Diving into the world of pedals - help me choose the basics.

noisepolluter

From the pedals you list above I’m not sure you’d need isolated power? I may be wrong but you might get away with a daisychain and summat like a OneSpot that can put out 500mA or so - do check power reqts on manufacturers websites obviously 

EricTheWeary

timmypix said:

Done some more digging and I'm thinking that this is probably looking like the best way to spend less than £100 on a power supply - anyone got one?
https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_powerplant_iso_2_pro.htm

There's a lot of love for the Junior version which is very cheap but still isolated. But something like the One Spot is a lot smaller for underneath a board. 

timmypix

There's a lot of love for the Junior version which is very cheap but still isolated. But something like the One Spot is a lot smaller for underneath a board. 

Good to know a similar model has a lot of love - annoyingly I'm powering seven pedals and a lot of the highly praised cheaper supplies are five/six output. One Spot is smaller but also a lot more expensive, and if I'm going for non-mini delay and reverb then the budget has to be reshuffled accordingly.

timmypix

I've been looking more at delays - I think the Flashback is still the top option, but I've realised it doesn't have a tap tempo. Has this been an issue for anyone who's got one? Outside of mucking about at home I'm not using the delay for anything more than adding subtle depth to clean sections and solos, so does it even matter?
The EHX Canyon and Digitech Obscura are starting to enter my considerations but I still think the Flashback represents the best value for money.

rico

I have a HoF mini but I would not buy another - the taper on the knob is god awful (I know it can be tweaked in the software but I can’t be arsed). It was a gift and I would feel bad selling it but if I set it at exactly 3.4768 then it’s OK. I love the Carbon Copy and the TU-3 is a true workhorse. I have read bad things about the Caline PSU - the Fuel Tank Jr is a good bet. 

breakthemachinefx

timmypix said:

First some background - for years I've used a POD HD500x as my all-in-one box. Then I did a few gigs where there weren't any monitors and I realised I needed to be able to hear myself and got myself a Real Amp, and for a while have been using the POD via four cable method for all my effects.

However, now I've gotten used to the sound of a Real Amp, the POD's sounds are starting to wear on me and don't always behave the way I want, the interface is fiddly, and I'm also conscious that I am barely scratching the surface of what the unit's capable of, and I don't care much for that functionality anyway. As such, more and more I've been thinking it's time to switch to some basic pedals for better sound and ease of adjusting.

Then finally, last week I saw the PSA on here regarding the TC Spark being reduced and I took the plunge, and I'm now on the slippery slope to wanting to assemble a simple board.

I know very little about pedals other than the odd YouTube video and forum topic, so I could do with some advice/guidance on building a board on a budget. I'll list what I'm considering and what I'm not sure of and if the knowledgeable people here could chip in that would be much appreciated!

The twist is that I'm looking pretty much entirely used and reluctant to spend more than £50 a pedal, though obviously it may be worth it to stretch in places. I'm also not planning on actually buying the majority of this stuff until well after Christmas, but the idea is burning in my brain and I'd like to know what to keep an eye out for in case any deals present themselves before then.

Tuner: I'm pretty set on a Boss TU-3. They're reasonably priced, have a reputation for quality and I think it's wise to have a buffered pedal at the start of the chain? That said, the Polytune does look appealing and the mini version saves space.

Overdrive: I love Tube Screamers, so I'm pretty set on a Tube Screamer mini. Saves space, sounds basically as good as the full size as far as I can tell on YouTube. I've seen mention of the Joyo Vintage Overdrive but I'm wary of what the quality would be like.

Reverb: For the price I'm probably best with the TC Hall of Fame Mini, as it can get good sounds via Toneprint and it's small. That said, I do like the idea of being able to tweak and play without having to get a computer involved, so I think I ought to keep an eye out for either the full size HoF2, or the Digitech Polara also looks really appealing. Probably not under £50 but might be worth stretching. I don't use reverb a whole lot - I tend to have one setting for drive and a lusher one for cleans.

Delay: As above, thinking TC Flashback mini for price and size reasons, but also keeping an eye out for the full size or an MXR Carbon Copy popping up cheap. I only really use delay for clean sections or during solos for a lift.

Power: No idea! All I know is I'd quite like to have something I can mount under whatever board I get (probably Harley Benton) and that has isolated output for the above pedals, plus the Spark and my wah.

Patch cables: Again no idea - I'm on a budget and I'm conscious this is where hidden costs lie because they're easily forgotten, but at the same time I've seen plenty of warning about cheaping out.

So, sorry for the wall of text - if people could chime in with their thoughts on the pedals I'm considering and point out anything I'm missing, that would be great! Thanks 

Hey there,

Take it from me, pedals are addictive! You cant go wrong with Boss or Polytune tuners but consider Korg as well, their pitchblack ones are great. Power, try T-REX and with patch cables, there is a new company on the block called pedal patch (pedalpatch.co.uk) who do solder less kits at great prices. Can't go wrong with MXR, their Phase 90 & Carbon Copy are 'standards' almost... but consider other UK brands out there which are all over this forum.. Magnetic Effects, Fredric Effects, Zander Circuitrty, lots of choice these days. Happy hunting.

timmypix

breakthemachinefx said:

Hey there,

Take it from me, pedals are addictive! You cant go wrong with Boss or Polytune tuners but consider Korg as well, their pitchblack ones are great. Power, try T-REX and with patch cables, there is a new company on the block called pedal patch (pedalpatch.co.uk) who do solder less kits at great prices. Can't go wrong with MXR, their Phase 90 & Carbon Copy are 'standards' almost... but consider other UK brands out there which are all over this forum.. Magnetic Effects, Fredric Effects, Zander Circuitrty, lots of choice these days. Happy hunting.

Thanks for all the recommendations, I'll have a browse! How reliable are solderless cables, generally? I've never encountered them, I'm not even sure how they work.