My PedalBoard

[Lorcan]

Hi,

i thought I'd post a few pictures of the pedalboard I made for my pedals, most of which are builds using info and help from this community.
I made a special PSU with 10 isolated outputs for it, using 5x dual low-power transformers, which is hidden underneath the second-row 'first floor'.
This avoids ground loops and annoying buzzes i got if all pedals are connected to the same supply ground.



Each psu has a led for troubleshooting, different color depending on voltage of the output.


Free space on the right-hand side to accomodate for wah and other bizarrely shaped pedals. The woodwork and adjustment of metal hinges was a bit of a pain but I think it was worth it.


Inside of the Psu box that also serves as a raised floor for the pedals in the 2nd row. There are two ventilation grills on the side for cooling, otherwise the things gets too hot.
The grils are on the inside so muck doesn't come in while the case is travelling.


The pedals (all true bypass) are:

• Tonepad wah, fitted in a CryBaby enclosure
• SiFace, fitted in a FF enclosure
• NeoVibe
• TubeScreamer clone
• Tremulus Lune tremolo
• Boss Ce-2 Chorus (obviously not diy)
• Mxr Ph90 clone
• Enveloppe follower clone
• Pt80 delay (white)

I'm very satisified with the sound of all the pedals and the cleanness of the signal path which leaves my tone unaltered if I don't want it to be.
Attached are the eagle files for the PSU if that could be of any use to someone. (Original schem credits go to tonepad, ggg and datasheet ...)

Archive with hi-res pdf's is here http://lorcan.me/guitar/pedalboard/FXPedal%20Power%20LMD.zip. The archive includes schematics and pcbs for both a 9v adjustable dual separate-rail psu and a single 15v psu for pedals that require higher voltage and/or 'juice'.


Cheers,

Lorcan

[jacobyjd]

Not seeing any pics, bro.

[Thomeeque]

"5+ posts for posting pics" rule, right?

Wrong, different forum

[Lorcan]

Well, I'm sorry, I was having problems with my hosting, now it's fixed.
It's funny to see people jumping on you at the first mistake when you're here to give out something you made for others to use ... whatever

[jacobyjd]

Cool, man, they're good now

Thom was joking about a characteristic of a different well-known forum that has different rules--nobody's jumping on you

[Mark Hammer]

Nice work. Clean.  Actually, as much as I like some of the more adventurous graphics that many have demonstrated in the "pictures" thread, personally I'm a big fan of clean functional graphics:  a decent box colour with a good smooth finish, a name, and clear labelling of each control.  Kudos on the neat machining and layout of the envelope filter.  One rarely sees slide switches used around here.

[jacobyjd]

Yeah man, thanks for letting us in on your PSU design. I agree with Mark--that's some nice, clean work!

[Lorcan]

Thanks for the heads up  In fact I wanted to keep it clean and simple so I can quickly identify the pedal while I'm playing.
I want to concentrate on the music, so I opted to eliminate any potential visual distraction. Should I be distracted I'd rather be by 'visual elements'  as front row chicks 
The colors act as a kind of reminder, and indicator leds are all different colors for when it's dark.
I also force myself to play without looking at my hands or frets at all, even if it seems more difficult, I concentrate more on the music itself, and think more of what I'm going to play. It's not easy to undo what you have been doing for years but it's a rewarding challenge, and a stimulating experience.

Also the first things I made dispended with the labelling altogether, because I thought being the one that built the thing, I'd remember exactly what knob did what easily.
Turned out quickly I was wrong  Mind you the good thing about having no labelling at all or 'evocative names' is that it encourages experimentation and 'adjust by ear' as opposed to 'cartesian' knob-twiddling which isn't always very exciting

The transformers are quite standard, so I think you can find ones with the same footprint as the ones I used quite easily. For reference they are made by Myrra, and are 3.2 va rating (2x1.6va/rail)

[jacobyjd]

Very cool--I like the concept of color coding them.

Re: control labels--I tend to like having controls labeled if there are more than 2--it doesn't matter as much on effects that I have to adjust a lot, like a modulation effect or a many-knobbed fuzz, but if it's something that I generally set and forget, I tend to forget which control is which.

One thing I often do is map out the controls with a marker on the inside of the back plate of the effect in case I REALLY forget. That doesn't help you onstage though

Also, I tend to get a LOT of questions after gigs from fellow guitarists in the crowd, wondering what the heck that effect with no control labels is.

I suppose to make your board consistent in theming, you'll have to build a CE-2 and a Fuzz face--paint 'em light blue and red to match. Let the DIY bug keep chewing :-P

[Paul Marossy]

Wow, very nicely done. 

[Lorcan]

One thing I often do is map out the controls with a marker on the inside of the back plate of the effect in case I REALLY forget. That doesn't help you onstage though

Also, I tend to get a LOT of questions after gigs from fellow guitarists in the crowd, wondering what the heck that effect with no control labels is.

I suppose to make your board consistent in theming, you'll have to build a CE-2 and a Fuzz face--paint 'em light blue and red to match. Let the DIY bug keep chewing :-P

Yes, I do too label the pots and wires coming from the pcb, which is very useful if you need servicing the pedal.
Actually I only kept the case of the FF, it looks cool i think. The original circuit inside it was crap though, although the transistors were labelled NKT 275.
Now I want to spend time playing the gizmos, and I think it will be some time before I really need something else.
Well, the octavia is tempting me Sounds red to me, but I need to play it first to be sure

[ayayay!]

Mind you the good thing about having no labelling at all or 'evocative names' is that it encourages experimentation and 'adjust by ear' as opposed to 'cartesian' knob-twiddling which isn't always very exciting

Damn right!  Welcome to the forum.   

[trixdropd]

Very nice work. The power supply is great!! I agree that a fuzz face and ce-2 diy are in your future....

[Lorcan]

Very nice work. The power supply is great!! I agree that a fuzz face and ce-2 diy are in your future....

Hehe the FF IS diy, just the case is not. Half diy is good for me
The CE2 is just nice as it is. I'd rather spend time diy'ing my music now 

[Paul Marossy]

Where do you get those extruded aluminum pieces from?

[Lorcan]

Where do you get those extruded aluminum pieces from?

I got them in a shop in Paris that sells and rents live audio gear. It's pretty standard stuff used to make flight-cases, you should be able to find it at many specialized shops.
Thomann has some if you want to buy online.

[Paul Marossy]

Where do you get those extruded aluminum pieces from?

I got them in a shop in Paris that sells and rents live audio gear. It's pretty standard stuff used to make flight-cases, you should be able to find it at many specialized shops.
Thomann has some if you want to buy online.

I thought it was the same stuff they use to make flight cases. I'm sure there are places in the U.S. that also sell it, I've just never ran across any that do so far.

[Lorcan]

Update: I reorganized my site, details and pictures are now here http://www.lorcan.me/content/floorboard-guitar-effect-pedals