My =ultimate= multi-fx pedalboard...W.I.P

[Auke Haarsma]

I cut a piece of wood and placed the most obvious parts on it. The board is 55cmx35cm. What do you think about the spacing?





Three rows of footswitches for the fx and fx-loops. A row of Channel Selectors to put a FX in either channel A or channel B. Above that the knobs of the fx.

The board will be tilted so the bottom row of footswitches is lower than the 3rd row.

[theblueark]

The spacing looks alright as long as the board is tilted enough. The wood looks a little thin though. Are you going to have supports built underneath? I'd be worried about stomping too hard on the middle footswitches if the wood was too thin.

My board is about the same length as yours, but slightly less wide, i'm using shelving wood (pine) I bought from Ikea.

[Auke Haarsma]

The wood is indeed pretty thin. I'm not sure how it will hold without support, but I do plan to build a little frame inside the enclosure to support the wood.

However this is still 'practice-wood', not the wood for the final enclosure.

[xshredx]

I think the switches are too close to each other.
My pedaltrain pedalboard is 60x32cm, so I tried to imagine all your footswitches on a similar area, and it would be too close to each other for me, even when tilted.....

[Auke Haarsma]

Any chance you can:
-get a picture here of your pedalboard (helps me visualize)?
-measure the (average) distance between footswitches?

thnx!

[HeimBrent]

From what I can see, spreading them more up and down the board would help alot.

[Auke Haarsma]

I've just drilled the holes for the footswitches and channel selectors. Put a couple of switches in place and tested them. No problems! I've always only touched the right switch, not even close to hitting the wrong switch by accident.

The rows are built up like this:

1st row, starts 4 cm from the bottom. Switches are placed 9cm apart.
2nd row starts 6 cm above the first row. Switches are moved 4.5cm to the left.
3rd row starts 6cm above 2nd row. Switches start aligned to the first row.

[scaesic]

The last step is getting closer, but it is also the hardest step. Starting something is way more easy than finishing it...

Totally agree.

I planned to completely over-hall my park practice amp.

Built the pre-amp.

Built the tonestack.

Built the cabinet.

Painted and drilled the faceplate.

Installed a new guitar voiced speaker

Built 90% of the power amp

Built 90% of the power supply.

Finding the last 6 hours of man hours to put the circuits together and finish the last two circuits has taken me about 9 months....

Seeing this thread move on is almost enough to spur me on though. As i started my project about the same time i first read this thread.

[Auke Haarsma]

Haha, thanks for the encouragement

Let's make a deal. Whoever finishes first gets a beer from the other!

You've a big advantage over me...I need more than 'just' 6 hours to finish this project... 

[scaesic]

Haha, thanks for the encouragement

Let's make a deal. Whoever finishes first gets a beer from the other!

You've a big advantage over me...I need more than 'just' 6 hours to finish this project... 

hah, agreed, now then, when will i set those 6 hours aside...

[Auke Haarsma]

It's been a while, but hey! there is some progress to report!

I've drilled most of the holes in the top and made sides to the enclosure:


Made the connection stronger with pieces of aluminium and 'construction glue":


Here it is in front om my VOX AC30 CC1:


I've also made some additional PCB's. A GGG Modable Wah, a FuzzFace-Tonebender (Face-Bender IIRC by AC). And a speakersim-into-condor-into-ruby, which will be used as an headphone amp. That one is populated and tested, but needs debugging.


And I got myself a Whipple inductor for the modable wah:


Stay tuned.... more to come in a couple of minutes...

[Auke Haarsma]

IT IS ALIVE!!




A very basic test, just one effect and one channel (no splitting yet)... but it works!

scaesic: found your six hours already? I'm catching up mate

[tranceracer]

Keep up the great work!  We're rooting for you!   

-bK

[Sir_Ian]

looks really good, keep up the work.

1 comment and 1 question.

Comment: Kinda surprised by the lack of compressor. Maybe you don't ever use one, but, was just surprised.

Question: When the projects done, what will be the total cost in parts?

oooh...one more question. When your finished, how long do you estimate it will be until you have to redesign it just to add that one effect you forgot to put in?

[Barcode80]

You are going to have to build some bracing under that board. Your wood is WAY too thin so without bracing it is going to crack the first time you getstomp crazy. Maybe even some flat aluminum slats...

[Auke Haarsma]

Keep up the great work!  We're rooting for you!   
-bK

Thanks! It's really motivating to actually see some LEDs light up in that piece of wood

looks really good, keep up the work.

1 comment and 1 question.

Comment: Kinda surprised by the lack of compressor. Maybe you don't ever use one, but, was just surprised.

Question: When the projects done, what will be the total cost in parts?

oooh...one more question. When your finished, how long do you estimate it will be until you have to redesign it just to add that one effect you forgot to put in?

About the comp. I've build the Ross compressor, but was far from impressed. I've also owned a TC Electronics compressor, but sold it. I guess I'm not really a comp guy.
Total costs... I honestly don't know. When it is finished I'll sit down and try to add up all the costs...but for know...just a rough estimate: ~$600 USD And that's just parts...
And your last question: good question! I know I won't stop building effects once this project is finished...so yeah... I'll run into an effect which I really have to have...no prob... I plan to include 3 FX-loops in this project. So, single effects can be quite easily added into the fx loop. The loops will have the ability to be put on either channel (just like the other fx) and can be (de)activated with one of the footswitches on the board.
Powersupply for the fxloops will also be available from this unit.

You are going to have to build some bracing under that board. Your wood is WAY too thin so without bracing it is going to crack the first time you getstomp crazy. Maybe even some flat aluminum slats...

True. Near the sides and near the front it is strong enough. In the middle it's like walking on eggs. However, it will get some additional bracing. And, from what I've seen and felt, I think with two/three 'supports' (from the top panel to the bottom) it will be strong enough for normal stomping. All switches are DPDT, so they switch quite smoothly.

[jakehop]

Hey A, that board looks killer!

Regarding the supports, think about placing a lot of supports that you can fasten the PCB's to. That way you can unscrew the bottom-plate, and have the PCB's fastened to the supports for easy debugging. IF the board is tall enough, that is.

Jake

[Auke Haarsma]

Thanks Jake!

Fastening the PCB's is one of the the things I've been thinking a lot about lately. Most of the PCB's are small enough to be placed vertically. So, most likely I'll end up with metal/alu supports with 'holes' in it for screws. To these I can fasten the PCB's.

I'm also considering several options to keep the wiring tidy. One is to use multi-core-cables where possible.

[Sir_Ian]

And your last question: good question! I know I won't stop building effects once this project is finished...so yeah... I'll run into an effect which I really have to have...no prob... I plan to include 3 FX-loops in this project. So, single effects can be quite easily added into the fx loop. The loops will have the ability to be put on either channel (just like the other fx) and can be (de)activated with one of the footswitches on the board.
Powersupply for the fxloops will also be available from this unit.

Wow, you thought of everything....way cool. Well, maybe one suggestion. Since you know you will "eventually" have external effects out of this board, maybe you would want to build a recessed shelf coming off the back so that your extra effects are visible and you can easily change knobs on them and what not. I guess my idea would be for the back shelf to be the height of a stompbox Lower than the top of the back of your board, that way the extra pedal's knobs sit at roughly the same height as the knobs on your mammoth pedalboard. just an idea....but you seem to already have a great masterplan, so you've probably thought of this already.

[Auke Haarsma]

Well, I haven't thought about that I just wanted to use normal patchkabels and put the fx-in-the-loops behind the 'mammoth' on the ground. Space-permitting, your idea makes sense. Something to keep in mind if I see that I use additional effects a lot in the future.