strymon - The Ultimate Pedalboard Build Series - Episode I - The Introduction - Strymon
The speaker shares personal revelations about missing the flexibility of a rack system and the fear of missing out on new gear. To address these, they plan to build an ultimate pedal board that combines the experimental nature of a rack with the flexibility to easily change components. This involves collaborating with Pedal Pad to design a custom board that allows for easy access and expandability. The speaker outlines the components and tools needed, emphasizing the importance of planning for future modifications and ensuring everything is securely integrated. They also discuss the practical aspects of cable management, power supply, and MIDI control, aiming to create a versatile and efficient setup. The project is intended to be a learning experience, offering insights and techniques that others might find useful for their own setups.
Key Points:
- Build a pedal board that combines rack flexibility with easy component changes.
- Collaborate with Pedal Pad for a custom design that allows easy access and expandability.
- Plan for future modifications by considering cable management and power supply needs.
- Use MIDI control and interface design to streamline operations.
- Share insights and techniques for others to apply to their setups.
Details:
1. 🎵 Introduction and Personal Revelations
- The speaker shares personal revelations that feel like confessions, indicating a deep personal impact.
- These revelations have led the speaker into a complex problem-solving journey, described as a 'massive rabbit hole'.
- The speaker hints at being surrounded by the issues arising from these revelations, suggesting a pervasive impact on their life.
2. 🎸 Nostalgia for the Bradshaw Rig
- The Bradshaw rig is remembered not for its sound quality, as modern equipment is superior, but for its versatility as a 'playground' for experimentation.
- The rig allowed for complex configurations with series and parallel audio, mono and stereo effects, and MIDI clock synchronization, enabling extensive experimentation with sound.
- Modern setups are more 'purpose-built,' designed for specific gigs or sessions, lacking the comprehensive experimental capabilities of the Bradshaw rig.
- The speaker misses the ability to freely experiment and create new sounds within a single setup, highlighting the rig's role as a 'laboratory' for musical creativity.
3. 😟 Grappling with FOMO
- Massive fear of missing out (FOMO) significantly influences decision-making, often leading to hasty choices or overcommitment to trends.
- The desire to innovate and experiment (playground laboratory) while maintaining flexibility and adaptability is a core challenge, particularly in fast-paced sectors.
- Physical constraints, such as the requirement for additional hardware (e.g., racks), add complexity to changes and expansions, often leading to slower implementation.
- Balancing creativity with practical limitations, like budget and resource availability, is crucial for effective strategic planning.
- Examples include how companies might rush into adopting new technologies without full assessment, driven by FOMO, which can lead to inefficiencies or misaligned investments.
4. 🛠 Crafting the Ultimate Pedal Board
- Building the ultimate pedal board is a unique and extravagant endeavor, tailored specifically to individual needs, making it impractical and costly for others.
- The process of assembling a pedal board, despite its impracticality, is a comprehensive learning experience that can provide valuable insights applicable to personal setups.
- While constructing this pedal board may seem excessive, it can yield useful tips or techniques for enhancing one's own rig, even if not replicating the entire setup.
- Examples of applicable techniques include optimizing signal chain order, selecting power supplies for noise reduction, and customizing pedal settings for specific sound profiles.
- The project demonstrates that the knowledge gained can significantly enhance the efficiency and performance of a musician's existing equipment.
5. 🔧 Collaborating with Pedal Pad
- The collaboration with Pedal Pad aims to design an innovative board with unique features, such as jacks protruding from the sides.
- The project is described as adventurous, indicating a willingness to explore complex design challenges.
- It involves a deep dive into intricate design elements, metaphorically described as a 'rabbit hole'.
- The innovative design is expected to push boundaries and offer new solutions in board design.
6. 🛠 Assembling Components and Tools
6.1. Components and System Design
6.2. Tools and Parts for Assembly
7. 📐 Strategy and Documentation
- Provide comprehensive materials including circuits, schematics, and wiring diagrams essential for project replication.
- Document projects with detailed photos, especially of internal components, to facilitate accurate reconstruction.
- Include unique insights and tips that are not readily available from other sources, adding value to the documentation.
- Ensure documentation is thorough enough for others to recreate projects entirely, highlighting any potential challenges and solutions.
- Organize documentation into clear sections such as 'Materials and Schematics', 'Project Insights', and 'Replication Challenges'.
8. 🧩 Pedal Board Design and Customization
- Customization of pedal boards can be tailored to personal needs using options from manufacturers like Pedal Train or custom builders such as Pedal Pad, LA Sound Design, and West Coast Pedal Board.
- Key considerations include board size, pedal layout, and whether to include universal or unique pedals.
- Cable management is crucial, involving decisions on whether to buy or make cables for both audio and power needs.
- Attaching pedals can vary based on board surface; traditional methods like dual lock may not work on carpeted surfaces, necessitating alternatives like bike chains.
- Equipment specific for pedal board projects, such as magnifying glasses and heat guns, are essential tools.
- Planning for the future involves ensuring expandability and understanding switch wiring.
- MIDI controller and patch setup requires programming and integrating controllers like Morning Star devices.
- Effective interface design and cable management can simplify setups, with solutions like using a single Speakon cable for multiple connections.
- Creating effective mnemonics can aid in managing complex wiring setups without constant reference to notes.
- Power and USB management are critical, with built-in USB hubs facilitating updates and firmware uploads without dismantling the board.
9. 🔄 Ensuring Expandability and Flexibility
- Select a pedal board style that aligns with personal needs, such as Fredman or Pedaltrain, which are ready-made options.
- Ensure quick connect/disconnect ability without removing the board from its case to enhance efficiency.
- Opt for dual-level pedal boards for organization, placing interfaces, power supplies, and drive pedals on the bottom to keep the top clean.
- Incorporate precise measurements (23 by 17 inches) and scale drawings to ensure proper fit and effective cable management.
- Use USBC right angle adapters for efficient cable routing, highlighting the need for thorough planning.
- Collaborate with manufacturers (e.g., Pedal Pad) for a customized design, involving personal efforts like tocale drawings for enhanced functionality.
10. 🎚 Setup, Connections, and Innovations
- The ability to add two large expression pedals to the right-hand side of the board for full expression pedal capability.
- Integration of a drive pedal to the preamp side of the amp circuit with 10 loops available for customization.
- Inclusion of power and TRS MIDI for pedals like Compadre, Riverside, or Sunset, allowing them to be part of the MIDI setup.
- Provision for a Looper on the left-hand side with audio I/O and power.
- Capacity to insert auxiliary pedals into the effects loop, using an extra loop available for post-effects.
- Stereo out from a DI for wet-dry-wet setups or direct board connections, with flexibility for different configurations.
- Back panel equipped with an 8-channel SpeakOn connection and a USB-C panel jack for seamless updates without the need to unplug.