the answers

I can appreciate your desire to stick to pedals, David! Years ago, what you’re after wouldn’t have been possible, but there are now many high-quality options to help achieve your aims.

01 As you want to build a rig around your current pedals (which are already a great foundation), you just need to add an interface to your pedalboard. This interface allows you to use your ’board plugged directly into the PA; it will act as a substitute for your amp and cab. This must be able to take the output signal of your pedals, respond like an amp and emulate the sound that’s projected from your amp. Take a look at the Neunaber Iconoclast speaker emulator or GFI System’s Cabzeus. Either product will provide you with quality DI tones and, as an added bonus, both have a headphone output built in so you can jam at home on headphones through your pedalboard.

02 These cab/speaker simulators are very simple to use – just place either at the end of your ’board and plug the last effect pedal into the Iconoclast/Cabzeus input. From these units, take a cable and plug directly into the PA. To effectively integrate them, though, it’s likely you’ll have to adjust your current settings to cope with the new interface, but this is small price to pay for such lightweight versatility. Yearn for valve-like tones? Invest in a valve pedal. For years the BK Butler/Chandler Tube Driver was the de facto choice owing to David Gilmour associations, but in recent years Kingsley Amplifiers has been producing the most sublime valve pedals, such as the Jester overdrive. Also look to the new Victory Amps V4 pedals. Either way, you’ll get a tiny rig with valve overdriven tones!

03 For the lightest all-in-one solution, take a look at the Tech-21 Fly Rig 5. It gives you drive, Hot, reverb, EQ and delay all output through an amp, speaker and mic emulator that can plug straight into the PA. Best of luck!