With the exception of the Blackout Effectors Musket Fuzz, this is my current working setup. It is a “Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 plus” powered Pedal Train 1. Signal flow is as follows;
Sonic Research Turbo Tuner ST-200> Analogman Bi-Comprossor > Analogman Sunface, modded with new old stock Red Dot NKT275 Germanium transistors, sun dial and On/Off pot, NO Power or LED > Devi Ever Soda Meiser > MXR Phase 90 > Line 6 DL4 > Boss FV-500L Volume Pedal > Line 6 Verbzilla. Also on the board is the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier channel switcher.
Live with Gnaw, I omit the Bi-Comp. The Bi-Comp is not ideal with the Les Paul through the Mesa Boogie. I’m in no need of added sustain (!) and the comp really raises the noise floor quite significantly at huge gain levels. In this photo, the MXR Phase 90 is not actively in the chain, as I did not bring it along on the European tour. The Volume pedal exists post DL4 because I actively use the guitar’s pot for volume adjustments and this allows me to silently build loops live, then bring them in after several layers are constructed.
The Pedal Train 1 is a tad small in surface area, but for me, the best solution in size vs. weight vs. cost. While it’s nice to have access to my pedal collection all in one place, I never need them all at the same time and the PT2 would not have afforded me that anyway. The Pedal Train 2 is arguably a slightly better alternative but realistically only has 2 addition inches of surface area on the board. So, the added weight and added cost aren’t really justifiable for me. The PT2 Hard Case is far superior and a much more substantial flight case, however at 17 lbs vs. the 9 lb. PT1 case, you really pay for it in weight. The hard case for the PT1 is not too well constructed, yet far lighter. While in transit, I strap a durable luggage strap through the handle and around it for added security, as well as some added foam inside to ensure that nothing in that case will budge. On paper it sounds like a ridiculous compromise when discussing some of my hand built pedals, but I’m completely satisfied with this solution. With airlines currently charging you for every pound, it would cost me an additional $50 (each way!) to check the PT2 on a plane. I am able to stow the PT1 inside my luggage for no extra cost. Some day, “the label” will pay for overages (yeah right) and then I’ll upgrade.
Moving forward; I think ideally, with proper time and resources, I would get the DL4 space hog off this board, put the volume pedal earlier in the chain and add the Musket Fuzz and a RMC2 Wah. Then perhaps create another board with an additional volume pedal, the DL4 and an additional looping pedal. Just a thought, though.
