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Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

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  • Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

    I’ve been daydreaming during social distancing, and I keep coming back to a rack setup that’s been in the back of my head for years now. I started laying it down to see what it all entails, quite a rack rig there. Other than the pedals and power supplies, I own none of it, so there would have to be a walk to get there.

    A couple of preamps, pedals I currently use and like, an effect unit and wah, power supply and switching system. I’ve got an idea to feed a stereo cab with different speakers using the stereo power amp, and switching the output based on patch.

    Anyway... here it is....




    Then I started thinking.... I own basically everything below, a pedalboard shuffle and some new cables and I could build the rig below. Similar ideas (just no high gain Mesa tone, but still similar). The ES8 can do all the switching, the amps sound great today, just a little more difficult to move (not that this would be for anything other than rehearsing and jamming either way, if I was hardcore gigging I’d probably go Helix and powered cab...)




    Thoughts? Mostly this is for discussion, who knows if I’d want to sell the things I’d need to sell to acquire the rack gear, but I thought it might be fun to talk about and debate...



    OK... additional cost not withstanding, this rack clocks in at a portly 215lbs. I guess there’s a reason I use a Princeton Reverb and Pedaltrain Mini, if possible.

    Anyway, if you had roadies, which would you prefer?
    25
    Rack
    28.00%
    7
    Pedalboard
    64.00%
    16
    Rob Option
    8.00%
    2
    Last edited by PFDarkside; 04-21-2020, 10:41 AM.
    Oh no.....


    Oh Yeah!

  • #2
    Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

    I count 15u spaces so this rack will weight a ton!!!!! Not funny to lift to put in the car/truck.
    I don't see anything in your rack that cannot be done with an Axe-FX, for maybe less money and definitely easier to move.
    I used to have a 4u rack case with a Rocktron Voodu Valve and a Peavey Classic 60/60 tube power amp (they will go on sale soon). Only a small midi footpedal with an expression pedal upfront (Tech21 Midi Mongoose). Sounded really good and the weight was manageable.
    I'm now using an Avid Eleven Rack and like it a lot. Fits in a 2u rack.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

      im sure i could get by with either but id never use a fair amount of the stuff. for me, id go pedals into amp with a switcher. you have a ton of versatility with the rack, but are you going to use it? gonna run the triaxis and jmp1 simultaniously, each through have the 4x12?

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

        Originally posted by donaldr View Post
        I count 15u spaces so this rack will weight a ton!!!!! Not funny to lift to put in the car/truck.
        I don't see anything in your rack that cannot be done with an Axe-FX, for maybe less money and definitely easier to move.
        I used to have a 4u rack case with a Rocktron Voodu Valve and a Peavey Classic 60/60 tube power amp (they will go on sale soon). Only a small midi footpedal with an expression pedal upfront (Tech21 Midi Mongoose). Sounded really good and the weight was manageable.
        I'm now using an Avid Eleven Rack and like it a lot. Fits in a 2u rack.
        From above, 215lbs! I agree that the tones could be 95% with AxeFX, Kemper or Helix. Part of it is putting together the ridiculous rig, and I think I just proved it is ridiculous. I started with just planning for a TriAxis and 2:90, then thought a G-Major is only one more slot for a 4u. Then you need some pedals, may as well get power and wireless while you’re at it!

        I still really want to try a TriAxis and a JMP-1, I guess there’s no reason either couldnt exist in a 4u rack like an amp head.


        Originally posted by jeremy View Post
        im sure i could get by with either but id never use a fair amount of the stuff. for me, id go pedals into amp with a switcher. you have a ton of versatility with the rack, but are you going to use it? gonna run the triaxis and jmp1 simultaniously, each through have the 4x12?
        The dream is one rig that will do TriAxis fat and crystal cleans, Marshall Breakup and Crunch and Mesa Mark heavy tones and lead. G Major for ambience, pedals for effects and be able to feed either British or American speakers, by patch, from either side of the stereo power amp.

        With the switcher you could set it up for a single amp or both for whatever I actually wanted to lug around somewhere.
        Oh no.....


        Oh Yeah!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

          I pick the one that is lighter.

          When I do my solo shows, I have a rack with the guitar synth and loopers in there...and it is 6 spaces, and must weigh about 70lbs. I find myself not using it as much for live shows because I don't want to carry it. I suppose I can split it up into a few smaller racks, but that takes up space, and then you have wires all over the place going from one to another. While I grew up with racks, it was a bad system then, and doesn't make sense now, especially for a gigging player that has to carry his own stuff.
          Administrator of the SDUGF

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          • #6
            Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

            Pedal Board, though I don't use enough pedals to justify one. I only have a booster, tuner, and wah, so setup takes a miute.
            - Tom

            Originally posted by Frankly
            Some people make the wine. Some people drink the wine. And some people sniff the cork and wonder what might have been.
            The Eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn of the Crow.

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            • #7
              Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

              Def choose the pedalboard set up. I don’t use a lot of pedals so I don’t have a ton to pack around. Works for me.

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              • #8
                Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

                Originally posted by Mincer View Post
                I pick the one that is lighter.

                When I do my solo shows, I have a rack with the guitar synth and loopers in there...and it is 6 spaces, and must weigh about 70lbs. I find myself not using it as much for live shows because I don't want to carry it. I suppose I can split it up into a few smaller racks, but that takes up space, and then you have wires all over the place going from one to another. While I grew up with racks, it was a bad system then, and doesn't make sense now, especially for a gigging player that has to carry his own stuff.
                I agree. I still have a rack only because there are sounds in there that I can’t replicate with programs or stomp boxes. Plus, I already have all the midi mapped out in my computer.

                Live, pedals are so much easier.

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                • #9
                  Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

                  Pedalboard makes way more sense for anything I've ever done.
                  Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

                  Originally posted by Douglas Adams
                  This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

                    I've been going through a similar thought experiment. The AMT preamp pedals look and sound amazing from the demos I've seen. One or two of those pedals, tuner, wah, boost, delay, and pedalboard power amp. Bob's your uncle. And the wah is unnecessary too. Probably a total of twenty pounds or so.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

                      Originally posted by TMD
                      Rack for me. I know how to manage rack spaghetti. Casters and vans exist for reasons.
                      Oh no.....


                      Oh Yeah!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

                        Originally posted by PFDarkside View Post
                        Now that's rock and roll.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

                          Originally posted by misterwhizzy View Post
                          Now that's rock and roll.
                          Rock, roll, and soccer practice all in one! But does it come in black?

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                          • #14
                            Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

                            Originally posted by devastone View Post
                            Rock, roll, and soccer practice all in one! But does it come in black?
                            Soccer Dad Rock!!

                            - Tom

                            Originally posted by Frankly
                            Some people make the wine. Some people drink the wine. And some people sniff the cork and wonder what might have been.
                            The Eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn of the Crow.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Which Guitar Rig would you prefer? (rack vs pedalboard)

                              Originally posted by devastone View Post
                              Rock, roll, and soccer practice all in one! But does it come in black?
                              Sure. We can probably get some flames too.
                              Oh no.....


                              Oh Yeah!

                              Comment

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