Rig insanity...make it stop!

[Inazone]

I thought I had it all figured out. My Peavey Rockmaster arrived, and I thought it would be the holy grail in my search for a "just right" live rig. Funny how things work out...or not. The Boss DD-2 that I've used for delay and a slight level boost between my distortion pedal and clean amp loses its fluidity (is that a word?) when activated through an effects loop. The Rocktron Multivalve I wanted to use to combine noise reduction, parametric EQ and effects in one space runs really quiet, and the Rockmaster doesn't have a level control for the loop. My ART preamp has a +4/-10 level switch, but its loop isn't switchable, which means the only preamp I own that will play nice with the Multivalve is my modded MP-1...which I have no intention of using live since it requires MIDI for switching.

So in the end, I came up with some great rack combinations that will surely sound incredible in the studio, but it looks like my trusty pedalboard still gets the nod for live use. Madness!

[mm2002]

So how does the rockmaster preamp sound? I used to have a rockmaster head and it was one of the best sounding amps I've ever owned. I am considering getting one of the preamps.

Never mind, I just read the other thread!

[catzodellamarina]

Check out Jerry's modded Rockmaster sounds:

http://www.fjamods.com/AmpMods.html

I got the high gain mod. My modded Rockmaster doubled my tone in thickness, clairty, and depth. My Crunch ch sounds like the Whack1. My Ultra is heavier than the Whack2. Maybe it's because I play live n' LOUD with a VHT 2-90-2.

[Inazone]

The Rockmaster *sounds* incredible. I haven't had a chance to play at band volumes yet, but just setting all of the EQ controls at 12 o'clock seems to be a good starting point. Actually, all three of my preamps sound great. I have just about every tone I could possibly need. That might be part of the "problem" with my setup - too many options.

Here's my impression of the three preamps.

ART DST-4
PROS: Very responsive parametric EQ; onboard effects match up very nicely with preamp voicings; good cabinet sims; footswitch control for preamp and onboard effects; easy to edit presets.
CONS: Effects *loop* is not switchable either by footswitch or MIDI; very limited control over effect parameters; -10/+4 control for effects loop but no level control; engaging onboard effects causes slight overall volume loss - need to set MIDI presets for lead boosts rather than just using footswitch.

ADA MP-1 (3.666 mod)
PROS: Huge number of available tones; level control for effects loop; headphone out w\ volume; effects loop can be enabled or disabled in each preset.
CONS: No footswitch control - MIDI only; awkward EQ changes and preset edits (all buttons) compared to traditional knobs; no speaker sim; mid-sweep and modded bass/gain sensitivity controls mounted on board, only accessible with cover off.

Peavey Rock Master
PROS: Straightforward operation; three channel-specific effects loops and two shared loops; channel switching via footswitch; standard out and boosted out for "driving" tube power amp; active EQ and push-pull gain controls for Crunch and Ultra channels.
CONS: No level control for loops; loops cannot be enabled/disabled via footswitch - tied to selected channel.

All things considered, most of the issues I've found with all three preamps have to do with effects switching, which seems a bit dumb since the only effect I really use is delay. For live shows, I prefer a simple on/off approach to all of my gear. Distortion on or off, delay on or off, EQ boost (to compensate for poor PA sound) on or off. All of the preamps sound great, but I would not be able to eliminate my pedalboard by the time everything was factored in, so it's easier to just keep using my existing setup for gigs.

In the studio, though...that's where this rack rig will shine.

[Inazone]

Since making the above posts, I had some time to experiment more. I was able to get the Multivalve sounding good with the Rockmaster. It makes more sense using those two together than the Multivalve and MP-1, as the Rockmaster distortion channels share an EQ and the Multivalve would allow me to use it's parametric EQ for my "lead" channel on the Rockmaster. The MP-1 of course has EQ settings for every preset.

I got together today with our vocalist, who will probably be recording us at the studio where he works. After trying different settings, it looks like I will use the Rockmaster for my rhythm tracks and my ART DST-4 for leads, or blend the two for everything. We'll probably have my brother (rhythm guitarist) use the MP-1 for his tracks, as it doesn't have quite the scratchy sound he always seems to get from Peavey amps.

So, all is well. Just need to find the right case for this monstrosity.

[badams]

Something like a Rocktron Patchmate would sort out all these things for you. It can switch preamps as well as channels both via switch or midi.

[Racerx2k]

Something like a Rocktron Patchmate would sort out all these things for you. It can switch preamps as well as channels both via switch or midi.

I used to use a Rockman Midi Octopus for this task. Easy to program, and never gave me a problem. Should be able to get one, on th echeap.