I really want a company to make a modern 1U rackmount effects processor

[Desertdweller]

I’m one of those guys that played rack gear extensively in the late 90s and 2000s with the bands I was in, and my favorite rig from that time was the classic Triaxis/G Force / 2:90 setup. Tried and true, it worked so well. This past year I picked up a GForce as a nostalgia project and it’s been up and down. Yeah it sounds great, but I had to do some interesting work inside of it since it’s basically a 20+ year old computer at this point, and it has some electronics showing some signs of age.

Now I could always slap a 2U Axe FX II in the rack and call it a day. I’ve done it before and I may do it again, but I think what I really want is to see a company come out with something like the VP4 or HX Effects and make it a 1U rackmount processor. I can’t see it selling all that well and I doubt there’s any substantial market for it, and I’m not in a position to bring this product to market myself either, even though I’ve been kicking around a couple startup ideas.

With companies like Synergy, Fryette, and Soldano re-investing in rack gear recently, and with Fractal and Line 6 basically always having a larger rack unit as their flagship, it makes me wonder if anyone would take a risk in bringing a 1U rack effects unit to market.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Yes, please. Shut up and take my money, etc.

I'm so over the brains/controller being in one box, multiplying the failure rate of devices. Give me something small that can get sandwiched between a head and a cab, wireless MIDI that mawfakka to a controller.

At home I run my HX Stomp on top of my Stealth in 4CM, while it changes channels on the head via MIDI. Paint Audio MIDI Captain on standby for when I actually want to use this rig anywhere.

 

[HomespunEffects]

I agree. A Tonex Rack, a Helix FX Rack, an Axiom PAE Rack in stereo and the option for either routing direct to the board or "FRFR" through an IR or into a stereo power amp and cabinet.

 

[JiveTurkey]

+1000

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

In my mind there’s little chance anything like that coming to the market. With rack, you ditched the “portable” side of the coin anyway, and I doubt that IF new rack units get developed, it would make sense to sacrifice a touch screen over 1HE less.

I’ve been down the 1he unit road some time ago…landed on digitech 1101 as the best available option.

Alternative: stick a floor unit on a rack drawer! Maybe some would even fit a 1HE?
Mine needed 2HE and looked like this:

 

[laxu]

VP4 or two in a rack drawer? Not sure if it can fit in 1U tho.

To me the next gen Axe-Fx or Helix rack units should be just brain and I/O boxes. The front panel is a big reason why they are 3U in size, so if you cut that down to bare minimum (e.g a small presets/scenes display + volume knobs) and leave editing for laptops and tablets, you could cram it in much smaller size.

 

[JiveTurkey]

In my mind there’s little chance anything like that coming to the market. With rack, you ditched the “portable” side of the coin anyway, and I doubt that IF new rack units get developed, it would make sense to sacrifice a touch screen over 1HE less.

I’ve been down the 1he unit road some time ago…landed on digitech 1101 as the best available option.

Alternative: stick a floor unit on a rack drawer! Maybe some would even fit a 1HE?
Mine needed 2HE and looked like this:
View attachment 37564View attachment 37563

Always wanted to try the 1101 but I probably never will. The trend towards "everything needs to be dead simple to use in 2025" is a big reason why we probably won't get another killer 1u rack unit. Because it would take a miracle to make something like that "easy to use".

 

[2112]

FM0
FM0
FM0

 

[SonVolt]

VP8-R

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

Always wanted to try the 1101 but I probably never will. The trend towards "everything needs to be dead simple to use in 2025" is a big reason why we probably won't get another killer 1u rack unit. Because it would take a miracle to make something like that "easy to use".

Well..available used, and a relatively easy sell. But Tbh…it’s cool for its age, sounds decent, but nothing gained compared to modern units.
In my mind there’s 2 options these days…big ass screen…or no screen and deal with it on a tablet. Well..maybe a unit packed with knobs, no screen, and a tablet for screen/editing…that would make some sense to me.

Personally I’d only go rack if your touring with a truck and a crew setting up the backline. When you don’t need your stuff to be in bullit proof cases…hard to see the added value. Well…maybe if you play beer throwing crowds. Or for a home/studio rig…less messy then floor stuff.

 

[Desertdweller]

Well..available used, and a relatively easy sell. But Tbh…it’s cool for its age, sounds decent, but nothing gained compared to modern units.
In my mind there’s 2 options these days…big ass screen…or no screen and deal with it on a tablet. Well..maybe a unit packed with knobs, no screen, and a tablet for screen/editing…that would make some sense to me.

Personally I’d only go rack if your touring with a truck and a crew setting up the backline. When you don’t need your stuff to be in bullit proof cases…hard to see the added value. Well…maybe if you play beer throwing crowds. Or for a home/studio rig…less messy then floor stuff.

The added value is the setup time at a gig as well as always having your tones preset. When I gigged with my rack, my setup was literally open the case, connect 2 speaker cables to the cab, powered MIDI to the floor controller, and plug it into a power jack. Done. Now I can go help the drummer set up. Plus having your amp in a rack makes it way easier to transport in a van or trailer with the other gear.

Now that I’m older, the rack is more a nostalgia project and something I doubt I’d ever play live. But I like neat & clean setups, and putting a rack drawer in with a VP4 may be the way I go, but that’s still 2U.

 

[OrganicZed]

FM0
FM0
FM0

Wouldn't the designation RM0 be more appropriate?

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

The added value is the setup time at a gig as well as always having your tones preset. When I gigged with my rack, my setup was literally open the case, connect 2 speaker cables to the cab, powered MIDI to the floor controller, and plug it into a power jack. Done. Now I can go help the drummer set up. Plus having your amp in a rack makes it way easier to transport in a van or trailer with the other gear.

Now that I’m older, the rack is more a nostalgia project and something I doubt I’d ever play live. But I like neat & clean setups, and putting a rack drawer in with a VP4 may be the way I go, but that’s still 2U.

In my mind presets and easy setup can be achieved with both rack as well as floor stuff. If any off the 2 is quicker…we are talking seconds right?….not even minutes?

Transport indeed can be a benifit if you need it to go with other stuff. And “neat and clean” also!

We all view stuff from our own perspective: 9/10 I travel with 1 other player so I don’t have to squeeze my gear into vans or trailers…in the back of a car a small pedalboard is possibly easier to handle then a rack case, I often only need my preamp/efx so I don’t want to have a poweramp attached to that..with a floorboard I can even squeeze it in my bigass gigbag.

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

I am happy to not be lugging a rack anywhere anymore. I even dented my car with one that I used to haul regularly.

Nope. For me it's a small, all-in-one unit in one hand and a guitar on my back. One trip in and out of where I'm playing and zero trips to the chiropractor.

 

[paisleywookiee]

so if you cut that down to bare minimum (e.g a small presets/scenes display + volume knobs) and leave editing for laptops and tablets, you could cram it in much smaller size.