Line 6 FBV Shortboard MKII Guitar Footswitch Black

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Just Bought It - Good Stuff

My amp is a Line-6 Spider 3 150w 2x12. I started with the Express pedal, but quickly found a need for the Shortboard. This is definitely a worthy addition to my live rig and has become my little "command center". I don't know what I'd do without it! If you own a Spider 3-4, you NEED this for your setup. Your amp has a lot of functions and sounds and this pedal gives you the control that you need. PROS: 1. Instant, and I mean INSTANT channel switching! (A-D buttons) This is essential for playing live. No noisy beeps, clicks or delays. 2. Software available gives you total control. You have the option to customize every aspect of the unit. For example, I am going to disable the volume portion of the expression pedal as I don't use it. No fear of accidentally moving it and driving our sound guy nuts! 3. Well built, solid construction. This thing is setup to take a real-world beating. 4. Plug and play. No muss, no fuss. Super easy to use right out of the box. CONS: 1. I wish the bank up/down switches were side-by-side rather than above/below. When I click the "up" I have to be cautious not to hit the "down" at the same time. You have to use your toe a little more than I prefer, especially live. To remedy, I found myself revising the order of my presets and banks so that if I need to switch banks mid-song, hitting "down" takes me to where I need to be. 2. While I LOVE having a long cord to the amp, the texture of the cord casing is posing a new issue that is tough to remedy. It's coiled tight for packing and the stiff plastic/rubber has a bit of a "memory" to it. Unwrapping it and grabbing an end resembles a slinky! Obviously, that's natural with many cables. However, I've had the pedal for a couple of weeks now and it still hasn't relaxed flat/straight, even after I've worked it a bit. Not a huge issue, but I have to tape it down live tighter more than usual or someone can trip over it or hook their foot on it and damage the cord. 3. Small issue when connecting to PC to calibrate for first time. The program tells you when to plug in the USB cable. But you need to plug in the PC end FIRST, and then plug in the pedal. I had the USB cord already plugged into the pedal and when prompted, I plugged it into the PC. No dice. PC first, THEN pedal! Small annoyance, but no deal breaker. 4. As with my Express pedal, the Shortboard doesn't make clicking the expression pedal between wah/volume an easy one. The instructions even tell you that the more you do it, the less pressure it will eventually take. I normally use a Morley "Bad Horsie", but will use this one in a pinch. In summary, I'm super-glad I bought this pedal! It gives me the control I need in an sturdy, easy-to-use package. Line-6 amps do a lot of great things, and this pedal helps you maximize your sound options. The cons are minor and a couple are personal preference. The pros outweigh them by far! This has given my live setup new flexibility helps out myself and band sound better.