At a gig awhile back I was in a tight space with no formal stage. I had to be extra careful that cables and microphone booms did not trip up or poke the patrons

In an idle moment I glanced down at my PorchBoard at the connector sticking out the back (as normal). It looked a little vulnerable.

During a break I took 30 seconds to reverse the main section so that the connectors were facing me. This reduced the floor space required (a little) and put the cable out of harms way.

Before





After



This adds about 3/4" distance between the heel rail and the striker rail but this didn't make any difference to me while playing it.

Cool idea ST. I've usually used an "L" plug there, but I will definately be swapping it around to the inside. I wear a size 12 anyway.
Respect,
Col. Andy

Yeah, that's a great idea...I'm turning mine around right now.
I also use the short heel post, saves room.

uh oh...can't do that, it's top heavy.

Aha, you're using the short rail.

I've been using the long rail, and haven't run into that issue.

I used my Porchboard at a cabin jam a while back, with a snare, brushes, and a crash/ride.
Worked very well for that super-soft session.

Two weeks ago I took that kit to an open mic, moving to multi-rods for a little more oomph.
I used two B1s as a throne...nice!

Last Monday at open mic, I added a suspended floor tom, hi-hat, and a splash, adding sticks to the mix.
It was everything I needed, quiet when needed, loud when wanted.
We played everything from Moondance, to Watching The Detectives, to Old '55, to HOTRS.
This little kit cooked, and drew nice comments from the audience, even kids, who I thought might be put off by the smallness.
I think I'm finding a niche.

I forgot my camera, but here's a shot of the setup back at home.

hey pete,
Where's the trashcan?
Rick

Hi Pete!
Hey, I'm with Rick...I see you "cleaned up" your act and canned the trash can, huh?

Seriously, this looks pretty COOL! I'm giving my son a Porchboard at Christmas. He plays drums and just bought himself a new set of Custom A's. He also plays guitar and I was thinking that's were he'd use the Porchboard, but this photo has shifted my thinking! I would have never thought about it, but it's a great looking, clean, small setup that I bet sounded like dynamite through a L1/2B1/T1 combo.

I'll have to do a search in the Wiki for your T1 settings with the Porchboard...unless you'd care to share them here again.

John

Hey Pete!

quote:

I've also run it direct into the Analog input on the Model II Powerstand with good results.

Saw this in another post you made about running the Porchboard, essentially with no EQ, into the L1/MII. We'll start here and see how things sound. Thanks again for the inspiration!

Hello JFd / Iron Sky

Please see the new discussion started for your question.

Stompboxes

Thank you.

Well, I've been doing some adaptation with the original Porchboard Bass, inspired by rwj's comments about getting tired using the Porchboard while standing (because one's weight is uneven when one foot is up on the Porchboard), and taking a bit from a comment Nadine (of Porchboard company) made, combined with open-road-matt's mini-stage.

This is the start of a series of pictures:

This first is showing where I just took some scraps of wood in preparation to surround and "level" the Porchboard with them:

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dan Cornett,

Here it is with the Porchboard "in-place -- the larger pieces are 4x4's.

The one above was still a bit uncomfortable because of the gap between the heel and toe -- and I imagine it would be worse for those with smaller feet than mine!

So, I added a 2x4 across the middle ... that helps a lot!

So that was all great without having to do hardly any work (I literally just scrounged up the pieces!).

However, as open-road-matt does, I sometimes move around a bit, so I knew this couldn't be the 'final' form.

So, I then got some more 4x4, a 2x6 for across the middle, did some simple cutting, and made a dis-assemble-able platform (one where all the pieces can be put into a bag and carried easily). The picture below shows it ready use (along with T1 on music stand, cable for head mic, d'jembe (not mic'd!), and guitar -- no, I don't play the d'jembe at the same time as the guitar! ).

It still has the thin pieces under the back legs of the Porchboard to 'level' it; it was real fortuitous that stock 4x4 and 2x6 fits it just right. This is now so easy to tap -- toes, heels, both feet, ...

Being tall, it *does* make me appear even taller! (At this event, one person came up and asked 'how tall *are* you?' -- and then I stepped down off the wood and they said 'Oh...')

I've thought a bit about doing this with the newer form-factor of the Porchboards. A couple of thoughts come to mind (although I don't have one to try it with):

Instead of the 2x6 lying across the middle, use another 4x4 with holes bored out for the bolts to go through.

Cut notches in a 4x4 for the bolts, so the 4x4 just sets down across the middle (deep enough notches so that the 4x4 doesn't touch the bolts). Or use several 2x4's on edge (with notches) to make a 4x6 (three 2x4's on edge).

This 'notching' approach could also accommodate the connectors and cables if you 'reverse' the front piece, as ST showed in his Oct. 21, '08 posting above.

One can also add more 4x4 pieces on the sides to make a wider platform, but so far I've found I just need the double-width at the back, not on the sides. Having two pieces of 4x4 on the back also keeps them from "rolling" under-foot as I move; just one piece would tend to "rotate" as I would move around.

I suppose if I were more 'vigorous' in my moving around as I played I'd have to rig up some straps or something to keep the pieces 'all together', but for now this works for me.

And it's not any more tiring than standing and tapping one's foot on a flat floor, rwj!

L1&trade Wiki

Nice legs Dan.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark-at-Bose:
Nice legs Dan.

Yea, well, I didn't dress up while working in the basement!