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I am the guitarist for Silence Mill and this is the board that I used when recording our recently released LP. I have two other boards, because I have issues, and all three boards are wired using Rattlesnake cables.
This photograph was taken while setting up for the session in which my band, Silence Mill, recorded our new LP. So, if you have listened to āThe Sound of Silence Millā, or seen us live in the last couple of years, this is the pedalboard you have heard.
The signal begins, as with so many pedalboards, by going through the ubiquitous, instantly recognizable, and virtually indestructible Boss TU-2. Mine was thrown in for free with a bass I bought almost 20 years ago and is still going strong. Itās a tuner and it does its job with reliability and minimal fuss.
Next up is a late 70s MXR Limiter, which, despite its name, is really a compressor. Unlike later MXR pedals the Limiter is hardwired with a mains power cable and has a 15v transformer inside the pedal itself. The size, shape, and general setup, with input and output on the same side, means that the Limiter is not the most board friendly pedal, but it is too good not to use. Though definitely not what you would call ātransparentā, it also isnāt very āsquishyā. It combines a certain cold sound with a signal boost helping to level out the signal before it takes a journey around 20 feet of cable. Allegedly, these are one of Wireās secret weapons and who am I to argue with Colin Newman?
The MXR Limiter is one of only two pedals on this board that affect the entire signal, as, after exiting the Limiter, the signal goes to the Old Blood Noise Endeavors Signal Blender. Here the signal is split into two new parallel paths and ultimately blended back together with the original ācleanā signal.
The first path from the Signal Blender goes, via the pink colored Send A, to the drive section, which is mounted on the top step of the board. This section begins and ends with the one knob Stone Deaf FX Noise Reaper, a VCA noise gate our singer has named her favorite pedal due to how quiet it makes me when I am not playing. Within the fx loop of the noise gate are three pedals, all set to unity gain and reasonable non-dimed settings, together these create a cascading gain stage central to my tone.
The first pedal in the sequence is a Fredric Effects Accomplished Badger. This is the original version and is a two stage boost that uses an opamp buffer into a germanium gain stage. The newer version adds a voltage pump, but I am happy with the lower head room of this version. While the pedal can get gritty, particularly as the germanium gain is turned up, I tend to keep it relatively clean and use it as a tone shaper.
Next comes the utilitarian looking Farm Pedal Black Flag. Described by its builder as a ālo-fi thickenerā and by others as āNeil Young in a boxā, the Black Flag provides much of the gain stage grit and a fair amount of the treble screech with its no frills unlabeled two knob, volume and tone approach. In addition to sounding great, it has the added benefit of looking perfectly at home onstage with an overtly political punk/noise band.
Following the Black Flag is a second Fredric Effects pedal, the Regent 150 Preamp. I follow this builder closely and have coveted most, if not all, of their pedals at some point or another. I do have a third pedal made by them, the Warp Sound, which combines my love of modulated distortion, but s currently sitting on a second board. The Regent 150 had intrigued me since I first learned it was based on a solid state amp built in East Germany in the 1970s. I was convinced to finally buy one when I noticed one on the board David Pajo used during his tenure with Gang of Four. The pedal has a glassy clean compressed āCold Warā transistor type gain which works perfectly to top off the grit from the previous pedals.
The blue Send B path from the OBNE Signal Blender runs parallel to the pink loop, and is unaffected by the gain stages, only acting on the original signal from the guitar and MXR Limiter. While it is possible to flip a switch and have the two paths work in series I never use this feature, preferring to retain the integrity of the drive channel. I use this second loop to introduce at least one modulation effect, typically either a flanger and/or chorus. Recently I have been experimenting with the Farm Pedals ābucket brigadeā style And Roses in this position, but during this session (and in this picture), the modulation was provided by a MXR Flanger. This is set up subtly, more in the metallic seasick style of John McGeoch than the infamous airplane whoosh of another notorious flanger enthusiast. Like the Limiter, this is also a late 70s hard wired version of this pedal and is possibly even more non pedalboard friendly as it dates from the period before MXR decided to install led lights on their pedals.
After the two parallel signals return to the Signal Blender, they are mixed with each other and the original ācleanā green signal. The combined signal is then sent to the Hermida Audio EPH-3, a tape echo simulator built by Lovepedal. The main intent of the delay is to add extra thickness to the sound, something which is needed live as I am the only guitarist in the band. The EPH-3 is the only non analog pedal on the board and is a choice that my irrational Luddite tendency toward rejecting the digital occasionally causes me to feel guilty about. I do have at least one analog delay pedal, so the EPH-3 may be replaced one day in an āanalog purityā inspired purge. Regardless of the pedal, I use a very slight delay and blend it so most of the original signal passes through. Typically, when using the EPH, I will also add a little āflutterā for a slightly warped uneasy feel.
On the day this photo was taken, the board sat in front of my usual amp, which is a mid 70s Traynor YGL-3 MK3, but during the session it was also used with a ā67 Fender Bassman head into a homemade 2x12 cab. The two pedals waiting on deck in this photograph are a late 70s Maxon D&S, which is a Big Muff with a modified tonestack, and a Catalinbread Antichthon, a crazy oscillating drive/fuzz which behaves unpredictably in relation to the guitar volume knob, pick attack, and also, seemingly, the current weather conditions. I cannot recall if the D&S was used on the LP, but the Anticthon was used to overdub noisy guitar on at least two tracks
The board itself is homemade, using oak hobby boards and 3D printed legs, and is housed inside a 1950s hardside Samsonite suitcase. The suitcase was adapted by adding non-slip feet, drilling holes for Ā¼ā jacks on either side of the case, and adding another hole for an IEC power jack at the back. Hiding under the board are a Truetone 1 Spot Pro CS7 and a Tripp Lite Isobar filtered power supply (the grey box at the top). The Isobar was added to both reduce interference from venue electrical outlets and to more easily provide power to the two hardwired MXR pedals. The pedals are all connected using Rattlesnakeās flex patch cables, while the runs from the guitar and to the amp are connected using a snakehead and a standard cable, both in the Halloween special Black Widow color way. The whole board is overseen by a sticker of Italian theorist and, sometime, music critic, Antonio Gramsci.
About a million years ago, I used to run a blog called EffectsBay. On that blog, the most popular feature I would run was Pedal Line Friday. This is where readers of the site would send pics of their pedalboard and a short (sometimes long) write-up of routing and thoughts about specific pedals and the reasoning why they liked it, etc. Readers. loved this. It was a great way to learn about new applications or techniques regarding pedals. It also brought a little inspiration and knowledge about pedals you were not familiar with. It also brought a great sense of community - people like sharing and absorbing cool things, right? It was a super popular feature, and I loved putting them together.
All you have to do is send a pic of your pedalboard (or pedal line - it doesn't have to be on a board) along with a short (or long) write-up of the board. We want a list of pedals (manufacturer/model), routing would be great, and, most importantly, why you use those particular pedals. Also, this is a great way to promote your band or musical project - include that information as well!
You can send the pic and the write-up to pedalline@rattlesnakecables.com.
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