Guitar pedalboard

A guitar pedalboard is a flat board or panel which serves as a container, patch bay and power supply for effects pedals for the electric guitar. Some pedalboards contain their own transformer and power cables, in order to power up to 12 (or more) different pedals. Pedalboards assist the player in managing multiple pedals. The entire pedalboard can be packed up and transported to the next location without the need for disassembly.

Pedalboards often have a cover which protects the effects pedals during transportation. There are many varieties of pedalboard cases, including homemade DIY pedalboard cases, store-bought pedalboard cases, and, for professional musicians, custom-made pedalboard cases. Hard shell pedalboard-cases have foam padding, reinforced corners, and locking latches which protect the pedals during transport; during onstage performance, with the lid removed, the bottom of the case is a pedalboard. Most pedalboards have a flat surface where pedals and their power supplies are attached using Velcro or other techniques, and they often have a removable lid or padding to protect the pedals when they are not being used. Some pedalboards have handles or wheels to facilitate transportation.

Pedal power supply

Most effects pedals use a DC power, with different voltages depending on the manufacturers. Possible voltages are 9v, 12v, 15v, 18v, 24v, and 40v, yet 9V is most common. Some effects pedals accept a range of input voltages and different voltages may produce somewhat different effects. A guitar player can experiment by varying the power supply voltage to generate the desired sound.

The DC power can be generated by battery, DC power supply, or a combination of rechargeable battery and its charger. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Using individual battery for each pedal works fine for occasional players, who do not have to worry about the replacement battery cost and the changes in sound as batteries get tired. A battery typically lasts around two hours. Professional players normally replace all batteries with new ones before shows.

Using a DC power supply is a good alternative even though the initial cost is higher; however one has to pay attention to ground loops and power line hum. Noise gates help to reduce noise level by suppressing the signal if it is below a threshold. This would control the unwanted noise from the supply, but does not remove the noise from the signal.

The third approach is to use one single powerful rechargeable battery to drive all the pedals and a battery charger to recharge the battery. This eliminates ground loops and the pedals are grounded at one single point -- the amplifier. There are products in the market that can power 20+ effects pedals for eight hours within one single charge. The effect pedals are connected to a rechargeable battery via isolated DC-DC converters, which can produce the required voltages. Combining a rechargeable effects pedal battery with a “pedalboard suitcase” reduces the setup time prior to a music show.

ee also

*Pete Cornish
*Effects unit
*Guitar effects
*Guitar amplifier
*Distortion (guitar)
*Electric guitar
*Voltz