Here's my current VP4 based board.
Guitar straight into Xotic XW-2 Wah
[As much as I've tried to tweak any of the VP4 based wahs I cannot get the same inflections I can with this Xotic.
I just wish it had auto engage instead of the foot switch button, like some of the Dunlops do]
Friedman IRD for my "amp"
VP4 for some drive pitch and mod pedals in front of the amp with delays and verbs routed through IR-D 's loop.
I'm using 4CM:
1) Guitar -> VP4 In L
2) VP4 Out L -> IR-D In
3) IR-D Effects Send -> VP4 In R
4) VP4 Out R -> Combo Amp Effects Return (Dirty Shirley 40w, sometimes running it also with the open back DS Extension Cabinet.
So it's kind of like having a Twin Sister amp without having to sell the DS and buy one.
95% of drive tones are coming from the IR-D. For occasional use I'll put a timmy or klon from VP4 into the signal chain.
I did program everything in the VP4 for SCENE mode.
So, for any given SONG (aka Preset) I can press 1 button and change the IR-D channel add or remove IR-D boost via MIDI, and add or subtract VP4 effects.
But... I've found so far I'm ok with just channel switching, boosting or bringing VP4 pedals in and out of signal chain, ad-hoc, manually.
That said all the programming has been done for any of the songs such that I can go that route, whenever I like.
The Electro Harmonix CNTL KNOB pedal , plugs into one of the expression pedal jacks and allows me to toggle between settings for a given effect. It's primary use is to initiate the ramp up and ramp down of the Rotary Effect as dialed in by Austin Buddy for Nick Boettcher.
Power is CIOKS DC7 and CRUX mounted under the Pedaltrain Metro 24.
I've been using some form of VP4 + Friedman IR-D live and in rehearsals now for several months.
Inititally I was very wary of using anything other than analog drive pedals in my signal chain.
And as stated previously, 95% of the drive sounds I use are coming straight from the IR-D pedal.
But I've A/B'd between my favorite drive pedals that I'd normally stack in front of the single channel IR-D combo amp and the VP4.
And to my ears and fingers, what's in the VP4 is of sufficient sonic and touch quality that I do not need to also have any analog drives on board.
Besides a small collection of cherished custom built, collectors level, and just plain all time faves I've used for years and just can't sell, I've sold most of my effects pedals. And have paid for the VP4 several times over.
The VP4 combined with a MIDI capable preamp pedal like Friedman and others really is a powerful compact live rig.
The vp4 plugged stright in front..
