Wow! After all that effort (and expense!).
Build-A-Board Workshop
- Thread starter andy474x
- Start date
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
I know. Don’t worry, in about six weeks time I will be wagging the “disparaging” finger for real.
KentuckyBoiledChiccan
69% lizard (gold level unlocked)
Yes, Sir. Very simple reason. Schmidt is amazing, and I can't complain for Martin's care he gave me, but I just realised I'm cutting the rig to fit my board, rather than cutting the board to fit my rig. After years of using velcro, dual lock, tie bases and all that stuff; only to rip it off with a single concept change - I'm honestly done. It's self inflicted, as I just love a proper cable run and tight layout. I axed a lot of gear from my board; I no longer have a limiter in the loop, EQ is gone, no more volante; so the upper deck is looking very skint. Same time, I decided to get back to a fuzz my wife gave me 20 years ago, and that's a big boy; I can't fit it inside the lower deck. Dual deck concept is great, but for few reasons, my execution is difficult to get. To many compromises or solutions I need to take, due to the board construction. Temple will solve a lot of that. I have an Duo17 on order, with a bag of accessories
Man, English us not my mothers tongue, but if I read you correctly, I will make sure to properly shave and moisturise
andy474x
Knows the Drill
Yeah, I can see the appeal of either kind of board, but I do like the Temple Boards a lot for what they offer. I don't know a lot about the Schmidt Array boards, Les is the only person I know that has one, but I assume the more intricate models are more expensive and perhaps heavier, while also being a more premium build. The Temple boards are a nice compromise between something like that, and a bare bones board like a Pedaltrain.
Some things to be aware of...
Number one, make sure your power supply will fit under the board as they're not terribly tall, especially height-wise, and consider whether you'll need a right angle IEC power cable, depending on the orientation of your power supply you may not be able to use the standard straight power cable (see the top of the Zuma unit in the photo above). I'd be happy to measure my Duo board if that'll help.
Second, a lot of people complain that the Temple boards flex when you step on the pedals, and that is true, but I've found that the more full the board, the less they flex, and it really doesn't bother me at all. Using a shorter board like the 17 will help with that too, my Duo is the 24".
I don't use their pedal attachments, I just use the industrial adhesive-back velcro, and it works fine.
Definitely recommend at least the 4-way jack module for cable routing, inevitable a jack is always right next to the handle on the ends and it's much easier to plug into the module than try to finagle a cable in next to those handles. Although I would not recommend their buffer module, I found it colored the tone considerably.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Bwahahaha
KentuckyBoiledChiccan
69% lizard (gold level unlocked)
Thx. I was brainstorming past few days how will I approach it and I'm fairly certain, I will add two support plates underneath the board for extra stability as well as to be used as a PSUs and One Control looper modules mounting frames. They have the same hole pattern as the top of the board, so I will be able to use the quick release plates with that. It should let me to do an easier cable runs and avoid issues with space for the plates used to mount the pedals on the top side. I will 100% use no velcro, dual lock or tie bases. For the side i/o/midi/fx loop staff I will use the punched D-standard panels from Temple + my own connectors. They are fully isolated so I should get a clean audio patch with no ground loops. I'm using a midi switcher so flexibility shouldn't be an issue either way. The switcher is near the edge, all other pedals will be connected to it via loop modules. The support plates will also add a lot of stability.
I'm really excited to start this build. It will be relatively simple looking board but with great deal of doing it all. I have preprogrammed the Morningstar looper already, I have a new playlist created in the H90. It's gonna be fire
The buffered modules wouldn't work for me anyway. I have the H90 FX loop side set to buffered, with pre-amp side set to true bypass. I also have a germanium Fuzz first in line followed by the octafuzz. They don't play nice with beefed up signals. They will also have a separate power from the dual battery pack
Last edited:
Mike Duncan
DGT Player
Dachshunds for the win.
My intermediate solution, until the BluGuitar Amp X has been purchased once. But it will likely take still a few months. Thomas Blug is presenting the prototype's current revision on NAMM 2025, and he gigs with it, but it's still not fulfilling his perfectionism.
Allow me the joy of praising the Schmidt. It's a perfect fit for me. Mine's now 5 or 6 years old with no sign of wear anywhere. I've had no issues at all with it. The thing just sits there and does its job in the best possible way, given my needs.
Is it for everyone? I dunno. Show me a product that works for literally everyone. If it exists, I don't know about it.
First, the Schmidt SA-750 - it's one of their larger boards - isn't at all heavy. It's lighter than a two-shelf custom board I had made 20 years ago that was built from aerospace aluminum.
What makes the Schmidt great is that it is extremely well-engineered, and feels beyond sturdy in use; the pedal platforms don't sag or flex when you step on a pedal, and the entire structure feels very solid.
It's far lighter than my previous custom wooden board with lid. That thing was beautiful (perfectly applied tolex, baltic birch, etc), but felt like I was carrying an amp when I had to take it anywhere. It was for someone younger and stronger (which is why my son has it now!).
There are movable supports under the Schmidt's top shelf that give the shelf excellent support against flexing/bending, and a lot of customizability when it comes to routing wiring and connectors; and the lower shelf doesn't bend when stepping on a pedal, either.
The hardware is extremely high quality. I expected a lot for the money - it's expensive - but I was still surprised at how smoothly it operates and how well-made it is. It feels, handles and works like lots of great products made in Germany. No corners are cut anywhere. It's a Mercedes, except there's no maintenance.
I wouldn't call mine intricate. It's a stock SA-750-W model; it has a space built in for the expression pedal I use with the H9s, and it has one of the optional I/O connector boxes on the side.
Neither is unusual or particularly custom.
One nice thing about the Schmidt is that if you need to have a different configuration, you can change it by simply installing different shelves that they offer.
I didn't order the hard lid for it, since I'm no longer flying to overseas sessions. I did order the optional fitted and padded gig bag to be able to protect it when it's taken out in a car.
For me one of the most important and desirable things about the board is that I don't have to turn it upside down if I want to change a pedal, a power supply, or do some wiring. I dislike constantly flipping a heavy board back and forth; with the Schmidt, you open the top shelf and close it smoothly without having to do any of that.
And of course, there's no wiring underneath the board to become damaged or abraded in use. Since nothing's dangling on the outside, the cable routing is simple and permanent tie-downs aren't really necessary unless you're finicky and love the look of perfectly routed wiring (I dig that look, but I just bundled the wiring with nylon cable ties, because I figured I'd be changing things from time to time).
Flip up the top shelf, and everything inside is accessible. I can install pedals and accessories like buffers 'under the hood' (the flip-up shelf) along with the power supply. The lower shelf even snaps out with very well made hardware, to route wiring underneath as needed, or change pedals without having to drag the entire board to my desk.
I should also give props to Martin, the owner. When I was deciding what to get, he asked about my pedals, so I emailed him a list. He sent me a diagram done to scale of all my pedals sitting on the board he recommended. So picking the right board for my needs was beyond simple.
In other words, it's a complete pleasure to own this thing once you get over the sticker shock!
Last edited:
deathworlder
; )
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2023
- Messages
- 908
Workshop? C'mon...
More like, 'show me your pedalboard'.
Haven't learned sh×t...
Tell me what you did and why you did it...
More like, 'show me your pedalboard'.
Haven't learned sh×t...
Tell me what you did and why you did it...
You ask, I answer.
1. I researched pedalboards to replace the one I had. The one I bought looked like what I needed after doing my research. In order to decide I sent some emails and read some replies, and after considering the replies, I ordered one from Schmidt Array because it looked like it would meet my needs.
2. I bought the pedalboard because using a pedalboard, setups are fast and convenient, and done correctly, there isn't any noise from the pedals. Setting up ten pedals is a pain in the rear every time you want to play guitar.
3. Miracle of miracles, the board arrived safely from Schmidt Array in Germany.
4. I installed a power supply because pedals need power. The power supply came with the necessary DC cables. The power supply is from Voodoo Labs because I have good luck and no noise at all using their stuff.
5. The pedals are from Eventide, Pettyjohn and Suhr. I got them one at a time, did my homework and liked the sound of each one. The tuner is from Peterson because it's got a great, easy to read, display.
5. I set up the pedals temporarily on the board to measure for custom cables. I measured the distances with a cloth measuring tape. I included just enough slack for servicing the board. The measurements were given to the guy who made my cables.
I had them made with solder, traditional reinforcing barrels and heat shrink reinforcement, for durability. I had the builder get extremely small but excellent connectors from a US manufacturer, the smallest but highest quality plugs I could find (G&H makes some recently introduced very small ones).
I used the best-shielded, low capacitance cables I could find and found some I liked. These were the Grimm TPR cables, made in The Netherlands. The cable builder got them in stock for me. I think they sound great because they don't add anything to the sound or take it away. As it should be.
6. I installed the audio and power cables from the board's patch bay to pedals in the pedal chain, and back to the patch bay's insert points and outputs and tested the audio and power. I tested everything to make sure I didn't screw up, and everything worked with zero noise from the pedals. No hums, no buzzes, no tone suck, no BS.
7. Once I got the pedals, power and audio cables where I wanted them, I velcro'd the pedals into place using industrial strength, Velcro brand velcro. Because it's Velcro. I figure if you're going to velcro something down, use Velcro.
8. There's a little technique involved: If you press down hard and wiggle the barbed side of the velcro that you stick onto the pedal into the receiving end of the velcro for about 20 seconds or so, the pedal gets very firmly attached and it's not going anywhere.
9. If you make a mistake, you separate the two pieces of velcro with a plastic putty knife, so you don't have to use any force, and nothing gets damaged on the pedal or the board from the plastic putty knife. Then you reposition it.
I've seen pro builders use crowbars to remove pedals (!), which seems pretty stupid, and an easy way to damage both the pedal and the board. The plastic putty knife is not only easier and requires virtually no force, the plastic is pretty soft and doesn't damage the pedal, or for that matter, the velcro.
10. Being the OCD person I am, I was very careful to line the pedals up evenly. Because I like things to look symmetrical. If you're going to do something, do it right.
11. Once the wiring was in place and tested, I used nylon cable ties to keep the cables together where I wanted them and trimmed the excess off the ties. Then I closed the lid and it snapped right into place. Done!
So there you have the whole nine yards plus of explanation and how I did it.
I'll bet you didn't learn one single new thing did ya? But you asked!
Last edited:
deathworlder
; )
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2023
- Messages
- 908
You ever stomp while tracking?You ask, I answer.
1. I researched pedalboards to replace the one I had. The one I bought looked like what I needed after doing my research. In order to decide I sent some emails and read some replies, and after considering the replies, I ordered one from Schmidt Array because it looked like it would meet my needs.
2. I bought the pedalboard because using a pedalboard, setups are fast and convenient, and done correctly, there isn't any noise from the pedals. Setting up ten pedals is a pain in the rear every time you want to play guitar.
3. Miracle of miracles, the board arrived safely from Schmidt Array in Germany.
4. I installed a power supply because pedals need power. The power supply came with the necessary DC cables. The power supply is from Voodoo Labs because I have good luck and no noise at all using their stuff.
5. The pedals are from Eventide, Pettyjohn and Suhr. I got them one at a time, did my homework and liked the sound of each one. The tuner is from Peterson because it's got a great, easy to read, display.
5. I set up the pedals temporarily on the board to measure for custom cables. I measured the distances with a cloth measuring tape. I included just enough slack for servicing the board. The measurements were given to the guy who made my cables.
I had them made with solder, traditional reinforcing barrels and heat shrink reinforcement, for durability. I had the builder get extremely small but excellent connectors from a US manufacturer, the smallest but highest quality plugs I could find (G&H makes some recently introduced very small ones).
I used the best-shielded, low capacitance cables I could find and found some I liked. These were the Grimm TPR cables, made in The Netherlands. The cable builder got them in stock for me. I think they sound great because they don't add anything to the sound or take it away. As it should be.
6. I installed the audio and power cables from the board's patch bay to pedals in the pedal chain, and back to the patch bay's insert points and outputs and tested the audio and power. I tested everything to make sure I didn't screw up, and everything worked with zero noise from the pedals. No hums, no buzzes, no tone suck, no BS.
7. Once I got the pedals, power and audio cables where I wanted them, I velcro'd the pedals into place using industrial strength, Velcro brand velcro. Because it's Velcro. I figure if you're going to velcro something down, use Velcro.
8. There's a little technique involved: If you press down hard and wiggle the barbed side of the velcro that you stick onto the pedal into the receiving end of the velcro for about 20 seconds or so, the pedal gets very firmly attached and it's not going anywhere.
9. If you make a mistake, you separate the two pieces of velcro with a plastic putty knife, so you don't have to use any force, and nothing gets damaged on the pedal or the board from the plastic putty knife. Then you reposition it.
I've seen pro builders use crowbars to remove pedals (!), which seems pretty stupid, and an easy way to damage both the pedal and the board. The plastic putty knife is not only easier and requires virtually no force, the plastic is pretty soft and doesn't damage the pedal, or for that matter, the velcro.
10. Being the OCD person I am, I was very careful to line the pedals up evenly. Because I like things to look symmetrical. If you're going to do something, do it right.
11. Once the wiring was in place and tested, I used nylon cable ties to keep the cables together where I wanted them and trimmed the excess off the ties. Then I closed the lid and it snapped right into place. Done!
So there you have the whole nine yards plus of explanation and how I did it.
I'll bet you didn't learn one single new thing did ya? But you asked!
Of course!
I also work the expression pedal with the H9s while tracking, and switch presets on them via bluetooth from my computer or phone.
It's also much easier to stay in the creative flow without having to stop, plug things in, etc. Experimentation is the order of the day, you try things and see how they work in the context of a track.
But I absolutely need to stay in the flow. Also I'm my own engineer, so I'm sitting in front of the pedalboard with headphone cable, guitar cable, guitar, and remotes to deal with if I have to get up and down to make changes. That's another whole ordeal while tracking I avoid.
I also have a mic set up for each amp during tracking, everything on and powered up (including phantom power if I'm tracking with condensers), and a MIDI-controllable amp and cabinet switcher so I stay in the flow trying out and recording different amps and speaker cab combinations.
I can go from track to track using Logic Remote on my iPad without having to move from my spot while tracking. It's as simple as touching the screen.
Any time you stop, you interrupt the ideas that are flowing. That's not a great thing.
I don't know why anyone would want to restrict themselves to a single set of choices pre-made, without contextual experimentation, but that's their problem.
Last edited:
Prina
Avoiding imperial entanglements
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2023
- Messages
- 1,679
Great idea, gotta try that sometime soon.
We have multiple usable iPads with partially cracked screens that my better half stepped/sat on that would be perfect for Logic Remote.
Similar threads
