Le Mans Start type DI rig?

[Brooks Montgomery]

Is there a good, easy-to-use modeling type pedal, with DI out, that would work well for both Dobro and Pedal steel?

The 4 pc. band I’m in currently, I play dobro, pedal steel, and blues-harp. I’ve got what I consider to be great amps and effects pedals—quite a few amps, quite a few pedals. Analog stuff is not a problem.

Usually we play small venues and I am pretty comfortable using my PA and my amps and setting sound for the band. But I’m pretty dense re: most electronics.

But occasionally we’ve been playing on some really nice stages, with multiple bands stacked up under tight scheduled time limits and set-up has been as rushed as a Le Mans start—-frenzied and nerve-wracking.

The soundmen of course want us to plug via DI to the board, with minimal gear, and I don’t blame them.

I’ve been reading here about all the modelers like the Sonicake Pocket Master, LR Baggs voiceprint modeler with cell phone sound recording, Kemper Profiler, Tonex products etc. etc

You guys that know how all these gizmos work,:
is there one modeling pedal that is REALLY simple, will work for both dobro and pedal steel, easy to switch back-and-forth from one instrument to the other, and no other effects pedals are needed? The soundman can just hand you a DI cord from the board?

[Steve Lipsey]

If you want some dobro processing, as I do, The Fishman Aura Spectrum pedal supports lots of images and has a DI out, but I select only one of the dobro settings. Run your dobro and steel into the fishman through an A/B switch. For steel, tap both footswitches on the Fishman, which takes the EQ/images out of the circuit...you lose all the EQ on the steel side, but that might be OK.
You also can put it on a very small pedalboard (I did) so you can add a couple of pedals to either side, steel or dobro, using battery power for all. I use a battery pack on my mini-pedalboard that can power multiple pedals, like this one, which further simplifies setup...
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... power-cell
the fishman:
https://reverb.com/p/fishman-aura-spectrum-di
Fishman also has a tuner in it and an active feedback suppressor - it identifies what frequencies feedback is coming from and narrowly cancels them out. I leave it set up for my dobro, (and could refine it for the venue, given some extra time).

[Brooks Montgomery]

Thanks Steve. Something to ponder. I currently use the JD Aura box with nashville PU, and a few effects pedals, thru various amps depending on venue.

For a simple plug and play thru a DI out to the board (for these rushed set up scenarios), I’m leaning towards the LR Baggs Voiceprint …..but nobody, including LR Baggs, knows if it will work with pedal steel. CSR at Sweetwater said I could try it and see if I can go back-and-forth from dobro to pedal, and if it doesn’t work, I can send it back. Maybe I’ll be the test pilot.

[Dave Grafe]

Check out the Quilter SuperBlock US, instrument level XLR out with two speaker emulation settings, excellent reverb and choice of three vintage Fender tone stacks. Preamp powers with pedal board 9vdc, or use the supplied 24vdc PSU for up to 25 watts power to drive a speaker. AND it fits in the packseat compartment.

[Brooks Montgomery]

Thanks Dave, I’ll check it out.

[Joe Rogers]

If you're wanting to go really inexpensive and small, there's the Tonex One. The larger Tonex is preferable as there is a screen to let you know where you're going and what you're doing. The Quad Cortex is the Cadillac, but so is the price. I have amp models for the vast majority of amps you can think of, and also models of the Match-Bro and Jerry Douglas Aura pedal. All in one box...press a button and go from steel to Dobro. The Sonicake Sonic IR is incredible at translating the speaker to the front of house or recording console. Below are pics of my fly rig....the 3D printed pedalboard is on ebay.

Fly Rig 1.jpg

Fly Rig 2.jpg

Joe Rogers

[Brooks Montgomery]

Thanks Joe, that looks pretty compact and slick.
I need to get somewhere to try these different rigs. I don’t want to purchase anything yet until I get my hands on and see if my decaying brain can quickly switch back and forth. With good results.

For the time being, I think I’m just going to have two small pedal boards, two DI outs. I’ve got my dobro pedal board with the JD Aura pedal and a few effects pedals, and I made a small pedal steel board with a Quilter toneblock 201 (that I already had) and a DD-3 delay pedal and a Wet Reverb pedal.
That will get me by until…..

[Joe Rogers]

Well, there you go...!! We're playing in NE Montana on July 25, I'm not too sure how far away that is from where you live in Idaho....I could give you the nickel tour...

Joe Rogers

[Brooks Montgomery]

Up near Plentywood? A bit far this time of the year, 10 hour drive, which is a common distance in this part of the world, but I’ll be up there in pheasant season! Fun bird hunting up there.

thanks for the offer,