The next natural step is mounting your effects pedals into a pedalboard once you’ve gathered a sizable collection of them.

Pedalboards come in a range of sizes and are designed with certain uses in mind. It’s critical to think about what you need based on the effects Pedals you already own while selecting the finest pedalboard for you. In order to replace your pedalboard with a single device that contained all the drives, reverbs, and delays you required, multi-effects pedals were first developed. The quality of amp simulation that is now available means that multi-effects pedals are completely replacing the setup used by contemporary guitar players. This is due to some significant technological advancements, particularly the development of the cabinet impulse response.

These pre-assembled pedalboards are meant to hold all of your effects in one location, making it simpler to turn your pedals on and off in the middle of an intense stage performance. You’ll find the best selection of pedalboards on the market in this in-depth guide. We’ve got our hands on a variety of ‘boards from all different price points and feature sets to provide your effects with the best possible protection and increase the effectiveness of your signal chain.

product review: best pedalboards

Most of the options we’ve listed below have starter models or useful mid-sized boards in roughly equivalent sizes. Nevertheless, it’s important to keep in mind that almost every manufacturer offers a variety of sizes and accessories. Check out their entire selection to see if they have a size that meets your needs.

1. Pedaltrain Jr pedalboard

The Pedaltrain series, the industry de facto standard for pedalboards, offers more options and models than you can throw a stick at.

The Classic series comes in a variety of sizes, and risers are an option if you want to make the pedals on higher rails more ergonomic. The JR can carry up to ten pedals and is a good size for a grab-and-go board or something you need to take on public transportation. The normal Pedaltrains offer alternatives for their brand of power supply, but the majority of brands, as well as cable runs and I/O connectors, will fit nicely underneath.

2. Line 6 Helix LT pedalboard

specifications

The Helix LT offers all of the processing power of the full-fat Helix, but in a slimmed-down package without scribble strips or all of the inputs and outputs of the flagship. If the HX Effects isn’t quite enough to meet your needs, for example, if you need amp modelling or if you own a Line 6 Variax guitar. The LT is a beast, offering top-notch amps, effects, cabs, mic simulators, and more, whether used in the studio or on stage.

Eight assignable patches, bank change, tuner, and tap switches are all located on the front panel of the device, and it has the best user interface of any multi-effect on the market, including Fractal Audio’s Axe-FX III, which costs three times as much.

3. D’Addario XPND PedalBoard

Imagine that you’ve just spent months putting the ideal board together, choosing the pedals, placing them in the best sequence for users, and filling every available space on your new “board.” However, you can’t possibly remove one of the stompboxes currently on your pedalboard in order to add a new overdrive pedal that you just know will help you attain tonal excellence.

The D’Addario XPND is the pedalboard for you if you find yourself in this difficult situation. You won’t need to purchase a new pedalboard each time you add a new stomp because this telescopic pedalboard will expand to accommodate your growing collection of pedals.This smart “board” also has a special cable management system and is pre-installed with loop Velcro. The pedalboard does not come built, therefore you will need to put it together yourself, we must point you.

4. Boss GX-100 pedalboard

specification

If you enjoy using pedals, Boss will be a familiar name to you. Their small stompboxes are incredibly well-liked, but the same cannot be said for their multi-effects units. As a result, the new GX-100 launches with the appearance of having something to prove, which it most definitely does.

Boss’ first pedal with a touchscreen is the GX-100, and hopefully it won’t be the last. Compared to some of the other Boss units, setting up patches and presets on the GX-100 is much simpler, more streamlined, and more user-friendly for beginners. Editing parameters is just as easy and natural. The GX-100 is an exceptional value when you consider the possibilities it offers, including use as a standalone modelling amp, a multi-effects unit feeding into a tube amp, or as a MIDI-switching blend of the two. It’s also simple to use.

5. Boss GT-1000 pedalboard

specification

Since the early 1980s, Boss has dominated the market for tiny effects pedals, and if you’re reading this, chances are good that you possess at least a few of your own. The business recently introduced the DD-500 delay, RV-500 reverb, and MD-500 modulation pedals in its 500 line of studio-grade pedals, bringing its expertise to a new form-factor and a more expensive segment of the market. You wouldn’t be alone if you thought, “If I had a board of just those three, I’d be set,” when you looked at the release of those pedals, and the GT-1000 delivers just that.

Of course, there are more than just those three units in the box; in addition to the many algorithms that have been transferred, there is also a cutting-edge amp and cab simulator and an IR loader.

6. HeadRush MX5 pedalboard

specification

HeadRush’s MX5 seeks to take all that potent processing power and pack it into a device you can tuck in the front of your gig bag as a follow-up to its highly praised PedalBoard. Don’t be fooled by this great multi-effects pedal’s diminutive size since it has some exquisitely accurate amp models, a variety of FX, and an expression pedal.

The emulated amp sounds are incredibly realistic and finely detailed. They have a fantastic interaction with the dynamics of your playing, which makes them feel just as satisfying as the real thing. Additionally, it really shines when it comes to effects, especially reverbs and delays. This device produces a truly three-dimensional sound that is very captivating. Overall the unit is a breeze to use too, with that intuitive touch screen providing loads of great options to tweak your tone on the fly. Run multiple chains of pedals with ease, switch presets quickly, or edit specific parameters and save them.

7. MOOER GE300 pedalboard

specification

After battling it out with their distinctive micro-effects at the lower end of the market for a decade, Mooer shifted course and has recently started selling ambitious digital pedals. The GE300 is their flagship unit, and with a superb monosynth patch and a tonne of great effects, it definitely delivers. The footswitches’ default placement of the assigns on the second row, which seems outdated in comparison to rival products, is our only complaint about the device itself.

The GE300’s great price competitiveness is another issue, as it is the foundation of Mooer’s success. The GE300 is a more upscale pedal, and it costs more than the company’s other signature pedal for Devin Townsend, the Ocean Machine. Although the GE300 is a significant piece of equipment, it’s difficult to suggest it above the Helix LT when their prices are nearly identical.

8. TC Electronic PLETHORA X5 pedalboard

The TonePrint team at TC Electronic has assembled all of the pedals from that range into the Plethora X5, creating a type of TC Greatest Hits tour.

You may chain up to five TonePrint pedals—including the Flashback, Hall of Fame, Corona, Vortex, and many others—together with the Plethora X5. You can arrange these in any sequence you like, although the DSP has limitations if you try to stack five delays or reverbs, for instance. These settings are then saved as “scenes,” which can be pulled up as needed. Since its release, TC has introduced more pedals via firmware, turning this into an excellent, little solution with a tonne of creative potential.

9. Tech 21 FlyRig 5 pedalboard

specification

The Tech21 comes the closest to an analogue alternative for multi-effects, however it’s not quite there. The Fly Rig 5 is a hybrid device because reverb effects require digital processing even though analogue delays can be created using vintage “bucket brigade” chips.
Nevertheless, Tech21 is a master of the drive, and the Fly Rig 5 features a Plexi SansAmp and a boost, allowing for maximum flexibility when utilised in front of an amp or directly into a powered.

The primary selling feature of this little beast is how small it is. The delay and reverb are adequate but nothing special.

A multi-effects pedal is what?

A multi-effects pedal would typically be something that replaces your pedalboard, whereas a floor modeller is something that replaces your entire setup. Researching the feature sets of these multi-effects pedals and determining whether they meet your needs is definitely a wise move because both of these terms are confusingly interchangeable.

Several of these units, including overdrive, distortion, delay, modulation, and reverb recreations, are made to take the place of your traditional pedalboard. This reduces the likelihood that one of your patch cables or power supplies will fail mid-set, allowing you to quickly and easily set up at practise or on stage.