Nice Rack Canada recently built a 2 Board Pedalboard System for Windsor/Toronto based project “I Hear Things” guitarist Andrew Barlow.
Every client provides us with new challenges & inspirations. In this instance building a system for a person with an extensive engineering & fabrication history helped us push boundaries and into some new prototyping.
The system is split into the “Controller Board” & “Audio Board”. The Controller board features RJM Music MasterMind GT-16 serial #1, and 2 BOSS FV30’s modified to 10kΩ Linear Expression Pedals. The unique External Switch enclosure was fabricated by the client & wired by us.
The Audio Board applies MIDI control to the entire Audio Path. For songwriting & soundscaping purposes, the client wanted the Looper placement to be switched between the Start & End of the Signal Chain. To accommodate this we built up a Stereo Order Reverse circuit using 3x DPDT relays with remote MIDI switching.
The signal flow for this functional art pedalboard is;
Guitar --> Input Buffer --> Buffer Out A --> TC Electronic PolyTune 2 Mini Noir & Buffer Out B -->Signal Order Reverse Circuit Input
Signal Order Reverse Send A (Stereo) --> Pigtronix Infinity Looper --> Return A (Stereo)
Signal Order ReverseSend B (Mono) --> RJM Mini Effects Gizmo #1 Input --> Loop 1 Eventide H9 “X” In 1/Out 1 --> Loop 2 Nice Rack Canada “Fuzz Buffer” --> Loop 3 Vemuram Shanks --> Loop 4 ElectroHarmonix Big Muff Nano --> Loop 5 Chase Bliss Audio Brothers --> RJM Mini Effects Gizmo #1 Output --> Eventide H9 “A” In 1/Out 1 --> RJM Mini Effects Gizmo #2 Input --> Loop 1 Insert #1 --> Loop 2 Insert #2 --> Loop 3 Eventide H9 “X” In 2/Out2 --> Loop 4 Send --> Eventide H9 “B” Input (H9 Stereo Output to Mixer) --> Loop 5 Send --> Eventide H9 “C” Input (H9 Stereo Output to Mixer) --> RJM Mini Effects Gizmo #2 Output --> RJM Music Mini Line Mixer Dry In --> Mini Line Mixer Stereo Out --> Signal Order Reverse Return B (Stereo)
Signal Order Reverse Circuit Output --> System Mute --> Left & Right Amplifiers.
System power provided by Strymon Zuma & Ojai Expander.
The entire system with cabling packs into a Pelican 1650 rolling case for ease of transport.
The controller board is connected to the Audio by 1x 7 Pin XLR for MIDI In & Out + 12VDC, and 1x 3 Pin XLR for Tuner Connection. The 7 Pin Jacks in the In & Out Connection boxes on both boards are parallel wired to 3x 3 Pin XLR jacks. This "just in case" feature allows the client to use Standard Microphone Cables to connect the 2 boards in the unfortunate event of the 7 Pin XLR cable being lost or stolen.
The Audio Board's MIDI In & Out Box features the Nice Rack Canada to Chase Bliss Audio MIDI Adapter, and a rehoused versions of MIDI Solutions Quadra Thru & Relay.
No matter what your system's functional criteria is, Nice Rack Canada can translate your wishes into sonic reality.
