Pedal Line Friday :: Swift Reason

Hello! Here is my board. I recently transitioned from using a Pod Go, as I was trying out modeling to downsize my setup. My half stack was a pain to carry around, and I wanted something more portable but still capable of getting loud when necessary. However, I quickly became frustrated with modelers and decided to return to traditional pedals. My board has gone through several changes, but this is what it looks like today.

Front of Amp

PolyTune3 Noir: A great compact tuner. I chose the Noir version because I preferred the black color, and it fits perfectly on the board. It's small, reliable, and always accurate.

Xotic Effects SP Compressor: A fantastic compressor that stays on all the time for subtle tonal shaping. I love the low, mid, and high settings, which give me a wide range of compression options to tweak my tone.

Midnight Drive-Thru JemmyJems Signature Overdrive: This is a dual-drive pedal made by Vander Guitars in Australia. The orange side is a transparent overdrive with a classic 4-knob layout, and the green side uses cascading FETs for a medium gain tone. Stacking both sides together gives me a lot of flexibility, and this is my primary overdrive pedal.

JHS Bonzai: Most people know the Bonzai. It's 9 different tube screamer models in one, and I keep it on my board when I need that classic TS sound. It's a go-to when I want that particular overdrive flavor.

JHS PackRat: Another JHS pedal that's very familiar to most. The PackRat offers 9 different versions of the Rat distortion, making it perfect for those 90's rock tones. It's a must-have when I need to nail that sound.

JHS Notaklon: JHS's take on the Klon, and it's great for adding boost and clarity to my tone. I considered the Archer but ultimately went with this for the "goop" effect and Josh Scott's charm. It's a fun addition to the board.

Effects Loop

Rattlesnake TRS Splitter: This was a lifesaver. The Amped 1 came with a bulky TRS to dual TS cable, which was hard to manage, and finding a replacement cable could be difficult. The TRS Splitter was the perfect solution for better cable organization and easier replacements.

VoodooLab Analog Chorus: Classic analog chorus pedal. It's rarely used, but it's nice to have when I want that classic chorus sound. It adds warmth and depth to my tone when needed.

Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man: A legendary delay pedal, and I sometimes set it on vibrato mode when I'm not using it for delay. The classic warmth and character of the Memory Man are irreplaceable.

Source Audio Collider Delay and Reverb: This pedal is incredible for its range of delay and reverb sounds. It's super versatile, and I love being able to share presets with the community. Some of my favorite settings are from others, which keeps my sound fresh and ever-evolving.

Amp

Blackstar Amped 1: This amp doesn't get the credit it deserves. The versatility and convenience are unmatched, especially for pedal setups. I love how it keeps my entire rig on the pedalboard—just a few cables, and I'm ready to go. The cab rig DI out is perfect for live shows or recording, letting me bypass mic'ing the cabinet. The voicing and valve response options give me plenty of flexibility to dial in any sound I need. It was designed to work seamlessly with pedal setups, and it truly shines in this configuration.

Final Thoughts

The order of my signal chain works really well for my needs, though I've played around with a few different placements for my effects like modulation and delay. I tend to prefer having delay and reverb after my overdrives, as it helps to avoid muddying things up and keeps my tones clear. However, depending on what I'm going for, I sometimes swap things around.

The only thing I might consider adding in the future would be a phaser or flanger to experiment with more ambient effects. However, for now, this setup covers all the bases, and I'm really happy with how it all sounds and works together.

It's been a great experience moving back to pedals after using the Pod Go. The tactile feel of interacting with individual pedals has definitely added a new level of enjoyment and creativity to my playing.

Submit Your Pedal Line!

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.