Why aren't 500 series guitar preamps a thing?

[T Gobbs]

The format seems perfect.

 

[zerofucks]

 

[newholland]

i mean... handing a sound guy a single xlr is already happening. but i think its like plumbing. right for cold left for hot and shit runs downhill, and theres 14000 standards for the same rules. do we need MORE?

i dont want a 500 series guitar preamp.

 

[la szum]

Good question. Kind of interesting.

I wonder if the modular thing could have more legs in the guitar preamp/fx
department than it currently does.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Synergy is basically doing that. I'm not sure they'd sell as well in the 500 format though.

 

[Devin]

Companies already barely want to make rack guitar preamps; a 500 version would probably make even less financial sense honestly


Like FuzzyAce said, Synergy is probably the closest you're gonna get

 

[T Gobbs]

Ya'll aren't wrong, but tell me the idea of having your entire signal chain (including outboard gear) wrapped up in a 3u isn't appealing.

 

[newholland]

only thing, it kinda wouldnt though. i mean... youd need a power amp, speaker, mic- and half of the devices out there are tryna offboard speaker/cab/mic already. so its basically a rack. i think the idea is kinda amazing for a certain subset of studio rats though and i kinda love that. but i think in broad appeal .. thats a serious niche universe.

 

[metropolis_4]

I would build a 500 guitar rig if it existed. It’s a great idea

 

[EOengineer]

I would have thought 4-5 12ax7s in a 500 series space would be pushing it space and heatwise but it seems like maybe synergy is already doing this. Generally I think guitarists just don’t love dealing with racks.

 

[T Gobbs]

I would have thought 4-5 12ax7s in a 500 series space would be pushing it space and heatwise but it seems like maybe synergy is already doing this. Generally I think guitarists just don’t love dealing with racks.

Just cram a BE-OD in there.

 

[laxu]

I'd love if pedals used the 500 series format.

Pedals are dumb if you think about it.

• They are inconsistent in how they are switched. Spacing, type of switch, number of switches etc.
• You need to power each pedal separately resulting in power cable spaghetti.
• Input/output jacks are located on whatever side of the pedal so unless you stick to one brand, you will have another set of spaghetti.
• Changing the order requires removing at minimum 3 cables.
• Bending over or crouching down to adjust things on the floor makes no sense.
• Having your expensive pedalboard at the front of the stage where your playing happens means it's one sloppy drunk person away from being beer-coated.
• One press switching means you need MIDI support or an expensive loop switcher.

If they were all MIDI controlled 500 series rack units, you could put your pedals on top or near your amp, thus having minimal noise issues as your cables can remain short. No dumb rack trays for pedals either for those who use rack units.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Seems like a solution looking for a problem. I think for guitarists, very few are going to be OK with effects that don’t have a footswitch built in and the appeal of using the same power supply for something that’s racked up anyway isn’t particularly helpful (vs just having an IEC power strip or a pedalboard friendly PSU).

Nothing stopping guitarists combining existing rack preamps (or pedal ones on a shelf) with a 500 series rack for FX modules. IMO there’s a reason no one’s doing it that way, and also a reason no one is really offering it. 500 series stuff barely makes sense in a studio environment where it was originally intended for IMO.

EDIT: Also, Synergy exists and is basically offering that but with adjustments that make sense for guitar preamps. You ain’t getting a decent poweramp into a 500 series module, so you’d need a couple of rack spaces for that. Let’s say you have 7 more 500 series slots to fill, maybe one for controlling FX loops and routing, maybe another for MIDI at a stretch. Then what? An overdrive unit? analog delay? modulation? It just seems terrible to me vs using rack gear and pedals (which you’d probably need a bit of anyway unless it was massively adopted by every manufacturer).

 

[T Gobbs]

I want a portable rack I can put my laptop on top of, 3u is the exact size that works for me, , I don't care about tubes, I don't want or need footswitches, If I did I'd want a separate foot controller, I don't want or need a poweramp, and I want to practice working with an analog workflow as a hobby, which, at the finger-painting level I'm at, would make throwing down for full size rack shit a waste.

The problem here is that, given my use case (and I guess it's a fringe one), I can get every piece of gear I want for 500 series besides a distortion pedal, which means I have this perfect, self-contained thing, and then I have to add a fucking dongle to it. I saw a diy TS module that someone put together, and it made so much sense to me.

Also, have you seen the pedalboards people post on the internet? I refuse to believe anyone would have a hard time filling a chassis.

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

Reminds me of the Boss Micro Rack

 

[T Gobbs]

That's too fucking cool.

 

[TJontheRoad]

An interesting idea but, considering a 500 series case alone will set you back a pretty penny, it’ll be a very expensive proposition.

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

That's too fucking cool.

yeah, real cool

I am always really tempted to get literally any of their old micro rack modules whenever I see them on ebay etc, but I have no reason for wanting them other than how they look ... I love the look of old Roland and Boss stuff.