Rack vs. Pedal

mpisarcik · Post by **mpisarcik** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 7:17 am

What are the benifits to each? I have pedals right now, and am pretty happy. The only thing is that each one kind of adds a noise. I know that I can just get a looper, but that's another "pedal!"<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

http://members.cox.net/mpisarcik/websit ... pment3.htm

Matt Pisarcik

Nothing is Black or White...it's all Grey.

Orphin · Post by **Orphin** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 8:00 am

Pedals are more rock n' roll. Do you think Jimi Hendrix used rack effects? <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

David

RV100H-1174-09-04
PPC 412 10699-01-04

Andy H. · Post by **Andy H.** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 8:11 am

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Pedals are more rock n' roll. Do you think Jimi Hendrix used rack effects?<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>Do you think he had much choice? <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>

Andy.

irish_admiral · Post by **irish_admiral** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 11:11 am

Convenience... I can tweak most of my pedals on the fly with my feet. Got used to doing that with my Tremolo mid-effect: sounds kind of cool.

Extra sound loss is s bummer, although it's not that bad.

Joe

Don't tell me the best way, just tell me the cheapest way...
G&L ASAT - Gibson Les Paul Classic - AD30R

Post by **bclaire** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 11:36 am

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Do you think Jimi Hendrix used rack effects? <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

David
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

HA HA HA!!

but Hendrix had Roger Mayer at his disposal, too!

I hate pedals... and love my rack effects. I have so many things pre-programed into my Replifex and SPX-90 that knob-tweaking is unnecessary. Still, I usually only use 5 or 6 of them live I suppose... and my delay/ reverb setting is probably in use 90% of the time.

I never liked watching a band and seeing a guitarist drop to the floor and start tweaking knobs... call me old-fashioned but it looks unprofessional to me.

I DO have one pedal- a distortion pedal- but it's mounted in the back of the rack and comes into the chain via midi-footswitching so it's effectively a rack effect as a result.

Billy

http://www.sherylamour.com http://www.theallens.theallens.com

littlefred · Post by **littlefred** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:07 pm

I'd say rack all the way if I could afford a system to switch my pedals, amp channel and a couple of MIDI-controlled rack effects too. That way I would have more control and not have to worry about tap-dancing on my pedals in the middle of songs...

Joe

Howard · Post by **Howard** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 2:47 pm

For me... after building a great rack system, I went back to basics, a head and cab with pedals.One thing I notice a lot of people doing with pedals is if they need a different setting on a pedal for a song they just buy 2 of the same pedal and have one set for one song and the other for another.Ya using MIDI is faster and cleaner I wont argue. I guess I like both ways but prefer pedals .

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/tennoa/rack.jpg" border=0>

EL34's are pretty <img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>

LeonC · Post by **LeonC** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 2:48 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Pedals are more rock n' roll. Do you think Jimi Hendrix used rack effects? <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle><hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Dude, I loved Hendrix....but he used pedals because that was his only choice...and even then, he didn't use them for time-based effects like phase-shifting, etc. in the studio. There were no amps with effects loops, digital didn't exist nor did 90% of the companies who make todays effects.

Me, I like OD, vol, wah and some compression pedals...but all the time-based and stereo effects go in the rack. Like bclaire, I also have a Replifex and keep my pedals in the rack too (control them all through a Ground Control Pro--really cleans up the pedal board). The time-based effects just sound WAAAAY better after the amp than before. it. Since I got my Rockerverb 50 (my first amp with an effects loop in a looong time), I'm playing with putting some of this stuff in the loop, but the best sounding rigs use rack-based effects in a serperate, dedicated stereo wet-rig. Now that sounds friggin amazing... But OD, distortion, fuzz, whatever (and even some compressors) sound great in pedals...just MHO, of course.

http://www.MusicianMatcher.com/LeonsGear/

irish_admiral · Post by **irish_admiral** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 3:08 pm

... but there's just something magical about doing the Riverdance on stage, and seeing all those LEDs light up like jewels in the mist.

I'd get a rack if I could afford it... can't right now. I imagine i'd get around Ã‚Â£500 if I sold all my pedals. Would that get me (good) overdrive x 2; delay; EQ; tremolo; phaser & chorus? Plus the means to control them as effectively? I'd have to keep my wah...

Joe

Don't tell me the best way, just tell me the cheapest way...
G&L ASAT - Gibson Les Paul Classic - AD30R

mpisarcik · Post by **mpisarcik** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 3:24 pm

hey joe- would you mind recording your AD30R with your Fulltone? One track dry, the other wet?

Back to the pedals issue- I kind of had the same feeling. I am really a Delay and Reverb freak. I think that I'd like to have several wettings programed into a rack, and turn them on with my foot (ground control). I'd probably like to have my Vintage Rat and Tube Driver (if I ever get one) also turned on remotely.

Hey Billy- what do you think are the essentails of a small rack system? I was thinking of getting one of those T.C. Electronics deals (i know many of my fav. bands use them). Probably some sort of pwer conditioner, tuner, a way to incorporate a few stomp boxes (in the rack), and the control unit.

Matt Pisarcik

Nothing is Black or White...it's all Grey.

LeonC · Post by **LeonC** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:24 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
I'd get a rack if I could afford it... can't right now. I imagine i'd get around Ã‚Â£500 if I sold all my pedals. Would that get me (good) overdrive x 2; delay; EQ; tremolo; phaser & chorus? Plus the means to control them as effectively? I'd have to keep my wah...
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Well the thing is, you can find stuff used that'll sound great and be pretty inexpensive. You can find scads of used Rocktron Intellifexes and other delay and chorus type units for well under 200USD (about 100# or so?). Then you can get a MIDI Mate or an older ("pre-Pro") Ground Control (which I think is the easiest to program) for even less.

If you want to be able to turn your regular pedals on/off from your MIDI controller too, you'll need to look carefully at the features of MIDI controller you're buying to make sure it can do that. I think it needs to be able to send CC messages as well as program-change messages. (I believe the last version or two of pre-"Pro" Ground Controls could do this, but earlier ones couldn't).

I believe you'll also need another device like the GCX or Axess Electronics GRX-4 to provide the MIDI-controlled loops that you'll put the pedals in. I use the GRX-4. Love it. Provides 4 loops, and was easy to setup (IMO).

I will say that there's a learning curve to doing MIDI-controlled stuff. If you've never done any of that before, make friends with someone who has. You may want their help <img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>. But once you get it worked out...it's a gas and gives you some very valuable features. From my Ground Control Pro, I can:

<ul>
<li>switch through banks of patches in my Replifex</li>
<li>within each patch, I can turn up to 4 effects on/off</li>
<li>run two expression pedals to do change effects parameters on the fly (e.g., chorus speed, delay level, tremolo intensity or speed, 'leslie' speed, etc.)</li>
<li>turn 4 pedals on/off</li>
</ul>

That's a lot of power from one big box on the floor and it lights up real nice too <img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>.

http://www.MusicianMatcher.com/LeonsGear/

fernandodarin · Post by **fernandodarin** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:34 pm

pedals are easier, but i love my rockman delay.

motorsquad · Post by **motorsquad** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:54 pm

I saw Radiohead once and I love watching them drop down at the end of the show and end iit by making white noise flipping pedals on and off...

Joel

fernandodarin · Post by **fernandodarin** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:56 pm

yeah, i saw them too. it was amazing.. the pedal thing..

irish_admiral · Post by **irish_admiral** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 5:19 pm

Hi Matt, my overdrives are the Banzai Fireball II (not the Fulldrive 2, although the idea is very similar), and a Maxon OD-808 (same as the modern Ibanez TS-808, only better).

I'll record, but won't be able to post up on the site until I find a free MP3 hosting site.

Quick description...

Banzai - very muscular and dark sounding. I've modded everything so you get the most trebley and mid-cut sound... and then it's just transparent. Roll up the volume and overdrive dials, and your sound thickens up with a heap of lower mid-range oomph. Really nice throaty sound for chord chucking... like really nice. Decay isn't quite as smooth as the Orange, but what is? Overdrive & Boost footstomps. Also got zero, some, and high compression settings. I'd quite happily use it with a clean amp.

Maxon - much more trebley and thinner sounding, but a lot smoother sounding on the gain, and the decay. You can select (effectively) the mix you want using 'balance', the amount of gain with 'overdrive' and the EQ with 'tone'. Goes from muted to very trebley. Mix it with the Banzai and you've got a powerful-sounding lead. On it's own, more of a screaming solo, as the pseudo-Tubescreamer title suggests. Wouldn't use it with a clean amp, unless it was just for solos. Best pushing an overdriven amp.

Back onto the whole rackmounts thing... can you get rackmount equivalents of those pedals i've just described?

Joe

Don't tell me the best way, just tell me the cheapest way...
G&L ASAT - Gibson Les Paul Classic - AD30R

Rack vs. Pedal

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