Drak Posted December 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 Yes, I think I've decided after talking to all you guys that I'm probably better off with the rackmount power amp. I have a few ideas of what amp, but that's one area I'm still gathering information on...tubes, SS, hybrid, don't really know yet. Also, a question about the combo parametric/compressor. Common sense says that 2 separate units would be preferred since you normally have more versatility with separate components, but for guitar use, I figured I wouldn't need all that much extra versatility, and the compactness of having 2 effects in one package was more beneficial in the end. What do you think? That, so far, is what I've come up with. It's coming together. No need for a power conditioner that I can see as yet. Feel free to comment good or bad! Thanks Gorecki for chimin' in, it helps! How about the rack itself? Any recommended manufacturers out there? Any good (used) E-Bay ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorecki Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 Thanks Gorecki for chimin' in, it helps! _______________________________ Now on to the next area of inquiry, the various power cords, wall warts, and how to intelligently power the whole thing up in a nice efficient compact manner. Any ideas? Also, how about the rack itself? Any recommended manufacturers out there? Any good (used) E-Bay ideas? No problem. For power up, that's where the power conditioner comes into play. Most have a switch so you can safely turn everything on with one flick. As for racks, anything that is leaving the saftey of a home would be ANVIL ATA Flight cases. They're pricy but last forever. Hey Dave, it is hard to describe the BBE. I use one in my studio and a plugin on my DAW as well. The best description I've seen is it takes low frequences and high frequences and staggers they reproduction ever so slightly to cause them to not step on each other as much in turn giving more definition (detail) to the sound as a whole. The second best description, it just makes stuff sound better! But use it in moderation, like anything, too much of a good thing usually turns out bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saber Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 Here's a quote from the BBE website that pretty much explains it: "Since a loudspeaker's natural tendency is to add progressively longer delay times to higher frequencies, the BBE sound processing system adds progressively longer delay times to lower frequencies." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted December 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 Remember that old childhood story of the 'eversomuchmoreso'? Sounds like that. Just a sprinkle adds ever so much more so to whatever you apply it to, hehehe. Seems like I have the rack space available (unless I really do need a power conditioner) and $100.00 ain't bad, so it might find it's way in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 Is your brain hurting yet, Drak? Cuz mine is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted December 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 Is your brain hurting yet, Drak? Cuz mine is... Nope, I feel just great actually! -Energized- even. The Brain Fart Explosions will come when I try to actually make it all work together and start setting parameters and presets, and I start getting beeps and pops and squeals and The White Noise Variations coming back at me out of all this -fab- ( ) ...gear. I'm sure that will stupify me at some point, hehehe... I'd really like to make a separate thread out of all the computer oriented posts, that's a bit off for me in the distance, but I've been rereading those posts too, and those posts summed up together would make a great thread all on their own instead of being mixed up in all this rack gear talk. I would actually like to see a PROFILE of everyone here who runs a computer recording situation and the components they use and some comments about their experiences, DAMN that would help me when the day comes. My opinion anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saber Posted December 21, 2004 Report Share Posted December 21, 2004 (edited) Maybe you should look into the Rocktron Xpression. It's a MIDI effects unit that has a MIDI programmable 4-band parametric EQ, and other goodies, and it's around $300. And since it has a high input impedance (470K), you can place it either between your guitar and pre-amp for pre-distortion EQ (and phaser and other pre dist effects), or in the effects loop. I don't know of any other MIDI programmable rackmount EQ that has a high input impedance. The Hi-Z ones are not programmable and the programmable ones are lower impedance line-level units. Maybe there are others but I'm not aware of any. It might be possible with the G-Force but at a much higher price. I don't know how good the Xpression is noise-wise for use at the front end, though. You'd have to try one. Edited December 21, 2004 by Saber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted December 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2004 Saber, I had given that a quick look and pretty much just as quickly dismissed it, but you had a few very good points there, and I am now re-considering it. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StreamLine Posted December 21, 2004 Report Share Posted December 21, 2004 (edited) Sorry, Maiden, I saw that Tele crack at the beginning, and disregarded the rest of the post. My bad! Streamline, I wasn't trying to make you look bad, just trying to correct a couple of common misconceptions - sorry if it sounded like an attack. I don't consider digital switching with analog circuitry any different than the Engl switching system, especially since the Triaxis uses the same Vactrol type switches that Engl uses. Even my Tech 21 PSA-1 has a completely analog signal path (all solid state, but still not digital), and simply uses MIDI to simplify and expand the switching options. The beauty of a rackmount system is not having to live with 3 or 4 channels - with the right components, you can have a Fender clean, a Vox-ish semi-clean, JTM-45 growl, JCM-800 grind, Soldano screaming, Mesa mud, and everything in between, all at the touch of a switch, and all without using any digital modelling or stompboxes. There's nothing wrong with your setup, I'm sure it sounds great, but if you're going to go to the trouble to build and learn to use a rack system, I just think you should be able to exploit all its capabilties. If not, it's a lot easier to buy a Screamer half-stack (or similar - Mode 4, etc) and a box of pedals. That's all I was trying to get across - digital control of analog preamp switching offers a lot more options than a 4 channel amp, and I want 'em all! heh, i did a LOT of thinking, and realised the philosophy i hold for amps is definetely the wrong thing for a rack setup! thank you for making me realising that!! what i'm gonna do now (as i;m not 100% with my tone) is sell everything off to fund ENGL savage special edition, so i'm gonna have my mesa 50/50, pre-amp and even my wh1 for sale (this one really hurts to sell...... but i want the ENGL badly enough). i'll be sure to post on here when i do put it up.... but saying it now, as its in context with what you guys are saying, and if you (Drak) - or anyone else want the power amp / pre-amp / rack / wh1, let me know and i'll probably sell it directly to you without any ebay no-sense....... best of luck to Drak though, enjoy building your setup! Roman Edited December 21, 2004 by StreamLine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted December 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 OK, I admit it, I am a certifiable NUTJOB!!! I -just- happened to catch this amp -3 hours- after it listed on e-Bay. My gut told me this is -one time- you don't think about it, you just do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1nf1d3l Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 ok, not to steal from draks thread, but im curious as to how you use a power amp in a guitar rig, what do you plug into it and how do you get it to power a cab? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 streamline man dont sell the whammy. trust me you will regret it in about a year when you want one again and the price is even higher. id keep it and just work extra hours etc if you really do go to sell it.....how much you looking for lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 OK, I admit it, I am a certifiable NUTJOB!!! I -just- happened to catch this amp -3 hours- after it listed on e-Bay. My gut told me this is -one time- you don't think about it, you just do it. So I did it. <gulp> Whaddya think? i think that amp with an eq and that rocktron may just be all you need. start by dialing in a scooped,bright,clean sound...add gain to it...then tweak until you are satisfied Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 ok, not to steal from draks thread, but im curious as to how you use a power amp in a guitar rig, what do you plug into it and how do you get it to power a cab? 1/4" input jack, guitar cable is 1/4". Just plug the cab too, either 1/4" output or banana conectors. Drak Nice Rivera, I haven't seen one in ages. I love the sound, but I still will get a Carvin before that one, For modeling of course. But that is a nice head amp my friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted December 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 I think I could comfortably sell about 4-6 of my amps now and not miss a beat with the versatility of this one. BTW, I think this amp 'suits' me much more than any of the newer stuff out there, this is more from 'my time', hehehe...and from what I understand, component-wise, it's built with all high-end long-lasting, military grade components. I hear ya Wes. Good thing too, it's a 4-racker, only room for 2 more. My only concern is the footswitch. There's none in the picture, none mentioned, that usually means there is none. And I read a review of this amp (Harmony Central I think) the guy didn't have one either, and Rivera Co. stalled and stalled and stalled him. They said they'd make it, but kept stalling, so we'll just have to wait and see, unless one of the electronic gurus here can make one from a set of schematics, hehehe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1nf1d3l Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 ok, not to steal from draks thread, but im curious as to how you use a power amp in a guitar rig, what do you plug into it and how do you get it to power a cab? 1/4" input jack, guitar cable is 1/4". Just plug the cab too, either 1/4" output or banana conectors. Drak Nice Rivera, I haven't seen one in ages. I love the sound, but I still will get a Carvin before that one, For modeling of course. But that is a nice head amp my friend. thanks man. i think im gonna play around with a power amp setup here soon, so i might as well ask the one thing i wasnt sure about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 My lords, that Rivera is fine looking! Drak this rig is going to be face-meltingly good when you're done! I'm even having evil thoughts about doing it myself somewhere along the line... The main reason I don't is I only have a small car! So when I gig I just put my ENGL Screamer 50, Pedaltrain and guitar in the boot and off I go, it's nice to be so portable and so LOUD. But then, I only tend to play small venues so there we go! This thread is a real education! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 Drak if you can find us a schem or at least some info on the FootSwitch then i reckon we can have a damn good go at building one for ya. hell we can probablly make it even more sturdy and stylish than the origional lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 (edited) drak, after about a 30 second google i found this http://www.rivera.com/rivera.tbrmanual.html which is the manual for it. scrolling down it has a quick bit of info about the foot switch and a diagram thus so it seems that the foot switch only has 3 switches on it. Channel selection, FX loop and Reverb. by the looks of it cooking up a new pedal controller for it would be pretty easy EDIT: looking through that manual some more they've even been kind enough to give some suggested settings, actualy a fair few lol. man ur gonna be having so much fun with this i am green Sugested Settings Edited December 22, 2004 by JohnnyG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted December 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 Name your price Johnny. Hey, BTW, thanks for that link, it's great! This would not have come together nearly as fast as it has without all your help, so a BIG THANKS to EVERYONE so far! And I'm already sort of feeling relieved as I can see 4-5 amps going out the door and opening up the room a little bit (for recording gear ) _________________________ The SL Models: TBR-1SL and TBR-25L "The "Super Lead" Model is designed for the player desiring the ultimate heavy-metal crunch tone. It has the highest amount of gain of any of our models yet is still quiet enough to be used in the studio. The SL retains the tonal versatility of the M Model except that - due to differences in circuitry - the SL does not need the CONTOUR control. Sonically, the SL Model is related to the Marshall family, with the most sustain, compression, and distortion of the TBR Series. Channel 2 is the same as on the Standard Model." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 I think this is a natural transition we all go thru. The higher quality lesser quantity thing, compacting the tone down to it's basic fundamental roots and shedding the extra fat. Amen brother. Besides it get tiring carrying all of that extra stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 Ya know, I've been thinking. Would a setup like this (power amp, nice preamp, etc) work well for bassists? I don't have the kinda cash for an Ampeg or anything, so if I were to get a power amp and a decent preamp (which I will upgrade later) with a cab, could I get a decent sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 Wouldn't it work out more expensive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 Once finished, yes, it will be a more expensive but possible far more versatile setup. And when you get into the REALLY powerful stuff (1000w+), I think it will be cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StreamLine Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 streamline man dont sell the whammy. trust me you will regret it in about a year when you want one again and the price is even higher. id keep it and just work extra hours etc if you really do go to sell it.....how much you looking for lol. awesome amp drak!! i definetely do need to sell the WH1 as i've just fallen for a Mesa Boogie DC-10 head, which is one of those things i NEED...lol i'm looking for £280ish for the whammy, but i'll sell it to someone from PG for £250 which is basically what i paid for it, so if you want it JohhnyG, send me a pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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