ilovefuzz.com

So, I'm definitely intrigued by rackmount stuff.
Can I get some cheap rackmount stuff and use it without getting into a bunch of MIDI zaniness?
I just want to be able to tweak knobs until I get a sound that I like.
What are some good units to keep an eye our for?
I might be grabbing a Yamaha SPX90 from a fellow tomorrow morning for a good price.

Also, just, like:
How the fuck does this shit work?

rfurtkamp, this thread is for you.

I currently use:
Yamaha GEP50
2x FX500

I want to buy:
Roland GP16
Korg A3
Lexicon Vortex
Eventide stuff

I'm trying to get a "synth" setup, rack synth included.

in before rf--oh.

I have:
Alesis Midiverb II and Quadraverb+
Roland SRV-330 and GP-16
Yamaha FX500
Boss SE-70

I don't use MIDI with any of them and just stick whichever unit I want to use at the end of the pedalboard's signal chain (I don't have an effects loop on my amp).

Some others I've used in the past that were fun--Lexicon LXP-15 II, Roland SDE-330, Sony DPS-V55.

I have a TC Electronic FireWorx. I use it in a Aux send in my mixer, mostly I run synths and drum machines through it but it fun as fuck for the bass. I am thinking about an Eventide..

If I wasn't wanting to mess much with midi, I would just have the rack(s) in a true-bypass loop.

I have a Lexicon Vortex. I dislike having to edit one parameter at a time, but I love the sounds. It's a little difficult to integrate into my setup though, because I want to use it as an insert or send but my recording shit doesn't really accomodate outside-the-box stuff very well, so I use a reamp box to run tracks through.

I used to have an Alesis Akira which had some cool effects but with only one effect at once and only three parameters per effect, it was more like a clumsy stombox with a terrible bypass tone.

I would love to get into more MIDI rack shit for DAW use but it's a little overwhelming.

I used to have a Jmp-1 and a few older multifx and delay reverb units. The Marshall sounded glorious. But I like my amps with a single channel so never used it for something else than recording and figured it wasn't enough. The multifx were cheap but soon got really boring because they sounded so dated. The lexicon reverb I had sounded super '80s as welI. Also had a Roland SDE 2500 at some point and it was a killer delay unit.

What I found to be painful with rack stuff was integrating it into a usable and transportable enough rig. Solved the issue by limiting myself to a pedalboard. Strymon and Eventide made it way easier on me though.

my essential and the only rack unit is Two-Notes Torpedo Live. Just can't imagine my life without it :>

Vortex requires no (and doesn't support) MIDI - it's all front-panel, point a knob at a parameter, twist a knob with a big friendly LED display. Vortex comes much more alive with stereo feeds and it's a mean, true stereo box.

Midiverb 2 desipte the name is preset-only - it's a lazy pedal in a rackmount form. It's also stereo-out but summed-mono in (so don't need to feed it stereo signal).

SPX90 is editable without MIDI, and if you're willing to just scroll through presets, no need for any at all.

And get yourself a Digitech RDS (doesn't matter which, you're buying it for the LFO and wacky, not megatime - the 1900 or 3600 is fine) - it's just on/off 1/4" FS for on/off and sample+hold buffer trigger. All the fun of a PDS, with headroom and much more overt control over the insane.

Quadraverb is doable without MIDI (can do a 1/4" killswitch for on/off and use it that way if you're so inclined). Glorious ugly verbs and grainy delays with an obscene amount of control. Digital ring mod is a thing of nasty beauty on the + model (get a basic Qverb for < $50, pay $15 for the eprom upgrade on the bay, swap it, boom, be happy) as are the actually controllable multitap settings. Individual %, pan, feedback, etc controls for each tap, it's like a delay contruction set for wacky stoners. You *can* kernel panic the thing as well if you're so inclined - it doesn't sandbox you off from musically useless stuff either. If panic'd, move to next preset, then back, boom, reset.

If you get a couple MIDI devices though, no reason to not get a foot controller though really - but it's something you can work up to.

Honorable mention include the Boss GL-100 - take every period Boss gain box from the 80s except the fuzz, put it in a two channel rack with dual parametric EQ and enough gain/headroom to maim. Ever wanted a more chainsaw-HM2? Easy. Boom. It's 100% analog, all dials and switches and 1/4" controllable. Many, many, many outs as well - stereo 1/4"/XLR that can be run simultaneously, and a (sadly non-switchable) FX loop.

Any of the Roland SDE units are fine and undervalued beasts as well - they don't have the cache of the SDD-3000 among the U2 fans, so they're bottom barrel.

I stil want one o' these:

vortex is a fun unit. make sure you get an expression pedal to use with it. it has a lot out-there effects, like swirling delays.

how does this stuff work? well usually with a lot of menus and a couple of buttons on the front panel, but mainly you can just change presets and have a good time. You don't need to fuss with MIDI, but honestly, if you want to be a modern musician, you should learn a little bit about how MIDI and such does work, unless you just like shred, in which case don't get rack gear.

Rack gear can be really fun. Some of the units I like that are cheap:

-Zoom 9010, this thing has wicked digital distortions
-Zoom 1204, basic multi-fx with a surprisingly good vocoder
-Vortex, as mentioned
-Midiverb PLUS. The plus adds a ring mod and a resonator.

I have so much phucking rack gear it's ridiculous, but those are some good starter units IMHO.

MIDI can be daunting to the uninitiated, but it's really not that complex. Plainly put, it's a communication protocol, which allows you to get different pieces of gear to communicate with each other. For example, if you have lots of MIDI gear, MIDI allows you to send many messages with one press of a button. So if you want to change a bunch of presets all at the same time, you can. Say you're running multiple MIDI equipped modulation effects, you can send out a clock signal, and all of them will align to the clock. A lot of my gear is inter-connected with MIDI. This allows me to create a chain of effects, and easily control them as a group. Sometimes I can send a message to one piece of gear, and have it send different messages to others, like a big game of "telephone".

I also use MIDI in my studio setup. I record to a Korg D888, and I use Ableton to mix and master. My PC and D888 are connected by USB and MIDI. The USB transfers the recorded data back and forth, and the MIDI allows me to sync the two together. I can also shuttle control the PC track from the D888 for recording the dubs.

My keyboardist uses a MIDI keyboard, along with an i5 laptop running Ableton. The two are connected via MIDI. He can create any keyboard or sound he wants on the laptop, and plays them with the keyboard. The laptops soundcard is connected to the amp, or run direct to the D888. One keyboard, infinite creativity.

MIDI can be as simple, or as complex as you need it to be. If you can get your head around channels, continuous controller (CC) messages, and preset numbers, you're well on your way. Without MIDI, I wouldn't have been able to create most of the shit that's run though my head at times.

Megafan of outboard gear and fx. Also nice racks

Here's a gutshot of the RCA console mic pres I've got waiting in the wing:


Next up: pair of Pultec-type passive parametric eqs....and down the road...an La2a and 1176

Also a big fan of the Akai s950 and Tascam 112mkII which will be in dis lil setup.

No one's mentioned the Electrix rack units? I got Filter Factory, Warp Factory, and Mo-FX, and all three are knob-laden awesomeness.

Also have an ART MPA Gold preamp, and a Pro VLA II compressor. Put nicer tubes in right off the bat, but they sound great.

Mind you, I use these more for synths & drums - not so much guitars.