MKS PedalPad RM-10

Of course this pad requires some work to set up .... but nothing more than planning where everything goes and connecting the pedals together ... the pedalpad is SO flexible, the only work comes from the player actually having to THINK about the order he wants his pedals connected. The manual is clear as a bell. If you have trouble setting up your pedalpad, then you shouldn't be using effects pedals. The most fun I have with this thing is configuring it.

My connections are : 1. Budda Wah
2. Ernie Ball Volume (with a tuner connection)
3. Delay -> chorus -> phase -> flange

I also have room to mount a Fishman Platinum Plus DI which isn't connected to the pad except to use the power supply (for when phantom power isn't present)... I use the top tier to mount my MESA footswitch

This pad is extremely quiet - the power supply is the key.

I've been using it for a year now, and have had one input jack fall apart because the retainer nut came loose ... c'mon kids, these ARE nuts & bolts and they need to be periodically tightened up ... just like the strap pins on a guitar or anything else in your rig that needs to be checked every blue moon.... if it ever were to fail, of course I could re-configure my effects standalone with 9v batteries.

Mike Stratton was easy to reach and a pleasure to deal with (I purchased direct from MKS) ... however, I gotta knock him today because his website is giving me errors trying to download a copy of the manual, and his email is being returned as un-deliverable (I tried to email him to bitch about the website) ... I'll try his phone next - if it's been disconnected, then I'll be back to really knock him hard.

I play every second weekend in a rock band. I use mostly top of the line gear (Mesa 4x10 rig, Les Pauls, strats etc...). this pedalpad is a gem - most any player is wowed by it... if I lost it, I would have to replace it the next day... I notice MKS doesn't make the RM-10 model anymore .... I just hope the new ones are of the same quality as the one I got. This pad is expensive but compared to ANYTHING else, it is cheap - nothing comes close to it. This pad was designed with the player in mind, that's for sure.

The first time you set it up you've really gotta be on top of your game. There are a lot of options, but luckily the manual lays it out really well, and one of the examples will surely work for what you've got in mind.

The Power Supply is really the heart of the unit. The power to your pedals and rack effects is totally regulated and noise is filtered out.

I've Been using it for a couple of years now with no problems whatsoever.

I've never had to personally talk to anyone there except to order it.
The unit came without a manual, and it was nice to be able to download that directly from their website.

Overall, I'd have to give the unit a 9 out of 10. The only drawback is the weight, but that's the price you pay to protect your prized pedals.

it's more of a road case and filtered power supply and jumpers for your pedals and rack effects.

huge, lot's of room, well built with ATA latches. Comprehensive manual (can be found on their website too).

lot's of path routing choices and options.

pristing sound only because it's connectivity is only for routing and patching. the power supply provide steady current without hum and noise.

it's never failed me. road worthy and built like a tank. keeps my thousands of dollars worth of old vintage pedals and rack gear snug as a bug in a rug.

very responsive and reachable. nice folks.

if it were stolen, I'd have to replace it, it's THE PREMIER EFFECTS CASE ever made! now, replacing my rare and vintage effects would be a bit tougher though.

Agreed. There's quite a bit of initial set-up time involved if one intends to make custom-length cables for example, but that's to be expected, especially if one has a lot of pedals. Manual is comprehensive and lists several options for set-up, explains the use of the different jacks - some are stereo in case one intends to use three-conductor cables with channel-switching footswitches, etc. If you're willing to invest a little time with the manual, you'll be able to come up with a set-up that works for you.

The Guitar Player review mentions that the aluminum panels are sharp and that the reviewer cut his finger on one. In my case, I'd say one would be fairly hard-pressed to cut oneself on the panels, the edges are lightly rounded off and sprayed with a thick coat of what appears to be aluminum paint.

? inch jacks on the panels connect with various other jacks underneath the panels. As the cables that connect the jacks are only attached by their solder joins, I decided to add self-adhesive Thomas & Betts Cable Tie pads (available at Home Depot) next to the jacks underneath the panels to secure the wires and provide a stress relief. This way, jarring during transportation will not break a wire loose. This might be something you'd want to do to.

Well, of course a lot depends on the pedals one uses and that must remain subjective - use those kiddie Grunge pedals and you'll still sound like it; garbage in, garbage out. Still, the contribution of the Pedalpad's Pure Volt Power Supply musn't be overlooked. A lot is made of other company's regulated power supplies - how quiet, etc. Rest assured the Pedalpad Pure Volt is every bit as good as the VoodooLab PedalPower (which I also own and is mounted in a rackmount rig I own). I also used to own the VoodooLab PedalPower 2 (more about that in a bit), which has the two DC jacks with the variable voltage in order to simulate battery sag. The Pure Volt does not have this fashionable feature, but it's not one that I miss either. Experimenting with varying voltage to my overdrive pedals reveals very, very little tonal difference and in my case isn't with bothering with. I mean, c'mon, does anyone really think an audience is going to be saying things like "Wow, he really sounds good now since he started sending 6.5 volts to his Tube Screamer..." No, of course not.

Reliable. You bet. This thing is built like a M-1A1 Abrams. I have no doubt that I could drive my Nissan Pathfinder over it with no damage - not like I'm going to try it - intentionally any way! I've had to depend on it during the course of many gigs and never, ever had a problem. In fact, the last gig we had, I plugged it into the same outlet as that used by the keyboard player, who was experiencing a very bad ground hum with his rig. The PedalPad? Dead quiet. It was like my late-70s Marshall amp was on standby. Anyone that's played a stage somewhere with sketchy AC outlets wired up by a bartender with a manual from Home Depot in one hand and a screwdriver in the other should appreciate that.

As far as using it on a gig without a backup: Of course it'd be rather expensive to assemble an identical PedalPad with identical pedals - maybe when I hit the Lotto. Until then, I am utterly confident that I will have no problems. There's enough to worry about when gigging. The PedalPad is one thing less to worry about.

Contacted the company several times and the president fields the calls himself. Man, what a nice guy and helpful too. I sort of went in a circuitous fashion putting this pedalboard together - started out accumulating the pedals, bought a PedalPower 2 to power them up, then upon reading the reviews, decided that the PedalPad was the one to go with. Called the company, asked if there was a version of the RM-10 that did not come with a power supply. Was told that it was the model "RM," which is not listed on the website. Bought that, got it, then realized that the PedalPower 2 was not going to fit neatly on the board. Realized that I'd really done this whole thing completely @??backwards, so I called an begged for a Pure Volt. Told him I needed it quick - gigs were coming up here locally and in Nashville. Was told he'd ask the electronics department. Had the Pure Volt in my hot little hands just days later. I really have to thank him for that.

The PedalPad I have is not quite the RM-10 model. Perhaps we could call it the "RM-10X," the "X" which might indicate "Xtra." Allow me to explain: the RM model has one more jack than the RM10 - an extra jack on the left bottom panel ala the "JP" model. This actually came in handy with the set-up I use.

The pedals on the board are as follows: Maxon CP101 Compressor > Budda Bud Wah > Maxon D&S II Distortion > Maxon OD808 Overdrive > Maxon OD820 OverdrivePro > Maxon PT999 Phase Shifter > Maxon CS505 Chorus > Maxon AD80 Analog Delay. A Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner is on a separate loop. I constructed a loop box from an unfinished aluminum enclosure - inside are two 3PDT footswiches that switch two loops: A loop comprised of the CP101 to the OD820 and a second loop that switches the PT999 to the AD80. Blue and white LEDs indicate status. A smaller BUD case serves as an A/B box that when the TU-2 is switched in, the output is muted allowing silent onstage tuning. The box contains a DPDT switch and a red and green LED indicate status.

As it turns out, I ended up using ALL the jacks on the panels, so the extra jack that came with the RM came in handy. One might say that my lack of foresight in assembling a pedalboard turned out to be a happy accident.

I haven't needed to use the three-space rack portion at the top of the board yet - I've considered installing a Rocktron Hush IIBX, but in the meantime, I've blanked off the rack slots with a blank three-space rack panel. One modification should be mentioned: I drilled a hole in the rack panel to accomodate a Neutrik ?" locking jack. This allows me to not have to worry about accidentally unplugging myself. The Neutrik jack is wired to a jack on the bottom right that feeds directly into the A/B tuner box.

I play in a Country band that performs mostly Modern Country. We do a little rock and some more traditional stuff such as Brad Paisley. As we all know, sometimes stages can be small. Be warned that the RM10 is a little big, but I've never played anywhere where I just wouldn't be able to use it. But for ease of set-up, reliability and ease of tear down - you just cannot beat it. This is the one. No way I'd ever go back to duct-taping loose pedals to the floor. You want quality in a big way, look no further. The PedalPad leaves those kiddie plastic boards in the dust. Or at least in the bedroom where they belongs.

And it also comes with hard steel corners and heavy-duty black carpet covering. This thing still looks brand new and it's been knocked around a bit. Bonus for latches that have loops for a padlock in case you'd want to keep kids from twisting your pedals' knobs. Might seem a little expensive, but in this case, you really do get what you pay for. If you ask me, a pedalboard constructed this finely is a bargain.

Fairly long initial set-up but once its done, its done... or so you'd think... read on.

It would sound great if it worked. I'm just returning home now at 3 AM from a gig cut short. The main input broke: the internal wire seperated itself from the input. It cut my show short since remedying the problem was out of the question since the pedalpad would have to be dismantled to tackle it.

It worked, LITERALLY 6 times. Thats how many gigs it survived through before crapping out. Not bad for a $400 pedalboard right?? Stick with a mass manufactured unit, don't even waste your time and money.

Good luck. Thats all I can say.

Useless. I wouldn't reccomend this to my arch enemy in battle of the bands. This thing is bound to just ruin your playing. It may not happen the first night, but count it crapping out, despite what Guitar Magazine's editor's pick awards might tell you... steer clear, thats my only advice.