GEAR REVIEW
RJM PBC/6X PEDALBOARD CONTROLLER | Doug Doppler
KEY FEATURES
• Loop Re-ordering
• 3 Mono Loops
• 3 Mono/Stereo Loops
• 1 Mono/Stereo Insert
• Robust Editor
• Built-in Tuner
If you’re tired of doing the pedalboard tap
dance or your current controller isn’t cutting it,
the PBC/6X has got you covered.
THE BACKSTORY
For over a decade Ron Menelli has been busy
crafting innovative products designed to solve
a range of challenges that guitar players face
when controlling their rigs. From ‘Droff to
Petrucci, Ron’s gizmos are used by many of
the most influential guitar players in the world.
As noted in the companion video, the inspiration
for the PBC/6X was born out of a trek Ron took
to the Summer NAMM show a few years back
with a massive pedalboard built around the PBC
10 in tow. Menelli quickly realized that bigger is Although the PBC/6X has a phenomenal deep was. Both sounds were wonderfully useful and
not always better, and so the mission of making editor, you can do most of the heavy lifting from being able to pull them up on the fly allows you
a controller that had a smaller footprint quickly the face of the unit itself. Whether you’re one of to get four drive sounds out of two drive pedals,
took shape. As with everything he does, Ron those people who don’t like messing with an which is super cool!
took his time to get things right. editor or not, like just about everything on the
OVERVIEW
PBC/6X, this unit gives you tons of options for MASTERMIND EDITOR + MIDI
creating a workflow that fits your methodology. While you don’t have to use the deep editor,
it makes mapping presets to songs, and
Most players run their pedals one into another
in series, which is great until you have to step on LOOP REORDERING songs to setlists a breeze! And when it comes
two pedals at the opposite end of your board The most obvious place that guitar players to controlling MIDI-compliant devices like
at the same time on a key transition, hence the would use this excellent feature is for stacking Strymon pedals and the Line 6 HX Stomp, the
term pedalboard tap dance! By placing each drive pedals. In one of the demos in the video, Mastermind Editor is nothing short of awesome.
pedal in an independent audio loop, you can with the push of a button I was able to toggle As noted in the video, the editor comes loaded
easily choose which loops are on and off, as running the Analogman King of Tone into the with brand and device specific MIDI information
well as map tempos for effects like delays to JHS Pedals Morning Glory and vice versa. While that takes most of the manual surfing out of
presets, songs, or both. I expected there to be a difference in sound I the picture.
was surprised by just how big a difference there
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May 2019
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