No offense László, but I can not see that new set up surviving ;~(( Unless you are never standing in front of your pedal board. If that is in fact the case, put the board on a desk or other elevated flat surface. But I am sure you are not going to want to stand and look into the corner while playing ;~))
I've actually tried several of the suggestions you've made - I've been at this studio game for 35 years now, and have been desperately seeking the Susan of good ergonomics the entire time!
As luck would have it, I don't stand in front of my pedalboard and play. I know some players do, but it's not how I work. I hit a switch on a pedal and walk over to my workstation, a chair or stool, unless I'm adjusting a control, in which case I'm not looking at the scenery.
On the other hand, I do have an original watercolor over the Lone Star that I can look at instead of the walls -- you know, just in case!
I agree, the elevated surface idea is great for some things, and I do elevate the board to make adjustments when I don't feel like being on my knees (see my discussion about the Anthro cart below), but it's inconvenient to work a modulation pedal, or even switches made for feet instead of hands, on an elevated surface (I like having one on the pedalboard).
When this forum started, I created, and posted a pic of, my elevated pedal board.
My brother and I built a second keyboard stand years before to match my other furniture, and it has a flat pull-out shelf underneath. The shelf is pedalboard size - 36" x 24". So I mounted the pedals on the shelf, there was plenty of clearance for pedal height. I ran 3' cables to my wah and modulation pedals.
I didn't like using it and went back to a floor pedalboard. It just didn't work in the heat of battle the way a foot tap does. I still have that stand, but didn't use it for anything, so I put it in the storage room.
However, I do have a very sturdy, high-tech Anthro cart for times when I want to elevate the board to adjust controls. It's capable of handling about 400 pounds, yet rolls very easily, and it weighs a lot so it doesn't tip over. I keep it in the storage room and bring it out as needed.
If the real prob is tripping over the board itself and not the cables, I would recommend putting something on the board that would make it stand out more so that you realize where it is when moving about! Some bright reflective tape on the edges, some soft light beams projecting from the board, a mic stand or other vertical item on the back side of the board. Maybe there are other ideas, but something to make it stand out more may solve the idea of having it in the center of the room.
I've done that, actually. I had a custom board covered in a bright color, and used colored cables.
I found that none of that stuff works if you're backing up moving, say, a mic stand, an amp, etc. If you're not looking in the direction of the board, it's still just as easy to trip over as one that isn't brightly colored. Incidentally, my Schmidt Array board has a pair of LED lights that attach to gizmos built into the board, but I don't feel the need to use them in the studio.
Fact is, the more crap you have on the floor of a room, the greater the tripping hazard. I'm too damn old to risk having a middle-of-room hazard. I'll keep the hazards on the edge of the room!
As for the cables, one thing I thought of is this. With the board in center of room (assumed preferred placement in perfect world), maybe push the carpet more towards the amps while leaving the pedal board where it is. Then run the cables underneath the carpet. Just a thought ;~))
Appreciate the suggestion, however, there are two reasons not to do that (I've tried it; it's why I originally started using Persian carpets in my studio spaces):
One, you can easily catch the edge of a shoe over the bump/wrinkle a cable makes under a carpet and lose your balance; it's actually harder to spot than an exposed cable, especially if you're carrying something and can't look down at your feet. This is true even of thick carpets, and mine are pretty thick!
I've done that very thing while moving a pretty hefty closed-back 212 Mesa speaker cabinet; it was years ago, but I caught the edge of a sneaker, tripped on a hidden cable's bump, and fell. The cab landed on my leg. I was lucky to come out of it with a few bruises. But that's the glory of mere middle age. At my age - older than dirt - I can't count on that kinda luck.
Second, cables are pretty expensive these days, and stepping on them can create openings and exposed areas in the braided or spiral shielding of the cable. Then you have noise, and a failed cable.
Speaking of cables, I have the AC power cables, speaker cables, and signal cables separately laid out, and bundled apart from each other with velcro ties behind the amps. It doesn't show in my pics, bit it's one more thing to reduce the possibility of hums and buzzes. My rig is dead quiet.
Best of luck on your continued journey in this amazing studio space!
Thanks! I need all the luck I can get these days!
