Who is using preamps / rack these days?

[Shark Diver]

I'm building a rack to use with my dave friedman jcm 800. I will be using my axe-fx 2 a lexicon pcm 92 and tc 1210

With the Axe what will you be using it for with if you have the 92 and 1210?

How is the 92? I've wanted to try one for a while. As nice as the older PCMs - 60/70?

 

[EXPcustom]

I always prefer good head with a nice rack.

 

[jlbaxe]

My latest. Shrunk down to a 6 space rack and can be used with and head…. Or all 3

 

[mboogman]

My latest. Shrunk down to a 6 space rack and can be used with and head…. Or all 3

Lookin good!

 

[jlbaxe]

My latest. Shrunk down to a 6 space rack and can be used with and head…. Or all 3

Lookin good!

Thanks and it sounds great. My GT mastermind footpedal should be shipping towards the end of February. Now all you need is a Tele

 

[moltenmetalburn]

My small but backbreaking rack these days :

This would sound better if you turned it right-side-up.

Yeah but then I'd have to put screws in it!

Like $2.00 cheaper this way.

 

[jlbaxe]

My small but backbreaking rack these days :

This would sound better if you turned it right-side-up.

Yeah but then I'd have to put screws in it!

Like $2.00 cheaper this way.

I had my rack upside down and units right side up and had to redo the whole thing

 

[JTyson]

My latest. Shrunk down to a 6 space rack and can be used with and head…. Or all 3

Nice!

 

[cardinal]

I've been bit by the rack bug, too. Just bought a SLOr which I'm really liking. Rack Wah seems like the logical next choice. Then I need to figure out whether to go wet/dry or try to get by with a Suhr minimix and the SLO's loop...

 

[jlbaxe]

My latest. Shrunk down to a 6 space rack and can be used with and head…. Or all 3

Nice!

Thanks and got this coming for the pedal board

 

[jlbaxe]

I've been bit by the rack bug, too. Just bought a SLOr which I'm really liking. Rack Wah seems like the logical next choice. Then I need to figure out whether to go wet/dry or try to get by with a Suhr minimix and the SLO's loop...

Would luv a SLOr Congrats And I really like my Custom Dunlop 2SR Rack Wah. The 2-SR can also control volume with an additional Dunlop expression pedal.

 

[cardinal]

Would luv a SLOr Congrats And I really like my Custom Dunlop 2SR Rack Wah. The 2-SR can also control volume with an additional Dunlop expression pedal.

That's exactly what I'm thinking of. The 2SR is true hardwire bypass, too, I think.

You're rig is killer, btw. That mastermind pedal is insane.

 

[jlbaxe]

Would luv a SLOr Congrats And I really like my Custom Dunlop 2SR Rack Wah. The 2-SR can also control volume with an additional Dunlop expression pedal.

That's exactly what I'm thinking of. The 2SR is true hardwire bypass, too, I think.

You're rig is killer, btw. That mastermind pedal is insane.

Yeah I couldn't stand pedal wahs, running cables to and from a pedal board just didn't make sense or sound good to me. There is so much you can tweak to get exactly the wah you want and Volume control is a big plus.

Thanks! GT Mastermind should be here the end of the month Sold my MFC101 in December and haven't had a pedal since

 

[Shark Diver]

Would luv a SLOr Congrats And I really like my Custom Dunlop 2SR Rack Wah. The 2-SR can also control volume with an additional Dunlop expression pedal.

That's exactly what I'm thinking of. The 2SR is true hardwire bypass, too, I think.

You're rig is killer, btw. That mastermind pedal is insane.

The volume sucks some tone on the 2SR so I would have it modded

 

[cardinal]

Thanks, I'll look into that bc I'd definitely like to take advantage of the 2SR's volume loop if it works.

 

[singtall]

i've owned manny different rack preamps over the years, so i'll unload my thoughts on some of the cheaper ones here:

rocktron progap v2 - first real preamp (back in 1989). did decent marshall and boogie tone. fairly easy to dial in. quiet as death.

tubeworks realtube - didn't like it. too thick and chunky for my taste. not enough gain.

rocktron chameleon - a digitized version of the progap....without the warmth. effects only ok, not very good.

rocktron voodu valve - warmer version of the chameleon. not really a contest....voodu wins. changing tube doesn't really effect tone.

rocktron piranha - big, huge, loose but 3D marshall tone. harmonics for days. quiet. changing tubes effects tone.

rocktron Prophesy I and II - basically the evolution of the voodu valve preamp. effects spillover and ducker delay very cool. harmonizer still not much better than the chameleon. not as 3D feeling as the piranha, but it's modeling with a tube warmer. does marshall tones extremely well. i still have one of these in my rack.

digitech gsp2120 - big raw tube preamp with decent effects. it is pretty complicated to operate, but has very cool effects though. took a big loss and unloaded it. has battery that needs to be changed every few years.

gsp1101 - some really good effects and pedal modelling. amp models ok. not as 3D sounding and feeling as a real all tube preamp, but on par with the rocktron voodu valve. more variety of amp models than rocktron.

peavey tube fx - 5150 in a rack preamp with effects and good harmonizer. only downfall was the battery would corrode and ruin traces on the pcb if you didn't get the newer battery upgrade from peavey.

peavey rockmaster - decent 5150 tone with more eq options. a little noisy at high gain levels like any all tube head/preamp. good preamp for cheap.

pod pro - personally, i never could get along with the line6 preamp. i found it a little dark, but overall ok for the time.

pod hd500 - probably the best effects in a preamp, but i found the amp models to be brittle and not realistic. on the other hand; guys like Ola can get a good tone out of them. probably good for Djent, but not EVH type of stuff.

eleven rack - my favorite of the bunch and currently the most used preamp. it's not quite an axe-fx...but it is cheaper, by quite a bit. no harmonizer, but everything on it is usable. preamp models feel right. effects are outstanding. tons of good user presets out there.

ADA MP1 - marshall type mid level gain with solid state clean. a classic....but i worry about parts availability.

ADA MP2 - tons of gain on tap. really nice overall. i did all of the mods to mine and it sounded really good. not sure why i sold it. parts availability not good if you need anything more than discrete circuit components.

Halfer triple giant - decent crunch tone, but not high gain.

Mesa triaxis - if you have to have real tubes and you like the Mesa tone, this is it.

i've owned a few other preamps, but i think this gives you the general idea of what i like and what i think of these preamps. i've done some youtube videos over the years reviewing some of these preamps (under my user name "singtall") if you want to give them a listen.

 

[Zachman]

I'm back to rack again...

Who else is back to rack too? Or considering it? (I know Zachman never left...)

What's in your rack(s)?

(slightly OT, what are your thoughts on Rocktron Voodu Valve rack units? any major diffs between the versions? )

Gear fund is depleted, but doesn't mean I'm not looking...preamps mostly...if they have effects too that's a nice to have. FWIW, I recenty realized I have more $ in preamps than the cost of a new Axe-FX II...add in effects and that $ comparison gets worse! Sometimes I question this and think...

Actually, in 1991, I had to sell 90% of my gear to fund a child custody battle (I won). Anyway, I-- for the next several years, gigged with one of two guitars, a guitar cable, my Mesa/Boogie MKIII Simul-Class Coliseum head, and a Pearce Engineering 1x12 cab-- and that was it. But in a way you're right, My perspective as to what I KNEW was possible has remained, and remains preferred-- with an appreciation of the reason those legendary units are the standard against which everything which attempts to simulate/replicate/model etc... is measured, but never quiet measures up.

I did change up my rig recently, still gotta do a couple more cables and it's programming time.

I replaced my Lexicon PCM80 w/ a Lexicon PCM-81. (The PCM80 died, so I am keeping it for spare parts).
Replaced the Rocktron 300G Compressor w/ a DBX 160A Compressor
Added a Dytronics CS5 Tri-Stereo Chorus
Pedal tray
Replaced MXR 10-Band EQ w/ Arion SCH-1
Replaced EVH Phase90 w/ MXR Script Phase90
Replaced Marshall Bluesbreaker2 OD, w/ Dunlop 70TH Anniversary Hendrix Unvibe

 

[JTyson]

Zach...
You are the brick wall, end of posting in the rack threads
I mean that as a compliment, BTW I have rack envy now, I cannot even post my little POS 30 year old stuff in my rack.......
But mine does have a Langner in it

 

[Zachman]

Zach...
You are the brick wall, end of posting in the rack threads
I mean that as a compliment, BTW I have rack envy now, I cannot even post my little POS 30 year old stuff in my rack.......
But mine does have a Langner in it

I figure it more like guys that are into cars, hanging out at a Car Show. You may not have a car in the show, but it's still cool to check it out. On the other hand, maybe you do have a car in the show, odds are you'd still be "into" the other cool stuff at the show, AND Best of ALL... You get to share your passion with others, who are passionate about the SAME stuff. Learn tips, Tricks, Share thoughts, stories etc... I live for that

 

[JTyson]

Zach...
You are the brick wall, end of posting in the rack threads
I mean that as a compliment, BTW I have rack envy now, I cannot even post my little POS 30 year old stuff in my rack.......
But mine does have a Langner in it

I figure it more like guys that are into cars, hanging out at a Car Show. You may not have a car in the show, but it's still cool to check it out. On the other hand, maybe you do have a car in the show, odds are you'd still be "into" the other cool stuff at the show, AND Best of ALL... You get to share your passion with others, who are passionate about the SAME stuff. Learn tips, Tricks, Share thoughts, stories etc... I live for that

Oh your totally right on that, I was just messin with ya