Eleven Rack expansion pack.

[Hellbat]

I downloaded this yesterday and had some opportunity to play around with it. There is some good stuff in there. The stereo pong/ducking delay is badass, para eq will be a big thing, but it's confusing for my primitive brain and will take some time to figure out properly.

The new amp models are pretty cool too. The DC Modern Super Over Drive seems to be a 5150 clone with tons of low end balls and they also added Bogner 101 emulation. I haven't had much chance to play with the Bogner patches yet, because I got hooked on the SOD model and some of the new 4x12 cabs. The emulation is suppossed to be quite good though. They've alo added a couple new OD models, one modified Rat and a modeled Xotic RC Booster, as well as a new superduper chorus that would make Zakk Wylde cry in joy.

The other big thing for this update is the speaker breakup modelling. It's pretty awesome for dialing that digital 'fizz' out of your patches.

Anyway, there are samples at the link below that better show off the new stuff than I could. Unfortunately it's a $99 upgrade versus the freebies on the Axe-FX but it is a solid upgrade on the original.

http://www.avid.com/US/products/Eleven-Rack-Expansion-Pack

[chrisolson]

Kinda wish I had kept mine!!

[Mazrim]

So how good are these things then? I've been chewing over what to get after I finally give trying to polish my Turd UX2 (which to be fair has not let me down for the price).
I record at home and need fairly meaty 80s metal/thrash sounds direct to my PC. No mics, just pussy quiet. I like to think I'm still a touring play on ten metal warrior and when I get a chance, I am, but at home I'm a dad of two who needs to get shit done when the kids are asleep.

This seems like the most natural choice for high quality direct recording, is that right?

[AlexL]

Was out of town last week, but downloaded mine on Saturday as soon as I got home. Well, I hugged the kids, kissed the wife, patted the dog on the head, and THEN I downlaoded it.

Only played with it a bit Sunday night, but I'm looking forward to having more options for the amps and especially the effects.

Was fine with paying the hundred bucks, given that it nearly doubled the amps and cabs, and the few effects it added were exactly what I was looking for.

- E.

[AlexL]

So how good are these things then? I've been chewing over what to get after I finally give trying to polish my Turd UX2 (which to be fair has not let me down for the price).
I record at home and need fairly meaty 80s metal/thrash sounds direct to my PC. No mics, just pussy quiet. I like to think I'm still a touring play on ten metal warrior and when I get a chance, I am, but at home I'm a dad of two who needs to get shit done when the kids are asleep.

This seems like the most natural choice for high quality direct recording, is that right?

I don't think the 11R will disappoint you on any of those levels, Maz. I had a Line 6 JM4 looper, whose models were less than impressive, plus it was noisy as hell. Borrowed the 11R from my local music store for a weekend, and couldn't believe how quiet it was. Felt it was a bit sparse on features, but decided to buy it. Now, with the expansion pack, it's everything I would ever need it to be. Which is something to lay down quality tracks with and to use for jamming with my pals; I don't need it to be a substitute for my tube amps, I can still play those whenever I want. But for convenience and quality, I'm more than hapy with it.

- E.

[Hellbat]

Yeah, they really addressed a high gain need with the expansion pack. A couple of new 4x12 cabs, the Bogner 2x12 cab, the Bogner 101B amp and the new SOD amp model are great. According the the lead designer the SOD is an SLO pre-amp mated with a Dual-rec power section. It's a great interface for recording to the computer too. My biggest problem at this point is deciding whether to use it or my tube amp for playing with the band.

[Mazrim]

Thannks for the info guys.

Really leaning towards one of these now.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I use the Eleven Free plugin and you can dial in some pretty nice screaming high-gain tones with it. I really would have bought the 11R if I hadn't just bought an interface shortly before its release but maybe mine will break or something.

[Hellbat]

Just remember to factor in the $99us for the expansion pack in the price. (Actually I believe people in the UK get shafted for additional tax)

As far as I know they are not shipping units with the 2.0 firmware already installed and I'm not sure if they intend to ever eventually just ship 2.x units.

[Mazrim]

Yeah I'll factor that in. As for the price, well, we're used to having the piss taken out of us.

[Grim]

I've got the Guitar Rig Kontrol (Actually, the girlfriend bought it for my birthday), and I find it is great value. Using it with good monitors, it sounds great.

[Mazrim]

I can get great tones out of the UX2 with a shitload of tweaking (and almost entirely based on the SLO 100) but the problem is once its recorded through Reaper it gets too compressed and loses a lot of the... erm, headroom? It doesnt sound anywhere near as good.

Now, what I do is double track the guitars with a crunch sound and a fat sound and it doesnt sound too bad but could be much better and more natural sounding. I like the idea that the Eleven sounds far more organic and roomy.

I think what I'll do is finish recording my stuff on the UX2, get the demo out and then upgrade a lot of my gear to re record at a later date. It's kind of shameful that I'm running Jackson and Suhr customs through cheap recording gear.
Still, a lot of my stuff is early /mid 80s metal/speed/thrash which is/was raw and lo fi anyway.
I listen to the guitar sound on Killing is my business, Hell Awaits and so on and think, what the hell am I worrying about? Even though the overall sound was great, the guitar tone was sometimes awful.

[Mazrim]

O.K so I have a line on a pretty good deal and should pick one up on Saturday.

So we still think the latest update is right on and this unit is pretty badass, yes?
At least from a direct to PC recording standpoint, which is primarily what I want from it.

[Hellbat]

Yes, because of how it integrates into pro-tools it's an awesome direct recording/re-amping interface. I have no prior pro-tools experience and after watching a 5 minute youtube video I figure out how to record and re-amp some solos over a backing track sent to me by a friend. I was able to provide him 3 differently amplified raw tracks that he used for different parts of the song. I can't speak to the microphone input, only the guitar but apparently the expansion pack made that easier and more useful than previously.

I think the axe-fx may still have the edge in variety of models, sound quality, and tweakability, but the user interface on the 11 Rack and how it intergrated into protools is killer. You can literally dial up a tone from scratch in about 2 minutes using only front panel controls and knobs. My UX-1 Toneport has been pretty much idle since I got the 11R. (The adaptive noise reduction/hum reducer on the UX-1 is missed a little though to be honest.)

[Mazrim]

Yeah but those toneports make so much of the noise themselves anyway.
I dont mind a bit of extra noise if the overall sound is great and from the clips I've heard, it is.
No digital fizz and over compression. Thats what I need. Just tone.

I just want beefy organic sounding metal rhythm tone and searing face melting leads. That's all

Ive never used Pro tools but I'm fairly experienced in Reaper so hopefully the transition wont be too harsh and hopefully Pro Tools is better quality.
Not that there's anything wrong with Reaper but Pro Tools is supposed to be the industry standard after all, right?