# Is the rack, back?



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Who is currently running a rack system?


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I've thought about it, but I'm good with pedals.

Although at one point I was thinking about it as I bought a Rockman Stereo Echo & I have borrowed some rack stuff.

But then there's cost as well.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Its certainly one of those things that takes time to build and it's a piece by piece thing. About 10 years ago I had a massive rig. I still have the big rack but its pretty much empty now.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I still have the big rack but its pretty much empty now.


In my head--"Don't post anything, don't post anything, don't post anything, don't post anything, don't post anything, don't post anything..."


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## limelight65 (Jun 2, 2014)

I have an AXE FX 11 XL. hundreds of combinations of amps and effects. sounds are fantastic.

Many folks feel the 3k cost is prohibitive but if you consider a couple high end amps to come close to the variety of amp tones and a dozen pedals, its much cheaper and far more convenient to tote round or play in your basement to record.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

zontar said:


> In my head--"Don't post anything, don't post anything, don't post anything, don't post anything, don't post anything, don't post anything..."


http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af129/Electraglide49/Nice_7e8ecc_114063_zpsk5sfkf2o.jpg 6 ball in a corner pocket.


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## djmarcelca (Aug 2, 2012)

I'm a zealous convert of digital modeling/multi-effects units. 

Although I've been thinking of changing things up. I've very much been looking into a rack mounted unit.
I'm very happy with Digitech's floor units so that may lead me to their rack unit. 
More of a lateral shift with that unit I think. 

The past little while I've been messing about with matching the basic settings of my patches 
Amp sim/Cabinet sim, Eq, Noisegate, and reverb settings and then only changing the effects

I've been doing this because I've been noticing that I've come back "to my favorite amp/speaker combo" more and more. 
So I came up with 4-5 patches that are all the same except for the effects

1 is Tube screamer/Leslie/echo/Crybaby 
2 is Death metal/chorus/delay/crybaby
3 is DS-1/pitch shift/delay/crybaby
4 is tube screamer/whammy/echoplex/crybaby
5 is redline OD/Flanger/delay/crybaby


I'm using it more of a multi-pedalboard setup now than a multi-amp sim 

But my pedal board case is pretty large and heavy, so a Rack mounted shift may be a good idea to shrink everything down some more.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I tried the rack approach and it worked well.

These days for me, it's about efficiency and reducing the amount of clutter (and noise) on stage so it's a modeler (POD HD500X), straight to the PA.

I still get the tones I want.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

Had a rack setup in the late 80's, early nineties then moved to a pedalboard setup. Over the past couple of years I've gotten nostalgic and for fun put together a rack with an ADA MP1, Rocktron Intellifex, BBE Sonic Maximizer, a Chandler SDE and an FCB1010 for switching. I'm using a non-master Marshall for amplification but keeping my eyes open for a decent stereo power amp.


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## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

Last rehearsal I took a rack unit to, bandmates laughed their asses off and said "This isn't going to become a regular thing, is it?"


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

I'm using the rack for recordings, I tried to break it out for a jam, but I'm still addicted to my pedals.


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## sorbz62 (Nov 15, 2011)

I had a good Marshall JMP-1/ ADA MP1/ Lexicon PCM/ Marshall EL34 poweramp back in the day and sold it many years ago but I also missed the tweakability and have recently put together this:










Furman Power conditioner
Korg Tuner
Egnater M4 preamp with a handful of modules
Marshall JMP-1
Eventide Eclipse
CAE Dual/Stereo mixer (replaced now with Switchblade 8F)
RJM Amp Gizmo
Voodoo Lab GCX
Tray with H9, OCD, Phase 90, Xotic Comp - in GCX loops
Peavey 50/50 power amp.

...... All controlled by a Voodoo Lab GCP and going to 2 cabs if stereo or Wet/ Dry

the switchblade allows me to patch in my Bogner XTC Classic amp and cab and have a W/D/W system if I should wish!

....... i've also just bought a Kemper toaster which can be patched in too!

Cheers,
Jim


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## Guest (May 14, 2015)

It's been back for _years_ now for me!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I had a Voodoo Lab GCX/GCP system for a little while, but was just too much to move around for me. I'm down to my PT Jr. now and I refuse to go with anything bigger.

I loved the flexibility of the rack and I can see myself going with an Axe Fx unit like Ian's at some point, but not a giant rack again. Too much to lug.


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## Guest (May 14, 2015)

hollowbody said:


> I loved the flexibility of the rack and I can see myself going with an Axe Fx unit like Ian's at some point, but not a giant rack again. Too much to lug.


I refuse to go bigger than 4U. It's "just right" and maybe a little on the side of too big with that SKB roto-mold case. Have been toying with getting a smaller case. I'm going to add wireless in the future and that'll bump the Furman off the rack -- I'll either reverse it so it's "in the back" and just always on, or I'll lose it altogether and afix a power bar in to the back of the case. I keep the rear lid on all the time now since I got a new breakout panel that brings my power connection up to the front too. It's very convenient.


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## sorbz62 (Nov 15, 2011)

iaresee said:


> I refuse to go bigger than 4U. It's "just right" and maybe a little on the side of too big with that SKB roto-mold case. Have been toying with getting a smaller case. I'm going to add wireless in the future and that'll bump the Furman off the rack -- I'll either reverse it so it's "in the back" and just always on, or I'll lose it altogether and afix a power bar in to the back of the case. I keep the rear lid on all the time now since I got a new breakout panel that brings my power connection up to the front too. It's very convenient.


Weakling!! Haha! I know what you mean - my 12u rack in my post above is immensely heavy!! But at the moment it stays at home and I use my Kemper or a combo for gigs!


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## sorbz62 (Nov 15, 2011)

iaresee said:


> It's been back for _years_ now for me!



What is the rack piece under the AFX - is it an interface? Where did you get it? 

I am looking for something similar so I don't have to go rooting around in teh back of my rack all the time.

Cheers,
Jim


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## Guest (Jan 16, 2016)

sorbz62 said:


> What is the rack piece under the AFX - is it an interface? Where did you get it?
> 
> I am looking for something similar so I don't have to go rooting around in teh back of my rack all the time.
> 
> ...


Yes! It's a breakout interface -- it brings connections from the back of the rack to the front. Here's a better picture of that specific panel:










It was made by Hans at Vafam Sound who was an absolutely wonderful human being and a pleasure to do business with. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2015 after a long battle with cancer. There was talk of his kids keeping the business going -- but I'm not sure if that's happened or not but get in touch with them and maybe they are?

I'm actually running a more complicated 16-hole panel from him now. It's a really nice way to use this rack. I generally keep it stood up like you see in the picture, with the back panel on all the time. And then I just pop the top panel off to expose everything and setup. It looks like this:










There's a blue (power in) Power-On connector that just provides power to the Furman unit. And the ***********-On connectors are plugged in to outlets on the Furman and provide a nice way to run power to things like a pair of powered FRFR speakers. For now I'm just using my courtesy outlet on the Furman for my EV FRFR speaker (I run mono live). You can make your own PowerOn-ended cables pretty cheap from parts off of Amazon. The 16-hole panel brings everything I could possibly need to access up to the front of the rack.

Highly recommend a breakout panel!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I don't think rack gear ever really left, people just bought more amps and pedals instead. 

I have no desire to move to a rack, and those who think they reduce weight are kidding themselves once a tube power amp is involved


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