave some good advice - better to get your pedals one at a time and get to know it. I bought a full board from a guy last year, and it was a bit overwhelming.


Yes his advice tells me people here know what I am like and aren’t afraid to tell me to slowdown or “ you don’t need that. I can be slightly impulsive. @RBlakeney @JBFairthorne have given me some great advice and I plan on checking out some ideas that RB gave me for small amps especially for later on in the evening. My apartment setup is wonderful because I can run the twin but if I go anywhere a smaller amp would be great. And you and JBF are probably more than correct about the multiple pedals all at once . And some mentioned something about power ratings and that’s way over my head so I do think maybe 3 or four will be good to start with .

and if buddy would hav Been working I probably would have bought a single 12” supra black magic or keely special.


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## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

Grab n Go said:


> PedalTrain Jr offers good bang for your buck. Many power supplies have brackets designed for mounting with PedalTrain.
> 
> I recommend getting some of your pedals first before buying the board. That way you can physically measure them out to see how everything will fit. Plus, it helps to see exactly where the inputs and outputs are located.
> 
> ...


I’ll have to read this when I get home today


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## markxander (Oct 24, 2009)

silvertonebetty said:


> What are they like can you use multiple on one effect. I hated that you couldn’t with the boss gt6 and tuning your settings was really limited. The helix will be in my price range when buddy come to pick up that old amp . One day is one thing and another thing the next. Had to pass on a amp I had interest in because he ended up being called into work and didn’t want to leave the other guy hanging.


the HX Effects has six footswitches and you can assign each one to its own pedal, and you can have as many of them on as you like at a time. you also have presets so you can have several different pedalboard set ups if you want. i used one instead of a pedalboard for a year and really liked it, but then the pandemic hit and I started tinkering/buying more pedals.


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## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

markxander said:


> the HX Effects has six footswitches and you can assign each one to its own pedal, and you can have as many of them on as you like at a time. you also have presets so you can have several different pedalboard set ups if you want. i used one instead of a pedalboard for a year and really liked it, but then the pandemic hit and I started tinkering/buying more pedals.


I might have to look into that


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## markxander (Oct 24, 2009)

silvertonebetty said:


> I might have to look into that


pretty easy to use, no patch cables or power to worry about ever. if i wasn't already a "pedal guy" with tons of pedals, cables, and associated junk, I'd be REALLY tempted to go back to it


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

I think an Hx effects is a good idea. I have had one, but I had so many pedals I only ended up using it for the looper and reverb. theres some great sounds in it, and if Nothing else it will simply everything for you, and give you an idea of what effects you like.


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## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

RBlakeney said:


> I think an Hx effects is a good idea. I have had one, but I had so many pedals I only ended up using it for the looper and reverb. theres some great sounds in it, and if Nothing else it will simply everything for you, and give you an idea of what effects you like.


That’s actually why I bought the boss gt 6 . It was a good idea because i figured out pretty quickly what effects I like and don’t


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Seriously. Building a personal board is incredibly fun. It’s a process. Start slow with what you’re absolutely sure you need. A tuner is a good start (another vote for Polytune). An absolute safe bet that in 2 months you’re not going to be trying to find a better tuner. It’ll stay.

Maybe try 2 or 3 ODs/distortions. They’re generally cheaper than modulation effects and they can sound very different from amp to amp. You could probably find several $120 or less ods here or on Kijiji. Keep them a while, tweak. Learn what you like and don’t. Keep one or two or none, sell for little to no loss except maybe shipping expense.

If there’s a particular modulation you like then maybe get one or two of those. For me, it was chorus but maybe you really dig flange. It’s easier to figure out how to use an effect or what you like or don’t with an effect that you generally love and that you have experience with.

Once you’ve got 3 or 4 pedals you really like then start branching out into other effects, different modulations, tremolo. Whatever. You’ll have a good base sound to try effects that you may have less experience with.

A couple of further thoughts.

Don’t necessarily spend a ton of dough on a pedal that is supposed to be the best, like a Flint for example because they don’t always live up to the hype…at least the way you operate them. I was dying for a Mobius forever and almost immediately hated it. I found it way too much work and almost counter intuitive, way too confusing to dial in specific sounds I wanted. Tons of great sounds there…that I just couldn’t wring out of it. Start with less expensive pedals, especially for effects you have less experience with. You can always upgrade later. That being said, I didn’t lose anything on my Mobius. Some pedals, like a used Flint are relatively easy to re sell if it’s not your thing.

Don’t be so quick to sell a pedal if you’re not sure. Even if it means saving up for something else rather than getting it right away. You may come back to it and find that you like it. I’m reminded of the comments on some of the sale thread…..yeah this is my 3rd Flint.

Take it slow, explore, have some fun. Let the pedals take you somewhere you wouldn’t go without them. Rome wasn’t built in a day.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Hx stomp + regular pedals.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

silvertonebetty said:


> some mentioned something about power ratings and that’s way over my head


With pedals it's easy. There's about 4 things to know.

1- ac or dc
2- positive power jack or negative
3- voltage
4- mA draw

Do you understand these 4 things?


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## troyhead (May 23, 2014)

I'm a big fan of Temple Boards as well. I like how you can keep all the cables underneath and the top looks tidy. (I can't bother to make the underneath tidy -- you can if you want -- but I like that it can look nice on top while underneath is still a mess.)

As for pedal power, people have mentioned a few things, but you can't "mix and match". Most are DC with negative centre, but be aware if a pedal is centre-positive or needs AC, as you may need more specific power supplies (or power that pedal separately with its own power supply). You need to match the voltage required by the pedal. Most are 9V, but some have different requirements. Some can run at multiple voltages, but unless specified, don't try to run at a voltage other that what is specified or you can fry your pedal. Lastly, mA draw indicates the _minimum_ current required by the pedal. You can supply more mA without a problem. If you don't provide enough, the pedal probably won't operate properly. Digital pedals or pedals that use tubes are generally the ones that need >300 mA. Most others are much less. Definitely don't try to daisy chain all of your power off a single power adapter, as that is a recipe for noise.

Temple Audio now offers some power modules that you can integrate right into the board. However, if you decide to resell, your target audience is going to be limited. I really like the Strymon power supplies. They don't seem overly expensive, they provide enough current for most pedals, and they have some options if you need some 12V or 18V options. They have designed them to be expandable, so you can buy one that suits you now, and then add more units as you need to all run off one power outlet.


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## AJ6stringsting (Mar 12, 2006)

A great power supply, is the Decibel 11 Hot Stone Deluxe, it has two rotary switches for two power outputs that goes from 5v to 9v, two that are switchable from 9v to 12 volts at 100 ma, two 9 to 12 v at 200 ma and two at 9v and 12v 400 ma.
It has a surge protection for the outlet, shielding from magnetic and RFI protection.... And are isolated from each other.


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## Mike_Blaszk (Sep 16, 2021)

Grab n Go said:


> For all the pedals you're interested in buying, make sure you add up the total current draw (mA = milliamps). Your power supply needs to be able to supply enough to all the effects you want. You can usually find the mA in the specs.
> 
> Plus, each outlet on the power supply also needs to be able to supply adequate current to each pedal.
> 
> ...


+1 for Truetone. Excellent quality power supply that is very quiet and has great features.


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## Mike_Blaszk (Sep 16, 2021)

Grab n Go said:


> PedalTrain Jr offers good bang for your buck. Many power supplies have brackets designed for mounting with PedalTrain.
> 
> I recommend getting some of your pedals first before buying the board. That way you can physically measure them out to see how everything will fit. Plus, it helps to see exactly where the inputs and outputs are located.
> 
> ...


Also +1 for Pedaltrain boards. Sturdy, very popular and lots of different options at a relatively reasonable price.


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## MetalTele79 (Jul 20, 2020)

As a recommendation for a power supply, I've been happy with my Ammoon Isolated power supply. It's been reliable, quiet and it's cheap at around $40 from China.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

The only boards that I've tried are Pedaltrain.
I have a big one at home, a Pro and a PT1 for a grab and go.

The Pro has around 18 pedals without cramming them on there and the PT1 will hold around 10 to 12 MXR sized unit stacked on there.
Under the Pro, I've had two Voodoo Labs PP2+ for years without issues, under the PT1 there's a PP2+ and a Digital.

I had a second PT1 that I ran all the pedals off of one PP2+, but without any power hogs, like digital pedals.
It's a bit overkill on the PT1 I still have, but setup just in case I went with some Strymons or the like.

Pedalboard Planner is one site that you can choose a board and see what will fit on there, they might only support Pedaltrain boards though.


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## BMW-KTM (Apr 7, 2015)

When it comes to power supply, I am of the view that it's better to go too big and not need it than go too small and wish for more. I bought the TrueTone CS-12. I've not yet used up all the outputs but I do not regret buying it.


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