
Long to try your hand at building a pedal but can't help feeling overwhelmed? Let us enlighten you on the tools, materials, and available resources, as well as teach you how to build a critical, oft-overlooked testing device.
The DIY guitar-pedal world has been exploding over the past few years—so much so that it's likely at least a few of you have dipped a toe in already. I know I did. After using pedals for so many years and becoming pretty much obsessed with them, I felt a burning desire to learn what's going on inside these contraptions. But initially I was pretty intimidated. There is so much to learn! And even though we live in an age when all the information we need is practically at our fingertips, it's sometimes difficult to know how to word things in a search engine to get what we're looking for. Luckily, there's an immense DIY community out there, too—blogs, forums, and general-information reference sites. In my experience, just about everyone in the community is eager to help each other, so it didn't take long for me to feel welcome and encouraged.
Even so, two big things have become glaringly obvious to me during my years of pedal building. First, while there's a ton of information and lots of goodwill on the scene, there isn't really a single place that pulls together both the most important foundational concepts and a comprehensive list of the tools a novice needs to have not just a fun time, but a successful first building experience. No one likes spending a bunch of time and money on parts, tools, and assembly only to have a worthless hunk of junk that doesn't work at the end of it all.
Secondly, very few places mention one of the most important, helpful, and time- and wits-saving tools that a would-be pedal builder can have at their disposal. No matter how experienced you are, no matter what you're building, the simple fact is that if you don't have a circuit-tester box, you're probably losing a lot of time and getting way more frustrated than you need to during a pedal build.
What exactly is a circuit-tester? It's a special, prewired "dummy" pedal you can use over and over again to test any circuit you're working on. In other words, it will function as the vicarious housing for any DIY pedal project you're working on, allowing you to hear it and know that it works before you install the project in a housing with its own jacks, etc. To that end, I put together this brief tutorial for a DIY tester box. Besides being very useful for any future pedal projects you might undertake, the tester-building process itself will be great practice for upcoming pedal builds, too. Once you've mastered this, you'll be ready to move onto building your first pedal, whether it's a kit or a copy of a popular circuit.
Let's start with essential tools, since there are so many options on the market that might seem fine but actually aren't well suited to pedal-building tasks.
Essential Pedal-Building Tools
Soldering iron. You don't need the fanciest one around, but a cheapie can definitely make your projects a lot less fun. An iron of 40 or more watts will get the job done. And while you don't have to get one with a digital readout, it's a heck of a lot easier to use. Otherwise, you'd need to rig up a way to test your iron's temperature to ensure it stays at an appropriate, steady temperature for creating good solder joints. I solder at anywhere from 600 to 750 degrees, and I like the set-it-and-forget-it aspect of digital soldering irons. If the temperature drifts, the readout will reflect that fluctuation and readjust within seconds. I've tried about six different soldering irons, including an expensive Weller digital model. I keep going back to the Hakko FX-888D, but if you're not quite ready to plunk down a hundo on your iron, the Weller WLC100 40-Watt Soldering Station will work just fine, too.
Soldering tips. Soldering stations typically come with one soldering tip, usually a large one that's not very useful for pedal building. There are many sizes to choose from, but I tend to use two sizes mostly: a .8mm conical tip and, much less often, a .8mm chisel tip. In my experience, it is better to purchase original-equipment-manufacturer (OEM) brand soldering tips, as after-market tips often don't last long.
Solder. The type of solder typically used for this type of work has an activated rosin flux core and is composed of approximately 60 percent tin and 40 percent lead, although lead-free options are available. I have tried many kinds—lead-free, silver-bearing, no-clean, you name it. I've found lead-free solder incredibly difficult to work with, though perhaps I will find one that works for me in the future. Some folks like a bit thicker diameter of solder than the Kester .02"-diameter solder that I use. I find anything from .02" to .03" in diameter acceptable for pedal building. (Note: Even if you've been soldering for a while, I also recommend finding out more about it from a source such as ElectronicsAndYou.com. There's also a wonderful tutorial video by trusted electronics outfit Pace, Inc.)
Something to clean your iron. This is something you should be doing quite frequently! A moistened sponge works, while something like the handy Hakko 599B Tip Cleaner helps prevent solder blobs from flying in your face or hair.
Smoke absorber. Solder fumes are highly toxic, so a de-fuming fan/smoke absorber is essential—even if you're working in a well-ventilated room. I use a Hakko FA-400, but I still keep all shop windows open and use a ceiling fan to keep the air circulating out. Placing a soldering station right next to an open window with the de-fumer blowing the fume-y air out is the easiest way I have found to keep solder smoke from lingering.
Pliers. I use three different sets of pliers every time I build: a flat long-nose variety with no teeth, a skinny long-nose with no teeth, and flat long-nose pliers with teeth.
Wire cutters. For snipping wires and component leads. I tend to break wire cutter tips rather often, so I keep a few pairs around. I have a robust pair for cutting thick wires and metal, a pair of Xytronic AX103 Side Cutters for most everyday clipping work, as well as a fancy, sharp pair for more dainty work (like snipping leads off of PCBs).
Wire strippers. For trimming a small piece of each wire's outer coating (or "jacket") to expose the bare wire underneath. I like models like this Hanlong 20-30AWG stripper because they can strip a few different gauges of wire. "Self-adjusting" wire strippers like models from Irwin are also popular with some builders, though I find them a bit clunky to use. Note: When I'm not using wire salvaged from unused electronics, I prefer Teflon-coated wire because its outer jacket won't melt. One disadvantage, however, is that it's slippery as can be and nearly impossible to strip with the previously mentioned strippers. The tiny Jonard ST-550 works wonderfully with Teflon—and any other kind of jacket material.
A drill and drill bit(s). A powered hand drill will work fine, however I like to use a step bit like the Irwin 10231 Unibit self-starting fractional step drill bit so I don't have to change the bit every time I want to drill a different-sized hole. You might also want to pick up a center punch like those from Starrett, as well as a very small bit (1/16" or 1/8") that's made to go through aluminum or metal to drill pilot holes for the step bit.
Rocket Sockets. They're not absolutely necessary, but they make installing jacks and hardware easier, faster, and safer. (Trust me—if you use pliers to tighten hardware, they're almost guaranteed to scratch the finish.) Rocket Sockets come in a set that includes all the sizes you'll need for building pedals.
Circuit-board blanks. Two kinds of circuit-board substrate are most widely used for pedal circuits: stripboard (Veroboard is a common brand) has preprinted, horizontal copper rails, while perforated board (aka "perf board") looks similar but doesn't have copper rails (although some types of perf boards have copper tracing around each of the holes). Parts get directly loaded through the top of the board and are connected to each other on the underside. Note: Because we'll be wiring all our circuit-tester parts together directly (aka "point to point"), you won't need circuit-board material for the direct purposes of this article.
Helping Hands circuit-board holder. This affordable Radio Shack accessory is incredibly useful for holding boards and parts while you solder them.
Digital multimeter. This isn't absolutely necessary for our project, but if you expect to keep building pedals it will definitely end up being the most important tool in your kit. Why? To avoid massive headaches at the end of your build, it's a good idea to get in the habit of testing all components before adding them to the circuit. A multimeter is also useful for checking continuity when you solder any two (or more) points together. Cheaper multimeters have a rotary dial that must be set to certain ranges of values to get an accurate reading. I prefer "auto-ranging" multimeters, which automatically test the exact value of an electrical component simply by putting a probe on each of its "legs." The affordable Vici VC97A works well in my experience.
Semiconductor analyzer. The Peak Atlas DCA55 is one of the most-used tools in our shop. We use it to quickly and accurately measure transistors and diodes.
Screwdrivers. One standard-size flathead and one standard-size Phillips head are a must. I also use small screwdrivers for all sorts of things, including forming leads, pushing wires and components into place in tight spaces, and installing knobs. Radio Shack's RS Pro 6-Piece works just fine.
X-Acto #1 precision knife. I can't tell you how handy and necessary these are in every aspect of my creations!
Scissors. I like Fiskars Softouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snips, but just about any kind will work.
Radio Shack Hot Holder. This silicon block has molded compartments for holding everything from 1/4" jacks to footswitches, RCA and XLR plugs, and even pickup switches while you solder parts onto them. I initially balked at the price, but I have to admit I'm using it often.
Desoldering bulb. Learning to desolder is an invaluable skill, as even the most seasoned pedal builders make soldering mistakes, and circuit-board pads and traces don't typically stand up to a lot of reheating while you try to do the job with just your soldering iron. A great way to practice is by desoldering components off PCBs from old or broken electronics. This is one of my favorite things to do, because you get comfortable with the process while saving a precious transistor or two from landfills. (There are other ways to desolder—some folks like to use a pump or solder wick. But I find the bulb to be the easiest, cleanest method, because you can apply different amounts of pressure to desolder more delicately.)
Parts Needed for Our Circuit-Tester Project
Hookup wire. 22- and 24-gauge stranded, pre-bond hookup wire is most common in pedal building, as anything thicker than 22 won't fit some hardware and some circuit-board holes, while anything thinner than 24 won't be robust enough. Jackets can be made of a few different materials— cloth-covered, polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon)-coated, or the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) type most builders use. You can even get your preferred wire type in pre-cut, pre-"tinned" sets. However, knowing how to strip and tin wires (condition their tips for proper conduction—we'll talk more about this later) is a valuable skill, so I suggest using raw wire like the 24-gauge options available from LoveMySwitches.com.
DIY TIP: Although many pro pedal builders use a single color of wiring for their circuits, it's a good idea for new builders to purchase red, black, green, and blue wire, since, when you go a-hunting for layouts to build, you'll find that many use this color-coding scheme to denote positive, ground, input, and output wires, respectively—just as we have in our circuit-tester project.
Testing leads. Most pedal circuits have four wires coming off of the circuit boards: input (the green lines in our diagrams), output (blue lines), positive (red +9V lines), and ground (black). That means we'll need four testing leads. Because our circuit-testing box will be used over and over again, we should invest in quality, durable leads. I've found Mueller BU-2031-A-12-0 leads to be robust. (If you prefer longer leads, Velleman sets will work as well—but be sure to buy two packages, since each only comes with three.) The alligator-clip end of each lead hooks onto the input, output, positive, or ground wires of the circuit board we are testing, and the "banana-plug" end of each lead plugs into the corresponding banana post (see next entry for more) on the tester pedal.
You can also make your own leads to the exact lengths that are ideal for your workstation. If you go that route, Keystone Electronics 5046 alligator clips are a nice choice. Mueller even has a helpful video showing three different ways to attach an alligator clip to a wire. Meanwhile, AudioTrendsTV has a helpful video showing how to solder a banana plug. (Solder-less screw-on plugs are available, but in my experience the soldered variety are much more durable. If you buy the screw-on type, I recommend soldering the wire in for extra strength.)
You'll also need four banana plugs, and Mueller tapered-handle models are a good option. "Banana plugs" are single-wire electrical connectors used for joining wires to equipment, and the awesome thing about them is that the leads are removable, so you have a ton of options as far as tester leads go. Just be sure to buy the ones with an alligator clip on one end and a 4 mm male banana post on the other.
Banana posts. These are the jacks that the detachable test lead cables with alligator clip ends will plug into when the tester pedal is finished. They are also sometimes referred to as "binding posts" or "terminal binding posts," and you'll need four of these, too.
A metal enclosure. Aluminum enclosures are the most widely used for guitar pedals. For our project, I used an aluminum 1590BB-size enclosure I already had from a previous project. LoopholePedals.com is one of many places that offers drilling services for those who don't have the tools to do so themselves.
Jacks. Our test box has two 1/4" female audio jacks, as well as one 2.1 mm barrel power jack. I use Switchcraft #11 monoand #12B stereo jacks, and Lumberg or Mouser DC jacks.
9V batteries. Batteries are terrible for the environment, but we sometimes need them for circuit testing. I always plug into a circuit powered by just the battery at first. Once it powers on properly, I switch to a 9V DC center-negative power supply for further testing. Rechargeable 9V batteries help ease environmental impact and are easy to charge via USB cable. They don't seem to hold a full 9V charge, but since I only use them for the initial test, the 8.6V I've measured from their leads is good enough.
• 9V battery clip connector (center-negative) power-supply cable. To connect the rechargeable battery to the tester pedal's power jack without having to remove the back of the enclosure. (Don't worry—if you prefer a regular 9V connector, I'm including the wiring scheme for that, too.)
9V, center-negative regulated power supply. Clean power is crucial for a pedal, but especially so when you're testing it. I use the Electro-Harmonix US96DC-200BI, because the power seems to be clean and less noisy than others (I've tried more than a dozen brands).
A latching 3PDT (triple-pole, double-throw) switch. It can be either a footswitch or a toggle.
Note: Speaking of switches, it's a good idea to research how they work if you haven't already done so. Understanding how the internal mechanisms connect and how the connections change as the switch is engaged makes the whole off-board-wiring experience much less daunting. BeavisAudio.com has some very useful information on the subject, and DIY Guitar Pedals has an informative video, too.
Bypass LED (light-emitting diode) and LED holder. Pick any color you like. 5 mm and 3 mm models seem to be most popular for pedal building.
1kΩ 1/4-watt resistor. LEDs are quite robust, but they need a resistor attached as a current limiter so they don't blow. You can use a 2.2k or 4.7k resistor too. The higher the resistance, the dimmer the light will be.
The Pedal Builder’s Best Friend: How to Build a Circuit Tester
Okay, I think I've hyped this killer tool enough. Unless you need to take a sec to go online and consult our Soldering 101: A Step-by-Step Guide, let's build this thing! Here's a wiring diagram.
1. Drill the housing. Before we can start wiring, the enclosure needs holes drilled out to accommodate the input, output, and power jacks, as well as the LED and bypass (on/off) switch. If your enclosure didn't come with predrilled holes, you can drill for the jacks on the housing's top or sides, whichever you prefer. I prefer power and audio jacks on top, with the power jack in the center and the input and output jacks opposite each other whenever possible.
We also need to drill four holes for the banana posts that will be connected internally. As mentioned earlier, every circuit you build will have input (green diagram lines), output (blue), positive (red), and ground (black) wires that need to be connected to your tester pedal. Note: The enclosure I'm using already had four holes on top, so my layout reflects this. You might choose to put the banana posts on the side(s), top, or someplace else. That's the beauty of DIY!
I have a mantra: Measure three times, drill once. You can use a Sharpie or other marker to mark the spots you want to drill. Hit each mark with the center-punch tool, then drill pilot holes. Once pilot holes are drilled, you're ready to install your step bit in the drill. (Reminder: The step bit is marked on its side with size values so you know where to stop drilling for the desired hole size.)
PRO TIPS: Some DIY sites have drill guides you can download and print out to make the process easier, but it's still good to learn how to do it manually. Also, Barry Steindel from GuitarPCB.com has a great video tutorial on how to drill pedal enclosures with a hand drill, and DIY Guitar Pedals has one for those who prefer a drill press.
IMPORTANT: Most component and hardware manufacturers publish data sheets listing characteristics and specifications—including physical measurements—for their products. It's a good idea to consult the data sheet for each of your components prior to drilling so that you know how many steps of your step drill bit (or which sizes of standard drill bits) to use.
2. Prepare the switch. To start with, let's connect a couple of "jumpers" on the underside of our 3PDT switch so it functions as a "true bypass" switch (which provides the most transparent signal for circuit testing). This can be done a few different ways, but my preferred method is to add a wire between lugs 1 and 8, as well as lugs 6, 7, and 9. (As you see in the image below, some builders use a 0Ω resistor rather than a bare wire for the jumper between lugs 6, 7, and 9. It's perfectly fine to use a simple wire for this, which is why I didn't include a second resistor in the list of necessary parts for this build.) For now, only apply solder to the three bottom lugs, since the two other lugs (1 and 6) also need to accommodate the wires we'll add in later.
Note: Although you can use regular hookup wire, I use snipped-off leg pieces from resistors or other components for these jumpers.
3. Prepare the LED wiring "harness." First, we're going to trim the LED's ground (cathode) lead, which is the shorter leg. Then we'll "tin" the trimmed end by touching the soldering-iron tip to it, applying a tiny dab of solder, and then sliding the iron tip back and forth along the ground lead for a brief moment until the solder melts and the entire surface of the leg appears shiny. Why? Tinning limits corrosion of the metal leads and helps components fuse together better at solder joints. The LearnElectronics channel has a useful tinning demo video.
Next, cut all but a 1/4" off the 1kΩ resistor's legs, then tin the short end. Put the LED's body into one of the "hands" of the Helping Hands tool, with the legs facing inward, then put the long lead of the resistor in the other "hand," with the snipped, tinned leg facing in. Push the "hands" together until the two short, tinned leads of each component overlap. Touch the soldering-iron tip to the junction for a brief moment, add a dab of solder, and remove the iron's tip once the solder has pooled and settled in, nice and shiny. A shiny solder joint is generally a solid solder joint.
The leftover leg on the 1kΩ resistor is sometimes long enough to be soldered directly to the footswitch, as is the case here. But if your LED hole is further away than ours, you'll need to add a wire. To do this, trim the resistor's other leg to 1/4" and tin it. Next, strip and tin a piece of black hookup wire long enough to reach from the 3PDT switch to the LED hole. Now snip the LED's longer leg (the positive or "anode" lead), again to a 1/4", and tin it. Cut another wire long enough to reach from your power jack to the LED hole, then strip and tin the ends. Load the stripped, tinned wire into the other Helping Hands holder and push the "hands" together until the end of the wire overlaps the LED's anode. Solder them together so that the solder has pooled and settled, nice and shiny, as before.
Although it's not crucial, you can encase these two solder points in 1/8" shrink tubing for extra stability, neatness, and to help keep the joints from shorting out against each other or the enclosure (don't use electrical tape instead—you'll regret it!). The YouTube channel MrJustDIY has a helpful video on how to do so. The most important thing is to make sure your solder joint is good before you cover it. I recommend testing for continuity with a multimeter before adding the shrink stuff.
4. Install the enclosure's hardware. With our footswitch and LED harness ready to go, we're set to use those Rocket Sockets (or other appropriately sized socket wrenches) to attach the footswitch and the input, output, and power jacks.
As for the banana posts, they have a hollow, threaded column with an insert at the top that accepts a banana plug. IMPORTANT: You don't want that metal post touching the metal enclosure at all. Thankfully, banana posts come with plastic insulators that go around the post, ensuring that they don't short-out the circuit. Install the banana post from the top, as shown below.
Next, put the plastic insulator cylinder over the post, followed by the little tab thing, then the nut. Tighten it snugly, but be careful not to crack the plastic insulator by over-tightening.
Note: If you're wondering why my LED isn't installed in a holder/bezel, it's because my recycled enclosure already had an LED glued in. It's much cleaner and sturdier to use a holder or bezel, however. If you aren't using shrink tubing around the joints, it's imperative that none of the bare leads touch the bezel (if it's metal) or the enclosure. We don't want it to short out—or worse, to blow! When you install your LED, make sure the positive and ground wires are properly oriented before you push the LED into the holder. Point the positive wire toward the power jack, and gently bend the ground-plus-resistor lead toward the bypass switch.
5. Wire and solder the circuit. Measure the distance to and from each of the points that need to be connected, as per the wiring diagram—and, ideally, in the same colors. Be sure to add a couple extra millimeters on each wire, as it's really annoying to get in the building groove only to realize a wire is too short! Next, use your wire strippers to strip 1/4" of the plastic jacket off the ends of each wire. As you tin each wire end, keep in mind that PVC jacketing melts very easily, so don't apply heat too long or you'll end up with a mess. The tinned wire ends should look shiny all the way around, like they're encased in chrome.
TECH TALK: Let's discuss 1/4" jack anatomy for a second. We are using two types—our output jack is mono and has two tabs, while our input jack is stereo and has three tabs. Turn the input jack sideways, and you'll see three protective wafer layers separating three metal terminals on the jack. These are commonly referred to as the "tip" and "ring." The ring is above the second wafer. The tip is the terminal above the first wafer, just above the base of the jack itself. The ground tab, or sleeve, is connected to the center part of the jack at the base, floating above all three wafers, and does not have a protective wafer on top. The output jack will only have two protective wafers separating the two metal conductors (the ground and tip tabs). If you decide not to add the battery snap internally, you could use two mono Switchcraft jacks as you would not need the additional ring connection used for turning the battery on and off.
Okay, let's insert and solder all the ground wires first. I always use black wire to avoid confusion and match the diagram. Again, make sure each solder joint is shiny before you move to the next one. Also, be sure none of the wires are too taut, or they're likely to eventually come loose.
Next, I like to insert and solder the red, positive-connection wires. This is easier than ground wiring, because it only connects in two spots and one wire is already attached to the LED's positive leg. Note: Although the diagram looks like only one wire is attached to the power jack, a separate red wire will go from both the LED and the positive banana post to the power jack's sleeve pin (see photo). Both wires should fit there fine, but don't solder that joint until both wire tips are gently squeezed into the hole.
If you want to install a battery snap, do that now. Strip and tin the ends. Note: Soldering the red wire to the power jack's one remaining empty tab prevents the battery from losing juice—but only if you remember to unplug your 1/4"instrument cable from the input when you're not using the box. Plugging into the input connects the battery. Unplugging disconnects it.
Now let's install our input (green) wires. One goes from the tip of the input jack to lug 2 (middle lug in the leftmost column) of our 3PDT switch. The other green wire goes from the input banana post's tab to lug 1 (top left) on the switch, along with one end of the jumper.
To connect output (blue) wires, route one from the tip of the output jack to lug 8 (middle of rightmost column) on the switch. The second blue wire goes from the output banana post to lug 7 (top right) on the 3PDT switch.
Lastly, connect the LED's ground leg to lug 4 (top row, middle) on the footswitch. Remember, my example looks a little different and your ground will be the black wire coming off the LED.
6. Test the circuit with a multimeter. Set your meter to "continuity" mode (consult its manual if you're not sure how to do so), touch one of its probes to a solder point in our circuit tester, then touch the other probe to the solder point on the other end of that particular connection. For example, touch one probe to the solder point located on the input-jack tip, and touch the other probe to lug 2 (middle lug in the leftmost column) of our 3PDT switch. Your meter should beep or light up if you have a solid connection. Once you've tested and found continuity in all our circuit tester's connections, you'll know it's ready to start testing guitar-pedal guts.
Using your new circuit tester is really easy. First, make sure it's got power from a 9V battery or an adapter, then simply plug your guitar into the tester's input jack, and your amp into its output. Then attach each of the circuit-tester's four leads (input, output, ground, and positive) to the corresponding wires on the circuit board you're building or testing. In other words, connect the alligator clip from your new circuit-tester's input lead to your project pedal's input wire, connect the alligator clip from the tester's output lead to the output wire on your project pedal, and so on for the positive and ground connections, as well. That's it! Engaging the bypass switch will connect the circuit. Bypassing will yield a clean guitar signal.
Now you have a simple, easy way to test all the wonderful DIY effects you'll be building. Congratulations! Hopefully, this article has shined a little light on the processes involved with learning to wire a pedal. Moreover, I hope you had as much fun building it as I did! In fact, I'd love it if you'd share your tester-pedal shots with Loe Sounds (@loesounds) on Instagram Stories.
I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Steve Daniels and the crew at Small Bear Electronics for their dedication to providing education and reliable supplies to the DIY pedal community for 22 years. At publication time, Small Bear had announced it would soon be closing its doors. Pedal builders everywhere will miss them dearly, and we can only hope someone comes along to carry the torch and fill the big void Small Bear will leave.
DIY Pedal Sites You Should Check Out
- The DIYStompboxes.com forum is my go-to. It's where I met invaluable mentors like Pink Jimi Photon (of PJP Effects), and Dino Tsiptsis and Phil Moulder, whose Dead End FX site has intermediate to advanced projects and PCBs, including some pretty rare stompbox gems.
- The Effects Layouts blog features some of the tidiest PCBs and layouts for perf boards based on popular guitar-pedal schematics.
- The Tagboard Effects blog has Vero-type stripboard layouts for popular pedal schematics, as well as a helpful forum.
- Madbean Pedals hosts a forum with lots of really nice, helpful folks. They've also got downloadable PCB layouts, sell quality PCBs, and some of the most well-documented projects out there, from beginner to advanced level.
- Beavis Audio Research has a whole bunch of great information, including well-laid-out, easy-to-read diagrams.
- R.G. Keen's Geofex. Keen is practically the godfather of DIY guitar effects. Most of us couldn't be doing what we are doing without what we have learned from this invaluable site!
- RunOffGroove.com is an old-school site with great, bare-basics schematics and articles.
- ElectroSmash.com is a treasure trove of projects, schematics, component information, and detailed breakdowns of popular pedal circuits.
- MusicFromOuterSpace.com features mostly DIY synth stuff, but I learned so much from their articles. Ray Wilson's contributions to the DIY community are too many to count.
- Experimentalists Anonymous allows you to make your own layouts from dozens of schematics.
- DIY Layout Creator offers freeware for designing layouts and is great for learning.
- 5 DIY Mods to Perfect Your Ibanez TS9 and Boss SD-1 - Premier ... ›
- DIY Pedalboard Build - Premier Guitar ›
- Killer Pedals Under $100 - Premier Guitar ›
- Soldering 101: A Step-by-Step Guide - Premier Guitar ›
- Soldering 101: A Step-by-Step Guide - Premier Guitar ›
- Short on Supplies, Not on Ideas - Premier Guitar ›
- PG Explained: Guitar Pedals/Effects - Premier Guitar ›
- Death By Audio Exploding Head Review - Premier Guitar ›
- State of the Stomp: Journey to the Center of the Fuzz Face - Premier Guitar ›
- EHX Pico Attack Decay, Oceans 3-Verb, Canyon, Deep Freeze ›
- The Messthetics’s Anthony Pirog’s Pedal-Powered Tones - Premier Guitar ›
- MXR Layers Review: Unleash Your Sonic Creativity - Premier Guitar ›
Here’s how 21 killer players from the past year of Rig Rundowns—including Justin Chancellor, Zakk Wylde, MonoNeon, Carmen Vandenberg, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, and Grace Bowers—use stomps to take their sounds outside the box.
TOOL'S JUSTIN CHANCELLOR
Justin Chancellor’s Pedalboard
If you ever catch yourself playing air guitar to Tool, you’re probably mimicking Justin Chancellor’s parts. “Schism,” “The Pot,” “Forty Six & 2,” “H.,” “Fear Inoculum,” “Descending,” “The Grudge,” and plenty of others feature his buoyant bass riffs.
What stomps does he run his Wal, StingRay, and Fender basses through? Glad you asked. His setup is either a bass player’s dream or nightmare, but for someone as adventurous as Chancellor, this is where the party starts.
You’ll notice many of his pedals are available at your favorite guitar store, including six Boss boxes, an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, and MXR Micro Amp. Crucial foot-operated pedals are in blue: the Dunlop JCT95 Justin Chancellor Cry Baby Wah with a Tone Bender-style fuzz circuit (far left) and DigiTech Bass Whammy (middle). He really likes using the Tech 21 SansAmp GT2 for distortion and feedback when the Whammy is engaged or he’s playing up the neck. Covering delays are three pedals—he has the pink Providence DLY-4 Chrono Delay programmed to match drummer Danny Carey’s BPMs in “Pneuma,” which slightly increase during the song from 113 ms to 115 ms. The Boss DD-3s are set for different speeds with the one labeled “Faster” handling “The Grudge” and the other one doing more steady repeats. There’s a pair of vintage Guyatone pedals—the Guyatone VT-X Vintage Tremolo Pedal (Flip Series) and Guyatone BR2 Bottom Wah Rocker (a gift from guitarist Adam Jones). The Gamechanger Audio Plus pedal is used to freeze moments and allow Justin to grab onto feedback or play over something. The Boss GEB-7 Bass Equalizer and Pro Co Turbo RAT help reinforce his resounding, beefy backbone of bass tone, while the MXR Micro Amp helps goose his grimy rumbles. The Boss LS-2 Line Selector is a one-kick escape hatch out of the complicated signal chain for parts of “Schism.” The Wal and Music Man stay in check with the TU-3S tuner, a pair of Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Pluses help bring things to life, and everything is wired up with EBS patch cables.
STURGILL SIMPSON AND LAUR JOAMETS
Sturgill Simpson’s Pedalboard
Alt-country veteran Sturgill Simpson packed light for his latest run. His board bears just a Peterson Stomp Classic tuner running into a Fulltone True-Path ABY-ST, which splits his signal to his two Magnatone Panoramic Stereo amps. “I wouldn’t use a tuner if I didn’t have to,” he chuckles. The LILY P4D beside the splitter lets him control his mic signal to cut interference from onstage noise.
Laur Joamets’ Pedalboard
For his main board, Laur Joamets packs a little heavier than his boss. The platform, made by West Coast Pedal Board, carries a Peterson StroboStomp, Greer Amps Arbuckle Trem, sRossFX fuzz/overdrive, MXR Booster, T-Rex Replica, sRossFX germanium octave pedal, TC Electronic Viscous Vibe, Dunlop EP103 Echoplex, and Source Audio True Spring Reverb. An MXR Tap lets him tap in delay tempos. He has a second pedalboard, as well, for his Stage One steel guitar. It goes into a Peterson StroboStomp HD, then on to a Greer Black Tiger and Goodrich Sound Company volume pedal, before hitting his Magnatone Varsity Reverb and a custom-built Fender brown-panel Deluxe clone he calls “the Charmer.”
PANTERA’S ZAKK WYLDE AND REX BROWN
Zakk Wylde’s Pedalboard
When Pantera’s bassist Rex Brown and singer Phil Anselmo decided to fire the band up again, the choice of fellow road dog Zakk Wylde on guitar seemed perfect. Here’s what Wylde had on the floor and in the racks for the band’s February date at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
His signature arsenal of effects seen here includes a MXR Wylde Audio Overdrive, MXR Wylde Audio Phase, Wylde Audio Cry Baby wah, and a Dunlop ZW357 Zakk Wylde Signature Rotovibe. The lone box that isn’t branded Wylde is a standard fare MXR Carbon Copy. Offstage, his rack is home to a MXR Smart Gate and MXR Wylde Audio Chorus that’s always on. Both are powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 3 Plus. Another drawer holds a Radial BigShot I/O True-bypass Instrument Selector, Lehle Little Dual II Amp Switcher, and a Radial BigShot EFX Effects Loop Switcher.
Rex Brown’s Pedalboard
This tour was the first time Rex Brown used a switching system. His stage board sported a Dunlop JCT95 Justin Chancellor Cry Baby Wah, a 2000s Morley Pro Series II Bass Wah, Origin Effects DCX Bass Tone Shaper & Drive, a MXR M287 Sub Octave Bass Fuzz, and a Peterson StroboStomp HD. The brain of everything in the rack and onstage is the RJM Mastermind GT. And to help “move mountains,” Rex has a Moog Taurus III.
MSSV’S MIKE BAGGETTA AND MIKE WATT
Mike Baggetta’s Pedalboard
Mike Baggetta has some core pedals in MSSV, his indie supergroup with legendary bassist Mike Watt and drummer Stephen Hodges. His arsenal includes a Creepy Fingers Hold Tight fuzz, an Electro-Harmonix Ring Thing, a Wilson Effects Freaker Wah V2, an EHX Deluxe Memory Man, and a Red Panda Tensor. The signal flows from his Benson amp into the Tensor, which he uses for glitch sounds, harmonizing, and overdub mode, among other feats. His Memory Man adds space—the final frontier.
Mike Watt’s Pedalboard
Mike Watt puts his signature Reverend Wattplower bass into a Broughton Audio high-pass filter, an EarthQuaker Devices The Warden optical compressor, and a Sushi Box Effects Finally tube DI that functions as a preamp. There’s also a TC Electronic PolyTune.
MONONEON
MonoNeon’s Pedalboard
The Memphis-born avant-funk bassist keeps it simple on the road with a signature 5-string, a tried-and-true Ampeg stack, and just four stomps. Almost all of his stomps have been zhuzhed up in his eye-popping palette. He’d used a pitch shifting DigiTech Whammy for a while, but after working with Paisley Park royalty, the pedal became a bigger part of his playing. “When I started playing with Prince, he put the Whammy on my pedalboard,” Thomas explains. “After he passed, I realized how special that moment was.” MonoNeon also uses a Fairfield Circuitry Randy’s Revenge, a Fart Pedal (in case the Fairfield ring mod isn’t weird enough, we guess), and a JAM Pedals Red Muck covers fuzz and dirt needs. A CIOKS SOL powers the whole affair.
GRACE BOWERS
Grace Bowers’ Pedalboard
Grace Bowers is one of the freshest new guitar stars to emerge in the past year. She has the essential fixin’s for her classic rock tones: a Dunlop Crybaby Wah, Grindstone Audio Solutions Night Shade Drive, EarthQuaker Devices Tone Job, MXR Phase 90, MXR Phase 95, and Boss DD-2. Bowers powers them with a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power ISO-5.
GREEN DAY’S JASON WHITE
Photo by Raph Pour-Hashemi
Jason White’s Pedalboard
Long-time touring member Jason White’s stable is dominated by his Gibson Les Pauls and ES-335s. A Shure wireless system sends his signal to a rack set-up with an ISP noise gate, just in case White’s P-90s are picking up a lot of noise. From there, it hits a Dunlop Cry Baby and DVP1XL, then a MIDI-controllable RJM Effect Gizmo, which handles White’s effects: an MXR Reverb and Poly Blue Octave, Strymon TimeLine and Mobius, API Select TranZformer GTR, and a Custom Audio Electronics 3+SE Guitar Preamp, which gets engaged for clean tones and small combo sounds. A Lehle Dual SGoS Switcher and Fishman Aura DI Preamp handle changes with the piezo-equipped guitars. A Strymon Zuma provides the juice.
BONES UK’S CARMEN VANDENBERG
Carmen Vandenberg’s Pedalboard
Carmen Vandenberg covers a lot of ground with her Bones UK guitar sounds, and she’s got a carefully curated collection of stomps to span the territory. Her guitar first hits an Ernie Ball Cry Baby before running through the rest of the pedals: a Boss TU-3, Fulltone OCD, Supro Drive, Pigtronix Octava, EHX Micro POG, Supro Chorus, Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost, EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master, MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, Catalinbread Belle Epoch, and Boss NS-2. A Live Wire Solutions ABY manages the signals on their way to her signature Blackstar CV30s.
BLACK PUMAS’ ADRIAN QUESADA, BRENDAN BOND, AND ERIC BURTON
Adrian Quesada’s Pedalboards
Adrian Quesada loves tremolo and reverb, and uses a Strymon Flint for both. His other main stomp is the Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail that provides a healthy dose of spring reverb. Also along for the tour: a Line 6 Echo Park, a Catalinbread Echorec, a Boss GE-7 Equalizer, a Catalinbread Belle Epoch, and an EarthQuaker Devices. The Fulltone Clyde Wah Deluxe has stepped in for a different filter sweeper. There’s also a JAM Pedals Ripple two-stage phaser, and a TC Electronic PolyTune2 Noir keeps his guitars in check. That’s all on board one.
His second board includes a JHS 3 Series Delay, a JHS Crayon, and an Electro-Harmonix Nano POG. Utility boxes on here—Strymon Ojai, JHS Mini A/B, and TC Electronic PolyTune—handle switching, tuning, and power.Brendan Bond’s Pedalboard
Three pedals get the job done for Mr. Bond: an Acme Audio Motown D.I. WB-3 passive D.I., a JHS Colour Box, and a Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner.
Eric Burton’s Pedalboard
Frontman and guitarist Eric Burton is the band’s lone wireless member. To accommodate his onstage prowling, tech Bryan Wilkinson uses a Radial JDI passive direct box that takes in the XLR from the audio subsnake wireless rackmount and routes it into the first pedal: a Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner. From there, Burton only has a couple pedals—a DigiTech Mosaic to mimic a 12-string for “OCT 33” and a JHS Colour Box for any required heat. A Strymon Ojai turns everything on.
JASON ISBELL AND SADLER VADEN
Jason Isbell’s Pedalboards
Jason Isbell could open a huge gear shop just by clearing off his boards and racks. First off, he has a complex wet/dry/wet setup that is parsed out via a RJM Mastermind, with two Magnatone Twilight Stereo combos carrying the all-wet effects. There’s also a Radial JX44v2, which serves as the core signal manager. Above it, on the rack, is an Echo Fix Chorus Echo EF-X3R. Moving up the rack, one drawer includes an Ibanez DML10 Modulation Delay II, EarthQuaker Devices Tentacle, and a trio of stereo-field-only effects: a Boss MD-500, Strymon Volante, and Hologram Electronics Microcosm. Another level up, you’ll find a Chase Bliss Preamp Mk II, Chase Bliss Tonal Recall Delay, Chase Bliss Dark World Reverb, Chase Bliss Condor EQ/Filter, Chase Bliss Gravitas Tremolo, Chase Bliss CXM-1978 Reverb (stereo-field only), Keeley 30ms Automatic Double Tracker, gold Klon Centaur, Analog Man Sun Lion Fuzz/Treble Booster, Analog Man King of Tone with 4-jack mod, Keeley 4-knob CompROSSor, Pete Cornish OC-1 Optical Compressor, EHX Micro POG, Analog Man ARDX20 Delay, and a trio of Fishman Aura Spectrum DIs.
Sadler Vaden’s Pedalboard
Isbell’s 6-string sparring partner Sadler Vaden’s pedalboard chain starts with a Dunlop Clyde McCoy Wah, then a Lehle volume pedal, which feeds the Gig Rig. He uses a Line 6 M5 with a Dunlop expression pedal for a lot of modulation effects. Other pedals include a Crowther Prunes & Custard, Nordvang No.1, an Analog Man Dual Analog Delay, Comp, and King of Tone, a Strymon BlueSky, and a Greer Lightspeed. Every effect is isolated into the Gig Rig. The board has four outputs, two for each side of his 3rd Power British Dream, one for a Marshall plexi, and one that goes to an aux line and splits to a Vox Pacemaker. The auxiliary line is as a backup in case Sadler’s amps go down. It consists of a Strymon Iridium into a Seymour Duncan Power Stage that goes to FOH. And finally, his acoustic pedalboard sports a Shure wireless running into an ART Tube MP/C preamp into a L.R. Baggs Venue DI, with a Radial Engineering Bigshot selector.
MICHAEL LEMMO
Michael Lemmo’s Pedalboard
Rising star player Michael Lemmo relies on his stomps for tone sculpting, but he doesn’t need much to get the job done. His signal hits a Korg tuner, followed by an Xotic EP Booster, Bearfoot FX Honey Bee OD, Red Panda Context, Boss DD-7, and TC Electronic Ditto. They’re all juiced by a Truetone 1 Spot Pro CS7.
HELMET’S PAGE HAMILTON
Page Hamilton’s Pedalboard
Page Hamilton used to travel with a full Bradshaw rig with rack gear, but he’s reduced things to a pair of Eventide H9 units and a handful of Boss boxes—a PS-5 Super Shifter, a MT-2W Metal Zone Waza Craft, a TS-2 Turbo Distortion, a NS-2 Noise Suppressor, and a FB-2 Feedbacker/Booster. A couple of Peterson Stomp Classic tuners keep his ESP Horizons ready, and a Boss ES-5 Effects Switching System organizes all his sounds and settings.
BARONESS’ JOHN BAIZLEY, GINA GLEASON, AND NICK JOST
John Baizley’s Pedalboard
The Baroness frontman’s board is packed with staged dirt boxes and tasteful mod stomps, all held in check with a GigRig G2, Peterson StroboStomp, and Ernie Ball Volume Pedal. The crown drive jewels are a heavily modded EHX Big Muff and Crowther Double Hot Cake, but a Beetronics FX Overhive and Pro Co RAT add sizzle, too. A Boss DD-3, DM-2W, and TR-2, EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master and Tentacle, MXR Phase 90 and Dyna Comp, and EHX Deluxe Memory Man handle the rest, while a DigiTech Whammy lurks for its moment to blast off.
Gina Gleason’s Pedalboard
Gleason’s favorite drive these days is the EQD Zoar. Piling on top of that are a MXR Super Badass Distortion, MXR Timmy, modded EHX Big Muff, and a touchy Philly Fuzz Infidel prototype; an Xotic SP Compressor and UAFX 1176 Studio Compressor tighten things up when needed. Three time machines—the Strymon TimeLine, EQD Space Spiral, and Boss DD-3—handle delay, and a Walrus Slo dishes out reverb. The MXR EVH Phase 90 adds some color along with another DigiTech Whammy. The Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, Peterson StroboStomp, and GigRig G2 finish the line-up.
Nick Jost’s Pedalboard
The bassist’s board is powered by an MXR Iso-Brick, with an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal and Boss TU-3 pulling utility duties before an Xotic Bass BB Preamp, Boss ODB-3, DOD FX69B Grunge, MXR Stereo Chorus, and Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI.
WOLFMOTHER’S ANDREW STOCKDALE
Andrew Stockdale’s Pedalboard
When we walked into Nashville’s Eastside Bowl for this Rig Rundown with Wolfmother’s alpha canine, Andrew Stockdale, it sounded like he was playing his SG through a Marshall stack at head-ripping volume. Nope! Stockdale was blasting skulls apart with a Line 6 HX Stomp doing the heavy tonal lifting. The rest of his board’s layout is a Snark floor tuner, an EHX Micro Synth (a Wolfmother staple), an Xotic AC Booster, an EHX Micro POG, a Dunlop Cry Baby 535Q Multi-Wah, a Boss TR-2 tremolo, a CIOKS DC5 power supply, and Shure GLXDC+ wireless.
FEARLESS FLYERS' CORY WONG AND MARK LETTIERI
Cory Wong’s Pedalboard
Through a Shure GLXD16 wireless system, Cory Wong flows his guitar into his Neural DSP Quad Cortex, which runs a beta version of his Archetype: Cory Wong plugin, based off of a melding of a Dumble and a Fender Twin. The signal hits an onboard envelope filter and rarely used pitch shifter, then exits out the effects loop into a Wampler Cory Wong Compressor, Jackson Audio The Optimist, and a Hotone Wong Press. The signal goes back into the Quad Cortex, where there’s a preset phaser, stereo tape delay, and modulated reverb, plus a freeze effect. Two XLR outs run to front of house, while two run to Wong’s Mission Engineering Gemini 2 stereo cabinet.
Mark Lettieri’s Pedalboard
Mark Lettieri’s signal first hits a Keeley Monterey Custom Shop Edition, followed by an MXR Deep Phase, J. Rockett HRM, J. Rockett Melody OD (Lettieri’s signature), Pigtronix Octava, and a Dunlop DVP4, all powered by a Strymon Ojai. A TC Electronic TonePrint Plethora X5 pedalboard handles coordination and switching between the devices.
SLASH’S BLUES BALL BAND
Slash’s Pedalboard
“I haven’t had a pedalboard in front of my feet since the ’80s,” Slash told us. But with the Blues Ball tour, he kept it simple, stomping his own boxes. His chain includes a Peterson StroboStomp, Dunlop Cry Baby, MXR CAE Boost/Line Driver, Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, MXR EVH90, BBE Soul Vibe Rotary Simulator, Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, and MXR Uni-Vibe, with everything powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus. All pedals are taped down with their settings dialed in. When his signal leaves the board, it hits a Whirlwind Selector A/B box, where it splits off between his amps and his Talk Box rig.
Tash Neal’s Pedalboard
Tash Neal keeps a modest pedalboard at his feet: a D’Addario Chromatic Pedal Tuner, Dunlop Cry Baby, XTS Custom Pedals Precision Multi-Drive, EHX Green Russian Big Muff, and a Fender Waylon Jennings Phaser, powered by a T-Rex Fuel Tank.
RANCID’S MATT FREEMAN
Matt Freeman’s Pedalboard
Bassist Matt Freeman’s signal goes wireless into one of his Avalon U5 Class A Active Instrument DI and Preamps, and then through a Way Huge Pork Loin Overdrive, set to give his Bassman a good push.
CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM
Kingfish’s Pedalboard
Kingfish’s signal starts with a Shure Wireless BLX4, which hits a Boss TU-3w Chromatic Tuner. From there, the route is a Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah, a Marshall ShredMaster, and a Boss DD-3 Delay. The pedals live on a Pedaltrain Nano board and were assembled by Barry O’Neal at XAct Tone Solutions.
DIXIE DREGS’ STEVE MORSE
Steve Morse’s Pedalboard
Steve plays through a pair of 3-channel Engl Steve Morse signature 100-watt amps—one wet, one dry—but his pedal chain is relatively simple: a Keeley Compressor, two Ernie Ball volume pedals, two TC Flashbacks, a TC Electronic Polytune, and a foot controller for his Engls.
Watch the official video documenting the sold-out event at House of Blues in Anaheim. Join Paul Reed Smith and special guests as they toast to quality and excellence in guitar craftsmanship.
PRS Guitars today released the official video documenting the full night of performances at their 40th Anniversary celebration, held January 24th in conjunction with the 2025 NAMM (The National Association of Music Merchants) Show. The sold-out, private event took place at House of Blues in Anaheim, California and featured performances by PRS artists Randy Bowland, Curt Chambers, David Grissom, Jon Jourdan, Howard Leese, Mark Lettieri Group, Herman Li, John Mayer, Orianthi, Tim Pierce, Noah Robertson, Shantaia, Philip Sayce, and Dany Villarreal, along with Paul Reed Smith and his Eightlock band.
“What a night! Big thanks to everyone who came out to support us: retailers, distributors, vendors, content creators, industry friends, and especially the artists. I loved every second. We are so pleased to share the whole night now on this video,” said Paul Reed Smith, Founder & Managing General Partner of PRS Guitars. “I couldn’t be more proud to still be here 40 years later.”
With nearly 1,400 of the who’s who in the musical instrument industry in attendance, the night ended with a thoughtful toast from PRS Signature Artist John Mayer, who reflected on 40 years of PRS Guitars and the quality that sets the brand apart. “The guitars are great. You can’t last 40 years if the guitars aren’t great,” said Mayer. “Many of you started hearing about PRS the same way I did, which is you would talk about PRS and someone would say ‘They’re too nice.’ What’s too nice for a guitar? What, you want that special vibe that only tuning every song can give you on stage? You want that grit just like your heroes … bad intonation? The product is incredible.”
Be sure to locate your sample library where it can be quickly referenced on your DAW.
Improve your recordings using your own samples. Bryan Clark, house producer at Nashville’s Blackbird Studio, tells you how to take the final steps in building your own sample library.
Mastering the sample import process in your chosen DAW can significantly enhance your creativity and streamline your workflow. With a clear understanding of the tools and techniques available, you will be better equipped to bring your musical ideas to life and make your productions stand out.
This month, we finish up a three-part series on creating your own sample libraries. In this final installment, I’m going to give you the basic ways to import your samples into various popular DAWs. Each one has its unique workflow and user interface, but the fundamental process remains very similar. This Dojo guide will cover how to import samples into Ableton Live, LUNA, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, and Studio One.
Ableton Live
Steps to Import Samples
Drag and Drop: Simply locate the sample file in your computer’s file explorer, then drag and drop it directly into an audio track in the session or arrangement view.
Browser Window: Use Ableton’s built-in browser (on the left-hand side). Navigate to the sample’s location on your hard drive, then drag it into the workspace.
Create a Simpler or Sampler Instrument: Drag the sample into a MIDI track with Simpler or Sampler loaded. This allows you to trigger the sample using MIDI notes.
Tips: Use the warp feature for time-stretching and syncing samples to your project’s tempo.
Organize your samples into collections using the “Add Folder” option in the browser.
LUNA
Steps to Import Samples
Drag and Drop: Drag the sample from your file explorer directly into the timeline. Then hold the CTRL key down, click on the end of the loop, and drag it to the length it needs to be.
Browser/Workspace: Use the media browser to navigate to your sample’s location on your hard drive. Drag it into an audio track in your session.
Audio Track Import: Right-click on an empty area in the timeline or a track and select “Import Audio” to locate and add your sample.
Tips: Use LUNA’s built-in varispeed capabilities to match your sample to the session’s tempo.Logic Pro
Steps to Import Samples
Drag and Drop: Drag the sample from the Finder directly into an audio track in the workspace.
File Browser: Use the file browser (accessible via the media sidebar or “F” key) to locate and drag samples into the timeline.
Quick Sampler: Drag your sample onto a MIDI track with the Quick Sampler plugin loaded. This lets you play the sample chromatically.
Tips: Use Logic’s flex time feature to sync samples to your project’s tempo. Organize samples into Logic’s library for quick access.Pro Tools
Steps to Import Samples
Import Audio Dialog: Go to File > Import > Audio; then locate your sample and click “Convert” or “Add” to bring it into the session.
Drag and Drop: Drag the sample directly from your file explorer into an audio track.
Workspace Browser: Use the workspace (accessible via Window > New Workspace) to locate your sample. Drag it into your session.
Tips: Use the elastic audio feature for tempo matching and pitch adjustments.
Place your samples into playlists for efficient access during editing.
Studio One
Steps to Import Samples
Drag and Drop: Drag your sample directly from your file explorer into the timeline or browser.
Browser: Open Studio One’s browser (on the right-hand side), navigate to the folder containing your sample, and drag it into your project.
Sampler Track: Drag the sample onto a MIDI track, and use the Sample One sampler for additional manipulation.
Tips: Enable the “Stretch Audio Files to Song Tempo” option in the browser for automatic tempo synchronization. Create sample folders within Studio One’s browser for quick access.General Best Practices
Regardless of the DAW you use, it is important to maintain a smooth and efficient workflow. Organize your sample library with clear folder names and categories to make locating files easy (see last month’s installment for detailed strategies). Where possible, learn DAW-specific shortcuts for importing and editing samples to save time. Always check if your DAW offers a feature to sync the sample’s tempo to your project to ensure seamless integration. Finally, regularly back up your sample collection to avoid losing important audio files and preserve your creative assets! Seriously. Do it now.
Next month, we’re off to “console” land and I’ll be investigating console emulations (hype or not?), summing bus processors, and more to give you a more “studio” sound. Until then, blessings and namaste.
Stretching the boundaries of reverb’s realm through dynamic and pitch control.
Nice core reverb sounds. Invites cool compositional and arrangement directions. High quality.
If you lack patience, it will be hard to unlock its coolest secrets.
$329
Gamechanger Audio Auto Reverb
gamechangeraudio.com
When the first Moog synthesizer appeared, it freaked out a lot of musicians—not least for the way it blurred the divisions between instruments and their roles. Was it percussion? A keyboard? A reed instrument? Many effects makers build from this philosophical foundation. The Latvian company Gamechanger often seems to revel in it—an attitude that’s manifest in the company’s Auto Series pedals, which includes the Auto Reverb.
There’s no reason you can’t use the Auto Reverb in a very straightforward fashion. The plate, spring, and hall settings are all very nice digital representations of their analog inspirations—and I’d be perfectly happy playing an instrumental surf set with the spring mode, for instance. But because you can control the parameters like the reverb’s level, decay, tone, and the filter with changes in pitch and dynamics, the Auto Reverb can function in highly orchestral ways, transforming itself from subtle to outlandish as a musical piece shifts in intensity or rises from low to high keys toward a blurred, hyper-spacious climax. While these attributes make the Auto Reverb a great fit for prepared guitar and conceptual pieces—and invites many themes and compositional ideas within those forms—it can just as easily be configured to create an especially dynamic and dramatic pop song arrangement on stage or in the studio that might otherwise be relegated to automations within a DAW. It’s fun to use, if not always intuitive. But knowing its ways can expand your musical options significantly.