Since I always like to put my pedalboard as the first picture of the post, I shall do something a little different today. Today, I will describe each different way I can use my rigs to practise at home, in order of convenience so that I may apply this order in the future!
1. Guitar → Focusrite Scarlett → Helix Native → M1 Pro MacBook Speakers
I call this the Native rig. This rig is the simplest and easiest to set up amongst all my other rigs. I have waited a really long time for Line 6 to make Native, well, native to M1-chipped MacBooks. After 3 months of waiting, they finally made it happen!!!
All I need are my guitar, a cable, my audio interface and my MacBook, and I can go right into jamming mode. The sound quality from my MacBook is superb due to the upgraded speakers and there is crazy little latency because of how powerful the M1 Pro chip is. I don't even need power for the Focusrite because my MacBook will be powering it via type-C! Crazy!
Best of all about this rig is, there is unlimited DSP when using my MacBook. I can fill the entire patch with pitch effects and it still will run smoothly. I can fully utilise all of my Helix Floor effects, so all those money spent purchasing presets won't be wasted.
2. Guitar → HX Stomp → Beyerdynamic Headphones
I call this rig, the Fly rig. This is also as simple as the Native rig, but requires a powerbank to operate. If my Anker powerbank is out of juice, then this rig is out of commission too. But one full charge of my Anker powerbank can provide at least 3 hours of play on the HX Stomp. 3 hours is manageable.
This rig is so small and compact that I can load it into my Mono Tick bag and then strap it onto the Mono M80 guitar bag via the loops. I have mentioned this many times, and I'll do it again for the sake of this post. This way of strapping the pedalboard bag to guitar bag results in a very lightweight carry. Both my hands will be free to carry other stuff!!!
On future smaller stages, this is the perfect board to go with. The David Hislop patches are crazy versatile too. Sometimes, it makes me wonder why I even have my main board. Technology really is crazy these days!
***As of 19th January 2025, the Mono cases have been sold off.
3. Guitar → Pedalboard → Beyerdynamic Headphones
And now for the mandatory photo of my pedalboard! This is my Main rig. To start practising on this rig, I'd have to find a power outlet to provide supply to the Truetone CS6. The good thing is that this rig is wireless from guitar to board, and that helps a lot with grounding issues!
Problem is, with my other two rigs above, this pedalboard now becomes a troublesome board to use for practice. As mentioned, I sometimes wonder if this board is even necessary for me now. I really only built it to utilise the Fulltone OCD, which has always been my most favourite pedal of all.
Still, I would choose this board whenever possible for stage-use because I can use more wet effects in the Stomp compared to the Fly rig. I can also walk around on stage and not worry about tripping over any cable. Also, can I mention that this board really looks super sick?!??!
4. Mooer GTRS
Well, that's just it. The Mooer GTRS is one rig on its own. Coupled with the phone app, I can emulate hundreds of sounds with the on-board effects and amp sims. It's the coolest piece of gear in my collection right now and I love using it to just jam when I reach home from work.
Of course, I still like my pedals and guitars that runs through the pedalboards but damn, the GTRS holds its own alright. Made for lazy people, and that is exactly what I am!
That's all!!! The possibilities are endless, and only limited by my own imagination!!!
Edwin Ang
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