Our Custom Boards pedalboards are made almost exclusively using Evidence Audio’s SiS-plugs and their Monorail-cable, which is why this guide will show you how to use these specific materials.

– It’s best to measure your lengths of cable straight from the coil, following the signal path from effect to effect.

– By now you should know where the power supply unit will be placed. Avoid having any audio cables running close to the PSU.

Evidence Monorail cable lengths when connecting pedals:

• Reserve 20 cm of  to connect two pedals that are situated next to each other in series.
• To connect two pedals that are placed further apart to each other, you should reserve 50 cm of cable material.
• If your pedalboard uses a looper for effect switching, reserve approximately 50 cm of cable per pedal per direction. This means that half a metre will be enough to connect any pedal in any situation.
• You should add one metre more to be able to route the cable alongside the rails, or even two metres, if you’re building a very large pedalboard.

THOSE EFFECTS that are placed right above the power supply should have their patch cables travelling on top of the frame. A few more centimetres of patch cabling here and there will make far less of a difference to your signal than having a patch cable running over the power supply, and inducing hum and buzz as a result.

Not making your patch cables too short also makes adding strain relief far easier. A “relaxed”, rounded lead dress will prevent the patch cables from pulling the jacks sideways and makes them much easier to disconnect in the case of an emergency.

• Measure a few additional centimetres for the plug. About two to three centimetres of Monorail-cable will go into each SiS-plug during assembly.

• Cut the cables to size in the order of the signal path, and use masking tape and a pen to mark each cable. A well thought-out signal path during the planning phase will make this part much easier.

• Remove some of the insulation at the ends of the cables using our Custom Boards wire stripper cutter.

• Pull the outer copper mesh to one side of the cable, and then twirl it into a braid, with no single strands sticking out. Cut this braid in half its length. Beneath the copper mesh you will find an insulated conductor, which is additionally shielded by a thin graphite-coated foil.

• Gently remove this capacitance-shielding foil, from the tip almost all the way down to where the copper mesh comes out from under the insulation. You can do this with a fingernail, or by very careful use of a knife or wire stripper.

• Remove about half a centimetre of the centre conductor’s white insulation. Make sure the copper conductor is clean and straight. If needed, simply remove a tiny bit of bent conductor tip using a sharp pair of scissors or a wire cutter.

Connection to the Evidence SiS-plug

• Push the cable into the plug.

• Turn the plug clockwise three or four turns, while keeping the cable in place with your other hand.
• Check for sufficient strain relief by pulling the plug outwards, while gripping the cable tightly in your other hand.

• We recommend bending the cable into a 90-degrees angle (especially with short cables) before pulling, otherwise you may risk removing the whole inner conductor.

• Once you’ve double checked the cable’s stress relief, add the back cover to the plug.

• Screw the cover on by turning the plug’s front end clockwise, while holding the back cover in place with your other hand.
• Repeat these procedures for all patch cables.

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If you have purchased all the parts and components but get a feeling that you might not be up to the task after all, we can make your pedalboard for you, using the components you have bought from us. Don’t worry, we won’t let anything go to waste.

START BUILDING YOUR PEDALBOARD TODAY.

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