This is a nice sounding and good-looking pedalboard, IMO. The Gig Rig Quartermaster looks nice and also appears good on paper…
However:
I remain unsold on using active effects switchers.
Here’s why:
- Every single plug + jack have their own inherent capacitances. They’re significant. I have actually spent some time and money buying a variety of plugs and jacks from Neutrik, Puretone, Switchcraft, Analysis Plus, Kimber, WBT, Cardas, Etc. I’ve measured the capacitance, resistance, and contact resistance for every one I’ve chosen over the years. I have empirical data in my notebook on this. I may choose to publish it eventually…I’m in no mood to argue about it on the Internet today, though.
- A jack + plug + cable capacitances are in parallel with each other and thus add together. This gets out of hand quickly. It amounts to several tens of picofarads for each jack + plug + cable combination in the audio signal path! Poor little signal…it never did nothin’ to nobody!
- Add in all the small contact resistances: small losses at each jack, plug, solder joint, surfaces, etc. This includes the relay contacts/solder pads/joints/etc…
- Using active switchers, we now add more cable for each, and yet again add more jacks + plugs + cable for input(s) and output(s). The signal is being squashed some more.
- Add a buffer you say? Well, I did. I added (2) Creation Audio Labs MK4.23’s in fact. That thing can drive 50 feet of 14 gauge extension cord as a somewhat respectable guitar cable. I shit you not. I still experienced unacceptable audible/tactile losses as opposed to not using the Quartermaster with any combination of buffers. Which probably resulted from more jacks and plugs and cable for the buffers too…you see where this is going.
- This isn’t even considering the oxidation on each surface which amounts to another small loss, depending on how caked in cat shit or kid dirt our guitar rooms are…haha.
- I am definitely not taking into account all the nuances & quirks of each pedal design losses…
So, I sold the active switcher. Meh. I know. I’m ultra picky and most players don’t give a crap about what I may consider to be a compromise. Most people want convenience. I get that. They are right. Active switchers are convenient and work fine. But they are not quite at the performance standards they are made out to be, IMO.
So, if you’re honestly wanting the very highest performance possible, the most versatility with the least associated losses, least noise, least interference, I believe I am at least 4 Logs of Correct (99.99%). If you don’t mind some compromises here and there, the switchers are a very good option. But you should understand what they truly are, and that they are’nt the ultimate, unadulterated “pristine” signal preserving totems of integrity they are marketed as.
So, I came up with some rules of thumb for myself when building pedalboards.
- Somewhere around a maximum of 5-7 pedals in the signal chain.
- Active switching prioritizes convenience over the very best possible signal integrity & tactile performance
- I like the following order for (1) amp: Guitar into Vibe/Phase into Compressor into Gain/OD into Buffer/Boost into Modulation into Delay into Reverb into Amplifier #1
- I like the following order for (2) amps in wet/dry: Guitar into Vibe/Phase into Compressor into Gain/OD into Buffer/Boost into Splitter; Output 1 into Delay #1 into (Dry Amp), Output 2 to Modulation into Delay #2 into Reverb into (Wet Amp)
- I don’t do “Texas Tone Del Maximo” 3 Amp Setups… Gerald did this; I tried and failed…
- Coaxial interconnects are fine. Directional interconnects are also fine.
What you see below are my very favorite, highest performing, maximally diverse pedalboards which are as simple as can be. They are both nearly perfect small pedalboards. Have fun!
Musicality is really about Context of a performance, IMO. It’s not really about “tone” per se. Tone arises from context. It’s an emergent phenomena from what I understand so far…
My beloved “Shit Array” pedalboard. I love double entendres. And making fun of German pedalboards made of plywood. This thing is about as good as it gets and I use it to jam around town.
I also like Robert & Toyah…
