DON'T MAKE this CLASSIC pedalboard MISTAKE! 

In this episode, we're talking about programmable switchers for pedalboards and the right applications for using a switcher. And, *SPOILER ALERT*, most of us DO NOT need them! I'd love to start a dialogue, as I'm sure we'll be coming back to this topic in future episodes. Please comment with your thoughts below and please subscribe here: ru-vid.com

I’m a hobbyist. Here’s why a switcher, specifically the GigRig G2, is fantastic for me. First, as someone who buys pedals regularly, I was constantly adding new stuff to my pedal chain and needing to reorder. The G2 allows you to reorder with the touch of a button. I can replace an existing pedal or add a new patch if I have an open loop, press a button, and voila! Second, I found the noise that comes from a pedal chain to be nearly unbearable. If you have one or two pedals, not an issue. But if you have 7, 8, ....15 pedals, big problem. The G2 with power modules eliminates all that noise that comes from your pedal chain. If you are a hobbyist like me, tone is very important and significant noise can be such a disappointment that it becomes a deterrent to practicing. Lastly, with the G2, there’s no such thing as programming. Just select a switch and press the buttons for the patches you want to include with that switch in the order you wish for them to be in your signal chain. It’s fantastic and super easy. No scrolling through menus. I can’t imagine doing without my switcher now. It’s made my whole rig so much simpler and more enjoyable.

To me the biggest distinction between one and two is that if you're playing live you need to change sounds QUICKLY and pressing one button is faster than pressing three or four. If you're in the studio, you are tracking a single part at a time and don't need the quick-change that a switcher gives you.

As a bedroom guitarist, I have to agree that I don't really need a switcher, but want one anyway. I mostly just want to learn about using midi. I want to get one to learn how to use it. Does that make sense? Probably not, but oh well. I have to spend my money on something!

I use an es-8 its a lifesaver ive been waiting for something like this for 20 years.

This is gold, not everyone is this honest on the web. Respect!

Didn't know Christopher Walken also being a pedal enthusiast.

Now this is how it’s done. Concise and to the point. Informative. No waffling. Great video. I’m a hobbyist and have been debating getting a switcher for months. I found is video very useful. Thanks!

“Playing at home is not necessarily a place where I need to step on a button and have six pedals come on instantaneously.” As a hobbyist, I needed to hear that. If you don’t have an audience, you can take all the time you need to switch pedals on and off. Appreciate the reality check!

Might be one of the best and honest videos i've seen on this subject !! Thanks Mason !

Mason is keeping it so Real. Always sharing the knowledge. Enjoying this channel more & more. Peace from NYC brother.

If you need flexibility without messing about with presets get a gig rig quartermaster

Excellent video! Organized subject matter, delivered concisely and clearly. The kind of format that squeezes into a YT lineup I am otherwise culling. Great info all around.

hey Mason, THANKS for being that clear, precise and humble :) super great info

Best honest answer on a topic like this that I have ever heard. Thanks.

Got that C Walken going on in the intro Awesome. Thank you for doing what you do.

I'm glad I watched this, the switcher is something I keep asking myself if it would make sense but as a recording artist / hobbiest that never plays live I feel like just a solid board makes the most sense

Great video, I thought I needed a switcher, I don't run lots of pedals, but I'm a "hobbyist " and don't do gigs or live stuff. Now this allows me to run a rig that I don't have to move around. I run a stereo set up, One amp is an old Carvin X50B with 4x12 cab and a Marshall jcm800 4010 combo. The pedal that worked magic for me was the Earthquaker Swissthings pedal is amazing. What an amazing pedal! Fixed many issues, organized my board better, got rid of phase issues I was having between the 2 amps, can't say enough great things about it. I found I didn't need a switcher after buying this pedal.

I'm a home player but I still like having my Octoswitch. It's an 8 loop analog switcher with an optional buffer and I have it set up for 8 "core" tones. With just one click of a footswitch I can get to my dry clean tone, to a lead tone with boost/fuzz/delay back to a wet clean tone etc. Before that would have facilitated stomping on several pedals. Then after the analog loop switcher I have the more creative, "out there" type effects that I apply over those "core" tones. It works really nicely and it's still easy to adjustment the pedal's knobs as well as change pedal order with the Octaswitch's dipswitches.

You are always so very inspiring, and even though I dont know you, its pretty clear to me that you are a great honest down to earth guy.

Big improvement in your channel format and video opening, great job!

Great video (as always). And that intro with Walken...I was dying!

Personally I just play at home and jam with friends. Still love having a switcher. Being able to recall patches and avoid kicking on and off 3-4 pedals, use midi to switch through pedal banks is perfect. In stomp box mode having simple on off per loop makes it super easy to have everything at your feet. Keeping my signal clean by taking a lot of pedals out of my chain and being able to rearrange my chain without moving pedals is awesome. Simple answer to me is, nobody NEEDS a switcher but if it makes your life easier and you can afford it then go for it.

For me it's all about removing the tap dance act. The MIDI functionality is a nice perk, but there are instances where I need to change from a chorused clean, to a non-chorused, overdrive lead (which is done by changing the amp channel, not a pedal) with delay and reverb. That would require switching the chorus off, changing the amp channel, switching the delay on, switching the reverb on. That's a 4 pedal stomp routine that is simplified by just pressing one button....couple that with the fact my switcher has a buffer and takes unused pedals out of the path, it's just so worth it. Having the MIDI on there to change settings on my Strymons is an awesome feature that I use too, but really I'm sold by no longer having to press 5 pedals at once to change a tone setting.

The Helix with its 4 effects loops and multiple I/O's is all the versatility I need. Many of the multi-effects boards have a world of great effects but these features are why I went with it in the first place.

Honestly my switcher has become incredibly integral to my rig. I wish my board could be smaller and lighter and sometimes I wish it was simpler, but I just can't sacrifice the functionality of it. Because of the switcher I can use my board for the occasional session on bass, or acoustic guitar, when I'm doing rhythm and lead vocals, or lead guitar. Also with the boss manual mode I can just have a single patch for the starting setting for the song that pulls up the BPM and the midi patches for verb and delay and then enjoy the classic tap dance mode or just go spontaneous if I'm feeling something different in the song. The switch allows me to have a more compact design where my neanderthal feet don't have to reach all the different pedals.

You made a lot of sense especially for a bedroom rocker so thanks for that advice

I think you make great points. I recently had researched switchers and landed on the boss MS-3. You can’t rearrange your 3 loops(although you can rearrange the internal effects) but with the added effects in the MS-3 it really opens up a TON of possibilities while also being able to take pedals out of the loop, etc. And it’s also smaller than some of the other comparable loopers.

Agree with many of your points for sure. I thought I needed a programmable switcher but I could never get along with presets really. Now I use a simpler true bypass strip and am happier than ever.

Thanks for this man. I learn something from you again as an amateur.

I'm a hobbyist but I would like the Boss ES8 for the MIDI functionality for my DD200, MD500 and switching channels on my Amp from one board. I like the clean layout and I like that in the boss es8 I can easily change the order of the pedals without having to bend over and plug/unplug pedals. Even if I dont gig right now, I like the flexibility of the manual mode and the programming side of the boss es8. Only downside I can see, is it may be option paralysis trying to program the exact tone you want instead of just playing your guitar.

A beautifully detailed video. Great content!

I find the flip flop function on the gigrig quatermaster to be an absolute life saver, just one click to switch from one drive to another , and have mod/delays in the standard on/off setting. Works a treat for me

Just got the RJM too. Looking forward to seeing your pedalboard build.

I bought the GigRig G2 and it's so easy to quickly program on the fly, no menus. What also sold me is that you can change the order of any loop. If I want my fuzz loop before or after my overdrives I can do that in under 5 sec. It's also really handy if you're playing with single coils and humbuckers because you can change the gain stages for any program. That's just scratching the surface. So for the professional musician I would highly recommend this switcher. Way more versatile than having your pedals in line and it honestly sounds better. The only downside is that it's expensive.

I'm using a Disaster Area DPC-8EZ on my board. I love it because it lets me program if I need to but also has the ability to just turn on and off individual pedals. Definitely gives some flexibility to change stuff on the fly.

I am all 3. Hobbyist, session & studio player and sometime live player. After seeing this video, you convinced me that I probably don’t need a switcher. Although when playing live, it would be cool to click one button and have 5 pedals come on for that one tone I need for that one song, I would rather dial things in as I need them. Always good content Mason and you are tackling the questions that not many think about but all need addressing.

BASS player here, YOUR THE MAN !!!!! What a filling video, WOW!!! I always limit my FX's but i had an 'octaver fever ' recently.Decided to stop at three radically different sounds. Live quick switch, is crutial. You tought me a great tool, thank you very much.

WOW I was just talkin about this with one of my friends you answered all the questions I need to know thank you so much I always watch your episodes 😎👏👍

Very honest. You helped me dissuade myself from buying a boss switcher 👍😅

Nice video! I don't play live, but often jam with friends at home, hence we play random songs and sound must be able to change a lot between songs. I always wanted to get a switcher, on the one hand to bypass the all the buffers that I have in my chain, on the other hand to be able to switch a few pedals in one click. I never got myself one because the programming seemed slower than just switching pedals in a context where we always play random songs, yesterday I found out about the Carl Martin Octa-Switch, and I really liked that all the programming is done with small physical switches. So I ordered one, the objective being to have 5 positions preprogramed with sounds I use very often , 2 positions available for dynamic programming (putting the switches in place to enable those specific 5 pedals takes ten seconds), and the last position as "all in" - thus as it is now. The downside of this board is that there is no midi, but I don't plan to use it as I just wanted to keep it simple! Will try to make a vid with the setup once I get it.

Great issue Mason! I totally agree with you! I'm playing like 40-50 gigs a year with my original stuff rock band. I got a switcher like a year ago and got rid of it cause of the exact reasons you pointed out. Just too stiff and not flexible enough for what I'm actually doing! Keep up your awesome work! All the best from Germany Bene

This was helpful. Thanks for posting.

Thanks for the video, you have convinced me I definitely need a switcher for my live rig. I've been checking the Boss ES5, apparently it can control my EVH 5150III via midi so it's a plus

Good advice. I play live a handful of times a year, but by no means does it warrant me having a multi effect switcher. However, I do use a true bypass multi switch looper that allows me to turn on up to 4 pedals at once. Really cheap solution for those who want to be able to do that

Also regarding the Bradshaw rigs: There where no Strymons or compact Eventide units back then. Racks where the only way to get the schmo happening.

I use a gigrig quartermaster. Switchers also reduce tap dancing in order to turn on/off pedals at the back of the board. They also reduce wear and tear on the pedals switchs as the switcher is used instead. A switcher provides the shortest signal path. A switcher can make it easier to place pedals anywhere on the board reducing the need for pedals to be next to each other in order of signal. Using a switcher requires all the pedals to be on, therefore more lights, which looks cooler...just saying..

I use One Control Crocodile tail loop on one of my pedalboards. Alows me to use presets or individual pedals, very practical. The main benefits switcher provides is, I do not touch the pedals with my foot. In studio this is not a problem, but in live performance it is a big challenge not to turn the knobs while you switching the sound. Put some felt under the knobs, it works but still have to pay attention and I prefer to concentrate on the music not on the technical stuff. Oh and when you get older it is more difficult to dance on one foot 😄.

glad i watched this video. had someone tell me i should get a switcher. im both someone that likes to tweak pedals on the fly and a hobbyist/writer.

I'm in a few local bands that play originals and I would say I'm a hobbyist. I use a mix of standalone pedals, an HX Effects and channel switching for my amp all through a Boss ES-5. Being able to control all of those pedals and changes through one pedal is a godsend. No more forgetting to turn on a specific pedal or accidently turning one on. No more tap dance. Especially since we have like 20+ songs between us, having all of those sounds on one tap has made my life so much easier. For on the fly changes, I have 5 go to sounds I know will work in most contexts and have that as a separate bank on my switcher. If there's a specific sound i wanna find, i can always take mental notes and create something for next practice or during a smoke break. Thankfully I'm not recording professionally (yet?? :D) so I don't have to worry too much about changing on the fly when money/studio time is an issue.

I just play at home but I do have a boss es5. Mainly so I can change the order of the pedals easily without having to dissconect them. So awesome! I am a guitar tech for a band and I also use it to experiment with. 2 guys have the es8 so I picked it up so I can really learn it inside and out.

The ES8 has a manual mode that lets you interactively add effects, in any order. I don't see why this wouldn't work for a studio musician. It should make it easier, not harder: put it in manual mode, set up the effects in the order you want, and twiddle whatever knobs you need to.

Love the video! And I have a Boss Es-8 and it has a manual switch mode which lets me tap in pedals in and out like I would a normal switcher-less board for when I need to make a last minute change.

I know this will probably never get read (it's long), but I think you missed one important part: what I'm calling the "having fun" experience. Up until earlier this year, for the last 10 years, I had between one gig a month (at a minimum) to two gigs a week (at most) as a worship guitarist. There was always at least one new song to learn, and at least one song that another band performed but I hadn't played yet (meaning, usually, two new songs I had to learn weekly). This also meant programming everything. I had a Kemper with a Timeline, BigSky, and a few overdrive pedals, all MIDI controlled, and it sounded great. I downsized to a Helix Floor (1 large pedalboard vs. 1 large pedalboard + a rack), but continued using the BigSky, Timeline, and outboard overdrive pedals, still all MIDI or loop controlled. My boards were *sick* too - perfectly ran cables, soldered stuff, zip ties and tie downs to keep everything in order. I liked the multi-FX/amp modeling units simply because I could play something different at home when I wasn't working on gig songs. I spent a lot of time trying (and failing) to be a shred/prog-rock/prog-metal guitarist in my younger days, and I still love playing things like Dream Theater and Satriani at home to keep my skills in check. The last few years, I've also gotten into ambient, post-rock, and generative/granular/synth stuff. The problem with all that is it meant finding time to dial in a good sound. I spent years honing my "worship" tone, but always just went with a preset for heavier stuff, so I was never happy. I'd spend hours trying to dial in a tone I liked and was never content with it, and I'd never actually practice anything. For the ambient/generative stuff, it also meant that picking up a new pedal meant I would have to completely rewire my board and take apart everything. It also meant that any changes - like changing out the Timeline for something else - would mean dialing in all new presets all over again. It was not "having fun." I found that, after a while, I just wasn't picking up my guitar, and, when I was, it was working on creating presets and patches for individual songs, reading my MIDI cheat sheet, programming in things, learning the new tunes as quickly as possible, going to practice, doing the thing, then leaving the gear packed up until Sunday morning. Then I'd show up, play, and take everything back home, only for my gear to remain in their respective cases until the time I needed to play my next gig. For the gig, though, it was perfect. One press and two drives engage, my delay and reverb kicked on, and I didn't have to even think about what was below my feet. Things like the Helix's scribble strips and the RJM Mastermind's displays (what I used with the Kemper and my various MIDI-connected devices) made it so I could have multiple settings for each song, since some didn't have any real changes until the bridge or I was covering the parts two guitarists and a keyboardist played all at once - I could dial in everything. But... I wasn't "having fun." Earlier this year, I stopped playing at church for a myriad of reasons. I was given the opportunity to visit my best friend - a musician - that lives halfway across the country. I decided to build out the smallest possible pedalboard I could that would fit in my backpack that covered all the essentials for me. I also decided there would be no menus. No MIDI. No switching besides the pedals themselves. I ended up with an 18x7 board, filled with a Pigtronix mini compressor, a Fulldrive 2 (which has always been a favorite of mine), a Chase Bliss Mood (I got a great deal and it was something I really wanted to mess around with), a Walrus ARP-87, an El Capistan, and a Neunaber Immerse. After having these tightly-packed, 32" and 42" boards, full of control and presets... I finally felt like I was actually in control of my sound. I wasn't afraid to twist a knob. I wasn't scared about some preset junking up the works for 3 other songs. I was able to just play. And I was "having fun." And that's the part I think you missed - finding inspiration and excitement with your rig is more important than some switcher, MIDI control, or immersion of options. I'm a software developer, and programming a Helix or RJM or Kemper or whatever was tiring. It lead to option paralysis, especially when I wanted to try new things out or experiment. "The hobbyist" example is just as important as "the professional" when it comes to being actually creative. For some, perhaps having 5 or 10 locked-down sounds is exactly what is warranted and wanted, and enough for some to be creative, but I like being able to spin a knob, just like "the studio guy" does. Maybe I'm a hybrid. And that's where I'm going now. For now, I've decided to rebuild my main board, with the goal of creativity, inspiration, and not feeling locked down, but able to function quickly when I get back into worship music or other gigs. I sold my Helix and replaced it with a Strymon Iridium. I don't need different amps (or multiple amps and multiple cabs) for each patch anyway, but I do need direct-to-house. I have a Morningstar MC-6 that I'll use to pull up presets on the BigSky and Timeline, but I've also incorporated the Mood, El Capistan, Immerse, and ARP-87, which have to be turned on and off manually. I'm picking up a basic switcher soon (Disaster Area DPC-5) with MIDI for my drives - simply to keep the audio path clean and have the buttons on the front row, but be able to make some presets on my MC-6 when I get back into it (which I won't even be using now). My wiring isn't as clean, but that's by design: I'll be able to drop on whatever pedal I feel like, whenever I want, without having to swap out the entire board or make massive changes. I've switched to solderless cables (which I know you hate), but, in under a minute, I can build out the cable I need - low hassle, as I don't have a dedicated place to solder anyway. But I've made smart wiring decisions to be able to pull something off and replace it quickly, as long as it has some dual lock on the bottom of the pedal. I can control what I need when I need to, or do things manually when I'm feeling inspired. I can get "metal enough" when I want to. I can play ambient when I feel like it. I can thrash with some post-rock. And I'm confident it works within the worship scene as well. And I haven't had this much fun playing music in a solid 10 years.

You are so appreciated my friend thankyou so much. Now with being said , I don’t gig much . More studio and and Home or special events. I use a hd500 a ES-5 with a Lehle Dual to go to amps and digital mixer. I season the HD500 with various pedals Boss harmonists, Acoustic Simulator, OS-1 Mooer Reecho delay.to name a few . After listening to your tutorials I broke down my monster box and started building more consolidated thought out smaller lower in height and netter in tone . The ES-5 allows me more hands free choices of Pedal assignment in manual modus combined with the possibility to change a patch within the Bank when I’m in a "pinch of the moment ". The over-all results were tone , amp hum, clarity a major improvement. Planned are the Eventide H9, and a Wampler Belle Overdrive in mini Format. I would rather have your hands on expertise and Pedal advice (WHEN Possible) on the Final Build, being that I’m in in Germany and not scheduled to travel home to U.S. until the Fall this year. Once again thankyou

Great topic. I play professionally and I am trying to get my board as small as possible. Touring doesn't happen as much as it use to so. Drives and Hx Effects works great for me. Steel String soon. Great stuff Mason. This is perfect for all of us.

I use a compact loop switcher in a pretty simple, practical way. Rather than trying to combine all my effects (I only have 4 presets at my feet), I just use it to switch my different levels of gain from clean to lead and then other effects like pre-drive modulation & post drive delay etc. separately.

Awesome background music,Thanks again

I remember commenting on the MS-3 video too! I still advocate for that pedal or even a smaller switcher, and I'm a home player (right now). I really like the feeling of being able to bring settings in and out and I'm still an obsessive tweaker. I think I'm rather an exception, not the rule here though. I advocate heavily for them because it makes some things just much easier that I think are essential (stacking gain pedals and flopping between clean/stack gain/clean and wet) and Sure at home no one but me is going to notice the time it takes to switch between these but I feel to me it helps sort of feel less...clunky, more or less! I also have a couple of patches that are basically set up to be sort of "blank test" states. I find myself buying more fuzz and drives than actual delays or reverbs or other modulation effects, so something like the MS-3 specifically is great since I can quickly just pop the pedal in, play around with how it sounds before/after a boost and even on clean/gain channels with a single click. I honestly hadn't really used that till recently but it just sort of fell into place and now I couldn't be happier. love the vids as always!

I am utility guy, always singing a lot of backing vocals, doubling on keyboards and rythm and lead guitars. Switching system was a life saver because all of the tap-dancing on the pedal drove me nuts. And it made me play better because I can focus on the playing and have my sounds without stepping on pedals.

You actually hit the spot...Thanks

You’re telling people who own a bunch of unnecessary pedals that they don’t need an unnecessary switcher? Good luck with that. 😊

I think a switcher is essential to anyone who has more than a few pedals. There are songs you would want to have chorus delay and Reverb ON with you clean channel. Then you want to use your Drive channel, remove the Chorus and Reverb but leave on the delay. One press on the switcher will setup your clean channel and one other press to a different switch will setup your drive sound. This is something I do a lot. Then with the switcher , you can bring in and out different things with just 1 press. Once you have a switcher, I can't see anyway to go back to pedal dancing. It's the one reason I kept going to Multi effects units many years ago before the ES-5 and ES-8 came out. This was a dream to me as all I wanted to do was play clean with Chorus Delay and Reverb and then switch to my drive channel with just delay. Trying to switch your amps channel and turn off the reverb and chorus sucked. Now I don't think about it, I program my switcher and away I go.

Thank you mate... it was really helpful👍

I'm really a hobbyist, but, when COVID's not messing with the world, I'm gigging about once a month in a cover band. That said, I have a switcher and use it to make fast changes and reduce the tap dance. Playing covers, you need a lot of different sounds so I've got some high end modulation, dealy, and modeling pedals that I control with midi and the switcher. I did try using a Helix floor, but felt like it wasn't going to hold up to lots of gigging. I'm currently happy with pedals and board that has velcro so I can change pedals easily. I also like being able to just drop the board on the floor, and plug it into the wall and amp. It makes setup and teardown fast and easy, which is helpful when you also need to deal with the PA and usually help someone else troubleshoot their setup. If I was just playing at home, I'd probably be happy as can be with the Helix floor and headphones.

Hi, session musician here. I use a switcher for my gigs, but you're right that making sounds on the fly poses a challenge. I've found that the best method is to have a 'jam patch' wherein you can turn individual effects on and off manually, or with the Boss MS-3, have some of the switches programmed to effects you don't otherwise have. That way you're sorted in the moment and can worry about programming later.

Great insight and commentary. I own 3 pedal boards primarily because I cant seem to figure out how to create a one size fits al styles of music I play. 2 of the boards just have non midi, non programmable loopers (keep as few pedal in the signal chain as possible). Both of these boards are relatively small. My big board (usually more than 16 pedals, currently at 19) I have a programmable switcher that allows pedal reordering and stomp box mode, which help to mitigate some of the issues you raise (and I agree with). For me the goal of the fancy switcher is to create new sounds and be able to recall them quickly (my songs / my band). That said when I am playing in church, or in a club as a sideman smaller (simpler) boards to your point are more than enough, a programmable switcher is just over kill, as I can get all the sounds I want which seems good enough for live performance. P.S. --> Still totally loving my vertex BOOST. Hands down absolutely the best volume pedal I have used. Thanks again for the content. Stay safe best regards to you and your team.

So for me I think the ES-8 has been a game changer mostly because of the MIDI capability-I've done a lot of varied work from more "traditional" live contexts as well as electronic music and experimental theatre and improvisation. Not only does the switcher make my life easier in terms of containing different "sets" but I'm able to control Ableton via MIDI without taking my hands off the guitar. Depending on the context Ableton is also great for changing patches on the switcher-I have been able to do entire gigs without touching the board since Ableton controls all the patch changes with PC messages . . .

Awesome, intuitive video 👏🏽 Boss makes great switchers.

Excellent information thank you for the your honest and informative opinion 👍

As a hobbyist I like the Walrus Audio Transit 4 that I modified and split the 4 loops to 2&2. 2 loops in front of the amp and 2 in the fx loop. In front of the amp is a wah loop and od/dist and the fx loop are Modulation and a delay/reverb loop. Really basic setup and true bypass to pull out a whole line of pedals that don't need to be in there. I can swap pedals all over the place on the board and keep them in the category. just turn on the pedals you want on ahead of time in each loop and switch in and out of each effect type with the switcher. You could buy 2 separate basic loop switchers and put one in front and in the fx loop if you cant mod them. Thats parts of the fun for me though I hope this comment helped.

Great video!!! Thanks, Mason!

I appreciate your perspective and experience. Thanks. As a hobbyist I agree with what you said . . . I definitely don't need one, sometimes it can hinder a tiny bit, but I have one. ;-) Really though, I have a Boss MS-3 and think of it more as a multi effects pedal rather than just a switcher. Bonus, is it has loops, so I can incorporate separate external pedals at different places in the chain along with the built in effects of the ms-3. A bit of menu diving when I want to make changes, but I am used to that now, and have the time to tinker unlike a session artist. I just needed to write this to justify my own GAS but maybe it helps someone else.

I use my RJM PBC10 programmable loop switcher in the studio as only a loop switcher (not programming sets of loops as presets). This helps with guitar tone because you can run your signal only through the pedals you require at the time. No programming required. I also gain a buffer, ground loop to the second amp if needed, parallel FX processing, tuner...

Well said - Right on I felt your advice was.

After using Engl tube amps with Fractal Audio multi effects for years, I never thought, I would go back to pedals again. Of course, I had some pedals at home, but I just used them to play them from time to time. There are a lot of younger guys with a Kemper, Fractal, Quad Cortex, Helix, ... who do not understand the basics of the signal chain, since they never used pedals or maybe just two or three when the whole rig was just one mess. I bought an Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808HW - just for fun - and I found it awesome. I thought, I will build a very small pedalboard just for playing at home. After trying the Big Sky, I wanted a serious pedalboard and ordered the other two big Strymons and wow. As I always had not the simplest signal chain (two tube heads, stereo presets), it was clear for me to get a switcher - a much bigger pedalboard is on the way. Thank you Mason Marangella also to you for inspiring me with your great videos to go this way - it is pure joy to get in all the details and hear the stunning results. ❤ from Germany Andreas

Great video, Mason!

I love your honesty.man .I want a switcher. IDK.thanks buddy

I recently incorporated a PXL Pro switcher into my rig. I have programmed 2 banks of 4 presets that correspond to 2 banks of 4 presets on a Vox Tonelab. These account for most of sounds I need for any given show. To change things up quickly I put the amp on standby and enter program mode which turns all loops on, then I quickly shut off everything I don't want on and then turn standby off and I'm ready to rock. 20 seconds tops and I'm in manual mode for on the fly spontaneous jams. 🎸

I have to say as a gigging musician a switcher is the best thing I have ever bought. As a studio tool I have also found it excellent being able to switch pedal order and incorporate multi effects such as the Eventide H9 more easily within my rig. I don’t find the programming particularly limiting as its always possible to run each loop in stompbox mode. In addition it allows me to decide whether an effect with a buffer is on or off, not the pedal maker.

Mason, being an E-Bay junkie, I collected three "short-heads": Mojave Scorpion and Plexi-45, and a Mesa Lonestar. I attached two dedicated 1x12 cabinets to each head, forming three "Mini-stacks". For the Lonestar I used Bogner 1x12s with Mesa C-90 speakers. For the Mojave's I used their 1x12s and Celestion Speakers. Goal: I want my rig to have only two of these three amps. I've got two '52 Hot-Rod Telecasters, a Les Paul Standard, and an SRV Strat. Tones I want to emulate are Led Zep, Tom Petty, and some Stones. I tuned one Telecaster to Open G, the Strat to E-flat, and the others standard. My '52 Hot Rod Telecaster into the Plexi-45 makes Tom Petty tones, while the Scorpion makes "Thunderstruck" brown tone. My effects are a Vox Wah, Sunlion fuzz, KOT, Phase 90, Dimension C, a Bell Epoch Deluxe, and a Strymon Flint. I have Lehle SGoS Dual and D-Loop pedals. The Dual SGoS can be routed for an external loop to the "B" amp, while the "D-Loop" adds a switchable buffer and two additional loops. I midi-linked the Lehle pedals with a stereo cable. The Scorpion is a must-have amp. I'm assigning the Bell Epoch and Flint to the Dual SGoS "B" loop. Comments?

Nice vid Dr. !!

Awesome video! Thanks!

Late response, but there are two functions that switchers make really simple, that are much more difficult without using a switcher. I. Paralell effects, and II. Quickly moving the relative position of Fx in the signal path. With a single button push, I can move my Univibe from in Front of the Overdrive to behind it, and with another button push, I can run two different effects in Parallel. Impossible to A/B the difference without a switcher.

I'm a hobbyist, and I'm going to add a simple loop switcher to my board. No midi,, just isolated loops for the cleanest signal path.

I use 2, an MS3 for front input, and an American Looper 6 channel for the back end FX loop. The MS-3 acts as an awesome boost for the front end. The Looper takes all the tap dancing out of the routine.

Good video. I do both ( mostly live and some session work ) and the MS3 proved to be a great hub for my board. A few pedals in the loops that I can mix and match, stereo out, midi out and built in effects for the occasional oddball need.

You broke that down so well and with respect to those of us who rock out at bedroom volumes while the wife and kids try to sleep. Right on. I wonder if you have any advice for quick changes in gain stages for a live setting without a big switcher.

very nice vid and great advice. thank you

The Walken spot made me laugh. I don't care if it was dead on representation. I got the point and it was fun. Thank you for the information, I dig your candor, honesty and technical expertise.

As soon as you said you wanted our feedback I was right to the like button. Great video thanks for all the info and opinions.

Thank you Rhett Shull! I watched his pedal board build y'all did, saved me a lot of headaches on my own build, you're a gifted builder and a great instructor! next time you talk to Rhett, tell him a guitarist, from Vidalia, owes him some beer and a sack of onions! What's your rate for consultation? I'm a gigging musician I need advice on a MIDI switcher for pedals, an Eventide Pitchfactor and switching channles on two EVH 5150lll combos without blowing anything up! :)

I was brought here by the clickbait title, but watching this video made me want a pedal switcher even more!

I’m building a rig that allows me to switch on multiple combinations of analog pedals with one click to go from heavy/dirty sounds to clean modulated delay sounds…and I’m not currently gigging, but my goal is to build a rig like Tim Mahoney’s of 311. Great advice though, you’re absolutely right about the necessity of one for the applications you listed. Love this channel!

Just because someone is a hobbyist player doesn't mean that they have the ability to switch several pedals on and off at once. That's where a switcher comes in. And many, many hobbyist players out there play with several pedals in different configurations, which is why switchers are on the market, because manufacturers know that hobbyist players are part of their target consumers. To lump all hobbyist players into a category that never needs a switcher to do what their pedalboards want is a false generalization.

As a hobby player I found the Boss line selector to be awesome for looping certain pedals but now that I saw this switcher pedal I may have get one. It’s like building your own custom processor. That’s kinda of cool. One pedal at a time but wouldn’t hurt to a have switcher available to the gig bag even though I don’t gig:D

I somehow missed this one - and it's great just like all of your stuff. I like the middle ground - things like Saturnworks (Bryan is awesome) and GigRig Quartermaster where pedals are out of the circuit when not in use. On the other hand, if I built a rig with your nice buffers, I probably would not worry about it.

I have quite a few vintage pedals, with less than perfect buffering. I use a non programmable looper to make these older technology dinosaurs true bypass. Also, some of these pedals are quite valuable and the looper cuts down on the wear on physically stomping on them.

I have two boards that I use professionally. A big board with a switcher and a rehearsal board. The rehearsal board is just a standard 24” pedalboard with “traditional” wiring...nothing fancy. The midi switcher is a problem solving tool on my big board. You hit one button and BOOM, I have a dotted delay sound...another button and it’s a lead, then a flanger. I have an entire bank setup for gigs where I need to cover keyboard parts...shimmers and space-filling patches. It’s super convenient...but it also cost about 4 grand, all in. Unless you’re a seriouslyyyyy dedicated hobbyist, that’s a lot of money to throw at something that’s ultimately a “problem solving” tool for pros who need quick access to patches. Switchers are awesome and they’re a lot more accessible than they used to be but they’re still a major investment. You have the cost of the switcher plus another couple hundred for good patch cables (which are necessary, by the way...a switcher is only as reliable as the patch cables you have). You’re talkin at LEAST a thousand for your board, switcher and cables alone.

That live shot was from Brewster's in Petaluma CA, I play there all the time.