Rack mounted EQ

[Mr White]

Alright lads,
Ive kinda decided I want an EQ, and with life being the extended pissing contest it is I thought Id try and get a rack mounted one to 'beat the neighbours' [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Unfortunately, what I know about rack gear is as follows:
1) Its expensive
2) Its pro as fuck
3) You use it like an fx pedal, its just not on the floor
4) Theyre very useful

Would I be right in my assumptions? Are there any pitfalls to avoid? Im using an 80w combo at home/practices and at gigs Im using whatever Im given [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] But I thought itd help me get a better sound out of wank amps. Or should I just buy a good distortion pedal?...

James

[Inazone]

Re: Rack mounted EQ

1) They don't have to be expensive, but you do get what you pay for. Buying used can save you a lot.
2) Rack gear isn't necessarily any more professional than pedals, just different. Some important factors are the coloration of your tone (including when bypassed), input/output and control options, and noise. Some of the best EQs I've played through also generated the most noise.
3) Some rack units are footswitch-controlled, or at least have that option. Others use MIDI. Some unfortunately allow neither, so you'd need to run them in a footswitch-controlled effects loop...or always have them on.
4) Usefulness depends on the effect, not so much what format it comes in. If you find an EQ pedal useful, you would probably find a higher-quality EQ more useful, whether rack or pedal.

A parametric EQ would probably be of the most benefit in a guitar rig. If you have a footswitch-controlled effects loop, you could use an EQ with other effects for some cool soloing sounds. The Boss EQ-20 pedal (if you can find one) lets you save EQ patches, which would be pretty handy.

I use an ART Tube EQ on my pedalboard and an ART Tube Channel in my rack. In both cases, I run Rocktron Hush units immediately after them due to noise, and since I don't have a footswitch, I just leave them on all the time. Can't say enough good things about them. I've also heard some nice Furman (PQ-?) units.

[Mr White]

Re: Rack mounted EQ

Cheers mate thats very helpful.
See I was mainly interested in getting a parametric EQ for a good guitar tone, but then I thought, wouldnt it be simpler to just use a distortion pedal? My amp has a footswitchable fx loop, but from gig to gig it varies what Im using - depends what the venue/other bands have. I mean the other day we were using Marshall halfstacks (I had some valvestate piece of shit, the other guitarist got a DSL head lol). Then for the gig after that we were using 80w combos that were rented from a rehearsal studio.
Ill keep my eye out for an EQ pedal.

James

[aldog1330]

Re: Rack mounted EQ

A problem you might have with a rack mounted parametric eq is that if you are using other people's equipment when playing out, and it changes every time, you'd have to change the eq settings every time. With a parametric, generally you end up spending quite some time listening and dialing into the specific frequencies that you want to change, all in relation to your guitar, amp, and cabinet. It took me a good week of playing with mine to dial in what I wanted for a lead tone. You may not have the time to putz with it when getting ready for a gig, but then again maybe you do, I can't say for sure.

For your home rig though I'm sure it could be useful if your tone is close, but just not quite there.

[Inazone]

Re: Rack mounted EQ

Some distortion pedals have good built-in parametric EQs. Although the Boss Metal Zone gets a lot of criticism, it actually is a very capable pedal, thanks partly to its midrange controls. The same is true with the ART Xtreme, Korg HyperDistortion and some older pedals. All of those pedals have one knob for basic midrange and a second to focus the upper or lower mids, and that second control is what can really shape your tone.

If you are going to buy an EQ pedal, I'd suggest either an MXR 10-band or the Boss EQ-20 I mentioned earlier. If you can find an affordable parametric pedal, try that too.

[Mr White]

Re: Rack mounted EQ

Thanks guys, both posts were really helpful.
So its a distortion pedal Im after now!!! The main thing I wanted from a parametric EQ was the ability to focus the mid frequencies, and if I can do that with some distortion pedals, then nice one [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Real newbie questions (I havnt had a lot of experience with pedals etc) my amp has a fx loop, most do, but if one of the pieces of shit Im using for a gig doesnt, how bad/different will placing the distortion before the amp have?
Am I right in thinking the fx loop puts your fx in between the pre and power amp parts of the amp? So it enhaces your tone that youve already set, rather than colouring your existing tone?...


James

[Inazone]

Re: Rack mounted EQ

I gig with Peavey Classic tube combos that were built in the `70s and don't have effects loops, so I run EVERYTHING into the amp's guitar input. The only effect that I think suffers at all is my digital delay, and the only "problem" is that the delay effect isn't quite as sharp as if run in an effects loop. I have a `90s Peavey TransTube combo that does have a loop, and the manual advises *against* running distortion or other gain-generating devices in the loop.

I would run a distortion pedal directly into the instrument input jack, start with your amp's EQ settings all at the 12 o'clock position, and start adjusting from there. I need decent clean tones too, so I rely on the amp EQ to get a good, clear clean sound and then tweak the distortion pedal to achieve my distorted tone. After that, experiment with effects either between the distortion pedal and amp or in the effects loop. Different effects will react differently.

I will say that in my experience, Boss pedals cause far less tone loss (meaning loss of certain frequencies or overall signal strength) than DOD and Digitech stuff. I used to have a Digitech Whammy-Wah and a DOD EQ pedal (as well as gate/loop and octave pedals), and lost too much treble from my tone. I ditched the whammy-wah idea entirely and replaced the EQ with a little half-rackspace ART parametric unit.

[Mr White]

Re: Rack mounted EQ

Thanks mate.
We're thinking of bringing more clean picking stuff into our sound too.
Think Ill get a MT2. Would I be running it on the clean channel or a distortion channel?

James

[Inazone]

Re: Rack mounted EQ

I'd run the Metal Zone into the amp's clean channel, especially if you plan to use clean sounds anyway. If you were looking to boost a distortion channel, I wouldn't use a full-on distortion pedal anyway.

[Mr White]

Re: Rack mounted EQ

Thats what overdrive is for aint it?
See! Im learning!!! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

James