Date Completed
Spring 2026
Abstract
This project presents the design and development of a modular pedalboard system for electric guitar applications featuring swappable effects cartridges and dynamic footswitch control. The system is intended to reduce the financial and technical barriers commonly associated with assembling and configuring traditional guitar pedalboards, particularly for beginner musicians. By enabling rapid experimentation with effects chains through an interchangeable cartridge architecture, the design simplifies customization and usability while maintaining flexibility for a wide range of audio effects. Signal waveforms generated by each effects PCB are analyzed in MATLAB to evaluate distortion characteristics and verify compliance with performance specifications. Mechanical fatigue analysis is conducted on the footswitch assembly to ensure long-term durability under repeated loading conditions throughout the expected product lifecycle. System functionality and overall performance are demonstrated through a prototype presentation at the Spring Undergraduate Research Conference (URC). In addition, a financial analysis is performed to assess the system’s effectiveness in lowering the cost and complexity of entry into electric guitar effects processing.
Document Type
Capstone
First Advisor
John Roth
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
College or School
CEPS
Department or Program
CEPS - Mechanical Engineering
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Recommended Citation
Giovanni, Christopher Matthew; Desfosse, David; McCabe, Maxwell; and McCabe, Maxwell, "Modular Pedalboard System" (2026). UNH URC Open (2026 and after). 10.
https://scholars.unh.edu/urc_open/10
Included in
Acoustics, Dynamics, and Controls Commons, Electro-Mechanical Systems Commons, Manufacturing Commons