Who here has rack units in their guitar rig?

[dan weapon]

I'm considering getting a rack to bolster my rig, and also to get a few pedals off the pedalboard (maxon OD, noise gate and tuner for example).

For those into this sort of rig-of-doom quest;

What rack units do you own, and/or what are the essentials?
How is it controlled, i.e. midi?

Feel free to share in depth details and/or photos of your rigs!

 

[digitaldeath]

Hey Dan, I'm a drummer so you can take what I say with a pinch of salt if you like, but the guitarists in my band have always used rack-rigs and are actually in the process of upgrading.
MIDI controlled is the way to go IMO, but you can run into certain problems depending on what amp you're using ie. how can you switch channels AND enable/disable effects at the same time etc.
It depends if you're comfortable with multiple pedal presses (change channel & enable effects). I know that the guitarists in my band pushed our tech/engineer for a one press solution, but it seems that it really depends on the amps you're using too - something to do with the channel relay.
AFAIK, a Dual Rectifier would have no problems due to it having all of the required circuitry, but the only solution I could think of for a 6505 (I'm hoping I'm wrong and someone can correct me) would be to have 2 of everything on your MIDI pedal board, the first one would change the channel (using an external relay) and enable the effect. The second one would enable the effect without switching channel - useful for when you might want to stay on the clean channel and switch between multiple effects.
I could be talking a load of shite so I'll leave everyone else chime in!

 

[James-Doolan]

Yea midi is the best way to hook eveything up. I got it set up so that our guitar rigs are sequenced off the computer using the midi out of my interface so i dont have to press any pedals to change chanel or turn on or off any effects.

Check out http://www.voodoolab.com/gcx.htm

http://www.voodoolab.com/gcxdiagrams/01-Pedals_FXloop_AmpSw.pdf

 

[digitaldeath]

Yea midi is the best way to hook eveything up. I got it set up so that our guitar rigs are sequenced off the computer using the midi out of my interface so i dont have to press any pedals to change chanel or turn on or off any effects.

Check out http://www.voodoolab.com/gcx.htm

http://www.voodoolab.com/gcxdiagrams/01-Pedals_FXloop_AmpSw.pdf

I don't have that much faith in computers to use them in a live setup!

 

[James-Doolan]

I don't have that much faith in computers to use them in a live setup!

I dont have that much faith in drummers to use them in a live setting

Ah well in our case we dont have a choice since our backing tracks are coming from the computer anyways might as well throw the midi file in there as well.

Although even if we had a drummer in the band i still think id go this route as I hate having to tap dance live and I trust my laptop a lot as its custom built for audio. But you can still get a pretty sweet one button set up using the gcx with the ground control http://www.voodoolab.com/gcontrolpro.htm
if you want to avoid computers in your setup.

 

[digitaldeath]

I dont have that much faith in drummers to use them in a live setting

Which is why I'd rather use a sampler!

Anyways, we'll have to wait until Dan gets back and tells us what kinda gear he currently has and what he'd like to keep etc.

 

[ParsonsMatt]

I'm not one to pass up an opportunity to show off my gear...

Here's whats going on:

Guitar > Wah Pedal > Loop-Master microABY, set to Y.

"A" Path: ABY > ENGL e530 > Rocktron Replifex "L" > VHT 2/90/2 "L" > Avatar 412 "L"
"B" Path: ABY > Marshall JMP-1 > Rocktron Replifex "R" > VHT 2/90/2 "R" > Avatar 412 "R"

I am using the standard Marshall JMP-1 foot pedal to control everything, with four main patches. Dry clean, effected clean, metal rhythm, metal lead. The JMP-1 controller sends its message to the JMP-1, which sends a message to the Replifex. The Replifex uses its relay switchers to control the ENGL e530.

I am not entirely sure how I am going to run the rig though. That's how I did it at first, but I might just use the Replifex on one of the preamps instead of both, and I might just bypass it altogether and use it only to control the e530.

 

[dan weapon]

hey guys.
I currently use a Diezel VH4 head (which is midi controlled), and I'm going to start using my 6505 head (which is NOT midi controlled) at the same time through an A/B/Y box.

I have a maxon Overdrive and boss NS2 noisegate in front of the amp and run a delay stomp and boss TU2 tuner through the effects loop of the VH4. I also have a boss GE7 in the loop which I never use....

I run the Noisegate and Maxon all the time so was thinking they could move to the rack.

Ultimately what I was thinking of having in my rack is:

Korg DTR1000 tuner (get rid of tu2)
Sennheiser EW172 wireless unit. (a very good unit apparently, but I don't want to sap tone...!)
A delay unit such as a TC-electronics D-two, or G-major. (I'm not an effects junkie, just need a nice delay through my amp's loop that I can control out front... hopefully with midi)
Samson powerbrite to power all the units.

Was also *considering* a 31 band rack EQ, but that's possibly excessive. I would like to think that because I've got pretty tasty amps it would be pointless exercise to need eq them further.


Any opinions on all that would be greatly received!

 

[dan weapon]

I'm not one to pass up an opportunity to show off my gear...

Here's whats going on:

Guitar > Wah Pedal > Loop-Master microABY, set to Y.

"A" Path: ABY > ENGL e530 > Rocktron Replifex "L" > VHT 2/90/2 "L" > Avatar 412 "L"
"B" Path: ABY > Marshall JMP-1 > Rocktron Replifex "R" > VHT 2/90/2 "R" > Avatar 412 "R"

I am using the standard Marshall JMP-1 foot pedal to control everything, with four main patches. Dry clean, effected clean, metal rhythm, metal lead. The JMP-1 controller sends its message to the JMP-1, which sends a message to the Replifex. The Replifex uses its relay switchers to control the ENGL e530.

I am not entirely sure how I am going to run the rig though. That's how I did it at first, but I might just use the Replifex on one of the preamps instead of both, and I might just bypass it altogether and use it only to control the e530.

looks nice dude... what is the Furman unit for?

 

[digitaldeath]

I wouldn't use a 31 band EQ, that'd be the engineers job.
When using MIDI, I believe that the 6505 lacks the necessary relay switch to allow you to change to the channel and to turn on effects on your effects unit all with one press. One solution as I explained above would be to have two of everything and use a MIDI relay switch in conjunction with the 6505. I don't have a 6505 so I can't be sure.
At least your Diezel VH4 is MIDI controlled! You'd just spend an evening programming your MIDI pedal board to switch to the necessary effects, but overall what you're looking for is easily do-able.

 

[Flat Fifth Fury]

I've been using rack based rigs for about 17 years. There are loads of ways to use midi and other systems to gain control over your rig and the sounds that you want. I suggest that you head over to Huge Racks Inc where there is an amazing amount of info on this. The people there include major manufacturers and top rig techs as well as players who are using rack based rigs in one form or the other.

 

[JonWormwood]

I.

Having multiple pre's or what have you is awesome.

 

[AudioPhile777]

My rack pretty much consists of a power conditioner, sennheiser wireless and g major... i have one available rack space left and will probably stick a tuner in there unless i can come up with something else that would be useful...

also, open to suggestions as to what to fill that space with...

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I'm not one to pass up an opportunity to show off my gear...

Here's whats going on:

Guitar > Wah Pedal > Loop-Master microABY, set to Y.

"A" Path: ABY > ENGL e530 > Rocktron Replifex "L" > VHT 2/90/2 "L" > Avatar 412 "L"
"B" Path: ABY > Marshall JMP-1 > Rocktron Replifex "R" > VHT 2/90/2 "R" > Avatar 412 "R"

I am using the standard Marshall JMP-1 foot pedal to control everything, with four main patches. Dry clean, effected clean, metal rhythm, metal lead. The JMP-1 controller sends its message to the JMP-1, which sends a message to the Replifex. The Replifex uses its relay switchers to control the ENGL e530.

I am not entirely sure how I am going to run the rig though. That's how I did it at first, but I might just use the Replifex on one of the preamps instead of both, and I might just bypass it altogether and use it only to control the e530.

That is a very nice rig. DO APPROVE.

 

[aortizjr]

Here is my rig:

Pretty simple really:

Guitar->X2Wirelss->TU-2->Budwah->ENGL->Rocktron Xpression->GSP1101.

The RFX there is relays that switches amp channels. It can also do FX loop switching, but I found that when switching stuff off I loose the overflow or whatever.

In theory, the GSP 1101 can also in front of your amp, so you will get stomp boxes and you can switch out your amps preamp in place of a model. Pretty slick, but with the high compression of the ENGL it is just too noisy. So I use it for the delays, reverb, and harmonies... maybe some EQ.

The Rocktron Xpression, I like the noise suppressor and I like to compress my clean post preamp. The GSP1101 only has compression pre-preamp.

The volume pedal on the board is just a controller for the MIDI so I can control volume, whammy, delay times, pretty much any parameter I want.

Anyway I have never had a problem. If I want something totally new, experimenting is a little tough since it has to be all integrated and programmed as a single foot step. But for live use it is the way to go.

 

[RockGuitarX]

If you can afford MIDI and all the fun stuff to go with it, then do it! If not stick with the good ol' pedal board

 

[Metaltastic]

Never underestimate the power of a footswitchable FX loop! Provided of course you don't need to change between multiple FX within a song (I just have a delay pedal always-on in the loop of my Rectifier, and toggle the loop on for solos - a whole lot easier than toting around a rack!)

 

[ParsonsMatt]

looks nice dude... what is the Furman unit for?

THanks! It's just a glorified power strip.

That is a very nice rig. DO APPROVE.

Thanks!

 

[Meisterjäger]

I dunno if it's any good to you, but I recently bought a G-Lab GSC-1 foot controller.

Basically, it has 4 FX loops on board, has MIDI out, and has the ability to change channels on your 6505 exactly the same as the Peavey footswitch does, as well as powering your pedals. The great thing about having different loops is that your 'always on' Maxon and NS-2 can sit in the same loop, and you'll be able to knock them both out of the loop for clean stuff. You can always put them in seperate loops and do the exact same thing, too.

I haven't got the channel switching set up yet, so I'm no 100% sure how it works, but you have one output jack which goes to the channel switcher of your 6505, and then has 2 settings - you can set a patch to change channel, switch the FX loop on/off, or do both. It'll be able to control your Diezel and other MIDI stuff (G-Major or whatever)

http://www.glab.com.pl/gsc_en

I dunno how many pedal you have, but they also do a GSC-2, with 6 loops

http://www.glab.com.pl/gsc-2_en

Thoroughly recommended, built like a fucking tank. Only think I've had a bit of trouble getting to work on the GSC-1 is the volume attenuation thing. Everything else is spot on. Have a read through all the stuff on the site and see if you like it.

 

[dan weapon]

Thanks to everyone for all their advice. Meisterjäger - I'll check out that stuff later today.

Never underestimate the power of a footswitchable FX loop! Provided of course you don't need to change between multiple FX within a song (I just have a delay pedal always-on in the loop of my Rectifier, and toggle the loop on for solos - a whole lot easier than toting around a rack!)

Dude - I love you. Great idea. That never occurred to me at all!

Just had a thought....

I could have a delay in the loop of my clean channel permanently switched on, and a g-major in the loop of my lead channel permanently switched on?

So as soon as I change to either channel... instant delay!

Legend