Another Boardroom Reshuffle!
Well I needed to keep my overactive gear-mind occupied after finishing my marathon refinishing project of a guitar and a bass, so my attentions were drawn back to the pedalboard rig. I think I’m really close now to a more permanent setup that is less likely to change for some time, however there is still an intended change to the main board that I will eventually make, based on pedal size rather than type of effect.
I’m very happy now with the selection of effects and the relative simplicity of the pedal board now. I got overindulgent in the number of effects and soon discovered that too much of my energy on stage was spent choosing what effect(s) to activate on the fly. Less is definitely more when it comes to performing on stage.
The Line6 M5 effect unit is really good. The delay I’m using is the analog delay model (Deluxe Memory Man I believe) and the sound of it is really superb. Very clear, yet not too pristine. It also runs very well off the Caline CP-06 rechargeable power supply, which has a 500mA output. I’m yet to find out how long the charge will last with the M5 powered up, but I already did a rehearsal with it and a few hours at home, so it will easily last a gig. I had to attach larger feet to the Pedaltrain Nano for the Caline CP-06 to fit underneath.
There is a spare power jack ready for attaching the wah, which currently doen’t fit on the board. This is the reason for my intended further board change in the future (when budget allows). The Line6 M5 will be replaced by something smaller, but with a tap tempo/sub-division feature. Probably a Tech21 Boost DLA.
I love the sound of the Line6, but it would be handy if I didn’t have such a big delay pedal. The M5 will be kept for the studio. The tube compressor model works great in the inserts of my audio interface for recording and the other effects like Octave, envelope filter etc. are perfect for some of the sounds I will use in the studio, but unlikely to use live.
I got the M5 because it was a bargain price on Ebay – nearly new and a third of the new price. It’s confirmed for me that I do need a tap-tempo delay for live use and one that can do dotted 1/8ths too.
The backup board was put together from leftover pedals and bits from my homemade board, which I ended up cutting down in size. It’s a great board for rehearsals or when I’m doing a gig without the need for my delay to be in time with the music.
My amp and pedals still fit into one carry case, which is the main criteria for my rig. If it’s too big to fit into that case then it’s too big!
So now I have a nano board and a half!
EDIT:
One thing I forgot to mention is that the Line6 M5 has a noise suppressor which you can set in addition to the effect chosen. This is a very handy feature as it works even with the effect in bypass. This could be a deciding factor in keeping the M5 where it is because it really helps keeping noise away when I’m using my lead sound with a lot of gain.
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