Help Me Build a Rack Rig - UPDATED 12/7/2011

[Zachman]

I started using rack gear back in around 1986, and have been lucky to have been exposed to a lot of great gear, early on. It was this, which I believe started me down the path, which I have adhered to. Quality....

I remember going to Lab Sound, in Southern California in 1987-- where I heard my first Full-Blown High-end stereo rig-- filled with TC Electronic, Eventide, Lexicon, DBX, Rane, and Mesa Boogie gear. THAT changed EVERYTHING. Until then, I had no idea that a guitar rig could sound like that.

Here are some videos of the old Lab Sound: Watch and enjoy

Anyway-- I ended up realizing a few key concepts, which I think elude many.

I figured out which amps provided the "Core" amp sounds that I liked, and realized that there wasn't one amp that does it ALL. (For what I wanted)

I discovered the effects processors which provided the signature sounds I love and provided the platforms for me to create other sounds too.

After spending a lot of time with the guys at Lab Sound, I learned not only what gear to use, but I was given some ideas regarding how to hook all the stuff up to get the results that traditional methods just didn't provide. (VERY Key point, to getting GREAT results vs fair/disappointing results)

Now, with the right gear to get the sounds I wanted, and the knowledge to hook it up-- you'd figure I was set right-- nope.

I realized the final key component, "Control". I had to figure out how the hell to control all of this stuff, so that I could perform, and not worry about having to tap dance my ass off.

My rig is a multi-amp switching rig, which utilized pedals, analog and digital rack gear-- and I wanted to with one button press, to be able to select:

Which amp is selected

Which channel on the selected amp is selected

Which pedal or combination of pedals are selected

Which Rack processor or combination of processor is/are selected, and which preset/presets on the individual processors are called up when I select a preset on the controller

I wanted the ability to select individual devices, within each preset via direct access switches

I have (3) volume pedals: Pre-volume, Post Volume and a continuous controller

The rig is setup so that I can use up to 4 amp heads (one at a time) through the same speaker cabinet, or I can use several combo amps, each through it's own speaker or a combination of combos and heads, or preamps, combos and heads etc...

Here is a video, which LOTS of my fellow rack brothers here have already seen (apologies guys, if it's old news to you already), of Bob Bradshaw going through how the rig is setup, and how it works. I hope that this will help guys who are taking on this path:

The Block diagrams Bob refers to in the video:

The foot controller pedal board:

The rack, front:

The rack rear:

The whole rig:

The Interface/Switcher, and amp selector front:

The Interface/Switcher, and amp selector rear:

Hope this helps you on your tone journey.

 

[IndyWS6]

Zachman - Seriously, dude, thanks for posting all of that. I've seen some of it while trolling the forum, but having all of it in one post is a big help. Much appreciated...

Your setup is far more elaborate than I need at this stage, but the approach to building it and the structure behind it are certainly applicable to what I have in mind. Thanks again for posting - I'll have to find creative ways to sneak in some quality time at work today to watch the videos and study the diagrams

 

[Zachman]

Zachman - Seriously, dude, thanks for posting all of that. I've seen some of it while trolling the forum, but having all of it in one post is a big help. Much appreciated...

Your setup is far more elaborate than I need at this stage, but the approach to building it and the structure behind it are certainly applicable to what I have in mind. Thanks again for posting - I'll have to find creative ways to sneak in some quality time at work today to watch the videos and study the diagrams

Cool!!!! I was hoping the videos and such would give you ideas as to approaches, not so much a suggestion of the particular stuff/features in my rack, though I do recommend it all VERY Highly-- if one is fortunate enough to indulge themselves, and give way to insanity.

 

[IndyWS6]

OK, I decided to go with an ADA MP-1 as a pre-amp and a Rocktron Replifex for (some of the) effects. I should be pushing money to Paypal tomorrow for those items from another Forumite.

You can't have a rack rig without a rack, right? So, I ordered one today from Road Ready Racks. A 14U Deluxe amp rack. I'll take pictures of stuff as I get it and post them if anyone is interested in seeing it go together...

 

[Zachman]

OK, I decided to go with an ADA MP-1 as a pre-amp and a Rocktron Replifex for (some of the) effects. I should be pushing money to Paypal tomorrow for those items from another Forumite.

You can't have a rack rig without a rack, right? So, I ordered one today from Road Ready Racks. A 14U Deluxe amp rack. I'll take pictures of stuff as I get it and post them if anyone is interested in seeing it go together...

Congrats, on your new goodies!

Have fun with it, and YES... Post pics/Clips/videos when/if you get the chance.

Zach

 

[rlord1974]

Thanks - that does help, but brings up another question. If I plug into channel "A", and it then feeds to channels "A" AND "B", what output jack do you use to drive the cabinet? For starters, I'll be using a single 4x12 cabinet.

You will still need to use both outputs. As such, a stereo cab is necessary (or a rewire of a mono cab).

Will the volume control for channel "A" be the only control?

No, the volume control of Channel A will control the output level to half of your stereo cab and the volume control of Channel B will control the output level to the other half of your stereo cab.

What does the volume control for channel "B" do if no cabinet is connected to the channel "B" output jack?

If no cabinet is connected to Channel B, than you would need to turn that channel of the power amp off! In this case, you would be using only one half of the power amp.

I apologize for the questions - I've seen the amps but don't have any hands-on experience with them. I should probably find the manual on-line and do a little studying...

No worries - this is why this forum exists!

Let me know if this is unclear or if you have any additional questions!

Good luck!

[And, yes, post pics as your rack is coming together!]

 

[rsm]

Congrats on starting the rack. MP-1 is great preamp IMO (see my prior post). You may want to consider a 2-channel / stereo graphic eq with the MP-1 as it will give you more tonal flexibility - a MIDI controlled one if possible. If you want to save the space, I highly recommend the MP-2 (I still have one, it could be for sale ) then there's the rare MP-1 Classic (never owned one, and they are pricey IMO when they do show up). If you haven't purchased your MP-1, have a look at the feature descriptions at adadepot.com on the MP-2. Again, IMO, the MP-2 is a pain to tweak, and replacing the screen is near impossible (there are a few threads on the adadepot.com forum on this), but it may save you another rack space or two and MIDI hop if you don't need to add an EQ unit.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Shit Zachman, that rig is incredible! Must be a bitch to transport though


And to the OP, congrats on starting to get everything together! I bet it will sound righteous

 

[Zachman]

Shit Zachman, that rig is incredible! Must be a bitch to transport though


And to the OP, congrats on starting to get everything together! I bet it will sound righteous

Thanks! I love the rig! It does everything I want, and allows me to control it all very easily. It is also very easy to setup and tear down. Once everything is staged, and there's power at the stage--I can be plugged in and ready to sound check in 5 minutes.

I wouldn't say transporting the rig is a bitch. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't call is a leisure filled vacation either, but all in all, it isn't that bad really. Me and one guy can move this thing (the rack itself) easily. The cabs (all 3 4x12's) have casters, the heads, and power amp rack, ride on the cabs and the big rack--to the truck (and from the truck to the venue & back), and the rest of the stuff; Guitars, Pedal board, Guitar stand/Stands go easily.

It's not my small club rig, so no worries about me having to move all of that every time I play a gig.

From my perspective (Been playing through rack stuff since around 1985), I have always thought how cool it is that some of the younger players, are embracing the technology and the tools at their disposal.

BEST wishes to the OP and his rack endeavor.

 

[IndyWS6]

Thanks to everyone for the input and suggestions - much appreciated

I hope to hear back from the seller on the MP-1 and Replifex today. The rack was ordered yesterday, so it will be here in about a week. Standard shipping was only $10 - more than reasonable for something that large - so I can wait a few days for it to get here. I'm sure I'll have more questions about the "best" way to connect things and what signal path works best. It will be simple to start with just the MP-1, Replifex and a [soon to be decided upon] power amp. I'm assuming that it will be:

Pre-amp --> Power Amp --> Cabinet (with the Replifex in the loop). Make sense?

RSM -
You mentioned a graphic EQ. How important would that be for a rig like this? Won't there be enough range on the tone stack with pre-amp and Replifex controls? What brand/model EQ would you recommend?

Zachman -
Thanks again for the input and encouragement. Much appreciated... Your rig is seriously impressive and must be a blast to play with/through. It rocks

 

[Zachman]

Thanks to everyone for the input and suggestions - much appreciated

I hope to hear back from the seller on the MP-1 and Replifex today. The rack was ordered yesterday, so it will be here in about a week. Standard shipping was only $10 - more than reasonable for something that large - so I can wait a few days for it to get here. I'm sure I'll have more questions about the "best" way to connect things and what signal path works best. It will be simple to start with just the MP-1, Replifex and a [soon to be decided upon] power amp. I'm assuming that it will be:

Pre-amp --> Power Amp --> Cabinet (with the Replifex in the loop). Make sense?

RSM -
You mentioned a graphic EQ. How important would that be for a rig like this? Won't there be enough range on the tone stack with pre-amp and Replifex controls? What brand/model EQ would you recommend?

Zachman -
Thanks again for the input and encouragement. Much appreciated... Your rig is seriously impressive and must be a blast to play with/through. It rocks

My buddy Randall, playing through the rig for the first time-- His expressions always crack me up, when I see this:

 

[IndyWS6]

Thanks to everyone for the input and suggestions - much appreciated

I hope to hear back from the seller on the MP-1 and Replifex today. The rack was ordered yesterday, so it will be here in about a week. Standard shipping was only $10 - more than reasonable for something that large - so I can wait a few days for it to get here. I'm sure I'll have more questions about the "best" way to connect things and what signal path works best. It will be simple to start with just the MP-1, Replifex and a [soon to be decided upon] power amp. I'm assuming that it will be:

Pre-amp --> Power Amp --> Cabinet (with the Replifex in the loop). Make sense?

RSM -
You mentioned a graphic EQ. How important would that be for a rig like this? Won't there be enough range on the tone stack with pre-amp and Replifex controls? What brand/model EQ would you recommend?

Zachman -
Thanks again for the input and encouragement. Much appreciated... Your rig is seriously impressive and must be a blast to play with/through. It rocks

My buddy Randall, playing through the rig for the first time-- His expressions always crack me up, when I see this:

Zachman -
That is just friggin' awesome! My rack wants to be yours when it grows up

P.S. Where's the "bow down in submission" smilie when you need it???

 

[IndyWS6]

Update: Rack Power Source
I've decided to use a Black Box SP196A rackmount strip to power the equipment I'll be putting in my rack. It can handle 15 amps, is circuit-breaker protected, has surge and spike protection and EMI/RFI filtering. There are 8 switched rear-mounted outlets (switch on the front) and one "always on" front-mounted outlet. It doesn't have lights, so it's not as "sexy" as the Furman equivalent, but I already have one and can save the $90.

 

[Zachman]

Thanks to everyone for the input and suggestions - much appreciated

I hope to hear back from the seller on the MP-1 and Replifex today. The rack was ordered yesterday, so it will be here in about a week. Standard shipping was only $10 - more than reasonable for something that large - so I can wait a few days for it to get here. I'm sure I'll have more questions about the "best" way to connect things and what signal path works best. It will be simple to start with just the MP-1, Replifex and a [soon to be decided upon] power amp. I'm assuming that it will be:

Pre-amp --> Power Amp --> Cabinet (with the Replifex in the loop). Make sense?

RSM -
You mentioned a graphic EQ. How important would that be for a rig like this? Won't there be enough range on the tone stack with pre-amp and Replifex controls? What brand/model EQ would you recommend?

Zachman -
Thanks again for the input and encouragement. Much appreciated... Your rig is seriously impressive and must be a blast to play with/through. It rocks

My buddy Randall, playing through the rig for the first time-- His expressions always crack me up, when I see this:

Zachman -
That is just friggin' awesome! My rack wants to be yours when it grows up

P.S. Where's the "bow down in submission" smilie when you need it???

j/k

The COOL thing is, your rack rig will be YOURS, when it grows up.

 

[IndyWS6]

Thanks to everyone for the input and suggestions - much appreciated

I hope to hear back from the seller on the MP-1 and Replifex today. The rack was ordered yesterday, so it will be here in about a week. Standard shipping was only $10 - more than reasonable for something that large - so I can wait a few days for it to get here. I'm sure I'll have more questions about the "best" way to connect things and what signal path works best. It will be simple to start with just the MP-1, Replifex and a [soon to be decided upon] power amp. I'm assuming that it will be:

Pre-amp --> Power Amp --> Cabinet (with the Replifex in the loop). Make sense?

RSM -
You mentioned a graphic EQ. How important would that be for a rig like this? Won't there be enough range on the tone stack with pre-amp and Replifex controls? What brand/model EQ would you recommend?

Zachman -
Thanks again for the input and encouragement. Much appreciated... Your rig is seriously impressive and must be a blast to play with/through. It rocks

My buddy Randall, playing through the rig for the first time-- His expressions always crack me up, when I see this:

Zachman -
That is just friggin' awesome! My rack wants to be yours when it grows up

P.S. Where's the "bow down in submission" smilie when you need it???

j/k

The COOL thing is, your rack rig will be YOURS, when it grows up.

Good point!

 

[Zachman]

Thanks to everyone for the input and suggestions - much appreciated

I hope to hear back from the seller on the MP-1 and Replifex today. The rack was ordered yesterday, so it will be here in about a week. Standard shipping was only $10 - more than reasonable for something that large - so I can wait a few days for it to get here. I'm sure I'll have more questions about the "best" way to connect things and what signal path works best. It will be simple to start with just the MP-1, Replifex and a [soon to be decided upon] power amp. I'm assuming that it will be:

Pre-amp --> Power Amp --> Cabinet (with the Replifex in the loop). Make sense?

RSM -
You mentioned a graphic EQ. How important would that be for a rig like this? Won't there be enough range on the tone stack with pre-amp and Replifex controls? What brand/model EQ would you recommend?

Zachman -
Thanks again for the input and encouragement. Much appreciated... Your rig is seriously impressive and must be a blast to play with/through. It rocks

My buddy Randall, playing through the rig for the first time-- His expressions always crack me up, when I see this:

Zachman -
That is just friggin' awesome! My rack wants to be yours when it grows up

P.S. Where's the "bow down in submission" smilie when you need it???

j/k

The COOL thing is, your rack rig will be YOURS, when it grows up.

Good point!

FWIW:

Pre-amp line out --> Replifex--> EQ--> Power Amp --> Cabinets

 

[IndyWS6]

FWIW:

Pre-amp line out --> Replifex--> EQ--> Power Amp --> Cabinets

So it's best to go "through" the Replifex instead of using it in the loop of the MP-1?

Once again, thanks for the help

 

[Zachman]

FWIW:

Pre-amp line out --> Replifex--> EQ--> Power Amp --> Cabinets

So it's best to go "through" the Replifex instead of using it in the loop of the MP-1?

Once again, thanks for the help

Given the gear you're working with for now, that's how I would do it, but you should try both ways and see what works best for you.

Ultimately, I like having my processors in a switching system, and routed through a line mixer, for a few reasons-- but have done what I suggested to you, and got what I thought were great results.

 

[IndyWS6]

FWIW:

Pre-amp line out --> Replifex--> EQ--> Power Amp --> Cabinets

So it's best to go "through" the Replifex instead of using it in the loop of the MP-1?

Once again, thanks for the help

Given the gear you're working with for now, that's how I would do it, but you should try both ways and see what works best for you.

Ultimately, I like having my processors in a switching system, and routed through a line mixer, for a few reasons-- but have done what I suggested to you, and got what I thought were great results.

Zachman -
Thanks again...

I have a Midiverb III that I will likely put in the rack (it's old, but I love the chorus on it...). Does it make sense to keep the same approach [Pre-amp --> Replifex --> Midiverb --> EQ --> Power Amp --> Cabinet]? I don't have a real deep understanding of signal chain choices and why one effect or component should be placed before another.

When you start adding effects and processors, the options for connections increase almost exponentially and it can be difficult and time-consuming to A/B the options to decide which approach sounds best. (Note: I can't even imagine how much time it must have taken to decide on a final signal path for your rig). Mine will be rather simple to start, so it won't be an issue for now, but I know how I am - I'll be adding gear soon after it's "finished".

 

[Zachman]

FWIW:

Pre-amp line out --> Replifex--> EQ--> Power Amp --> Cabinets

So it's best to go "through" the Replifex instead of using it in the loop of the MP-1?

Once again, thanks for the help

Given the gear you're working with for now, that's how I would do it, but you should try both ways and see what works best for you.

Ultimately, I like having my processors in a switching system, and routed through a line mixer, for a few reasons-- but have done what I suggested to you, and got what I thought were great results.

Zachman -
Thanks again...

I have a Midiverb III that I will likely put in the rack (it's old, but I love the chorus on it...). Does it make sense to keep the same approach [Pre-amp --> Replifex --> Midiverb --> EQ --> Power Amp --> Cabinet]?

If you're mainly using the MIDIverbIII for chorus, I would put it 1st (before the Replifex), so you can use the delays in the Replifex to allow you to have chorused repeats, and reverbed choruses.

I don't have a real deep understanding of signal chain choices and why one effect or component should be placed before another.

Here are a couple of videos that goes into some general concepts for routing, and effects order:

When you start adding effects and processors, the options for connections increase almost exponentially and it can be difficult and time-consuming to A/B the options to decide which approach sounds best. (Note: I can't even imagine how much time it must have taken to decide on a final signal path for your rig).

You are correct. The options are virtually mind blowing.

Ex. Some pedals in series (One plugged into the other)-- into the front of your amp, some rack devices in series (One into the other, then into your power amp-- OR into a Switching System and a line mixer (Some stuff in series and some stuff in parallel, some stuff in Series//Parallel and various combinations of those approaches.

I have literally been playing with and experimenting with this stuff for over 20 years, and discovered a few things along the way that are my preference (Usually by being adventurous and just discovering something worked by accident.)

Mine will be rather simple to start, so it won't be an issue for now, but I know how I am - I'll be adding gear soon after it's "finished".

I hear you. Rigs do tend to grow, as your preferences develop and your perspective as to what is possible and seems useful to you and your music/variety of musical needs evolves/increases. Sometimes it's a preference which amounts to you upgrading/replacing gear for other gear, and sometimes it's adding additional gear to what you have going on, or the means to control things in a wider variety of ways giving you more sonic options.

ALWAYS plan for future growth, when building rigs. It can and WILL definitely save you time, energy, frustration and money-- in the long run.