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[aoguitars]

Exactly. Along the bottom, so all of the effects would be above it.

[ColForbin]

If I may PON, there is a link on the main site www.pedalboards.com, and that site will show you a bunch of pics of the exact thing we are talking about there.  They call their version a "true bypass strip", but it's the same thing.  Here is one pic, not on a pedaltrain, one of their powered boards, but it gives an idea of how you could set something like this up:



As you can see, the true bypass looper/strip activates the individual effects, the boxes themselves are always on.  So as AO says, you could just make your looper or whatever you want to call it very accessible and leave everything else on.

[picture_of_nectar]

Yeah right on. I have seen pics of boards like that over on TGP.

I guess I'm just wondering how I'd rig the loopstrip onto my current pedaltrain so I don't have to buy a whole new board. I have the medium size pedaltrain and I'm thinking it's prolly too small since it's full of pedals. But I was wondering about mounting the loopstrip to the front ot of the board with screws or something rather then on top with the rest of the pedals.

[ColForbin]

Yeah right on. I have seen pics of boards like that over on TGP.

I guess I'm just wondering how I'd rig the loopstrip onto my current pedaltrain so I don't have to buy a whole new board. I have the medium size pedaltrain and I'm thinking it's prolly too small since it's full of pedals. But I was wondering about mounting the loopstrip to the front ot of the board with screws or something rather then on top with the rest of the pedals.

Oh I see, so you have the pedaltrain 1 or 2?  I've gone through a couple different pedaltrains.  I started with the pt2 and then decided I was going to the pro.  Now, I have downsized my rig significantly and am using the pedaltrain jr.  Regardless, if you were to mount it to the front somehow, it would have to come off every time you wanted to move the board as it probably won't fit in your case, whether it be the soft case or hard case.  That being said, you could always 'spec it out' to be sure that it would fit.  Get the dimensions of your looper, add cable ends and determine whether it would go in your case I guess,.....I'm not sure what else you could do, aside from, as you say, getting another board.

[picture_of_nectar]

What brand of board is that shown above, anyone know? I like tge clean look of how the cables are hidden under what looks like foam or somethin.

[ColForbin]

What brand of board is that shown above, anyone know? I like tge clean look of how the cables are hidden under what looks like foam or somethin.

It's a pre-wired powered board from that pedalboards.com place that I mentioned above.  I believe you send them specs on what you want and they design the custom board, powered and everything.  You just insert your pedals and away you go.  Check out their site, as I said, there are a ton of good pics of people's boards on there.

[IamWILSON]

Is it really necessary to have everything be true bypass?  I have been considering a loop master switch for some of my effects (mostly the Boomerang, Whammy II, and my H&K Rotosphere), but I think my tone already sounds really good.  As I understand, if you're using many pedals, sometimes its good to have a pedal or 2 throughout the chain that isn't true bypass so it creates a buffer, or something, and strengths your signal as it's going through so many feet of cable and many different effects.  Does anybody know about this? 

Also, I have never used my amp's effects loop, but if I did put some pedals in the loop, would I still need a true bypass switch?  I am considering putting the 2 at the end of my chain (Rang, and Rotosphere) in the effects loop.  And maybe my reverb too.  Would that be wrong? 

[ColForbin]

Is it really necessary to have everything be true bypass?  I have been considering a loop master switch for some of my effects (mostly the Boomerang, Whammy II, and my H&K Rotosphere), but I think my tone already sounds really good.  As I understand, if you're using many pedals, sometimes its good to have a pedal or 2 throughout the chain that isn't true bypass so it creates a buffer, or something, and strengths your signal as it's going through so many feet of cable and many different effects.  Does anybody know about this?  

Also, I have never used my amp's effects loop, but if I did put some pedals in the loop, would I still need a true bypass switch?  I am considering putting the 2 at the end of my chain (Rang, and Rotosphere) in the effects loop.  And maybe my reverb too.  Would that be wrong?  

I've been having a similar conversation with my guitar tech lately, and all I can tell you for a certainty, is that I would never run a boomerang or a whammy without them being in a true bypass looper, they are just noisy in a chain I feel.  I have hear the argument that a buffer is a good thing, and it might be, I think maybe it depends on what else is in the rig, order, etc.  I have everything true bypass except for my vibe pedal, and I'm a pretty big fan of my tone right now, so take that for what's it is worth I guess.  

[IamWILSON]

Is it really necessary to have everything be true bypass?  I have been considering a loop master switch for some of my effects (mostly the Boomerang, Whammy II, and my H&K Rotosphere), but I think my tone already sounds really good.  As I understand, if you're using many pedals, sometimes its good to have a pedal or 2 throughout the chain that isn't true bypass so it creates a buffer, or something, and strengths your signal as it's going through so many feet of cable and many different effects.  Does anybody know about this? 

Also, I have never used my amp's effects loop, but if I did put some pedals in the loop, would I still need a true bypass switch?  I am considering putting the 2 at the end of my chain (Rang, and Rotosphere) in the effects loop.  And maybe my reverb too.  Would that be wrong? 

I've been having a similar conversation with my guitar teck lately, and all I can tell you for a certainty, is that I would never run a boomerang or a whammy without them being in a true bypass looper, they are just noisy in a chain I feel.  I have hear the argument that a buffer is a good thing, and it might be, I think maybe it depends on what else is in the rig, order, etc.  I have everything true bypass except for my vibe pedal, and I'm a pretty big fan of my tone right now, so take that for what's it is worth I guess. 

Yeah, I probably should get one and put the whammy and boomerang through it...the only thing I don't like about that is the Whammy is at the beginning of my chain and the Boomerang is at the end, so if I do it with one of those strips, I'd still have to add all my other pedals that are in between those 2 pedals into one switch as well, or I'd have to get a couple single switches to place one on the Whammy and then maybe run the Rang and Rotosphere through the same switch at the end of the chain.  I just don't need to spend any more money on effects when my goal right now is to save up for a custom made guitar.

[ColForbin]

Yeah, I probably should get one and put the whammy and boomerang through it...the only thing I don't like about that is the Whammy is at the beginning of my chain and the Boomerang is at the end, so if I do it with one of those strips, I'd still have to add all my other pedals that are in between those 2 pedals into one switch as well, or I'd have to get a couple single switches to place one on the Whammy and then maybe run the Rang and Rotosphere through the same switch at the end of the chain.  I just don't need to spend any more money on effects when my goal right now is to save up for a custom made guitar.

What's your chain look like?  I don't believe it's overly advisable to have your whammy at the start, is there a reason you like it therh?  And by the way, what's the rotosphere like?  I've always wondered and have never had the opportunity to play one.

[IamWILSON]

My chain:

Carlo Robelli hollowbody (like a PRS double cutaway) or my Clapton Strat > Whammy II > RMC 6 > TS9 > TS9 (both are from '82) > Keeley Comp > Ernie Ball Vol Jr > Fulltone Supa Trem > Nova Repeater > Ibanez DML20 > Boomerang + > H&K Rotosphere > Alesis Microverb > Egnater Rebel 20

I like the Whammy at the beginning of the chain because I believe that allows it to easily track my clean signal and produce a clean sound.  I've tried it in different areas of my chain and that was where I thought it sounded the best.  Maybe I should try it again after my compressor, but I hate messing with the chain because then I spend hours testing shit and should be shedding tunes instead. 

I really love the Rotosphere!!! I got it on Ebay for $250 (which was a total steal - I usually see them go for over 3 bills), and I took my DejaVibe2 out of my chain when I got it.  Although I'm thinking about readding, or selling it.  If I readd it to my chain, I'll probably then do some more experimenting with placement of the Whammy pedal.  Anyway, the Rotosphere really does do a great job of replicating the Leslie sound.  It has a slow/fast switch and breaker switch so you can slow the rotations down to a halt, but the effect remains on.  You can even adjust the volume mix and speeds of the "treble and bass horns" separately by using a knob and a couple trim pots.  It has stereo ins and outs (which I really need to try out some time). But at the same time, that is all it does - ACTS JUST LIKE A LESLIE.  So I don't use it very often.  In using a tremolo or vibe pedal, I feel like you can adjust them to create way different sounds than the Rotosphere, and that is why I struggle with thinking about selling my vibe pedal.  But I do know that if my Rotosphere broke, I would probably suck it up and buy another one.

[picture_of_nectar]

So I emailed on one of those loopstrip integrated custom boards and the guy wasn't $600-$800 for one to hold 8 pedals. Whoa...

[Walker done done]

So I emailed on one of those loopstrip integrated custom boards and the guy wasn't $600-$800 for one to hold 8 pedals. Whoa...

Holy crap!

[ColForbin]

My chain:

Carlo Robelli hollowbody (like a PRS double cutaway) or my Clapton Strat > Whammy II > RMC 6 > TS9 > TS9 (both are from '82) > Keeley Comp > Ernie Ball Vol Jr > Fulltone Supa Trem > Nova Repeater > Ibanez DML20 > Boomerang + > H&K Rotosphere > Alesis Microverb > Egnater Rebel 20

I like the Whammy at the beginning of the chain because I believe that allows it to easily track my clean signal and produce a clean sound.  I've tried it in different areas of my chain and that was where I thought it sounded the best.  Maybe I should try it again after my compressor, but I hate messing with the chain because then I spend hours testing shit and should be shedding tunes instead.

Right on, well you like what you like, but if it were me, I would be putting a true bypass looper after the volume pedal (or compressor if the volume ever changed position), and the whammy in between the trem and the nova.  I always like delay after my whammy, whether it be in the same chain or a different chain, so I can have delays on the whammy.  That being said, I was using the Whammy IV and not the II.  The IV can have kind of a cartoonish effect on your tone, and I've never played a II so I have no idea. 

So I emailed on one of those loopstrip integrated custom boards and the guy wasn't $600-$800 for one to hold 8 pedals. Whoa...

Good grief, that's fucking insane.  The pedaltrain method looks like an amazing route to go after hearing that price.  The thing about pedaltrain is how customizable it is, you can change your board up pretty easily.  I love it.

[IamWILSON]

Right on, well you like what you like, but if it were me, I would be putting a true bypass looper after the volume pedal (or compressor if the volume ever changed position), and the whammy in between the trem and the nova.  I always like delay after my whammy, whether it be in the same chain or a different chain, so I can have delays on the whammy.  That being said, I was using the Whammy IV and not the II.  The IV can have kind of a cartoonish effect on your tone, and I've never played a II so I have no idea. 

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the chip and technology that went into the II is different from the IV.  I remember moving it around the chain and it sounded horrendous in most positions with the exception of the front of chain.  I even did this with my band there for their opinions and it seemed to make the effect sound the best.