There exists within the world of Dinos a segment of guitarists who embrace the use of multiple effect pedals in their signal path. The majority of this type Dino will use a pedalboard to arrange the pedals in a specific placement so they know where to go on the fly to On or Off or Adjust a pedal while performing. The pedalboard also simplifies transporting the effects portion of a guitarists rig. I've listed a few suggestions below to help with the purchase and setup of a pedalboard.
The use of a Template.
When the actual setup of a pedalboard takes place certain factors must be taken into account. 1st and foremost should be the size requirements of the board in relation to the pedals that will be placed upon it. It's of little value to buy a smaller board to save a few bucks if it doesn't provide enough of a platform to place all of the pedals you routinely use. Having two or three pedals sitting on the floor on either side of the board destroys the transportablity factor as well as allows for movement of the excess pedals from where you expect them to be when you need them. A simple method of knowing ahead of time whether a specific board will meet your needs is to create a template of the surface of the board your considering to buy. Get the exact measurements of the board and cut a piece of cardboard or an old sheet to the same size. Arrange your pedals on the template. If the pedalboard does not have an onboard power supply remember to include the power supply you'll be using as part of the pedal arrangement on the template. Also remember that some effects require their own transformer box to be powered. Allow room for the transformer.
Note* An easily made mistake and a big source of future frustration is not taking into account the space requirements of the patch cables you'll be using. Be sure to wire up the effects when using the template. The far side of a pedalboard, from the players perspective, often has a short vertical wall that comes up from the base. The pedalboard may house a power supply or whatever behind that wall. When using your template remember to allow space between the rear side of the effect pedals and the pedalboard back wall large enough to allow for the attachment of power supply cables and patch cables to pedals with rear input / output jacks.
If all the pedals, cables, power supply and required transformers fit the template then your good to go with the purchase of the pedalboard you've selected. If, on the other hand, everything doesn't fit, it's time to consider other pedalboards of a larger size or possibly a different shape.
Patch Cables.
Patch cables can be looked at in one of two ways when setting up your pedalboard.
1st. The ability of the cable to move the signal from point A to point B with the least amount of tone loss or added noise. There are a large number of cable brands available to select from. Some offer multiple levels of product. Planet Waves, Monster, George L's, Fulltone, and DiMarzio all offer quality patch cables as do a few other brands. Ask other Dinos which brand they use. Check out a few of the professional guitarists rigs. Cable selection will have an effect on your tone.
2nd. The amount of space the cable will take up on the pedalboard. Cable thickness, flexibility and end plug configuration can make a huge difference on how many pedals will fit on your pedalboard. A rule of thumb when making your selection should include the fact that thicker is not always better. Patch cables don't need the same amount of durability as a standard guitar cable. They don't have to carry the signal over a long distance or put up with being stepped on or tossed and tugged around during a players performance. Also, thicker cables tend to be less flexible. Not only will their thickness use up space, their routing needs to get from one pedals output jack to another pedals input jack will take up even more of the available space on the pedalboard.
Patch cable end plugs can be either straight or right angle. A right angled plug, in most cases, will allow pedals to be positioned closer together. It's important to note, though, that some pedals that have multiple input / output jacks clustered together or lined up across the back will require straight plugs so the angle of the plug doesn't block the opening of the next jack in line. The same problem can also occur when the power supply jack is positioned on the same side of a pedal as the input or output jack.
George L's make an extremely pedalboard friendly patch cable. If you order the right angled plug kit you can cut the very thin cable to the perfect length and, because only the wire comes out the side of a short straight plug, (there's no right angled hard metal), can be used with almost any pedal jack configuration. They are one of many good options.
Pedal Order.
The order you use for chaining your effects together will produce different results. I don't want to go into the Correct order because there are differing opinions that all have some validity. What I want to address is the importance of connecting your pedals in the best possible order to achieve your desired effect voicings. Experiment until you find the order that's right for you and then stick with it.
Don't let the configuration of pedals that best fits your pedalboard dictate the order of the pedals in the signals path. It's better to use longer patch cables to go from one pedal to another than to alter your pedal order so you can use short patch cables. If the pedals fit the pedalboard only by separating two pedals that connect to one another just run longer cables that will reach from one to the next, maintaining your preferred order. While it's true that shorter cable length equals less tone loss it's also true that the order your effects are placed in is more important than cable length.
In a perfect setup each pedal would sit right next to the next pedal in the chain, but, with differing pedal sizes and shapes and input / output locations, etc. it almost never works out this way. 1st in importance.....pedal order. 2nd in importance.....cable length.
Locaton of Certain Pedals in Relation to the Power Supply.
One more consideration in the placement of pedals on the pedalboard is caused by the fact that some pedals become noisy if they're located too close to the power supply. The less noise produced by your pedals the better. If a certain pedal(s) is producing noise when it's in use try altering its location in relation to the power source.
In Conclusion.
A pedalboard set up properly and containing all the pedals used in your signal chain is an asset. Whether for transporting your rig, practicing or performing, (because of the familiarity you develop with the pedal layout), or prolonging the life of both pedals and patch cables by not having to plug and unplug everything when you move your equipment, a pedalboard is a worthwhile investment for Dinos who use multiple pedal effects.