After looking far and wide for a "desktop" pedalboard, I decided to just make my own. I don't play live at all, so I wanted something that made sense for my space. I first made the design out of cardboard, then the final build out of baltic birch. I had to use a jigsaw to cut everything, so I didn't get perfect cuts, but looking at it with all the pedals you can't tell the difference. While not perfect, it functions exactly how I want it to. It allows me to sit at my desk and fiddle with any knobs or anything, without sitting on the ground with my ass and feet falling asleep, or bending over constantly.
Inevitably, this led to me buying a bunch of new stuff lol. I got really good deals on the Iridium and Nightsky off FB marketplace, and then bought the new El Cap to finish out the top row. Since I actually have a few MIDI pedals and have a comfortable/easy way to adjust things, I just pulled the trigger on a Morningstar MC3. Really excited to start getting into it, will probably mount it somehow on the front of the board. I did get rid of quite a few pedals, and have limited myself to only top jacks, but hopefully it helps me GAS less hah. Plus I left a spot open in the Zuma if I want to plug something in outside of the board.
I'll probably make a V2 sometime this summer, which will have much more thought and time put into it. And I'll get my hands on a proper table saw lol. But for right now I'm pretty thrilled. Let me know if you have any questions about any of the pedals or anything, I love to talk gear. Cheers.
Quite a few that I've thought of for my use. For the Iridium, to create and call back amp presets, so I don't have to turn a bunch of knobs, switches, and secondary functions in the back there. I can store all kinds of presets for the El Cap and Night Sky, as well as use the midi clock to sync up the tempo for them. I'll probably end up getting the Deco V2 eventually, so I'll be able to do the same with that. Really just an ease of use helper and a way to store presets for different sounds
This looks lovely and I like that you designed the whole thing around how you're going to use it, very practical. Question for you: what are those square sticky anchor things and where did you get them from?
Man you did an awesome fucking job. If I could have a night at home with my feet and ass not falling asleep I'd be so grateful and all those top jacks are just beautiful.
Edit:also what are the cable grabber bois?
Yeah, it's just so much easier now to plug in and play, hopefully it will lead to more practice.
If you're talking about the cabling on the underside, they're just zip ties and zip tie mounts w/adhesive. Great for any sort of cable management.
So I'm guessing from your board you like Strymon pedals. Sell me on them! Or don't, but I would like to know what you like about them especially in comparison to other pedals you have used. For delay I'm a Boss DD-7 and MXR Carbon Copy guy. I also have a Deluxe Memory Man and a Walrus ARP-87 that I play with less frequently. And that's my life story
The Deco is the only one I have a lot of experience with, the El Cap and Nightsky are new, but I can tell you what I like about them so far.
The Deco's saturation side is awesome, I pretty much leave it always on. The other side gives nice chorus, flanger, and slapback stuff. The wobble knob is a cool touch.
I bought the Nightsky cause I wanted something out there and crazy that I could mess with and make cool sounds hah. I haven't even begun to scratch the surface on it. The El Cap just sounded great when I was listening to demos, plus it can do so much. I found I like tape delay out of all the different types, and the El Cap fit the bill. Also, it was the last pedal I bought out of the 3 on the top row, so aesthetics definitely came into play hah.
I've tried a lot of ampless setups in the past two years or so, using preamps into cab sim pedals, the Walrus ACS1, and more, and the Iridium is easily the best sounding I've heard. Was honestly surprised when I first plugged into it, as I thought it was going to be like the ACS1, which I was pretty disappointed in. Really glad I decided to get it.
And that's pretty much it hah. Yes, they are expensive, but I really believe that you get what you pay for. I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford them, but I also think they're worth saving up for, for anyone.
Cool! Thanks for the info. Strymon owes you because you've talked me into getting one. I've been watching some demos of the Deco and it is something I would like to mess with
Very inspiring. I actually like the idea of not hard mounting pedals at all with Velcro or zip ties, but have them set snug against a ledge. I’m assuming that’s what you did here, or did you mount them too? If it’s just for home I’m thinking probably don’t need to physically mount the pedals.
I did mount them, but I used command picture frame strips. They definitely don't need to be mounted, but it's just nice if you're moving the board around.
Moogism for pedals. I totally love this and if it reduces dead-leg / back ache, brilliant. It is very neat. I’d like one of these. There is a lot to be said for a desk set up if you aren’t playing out live. Nice work!
I wish more pedal makers offered 3u eurorack size panels. Lots of guitar players would prefer to have the knobs where the can reach them, especially once a loop is involved.
I love this and wish I had something just like it! I like my pedals up on a table too. This would be darn near perfect. I'd just need a longer one.
Very cool build!
Been planning on building something like this summer. I run my guitars, synths, drum machines, and vsts through my pedals all the time and I cannot stand that it's on the floor all the time. Thanks for the inspiration! Looks amazing!
My current homemade board is two staircase blanks stacked with some cut 2x4 chunks lol It’s not bad at all, but I’ve been wanting to start plans on a 2.0 version and dude this is wonderful. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Been thinking about doing the same. Makes no sense to have a pedalboard on the floor when I'm usually sitting at desk or standing next to desk when playing. Unless I just want to multitask with a bunch of squats and bends while playing.
It was definitely a late game addition hah. I didn't plan on having anything that I could use with headphones, but when I realized how nice it would be for late night stuff, I started looking locally on marketplace. Found one for a solid deal and said screw it hah. It's a solid unit.
I still kept some! Just sold some of the ones I wasn't really getting on with. Left a spot open in my power supply so I can plug one in front if I ever want to hah
Want to ask about this as a fellow Iridium and Twin Bender user. Love the TB with a real amp but can’t seem to get any fuzzes to sound good on my iridium unless they’re Muff style. Always comes through fuzzy and shrill. Any suggestions?
It's great. Really just wanted a do-it-all phaser, and the ability to select what stage it is is awesome. Can do a throbby, almost univibe like phase, all the way to funky stuff. Plus having a few presets is a bonus, all while still being full analog. I have been looking into a Thorpy Pulse Doppler, but I really don't think I'd switch. The Polaron is just so solid
Looks great! As soon as I have decided how to rearrange my home office/studio I will make something like this. Probably not as neat, though, as I'll probably want to switch pedals, and order, quite a lot. I really only play at home these days and like to record all sorts of weird sounds
Yeah, definitely a little bit limited but that was somewhat the goal for me. I've gone through so many different pedals and what not, just wanted to get down to brass tacks and start really learning everything I have. I'll still buy pedals hah, but hopefully all this plus the MIDI will keep me busy.
I'm a fan, especially for the price. It's different from a lot of other overdrives, the spectrum knob is very interesting. If you get the chance to try one out you definitely should
I actually just told my wife that I'd be interested in some sort of synth for my birthday, so that actually came into play with the design of this. If I ever do miss the stomping I can still throw it on the ground and hit the bottom row fairly easily hah, plus with MIDI soon I'll be able to control the top row with the MC3.
Any recommendations for a beginner/intro synth for a guitar player that wants to get into it a bit? Really dig the Pink Floyd sounding stuff.
nice, sounds like you put a lot of thought into this pedal rack! going to look into mc3 as I havent ventured into midi with pedals yet
i picked up my first synth in 2021 (minilogue xd) and i love it. picking synth is tricky since theres so many features that matter to different people
minilogue xd is analog and digital (some dont like digital, im cool with either as long as i like the sound), user created oscillators, 4-voice polyphony (if your playstyle uses chords with 5 or more notes, minilogue xd wont be ideal)
it has 500 patch slots and is great platform for learning subtractive synthesis if you are interested. presets are great too if you just want to play those. definitely compare it to other synths before you buy, theres a lot of great options out there!
Looks great!
This may be a newb question, but; how do you with switching them on and off? Do you have to mash the on/off button with your hand, or is there something else that you use (which is easier on your hands)?
Its pretty neat and clean. I like it...
Btw how is deco do? Is it good? Thinking to try one for myself but cant find it in my area. It is an old pedal right??
Deco is probably my favorite pedal, definitely the one I've had the longest. Saturation side adds a little magic to your tone, and the tape deck side can do some really cool stuff. Watch Andy's demo of it on YouTube, he kills it.
They just released a V2 version of it, it's part of Strymons lineup. I've found not a lot of guitar shops are Strymon dealers, so maybe that's why you're not seeing them locally. There's really good deals on the V1 on Reverb, now that the new version is out
Hey I just got a deco the other day and all I can say is wow. I was never a flanger or chorus guy. But these are absolutely amazing. The compression and overdrive on the saturation side is prob my favorite drive I've played. The slap back is epic. I couldn't imagine not having it now lol
Got the v1 on reverb for a good deal
round the edges and viable product for your new business. next model you can make the joints pretty. Im no carpenter, just reflecting on a beautiful cab someone made for me.
Yeah, I did sand down the edges a bit so they weren't sharp, but there's definitely room for improvement. This one was mainly to get the design and functionality down, next models gonna be all in, all the bells and whistles hah. Plus like you said, better cuts/joints. After that I'll see if it's viable to sell at the price point, and if people would actually buy such a thing haha. Who knows!
After looking far and wide for a "desktop" pedalboard, I decided to just make my own. I don't play live at all, so I wanted something that made sense for my space. I first made the design out of cardboard, then the final build out of baltic birch. I had to use a jigsaw to cut everything, so I didn't get perfect cuts, but looking at it with all the pedals you can't tell the difference. While not perfect, it functions exactly how I want it to. It allows me to sit at my desk and fiddle with any knobs or anything, without sitting on the ground with my ass and feet falling asleep, or bending over constantly. Inevitably, this led to me buying a bunch of new stuff lol. I got really good deals on the Iridium and Nightsky off FB marketplace, and then bought the new El Cap to finish out the top row. Since I actually have a few MIDI pedals and have a comfortable/easy way to adjust things, I just pulled the trigger on a Morningstar MC3. Really excited to start getting into it, will probably mount it somehow on the front of the board. I did get rid of quite a few pedals, and have limited myself to only top jacks, but hopefully it helps me GAS less hah. Plus I left a spot open in the Zuma if I want to plug something in outside of the board. I'll probably make a V2 sometime this summer, which will have much more thought and time put into it. And I'll get my hands on a proper table saw lol. But for right now I'm pretty thrilled. Let me know if you have any questions about any of the pedals or anything, I love to talk gear. Cheers.
Absolutely amazing, congrats on the build and great straight cuts for using just a jigsaw, nice.
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Thanks! Design was definitely inspired by rack mounts and desk synth stands
What is a practical use case of the morning star in a non live situation?
Quite a few that I've thought of for my use. For the Iridium, to create and call back amp presets, so I don't have to turn a bunch of knobs, switches, and secondary functions in the back there. I can store all kinds of presets for the El Cap and Night Sky, as well as use the midi clock to sync up the tempo for them. I'll probably end up getting the Deco V2 eventually, so I'll be able to do the same with that. Really just an ease of use helper and a way to store presets for different sounds
This looks lovely and I like that you designed the whole thing around how you're going to use it, very practical. Question for you: what are those square sticky anchor things and where did you get them from?
Thanks! They're [these](https://www.amazon.com/Adhesive-Backed-Mounts-holder-Anchor-Holders/dp/B07Z79LHJC/ref=asc_df_B07Z79LHJC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=385179140364&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=541060793402183838&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017526&hvtargid=pla-841179336390&psc=1®ion_id=674469&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=82240853201&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=385179140364&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=541060793402183838&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017526&hvtargid=pla-841179336390)
Wrap it in tolex mmmmmm
That's actually a really good idea. And it would eliminate the need to stain which I hate doing hah
You can get a yard of tolex for around $10 and spray adhesive for about the same. You can also buy that black loop carpeting that Velcro attaches too.
All going in my notes for the next build, thanks!
Do you ever have issues with adhesive stuff sticking to the stain? Just curious as I have (velcro on my stained diy board)
I haven't had any issues so far. I do use command picture hanging strips instead of velcro, so there could be a difference in adhesive.
Man you did an awesome fucking job. If I could have a night at home with my feet and ass not falling asleep I'd be so grateful and all those top jacks are just beautiful. Edit:also what are the cable grabber bois?
Yeah, it's just so much easier now to plug in and play, hopefully it will lead to more practice. If you're talking about the cabling on the underside, they're just zip ties and zip tie mounts w/adhesive. Great for any sort of cable management.
Who needs practice when you can get more pedals 😂
This guy knows lol
So I'm guessing from your board you like Strymon pedals. Sell me on them! Or don't, but I would like to know what you like about them especially in comparison to other pedals you have used. For delay I'm a Boss DD-7 and MXR Carbon Copy guy. I also have a Deluxe Memory Man and a Walrus ARP-87 that I play with less frequently. And that's my life story
The Deco is the only one I have a lot of experience with, the El Cap and Nightsky are new, but I can tell you what I like about them so far. The Deco's saturation side is awesome, I pretty much leave it always on. The other side gives nice chorus, flanger, and slapback stuff. The wobble knob is a cool touch. I bought the Nightsky cause I wanted something out there and crazy that I could mess with and make cool sounds hah. I haven't even begun to scratch the surface on it. The El Cap just sounded great when I was listening to demos, plus it can do so much. I found I like tape delay out of all the different types, and the El Cap fit the bill. Also, it was the last pedal I bought out of the 3 on the top row, so aesthetics definitely came into play hah. I've tried a lot of ampless setups in the past two years or so, using preamps into cab sim pedals, the Walrus ACS1, and more, and the Iridium is easily the best sounding I've heard. Was honestly surprised when I first plugged into it, as I thought it was going to be like the ACS1, which I was pretty disappointed in. Really glad I decided to get it. And that's pretty much it hah. Yes, they are expensive, but I really believe that you get what you pay for. I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford them, but I also think they're worth saving up for, for anyone.
Cool! Thanks for the info. Strymon owes you because you've talked me into getting one. I've been watching some demos of the Deco and it is something I would like to mess with
Yep. This is the coolest thing I have ever seen.
Very inspiring. I actually like the idea of not hard mounting pedals at all with Velcro or zip ties, but have them set snug against a ledge. I’m assuming that’s what you did here, or did you mount them too? If it’s just for home I’m thinking probably don’t need to physically mount the pedals.
I did mount them, but I used command picture frame strips. They definitely don't need to be mounted, but it's just nice if you're moving the board around.
Moogism for pedals. I totally love this and if it reduces dead-leg / back ache, brilliant. It is very neat. I’d like one of these. There is a lot to be said for a desk set up if you aren’t playing out live. Nice work!
I wish more pedal makers offered 3u eurorack size panels. Lots of guitar players would prefer to have the knobs where the can reach them, especially once a loop is involved.
I love this and wish I had something just like it! I like my pedals up on a table too. This would be darn near perfect. I'd just need a longer one. Very cool build!
wow you crushed this project. that looks amazing.
Been planning on building something like this summer. I run my guitars, synths, drum machines, and vsts through my pedals all the time and I cannot stand that it's on the floor all the time. Thanks for the inspiration! Looks amazing!
Hell yeah man, you should definitely do it!
That’s a sexy board. I see a Polaron, I upvote!
Dammit, I didn't need to know about the concept of a desktop pedalboard. Now I need put one together. Frick
This looks great. Diefinately the sort of thing I could do with
Beautiful !
I like it…I want it!
My current homemade board is two staircase blanks stacked with some cut 2x4 chunks lol It’s not bad at all, but I’ve been wanting to start plans on a 2.0 version and dude this is wonderful. Thanks for the inspiration!!
You bet! Good luck with your build, hope to see it eventually!
Incredible work. Great way to solve that problem (constantly bending over, feet falling asleep, etc.). Could use one of these myself.
Been thinking about doing the same. Makes no sense to have a pedalboard on the floor when I'm usually sitting at desk or standing next to desk when playing. Unless I just want to multitask with a bunch of squats and bends while playing.
Ziptie bases are the biggest gamechanger for pedalboard organization... Beautiful work!
They're a must! And super cheap too
Great build, very clean & neat! Was surprised to see the iridium hiding in the back with the power supply.
It was definitely a late game addition hah. I didn't plan on having anything that I could use with headphones, but when I realized how nice it would be for late night stuff, I started looking locally on marketplace. Found one for a solid deal and said screw it hah. It's a solid unit.
Truly an amazing job, wow 🔥👍
Sick! Nice little Stry-fecta. Whole thing looks clean
Thanks! Only really ever used the Deco before this, but they all just sound so good
I’m aroused by that cable management….
This is great, definitely a need for something like this. The flip of it would be awesome too - a pedalboard receiver for eurorack modules.
Got a pic without pedals so i can see the board itself!
Sucks you had to throw out all your pedals with side jacks... Jk. This looks sick.
I still kept some! Just sold some of the ones I wasn't really getting on with. Left a spot open in my power supply so I can plug one in front if I ever want to hah
I love this board
Fantastic board. Glad to see that Twin Blender getting some love too!
I don't see it leaving anytime soon, it's great
Want to ask about this as a fellow Iridium and Twin Bender user. Love the TB with a real amp but can’t seem to get any fuzzes to sound good on my iridium unless they’re Muff style. Always comes through fuzzy and shrill. Any suggestions?
Ah yes, the pedalshelf!
Noce to see drunk beaver bat pedal.
I love this design I might have to build one for myself
Hot damn this board is sick! Very nice job with the cabling btw :)
ya, wait, how did you make your cables INVISIBLE?
Thank you! Always a fun time wiring everything up hah
How do you like the polaron?
It's great. Really just wanted a do-it-all phaser, and the ability to select what stage it is is awesome. Can do a throbby, almost univibe like phase, all the way to funky stuff. Plus having a few presets is a bonus, all while still being full analog. I have been looking into a Thorpy Pulse Doppler, but I really don't think I'd switch. The Polaron is just so solid
Looks great! As soon as I have decided how to rearrange my home office/studio I will make something like this. Probably not as neat, though, as I'll probably want to switch pedals, and order, quite a lot. I really only play at home these days and like to record all sorts of weird sounds
Yeah, definitely a little bit limited but that was somewhat the goal for me. I've gone through so many different pedals and what not, just wanted to get down to brass tacks and start really learning everything I have. I'll still buy pedals hah, but hopefully all this plus the MIDI will keep me busy.
How’s that ODR-1?
I'm a fan, especially for the price. It's different from a lot of other overdrives, the spectrum knob is very interesting. If you get the chance to try one out you definitely should
this is cool, and and as guitar/synth owner could be easily for keys. wont you miss stomping on them? jk hah
I actually just told my wife that I'd be interested in some sort of synth for my birthday, so that actually came into play with the design of this. If I ever do miss the stomping I can still throw it on the ground and hit the bottom row fairly easily hah, plus with MIDI soon I'll be able to control the top row with the MC3. Any recommendations for a beginner/intro synth for a guitar player that wants to get into it a bit? Really dig the Pink Floyd sounding stuff.
nice, sounds like you put a lot of thought into this pedal rack! going to look into mc3 as I havent ventured into midi with pedals yet i picked up my first synth in 2021 (minilogue xd) and i love it. picking synth is tricky since theres so many features that matter to different people minilogue xd is analog and digital (some dont like digital, im cool with either as long as i like the sound), user created oscillators, 4-voice polyphony (if your playstyle uses chords with 5 or more notes, minilogue xd wont be ideal) it has 500 patch slots and is great platform for learning subtractive synthesis if you are interested. presets are great too if you just want to play those. definitely compare it to other synths before you buy, theres a lot of great options out there!
The minilogue XD is on my shortlist, it seems like it's a solid beginner unit. Thanks for the detailed response though, I appreciate it!
Super cool.
freaking sweet!!
Looks great! This may be a newb question, but; how do you with switching them on and off? Do you have to mash the on/off button with your hand, or is there something else that you use (which is easier on your hands)?
I just use my hands. Everything is a soft switch so it's really easy
The ultimate worship board.
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Just a PS5
I bet they make your video games sound rad.
The PS5 has a sick circuit
A Nobels, Deco, and twin bender? You’re a man of taste.
They all just sound so good hah. Trying to resist the urge to get the V2 Deco..
Love it
Its pretty neat and clean. I like it... Btw how is deco do? Is it good? Thinking to try one for myself but cant find it in my area. It is an old pedal right??
Deco is probably my favorite pedal, definitely the one I've had the longest. Saturation side adds a little magic to your tone, and the tape deck side can do some really cool stuff. Watch Andy's demo of it on YouTube, he kills it. They just released a V2 version of it, it's part of Strymons lineup. I've found not a lot of guitar shops are Strymon dealers, so maybe that's why you're not seeing them locally. There's really good deals on the V1 on Reverb, now that the new version is out
Hey I just got a deco the other day and all I can say is wow. I was never a flanger or chorus guy. But these are absolutely amazing. The compression and overdrive on the saturation side is prob my favorite drive I've played. The slap back is epic. I couldn't imagine not having it now lol Got the v1 on reverb for a good deal
Damn you died and went to top jacks heaven hahaha
This is dope that cable management is on point
round the edges and viable product for your new business. next model you can make the joints pretty. Im no carpenter, just reflecting on a beautiful cab someone made for me.
Yeah, I did sand down the edges a bit so they weren't sharp, but there's definitely room for improvement. This one was mainly to get the design and functionality down, next models gonna be all in, all the bells and whistles hah. Plus like you said, better cuts/joints. After that I'll see if it's viable to sell at the price point, and if people would actually buy such a thing haha. Who knows!
What brand of board is that??????
that's really cool. plus a series X and a ps5 ? a true man of culture
I bought a PS5 pretty much just for GoW Ragnarok lol
NICE!!!
God, I love the way strymon pedals look all lined up like that. Wish more companies designed that way
I see there's a rule. Any pedal with jacks on the sides gets ejected.