# Bass Pedalboard build with large multi effect unit. Looking for some feedback.



## ADAOCE

As the title suggests, a friend of mine has asked me to setup a pedalboard for him inside a 24x12 flight case. He gave me a list of current commerpedals and equipment he has or will buy for it and also asked me to make him a bunch of pedals. We got to talking about making a large unit that has multiple pedals that would act as the brains of the board so to speak. 

My initial idea is to build a multi effect box using one of those beige colored sloped enclosures with the walnut sides from Hammond. This lets me have eight footswitches to control five pedals
(Compressor, distortion, two ODs and a clean boost). Additional I am going to wire up two effects loops (pre drive and post drive) that will house the external pedals. These will also be footswitchable. The only other additions to this multi box will be a Unicab and a headphone amp that will also have an auxiliary input and a mixer.

Drive pedals he has chosen:
Mad bean Kompromat
Mad bean Slow Loris
Darkglass B3K (PedalPCB Obsidius or Aion Maelstrom)
Darkglass VMT (Aion Maelstrom configured to VMT specs)
PedalPCB Transcendence Boost

I’ve already built a cabsim headphone amp and mixer pedal so I have some lessons learned to bring with me there.

I’ve included a mock-up of the full board as well as some initial designs for the multi effect box (ignore the specific knob labels and configurations). Pedals behind the big box will be on risers with the cabling going underneath.

What do you guys think? Am I crazy for thinking this could work? Sharing power in the box is one of my hang ups but they’re are all drive pedals (hence my addition of FX loops) so I think it should be doable. I also want to run relay bypass switching to all or most of these eight switches in the unit.


----------



## Bricksnbeatles

Sounds like a great idea to me! You could even use the intelligent relay bypass boards in the channel switching configuration for the gain pedals if he’s not going to be stacking gain stages


----------



## jimilee

Looks cool enough if you can pull it off. I see hours of frustration, but maybe not. That’s a very cool enclosure.


----------



## ADAOCE

Bricksnbeatles said:


> Sounds like a great idea to me! You could even use the intelligent relay bypass boards in the channel switching configuration for the gain pedals if he’s not going to be stacking gain stages


I thought about this but I believe he would like to retain the ability to stack them. I want to use the IRB to enable momentary/latching for the clean boost I think as well as maybe the FX loops


----------



## ADAOCE

jimilee said:


> Looks cool enough if you can pull it off. I see hours of frustration, but maybe not. That’s a very cool enclosure.


Oh I see it too! I’m going to be spending way more time than usual laying out all the wiring before I do it. Maybe utilize some quick connects for certain things like switches and all the power connections leading to a large +\- bus


----------



## dawson

You can do it!
That being said, I hope your friend has a lot of money.

It will be interesting to see if you have trouble powering all of them at once- I've chained together a ton of drive pedals successfully but I don't do relay switching so I'm unaware of what that might add to the current draw..

Have you considered pedal order?
I use little connectors in my pedalboard/multi-effect that you could utilize to change the order inside.  This gives you more options but also more to think about and more of a mess inside- might be worth it.

(HERE's a link)


----------



## ADAOCE

dawson said:


> You can do it!
> That being said, I hope your friend has a lot of money.
> 
> It will be interesting to see if you have trouble powering all of them at once- I've chained together a ton of drive pedals successfully but I don't do relay switching so I'm unaware of what that might add to the current draw..
> 
> Have you considered pedal order?
> I use little connectors in my pedalboard/multi-effect that you could utilize to change the order inside.  This gives you more options but also more to think about and more of a mess inside- might be worth it.
> 
> (HERE's a link)


Thanks man! Yeah I’m putting a cost estimate together for him but I think he understands what it’s gonna end up. This will be a rig he takes with him for live shows and he has told me to spare now expense in quality components and equipment.. so I won’t!

I believe with latching relay bypass the current draw will be low and all the drive pedals take very little current too. The entire multi effect box will get one of those 9v taps from the Cioks so it should have a TON of current to work with. I think by removing the POG/chorus etc outside the enclosure I’m taking care of a big noise issue. 

Also wow dude just read through your build thread and that is some awesome work! I discussed order with my friend and he’s pretty set on pedals and the order. He’s using the three drive pedals as preset sounds and won’t be stacking them so I’ll probably do the channel switching setting in the intelligent bypass module.


----------



## ADAOCE

@PedalPCB do you have an idea on current draw for the intelligent relay bypass and the basic relay modules?

Also do you see any issues with using 8 relay bypass modules (some basic/some intelligent) in a single enclosure like this? Wondering if the microcontroller or the timers would be potential noise sources since they would share power with everything else.


----------



## ADAOCE

Thought I’d share a build update. Finally started pecking away at all the boards over the last couple weeks. I just have the Aion boards left to do. Drill template is close so I’ll probably get the thing drilled this weekend and begin to tackle the wiring.


----------



## JamieJ

I’m looking forward to seeing this @ADAOCE 
Good luck with the wiring…


----------



## ADAOCE

JamieJ said:


> I’m looking forward to seeing this @ADAOCE
> Good luck with the wiring…


Thanks man!


----------



## Feral Feline

If VFE can make a mega-pedal, and a guy over on the crazy-legume forum can make a clone of the VFE  megalith, so too can you make a Death Star bass mega-pedal!


----------



## ADAOCE

Feral Feline said:


> If VFE can make a mega-pedal, and a guy over on the crazy-legume forum can make a clone of the VFE  megalith, so too can you make a Death Star bass mega-pedal!
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 24339


Holy bajeezus this is just crazy. Thanks for sharing and for the encouragement!


----------



## Mentaltossflycoon

Feral Feline said:


> If VFE can make a mega-pedal, and a guy over on the crazy-legume forum can make a clone of the VFE  megalith, so too can you make a Death Star bass mega-pedal!
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 24339


I'm just going to move along as though I didn't just see this, take it as a direct challenge, and start plotting some monstrosity of my own...  gotta get those ideas out of my brain. Go away pervasive project envy!


----------



## Feral Feline

Mentaltossflycoon said:


> I'm just going to move along as though I didn't just see this, take it as a direct challenge, and start plotting some monstrosity of my own...  gotta get those ideas out of my brain. Go away pervasive project envy!


I’ll just say this, I’m only missing one of the VFE ‘verbs, but have all the other circuits — some direct from VFE, some from Madbean’s VFE collection … the mega-pedal from VFE was just 18 circuits but choosing only 18 is difficult… using all circuits would require a custom enclosure…

Just sayin’.


----------



## ADAOCE

Second update. All boards populated and ready to be wired up. I’ll solder the pots when I finish drilling. Might get that going this weekend. Also got the flight case and other pedals going in this build.


----------



## ADAOCE

Another update. Drill template and faceplate ordered. Drilling and wiring can begin.


----------



## SYLV9ST9R

This is looking great!


----------



## ADAOCE

Hopefully not much longer!


----------



## grabo99

Mentaltossflycoon said:


> I'm just going to move along as though I didn't just see this, take it as a direct challenge, and start plotting some monstrosity of my own...  gotta get those ideas out of my brain. Go away pervasive project envy!


----------



## ADAOCE

Thank heavens there’s a faceplate covering these terrible holes


----------



## Mentaltossflycoon

When it comes to holes, function>form. Giggity.


----------



## Feral Feline

Gorrr, lookid da soize uhf dat faishplait!


The problem with my faceplates is that some of the holes I've drilled are no better than the holes I've drilled in the enclosure!


----------



## ADAOCE

Feral Feline said:


> Gorrr, lookid da soize uhf dat faishplait!
> 
> 
> The problem with my faceplates is that some of the holes I've drilled are no better than the holes I've drilled in the enclosure!


That’s why I farm that out!


----------



## ADAOCE

Check these things out. @amplifyfun killing it with the faceplates!!


----------



## ADAOCE

Getting close guys! All the boards are soldered up just have to start wiring everything together.


----------



## JamieJ

#NSFW


----------



## Feral Feline

Super-clean! 

Can't wait to see some LEDs in it all lit up.


----------



## Bricksnbeatles

Boost knob could stand to be bigger 😜


----------



## ADAOCE

Feral Feline said:


> Super-clean!
> 
> Can't wait to see some LEDs in it all lit up.



Thanks!

Once I get this finished up I’ll post a detailed build report


----------



## ADAOCE

Bricksnbeatles said:


> Boost knob could stand to be bigger 😜


Go big or go home


----------



## eh là bas ma

I am curious to know how much this multiFX is gonna cost to your friend, and how much time you spent  building it ?


----------



## ADAOCE

justin said:


> I am curious to know how much this multiFX is gonna cost to your friend, and how much time you spent  building it ?


I’m nearing the end on this thing and I plan to answer that info in the build report. Short answer is a lot of money and too much time 🤣


----------



## giovanni

This is amazing work so far!!! Great job man!


----------



## ADAOCE

giovanni said:


> This is amazing work so far!!! Great job man!


Thank you!


----------



## ADAOCE

I think this is the final update before I finish and post the build report. I had to build a platform for the back row pedals so they could be reacheable and to allow room for cabling to the big box. Everything fits nicely in the road case.

Just have to finish wiring up all the power connections and then put this mess of a headphone amplifier in there (really need a single board with stereo hp amp and aux in).


----------



## ADAOCE

Ok folks I boxed her up and for the most part all circuits pass signal and my relay switching functions as it should. I do hear some issues with two circuits mainly the Rat and the Transcendence boost. I fashioned an audio probe and currently am taking some videos to share with you all. Hopefully get those up tonight and see what you guys think. I have some ideas but this is the first time with an audio probe so I’m honestly not sure if what I’m hearing is normal.


----------

