Voodoo Lab

Hi Folks,
I've finally got the correct rack shelves (Gator shelves) and put the pedals in the layout I think makes the most sense.
A 1-Spot Pro CS12 will mount to the shelf on the back (hard to see in pic) as well as the wall warts for the GCXs.
There's a space holder for my Lexicon MPX1 that I haven't mounted in yet
I've got some Nuetrik jacks for a phase two that will go in the punchouts of the spaceholder panel. That will be more of a wiring panel/harness. For now I want to work out the kinks so I'll go directly to the ISP G String/GCX.
I've left some extra room in hopes of being able to afford a Fryette Power Station for my '67 Traynor Bassmaster or YSR-1.

I'd love some thoughts on:

Does this make sense? I've got "pre amp" type sounds as well as the gate and compressors on the lower shelf, OD and boosts on the top shelf. The routing will basically be presets of base tones from the bottom shelf and the items on the top shelof (except for the compressors) will be in front of those "pre" pedals.

Which way should i run power and audio? I'm using George Ls cables, and the True Spot CS12. Where they have to cross do I go at 45 degree angles? I'm planning on using zip tie anchors to keep them from dangling and keep them neat.

I didn't get velcro on my way home from work (D'oh!) but that's next.

After wired up I will program the GCP, I may want to try the beta firmware and run two GCP's!

Any other insight?

I am really psyched to have all my pedals in a neat orderly arrangement.



For reference:
Bottom Shelf, Top Row:
Alesis Micro Limiter (until I can get a Wampler Ego)
Duncan Pickup Booster
Keeley 4 knob compressor (set for clean, country type sounds)

Bottom shelf, bottom row:
IPS Decimator G String
Wampler Plexi Drive Deluxe
Lumpy's Tone Shop Liquid Lead
Catalinbread Royal Albert Hall

Top Shelf Top Row:
Ibanez TS9
MXR Phase 90
I also forgot to put in a really old DOD Classic Fuzz (had it forever and figured I'd throw it in)
Top Shelf Bottom Row:
Catalinbread Sabbra Cadabra
Vic's Audio Ram's Head 73 (Big Muff style clone)
BYOC Klon clone
Catalinbread Belle Epoch

Hi,

So you've decided on having the patch panel on the front..... Fair play

Only my advice, and take it or leave it.... Have you wired all the rack units for power yet?.... If not I'd wire power first before you even consider wiring audio. Then wire your midi connections if you're not going directly from the GCX to the GCP. (In my rack and pedal board I've now got a 20' multi-core snake going from the rack to the pedalboard. This carries the send and returns for the wah pedal, the cable for the tap tempo, the midi connection for the GCP and the 240v power for the voodoo Lab ISO5 which I still need to buy. I'll give you an update soon)

What do you intend connecting via the patch panel??

bettsaj wrote:Hi,

So you've decided on having the patch panel on the front..... Fair play

Only my advice, and take it or leave it.... Have you wired all the rack units for power yet?.... If not I'd wire power first before you even consider wiring audio. Then wire your midi connections if you're not going directly from the GCX to the GCP. (In my rack and pedal board I've now got a 20' multi-core snake going from the rack to the pedalboard. This carries the send and returns for the wah pedal, the cable for the tap tempo, the midi connection for the GCP and the 240v power for the voodoo Lab ISO5 which I still need to buy. I'll give you an update soon)

What do you intend connecting via the patch panel??

Sorry for the lack of clarity, the patch panel will go on the back. I intend to put it under this shelf which will hold the power supplies for pedals, etc


I am going to put a guitar in, fx loop send/return and possibly speaker in out depending on what i end up using for a head. Not sure if I'm going to put MIDI in there too.

Thanks for the tip re: wiring power and MIDI first. I remember that pedal python. Cool piece of gear that i may have to get! The only other piece of gear is my Lexicon which isn't at my house currently so I haven't had a chance to put it in the rack.
I believe that will be last after the GCXs? I haven't actually thought about that

I don't know why these pictures are so huge!

EDIT: Thanks, I uploaded normal sized versions

They're big because you need to reformat them smaller, you ,likely took them on your phone on HD setting or something....... I bet their size is into the 1000's pixels

you need to reduce their size in photoshop or something

To be fair, you're probably not going to have loads of wiring to do.

Personally I would wire a midi socket to the patch panel...... and for the sake of around $3 You might as well seeing as you've got one. try and mount as much as you can on the panel. That way, once you've secured all your cabling in the rack you'll have no need to be shoving your hand in there. Also at gigs it's easier as you won't need to strain your eyes in a darkened venue trying to see into the back of the rack to locate the midi in socket for your GCX.

bettsaj wrote:To be fair, you're probably not going to have loads of wiring to do.

Personally I would wire a midi socket to the patch panel...... and for the sake of around $3 You might as well seeing as you've got one. try and mount as much as you can on the panel. That way, once you've secured all your cabling in the rack you'll have no need to be shoving your hand in there. Also at gigs it's easier as you won't need to strain your eyes in a darkened venue trying to see into the back of the rack to locate the midi in socket for your GCX.

This is great advice, thanks. As soon as I read "darkened venue" i realized the patch panel with all connections, not most, is necessary

Oh yes.. been there, got a sh*t load of t-shirts.

The patch panel is the way forward. In the past with my old rack, I lost count the amount of times i either plugged something in the wrong hole, or pulled something out of the wrong hole. scrabbling around with a mag-light in my mouth pointing into the back of the rack doesn't look professional, and also is a royal pain in the a*se (or ass for my American friends)

Also having all your cables in one snake makes for super quick set ups because you just pull out one multi-core cable, plug, and go

Ok, so I drilled holes in the shelves and velcro'd everything up. The pedal power is about 85% done. The power pops up through the holes so I can keep those neatly away from the audio cables.

Mistakes made today:
Ran out of velcro and had to go back to store
Should have drilled holes pre velcro
Should have taken shelves out to drill holes

Lessons learned. Either way, I'm excited to be moving forward.

I need a MIDI plug for the patch panel, a few 12" power chords as wall wart "jumpers" and to tidy up that as well as make the rest of the patch panel.