Is There Still Any Love For Any Rack Pieces?

M

ManWithGas

Roadie
Messages
185
Today we can get pedals & modellers etc that can wash the dishes, take the dog for a walk, make your lunch and drive you to work and back.

With that said, do any of you guys still have and use any rack gear and what are your thoughts about it all?
Pics are welcome of course.

Okay, I'll go first (BTW: I haven't used this in years)
 
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I’ve still got my TC Electronics G-Force that I’ll never get rid of. Like the AxeFX, I wanted one for years before I could afford it. It gets trashed a lot these days due to the quality/sound of the delays/reverbs but I love the thing. Sure, the AxeFX does a lot more, but I absolutely got my money’s worth out of that thing for nearly 20 years.
 
ManWithGas said:
What brand & model of preamp?
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Its a Demeter Mic Preamp. Supposed to be really nice and just got serviced, I just have zero use for it. Can't even find one on Reverb to know how much to post it for.

I must admit, I did try a rack setup a few years back. Got a ton of rack gear in a trade, sold several of the units, kept a few to build a 4 slot rack: Preamp, multi-FX, EQ and tuner. Thing weighed 80 lbs and was awkward to carry. Sounded OK, but maybe a bit dated. I guess I'm just a pedal guy. :idk
 
itchyfingers said:
Its a Demeter Mic Preamp. Supposed to be really nice and just got serviced, I just have zero use for it. Can't even find one on Reverb to know how much to post it for.

I must admit, I did try a rack setup a few years back. Got a ton of rack gear in a trade, sold several of the units, kept a few to build a 4 slot rack: Preamp, multi-FX, EQ and tuner. Thing weighed 80 lbs and was awkward to carry. Sounded OK, but maybe a bit dated. I guess I'm just a pedal guy. :idk
Click to expand...
I like the IDEA of racks, always. The reality sometimes varies; depending on what level of control I have. If I have to cobble together a 6 pedal board to control the rack; then I might as well just have an amp and pedalboard.
 
The main reason I went for a rack setup starting in the 90's was for the stereo output. I've just loved that form factor ever since.
 
ManWithGas said:
Today we can get pedals & modellers etc that can wash the dishes, take the dog for a walk, make your lunch and drive you to work and back.

With that said, do any of you guys still have and use any rack gear and what are your thoughts about it all?
Pics are welcome of course.

Okay, I'll go first (BTW: I haven't used this in years)

View attachment 1389
Click to expand...

It's not Eventide quality but I'd love to have my Digitech GFX-1 and foot controller back. I was a total fool to sell the 2 I had.

Pic for reference not mine.

1665501292384.png
 
JiveTurkey said:
I like the IDEA of racks, always. The reality sometimes varies; depending on what level of control I have. If I have to cobble together a 6 pedal board to control the rack; then I might as well just have an amp and pedalboard.
Click to expand...
Totally get that. I also think the reason I'm not enamored with the racks is maybe because I didn't start playing guitar until the mid-90s. If you were playing guitar in the 80s, you NEEDED a rack, and if you were learning guitar, your heroes were undoubtedly playing thru a rack. Its kinda like a post I read on here the other day (can't remember the thread) that talked about kids learning guitar today being drawn to modelers rather than dad's old tube amp. We are all victims of our own generation's pop culture. :ROFLMAO:
 
itchyfingers said:
Totally get that. I also think the reason I'm not enamored with the racks is maybe because I didn't start playing guitar until the mid-90s. If you were playing guitar in the 80s, you NEEDED a rack, and if you were learning guitar, your heroes were undoubtedly playing thru a rack. Its kinda like a post I read on here the other day (can't remember the thread) that talked about kids learning guitar today being drawn to modelers rather than dad's old tube amp. We are all victims of our own generation's pop culture. :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
100%

Weird thing for me is I grew up with rack idolization, but when I get a rack; I always want to boil it down to 2u and have it weigh 11lbs tops.


:oops: :wat:rofl


Logic
:farley
 
Most definitely! I got the vintage rack bug right before we all learned about Covid. I bought a few processors on Reverb in Nov. 2019. It all started when Rocktron had that blowout sale on their Valve Sonic Plexi preamps. At $285 for a new tube preamp it was too good to pass up so I bought one. I already had a MosValve 1160 I bought in the early '00s to run my NMV Superlead in a W/D/W set up. Next I bought a Digitech 2112 with the 2120 Artist firmware upgrade and then a Lexicon MPX-1. The 2112/2120 was $180 and the Lexi was $185. I also picked up a non-working Peavey Rock Master preamp that some local guy was using as a parts donor for 3 good ones he had in his rack. I got that for $25. It was a total basket case, full of dead relays, a broken pot, all but a couple knobs missing, no rack ears...real fkn mess. I fixed it and it's my favorite preamp now.

The MPX-1 had a dead battery in it so I couldn't save presets. I just cut the battery off the board and replaced it with a battery socket a couple of weeks ago. I've been editing presets and damn is that processor good. Our buddy Leon Todd's videos have been a huge inspiration. :beer

Here's a couple of recent clips I made with each:



 
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I enjoy watching videos of rack builds and reviews, but I like being able to do everything all contained in one unit like the Axe FX 3. If I had a pile of money to burn, I'd love to build a rack around a Synergy preamp with an Axe 3 for effects/switching into a stereo poweramp/cab setup (or powered monitors).
 
Jarick said:
I enjoy watching videos of rack builds and reviews, but I like being able to do everything all contained in one unit like the Axe FX 3. If I had a pile of money to burn, I'd love to build a rack around a Synergy preamp with an Axe 3 for effects/switching into a stereo poweramp/cab setup (or powered monitors).
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Me too but I'm not sure what I would even need beyond AXE-FX III. As far as I can tell the effects are fantastic in that and the amp tones are as good as any you would get from an old rack preamp. It would be MUCH EASIER to go that route. I might some day. It would fit what I do these days better than the pile of old tube amps I have but there's a certain charm in the old amps I would probably miss.
 
Helix Rack, Kemper Rack, or AxeFX III count? :D

Just boxed up my last rack processor—a Lexicon PCM 91. Not that it doesn't sound superb—it most certainly does—but it's one more thing to boot and recall for a mix. Would much rather select a DAW session, press play, and not have to do anything else. Even my hardware synths get tracked right away so I'm not tempted to run MIDI out of the box.
 
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