essential Ancillaries

Pedalboards, power supplies, patch cables and more

Though there’s a certain satisfaction that comes from making a pedalboard out of an old shelf, skateboard or road sign, there comes a point when it’s un-ergonomic.

If you have more than a handful of pedals, the weight alone can make transporting them a pain. At this point, it’s worth considering an aluminium-rail pedalboard with a case.

Some pedalboards come with hard flight cases, but unless you’re a touring pro that’s overkill. For most, a shoulder-slung bag with a sturdy handle and plastic inserts to prevent rips is sufficient.

Next, you can choose a power supply. This could be a feature on its own, but in short – save yourself money in the long-term and buy an isolated power supply. It’s more reliable, and you won’t have noise issues. It should also come with mounting brackets that will fit your ’board.

Finally, you’ll need to patch everything together. You can spend as much as you like on custom cables, expensive brands or any number of features, but we’ve found little correlation between price and longevity. Buy a few cheap ones, see what lasts a few gigs, then buy more of those.