The Disaster Area Designs DPC-5 Gen 3 is a compact MIDI controller and loop switcher: a single floor unit that sits on a pedalboard and switches other pedals in and out of the signal path while also sending MIDI commands to pedals that accept them. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as being designed to control a mix of MIDI and non-MIDI pedals in a rig, letting a player build presets that can be engaged instantly, so one stomp can bring several pedals into play at once1. It belongs to the wider family of switching pedals and MIDI pedals used to tidy up and organize a board.
What it does
The DPC-5 Gen 3 combines two jobs that players often handle with separate units. As a loop switcher, it turns individual pedals on and off in the signal chain. As a MIDI controller, it sends program changes and other MIDI messages to time-based and programmable effects. The maker's stated aim is presets that combine both: a preset might, for example, switch a non-MIDI drive pedal into the loop while sending a MIDI message to a delay pedal, all engaged at once1.
Because it handles MIDI and non-MIDI pedals together, it suits boards that mix older analog pedals, which have no MIDI input, with modern digital pedals that do. Its hybrid circuit type reflects that combination of switching and MIDI control in one unit1.
Power
The DPC-5 Gen 3 runs from a 9V DC, center negative supply and draws 120mA1. That current draw is worth noting when planning a board's power budget: it needs a supply output that can deliver at least 120mA, so a low-current output intended for a simple analog pedal may not be adequate.
Where it sits in Disaster Area Designs' range
The DPC-5 Gen 3 is Disaster Area Designs' compact controller for players who want one unit handling their whole pedalboard. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as a unit "designed to control a mix of MIDI and non-MIDI pedals in your rig, allowing you to craft presets that you can engag[e] instantly," so it can sit at the center of a board with both MIDI-equipped pedals and plain analog pedals switched through its loops1.
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Sources (1)
- DPC-5 Gen 3 by Disaster Area Designs, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026