looking to put a rack together for the first time?

[guitar08man]

the thread about the marshall jmp1 inspiried me to look into this type of thing. Im totally new to the whole thing and its really tempting to have an amp head, a wireless unit (maybe), and maybe a multieffects unit into one consoloted into one space. carring a bunch of individual things is not my style

This being said, what are some good units?

Im looking to use the rack straight into my cab, im not really big on using a head because thats just one extra thing to carry. this being said, im still open to using it. Lemme hear you guy's thoughts

right now i have a 5150 head (needs to be retubed)
and a marshal 1960a cabinet.

[vklobucar]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

Here are some basic points in regards to racks:

Pros
-Sonic clarity that cannot be matched by a few foot pedals.
-Nearly endless programming and tonal possibilities.
-Unit is prewired and ready to play within seconds.
-Never fuss around with batteries seconds before a gig.
-Stereo!

Cons
-Racks can be addictive and have been known to grow way too big.
-Such fine tuning and programming is not everyone’s cup of tea.
-Still more expensive than a few foot pedals.
-More weight to carry around to a gig.

That said the choice is yours. Thankfully what only the top Guitar Gods could afford in the 80’s has come down in price so much that nearly everyone can put a rack together with even a smallish budget.

Do not be sucked into purchasing some 22-space NASA looking fridge on wheels just because Player XXX has one. Buy only what you really need and go from there.


Start with a solid flight case such as an SKB that will hold all of your units. I do not recommend anything less than say a 4 or 6 space as they quickly fill up.

Secondly purchase a power conditioner like say a Furman PL-8. While these units may just look like glorified power bars, they do perform s very vital task in that they protect all of your gear from surges and spikes. They also make wiring the power of each unit very easy.

Now to the all-important preamp. The most common ones are the Marshall JMP-1 and the ADA MP-1. These tube-based preamps have many programmable channels and allow you to (nearly) mimic the tones of many common amps today. There are many others as well on the market too, so ask around and see what works for you.

The multi effects unit is what will handle your chorus, delay and what ever other FX’s you wish to incorporate into your sound. These days thanks to the used market like ebay, killer units from the likes of companies such as Lexicon and TC Electronics can be had for a fraction of the price. Again shop carefully and take your time. One solid unit can easily do all you ask of it.

Now you enter the world of the power amp. Its sole function is to drive the signal that your preamp (not to mention your FX processor) created and push the signal through to your speakers.

Here again opinions vary as to what is the best. Many folks swear only by tube power amps while others are perfectly happy with a solid-state unit. Keep in mind that tube is as a rule more expensive as well as much heavier. Let your ears tell you what is best for you.

Last but not least is a MIDI pedal board. This unit will be programmed (and not 5 minutes before a gig) to switch the racks presets to your taste and likening. Usually set up with multiple patches that can recall your favorite settings. These can be found for as little as $50’s depending on what your needs are.

That was the basis of a rack unit. Naturally one can add a tuner, which is great for tuning up live between songs. A wireless as well is a common addition. Additionally EQ’s, multiple FX processor’s, noise gates and much more can eventually be added should you really feel the need.

Of course it goes without saying that only high quality patch cables should be used. As for the initial connection of your units and the programming that follows, it is not as complex as it may seem. Besides there are many people that are more than pleased to help you out should you be in doubt.

One tip that I must add is not to be suckered into purchasing a low-end unit of any kind just because it is all that you can afford at the moment. It is better to wait a while and purchase a solid piece that will be an integral part of your rack for years to come, rather than some budget unit that will be sold within a few months.

And there you have it! Remember, between ebay, music store as well as pawnshops, a great rack can come together for much lees than you think and will certainly leave you pleased with the seemingly endless array of tones at your disposal.

Racks can be as massive as this....


Or as simple as mine at the moment....

[Genebaby]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

How does a normal person carry around a rack like those top two?...I have a four space unit with a 2120 and a 50/50 tube poweramp and it is heavy and unwieldy enough....

[vklobucar]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

This was my old rack until I downsized it last year. It was moved only with the wheels and still took two guys to load and unload during gigs.

Add to that two 4x12's and three or four guitars and that made for a tiring and heavy haul.

How do the pros do it?

Simple! They don't! The roadies wheel it all into place at each venue and then the guitar tech sets it al up.

[siggy14]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

racks can be just as easy as a head and a speaker cabinet. For example you can get a six space rack, you can put a power amp, preamp and multi effects unit and a power conditioner in there. This would equal to carrying a head to a gig, tad bit bigger and sllightly heavier, but close enough, Then all you need is one stereo cabinet and you are set. Carrying the midi pedal would be the same as carrying amp foot pedal etc.. It is only when you get into huge rack setups that it becomes to much.

[electrico777]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

you want big racks??? try the rack of Vai, Petrucci or Van Halen back in the day!!!

[siggy14]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

[ QUOTE ]
you want big racks??? try the rack of Vai, Petrucci or Van Halen back in the day!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

You talking about there wives/girlfriends, or there actuall guitar racks [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Metallica had a big rack setup as well.

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

<font color="yellow">Here's a pic of my rack. Not the biggest, but works for me [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]



It's a 12U shock rack which for me is perfect, both in components and size. </font>

[guitar08man]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

im not looking for a huge one, just a small one in place of a head, which is seeming like what i want to do. Thanks for all the suggestions

[guitar08man]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

i hate to double post, but what are some good poweramp units. Im pretty sure that my preamp selection is going to be the the marshall jmp1

[fishhead785]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

I used to have the monster rack from hell but I scaled it way down and now think I have the ultimate tone..
Tri Axis pre amp
Simulclass 2:90 power amp
Furman PL8
Lexicon MPX G2 processor w/ R1 controller
Korg tuner
DBX 166A gate

I found that less is definitely more once you get the right combo....save up for what is really quality stuff rather than buying cheaper things that you will eventually replace anyway

[Zerberus]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

I had a huge rack about 10 years ago, sold it all off and grabbed my Marshall / V-Twin combo....

When buying a rack case, I recommend first figuring out what´s going in, and addins 2, better 4 HE onto that for things you forgot or suddenly desire (trust me, there´s ALWAYS at least one).

I personally barely use effects (overstatement of the year [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] ), so my rack is a lot smaller this time....



Fender RT-1000 Tuner, 1 HE (Thanks for the tip, LPC)
Mesa V-twin Pre, will be 2 HE with a clamp (or 1 if I can find a rack one sometime)
Alesis 3630 Compressor /Noise Gate, 1 HE (Currently outboard in Flashmat Studios for recording
Alesis Microverb III, 1HE
BBE 482 Sonic Max, 1 HE (also currently in the studio´s rack)
Mesa 50:50 Stereo Power amp, 2 HE

AS you can see, 8 HE... no power conditioner, effects or wireless (all currently en route save effects....). And whaddaya know, I FORGOT the PC and wireless in my original setup [img]/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img]

...So I´m glad I followed my own advice and got a 10 Space rack, I´ll have a single 9.5" slot left next to the wireless when it´s all over [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

BTW: WHEEEEELS will be a godsend on anything larger than 4-6 HE (depending on components and back)... Gonna screw some casters on mine next week [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]


BTW: AS far as total price point goes, also look around at local recording studios to see if they have anything they´d be willing to unload in the process of upgrading it to something better.... That´s how I got my Mesa Poweramp and 3630, and BBE 482 for a total of 300.-$ US (although the studio was also going out of business, so it was more of a liquidation [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img])... ROFL, My whole rack will end up costing less than most 100w heads, and blow almost all of them out of the water [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Bert]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

I have an "all rocktron" rack, Piranha pre, XPression effects, and Velocity 150 power amp, all controlled via the nice and simple 3-button Midi XChange.

I'm pretty happy with it. Each unit is only 1U so it's small and light, sounds good, and has a lot of flexibility.
Would probably be better with a tube based power stage, but then it would get a lot heavier!

Before I tracked down a Piranha (they can be hard to find) I used a JMP-1 which I also liked a lot, except for the clean sounds....

[GWARGHOUL]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

Can you get hardcore/death/black metal sounds outta the JMP1?

[Newc]

Re: looking to put a rack together for the first t

Definitely get a tube preamp. I used a Digitech GSP-21 Legend for years and got some nice tones out of it - more than a POD can imagine - but once I switched to an ADA MP-1, the GSP became the MIDI switcher and FX unit.

My live rack when I had a band was GSP21 for switching, TSR-12 for FX, and either the ADA or a Fender RocPro1000 head for the preamp/power amp. I used a padded RokSak rack bag. The GSP pedalboard fit nicely across the top zippered flap of the rack, and the cables went in the back.
Later I switched to an Anvil 4-space (more durable) but the pedalboard wouldn't fit in it, so that went in the "all purpose duffle bag" with the spare cables and such.
I put the lid (with the handle) on the back and the back on the front, so that when I opened the lid, there's my cables. Dump them out and plug them in and then flip it over and open the other end, there's my gear.

I also had a wireless but it wasn't racked, and it fit in the back of the case with the cables.