wolfsd Posted January 13, 2005 Report Share Posted January 13, 2005 here's what i have, the item that had the most impact was the BBE, the lows were tightened up, and the highs are crisp... Berhinger 4x12's (x4) Furman RP8 Power Conditioner Korg DTR 2 Digitech GSP 2101 Artist LE BBE Sonic Maximizer 482 Lexicon Vortex Peavey PV-8.5C Power Amp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted January 14, 2005 Report Share Posted January 14, 2005 I've been doing a lot of research on the Eventide Eclipse recently and found that most people seem to compare it against TC Electronics gear. I'm not saying that TC's stuff is as good as Eventide (although several reviewers on harmony-central did say exactly that), but I thought it was a good compliment for TC to have so many people compare Eventide against them. For the $400, the G-Major is really hard to beat. If you are at all interested in it, check one out but please don't judge it based on the factory presets. I don't use any of them. Editing is very easy and it shouldn't take long to find something that really excites you. I don't know anything about the other choices you listed though. It's quite possible that they are just as good but from all the reading I've done lately, TC seems to have an excellent reputation. That Eclipse looks sketchy. Some people just flat out trashed it - not what I was expecting to find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 Hey Dave. I've been scoping out the processors and I still don't have an opinion to offer yet, so I didn't respond, too much information I'm still sorting thru. But a question -Rack Heads-...... When was someone gonna tell me I needed a power conditioner? I was researching racks tonight and stumbled upon the fact that any good rack system needs a good power conditioner too, so there's another $200.00 and 2 rack spaces gone. Any preference? Monster Cable or Furman? I'm looking at 10-space racks now. We're getting there, slow but sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 Drak - I think I've been bitten by the gear bug. After doing a whole bunch of reading, I've decided to add the eclipse to the rack. I was hoping to keep mine at 6 slots (one case) but I don't know what I'm going to do now. I guess I'll kick my graphic EQ out and let the eclipse take it's place. I was really torn after reading the harmony-central reviews but I have a feeling it will work fine in my situation. People were complaining about the difficulty in learning it and I guess it had a habit of dropping out in earlier versions of the firmware. I've wanted an Eventide all my guitar life so I decided to just do it. I'll let you know what I think of it but I'm sure you'll already have settled on something by then. I'm keeping the G-Major though. I think I'll probably end up using it for reverb or delay and use the eclipse for pitch and other effects. Nothing set in stone of course. As for the power conditioner, I'm using a Furman PL-8 II (PL8 II) I have no idea if this is considered a good unit or not - it does a good job for me though. I've only had it for a couple of months though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 Man, as far as the processors go, I am still flip-flopping like a frog on the fryin' pan. One day, I had settled on a 2-rack system, using a Rocktron Replifex to assimilate some good old-school effects for the front end, then the Intelliverb for the delays and choruses on the effects loop. I've been reading a WHOLE LOT on processors since this thread started, just because I haven't posted to it doesn't mean I haven't been trying to learn my way out of my paper bag like crazy. But that was one day. The next day I was on to something else...I just don't know yet. I learned the difference between a 2-stage, 4-stage, and 8-stage reverb, hehehe...Drak be wantin dat 8-stage mahn! The G-Major still has not been ruled out. I'll tell you one effect that has tho...the Rocktron XPression. Almost 1/2 the reviewers complained of a really bad popping sound, that's far to many for my blood, so the XPression is OUT as a contender. I have noticed that the older Rocktron equipment ALWAYS gets compliments on it's sturdiness and reliability. Seems Rocktron's reliability has gone downhill a bit in the past few years... One thing I like about the Harmony Central rack-effects reviews, it seems that the average rack gear user is much more professional and literate and experienced than the average Harmony Central reviewer tends to be, so I believe their opinions a bit more than I normally would. Another thing I have come to realize...that I really might not need that parametric EQ quite so much, so if I have to lose it to get a nice processor, so be it. But the Replifex I believe has one in it. Or maybe it was the Intellifex, hell, it all starts to run together after awhile hehehe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 Oh, Dave, something I wanted to ask you about the BBE Sonic maximizer (another $100.00...I'm whining now haha!) I could understand by your description why it would sound great with a great reverb/chorus rack system ala Andy Summers/Police sound, but would it get in the way when you want to tear it loose with a P-90 equipped axe and just want to rip it open really raw, pure tube/P-90 sound. I get this idea it's great for clarity, but would it get in the way for massive raw grind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 I'm no expert but to me, the BBE units seem to make everything sound better. I'll record a sample with it on and off tonight and maybe it will help in understanding what it does. I don't have a P-90 but if you can suggest what pickup combination I should use, I'll do that. I'll probably be using a guitar that has HB/SC/HB (EMG's). I can get the following combinations: 1. Bridge 2. Mid / Bridge 3. Bridge / Neck 4. Mid / Neck 5. Neck The pickups are: Bridge: EMG 81 Mid: EMG SA Neck: EMG 85 I'll be using a POD pro with a Soldano emulation (loads of gain) along with the G-Major. If you don't think it's worth the time (since I'm not using P-90's,...), just let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dangerouso Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 I'm still with Dave, for the money, the G-Major cannot be beat. I'll have to check into the 'verb ability. It wasn't one of my major factors when I got it. I just listened, and said, "sounds good enough for government work" where the 'verb was concerned. It is too late for most of us, but for what it's worth, the other day I played through a used Carvin TN100 at GC, and was pretty impressed. Not too expensive, and although not tube, didn't sound half bad. Did preamp and effects duty in one rack space. Now, on to my question. I don't have a power conditioner, and all eight spaces of my rack are taken up. Without me putting out any effort on looking it up for myself (like I should) could someone give me the short answer on what it does/prevents for you? I've been trying to get rid of my G.A.S. for years, and every time I think I'm there, something pulls me back into the warm womb again. ("You know what, I bet that X is just what I've been looking for to get that X2 sound"). Just wanted you guys to know, you're my enablers. (My wife hates you.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 El Dangerouso is ((((((((THE MAN)))))))) Dude, how can I thank you? I hit the Buy-It-Now as soon as I saw your link and checked it out. Dude, I can go PICK IT UP from the guy I live close enough to him to do that! I'm floatin' right now (cuz my pockets are empty, no mo' coin, hehehe) That was SO PERFECT!!!!!! Well Dave, I hope you're there to guide me thru the G-Major! This rig is comin' together and I have you guys to thank. So (((((THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED ME OUT SO FAR!))))) El Dangerouso ROCKS!! PS Dave, nah, don't bother, the tone I'm talking about is -very- different than the setup you described, but it's a moot point now, and not a big deal really. A power conditioner stabilizes and cleans up the AC coming in, it's like an insurance policy for all the rack gear. You know those nasty beer joints where the owner did the electric himself 35 years ago? Heheheeeee.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorecki Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 As for the power conditioner, I'm using a Furman PL-8 II (PL8 II) I have no idea if this is considered a good unit or not - it does a good job for me though. I've only had it for a couple of months though. ← Just for clarification, Furman for many years has been very liberal with the term 'Power Conditioner'. Majority of their units are nothing more than rack mount power strips +/- a few frills. They provide surge protection (like most power strips) which is pretty much a must for helping to protect your investment. Otherwise for the most part, it's a nice way to not have strips plugged into the wall, laying on the floor. Drak, to answer your query 'do you need a power conditioner'. NO. Unless you suspect the power where you're using your equipment is somehow unreliable. True power conditioners can be extremely expensive and basically resemble a UPS (APC) most often used on computers for protection for early warning allowing you to shut down before the battery runs out. I use four Furmans and a UPS to support my studio computer incase of a power out, so I can shut it down before something becomes corrupted. My 1 & 1/2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 Thanks for the info G-Man. I added everything up in that auction, and even if the 'power conditioner' is basically just an outlet strip, I think it still adds up to a really good deal. It has -every single thing- I needed and nothing I didn't need, it was truly a -perfect- hit I think. I think I've decided to split things up into 2 racks. 1 rack just for the amp (4 spaces) and another rack for everything else. Or whatever makes the best sense. I think. Seems it would be a lot easier for carting about, the friggin' amp weighs 50 lbs. by itself, so splitting that from the rest seems to make good sense for carrying everything around. Anyone agree? God it is going to take FOREVER to learn how to use this rig. I don't know -anything- about -any- component, remember guitar>cord>amp guy? Hahahahaaaaa!!!!! But I do see at least 1/2 of my amp collection leaving. I no longer see any need to have that many amps around, I DO see a need to really learn how to use this rig to it's fullest advantage. Gotta excuse me, I'm a leedle exited now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorecki Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 I think I've decided to split things up into 2 racks. 1 rack just for the amp (4 spaces) and another rack for everything else. Or whatever makes the best sense. I think. Seems it would be a lot easier for carting about, the friggin' amp weighs 50 lbs. by itself, so splitting that from the rest seems to make good sense for carrying everything around. Anyone agree? Yup! My guitar rack has become a guitar/synth module/pa rack and now I can't even move the darn thing by myself other than across a room (casters). God it is going to take FOREVER to learn how to use this rig. I don't know -anything- about -any- component, remember guitar>cord>amp guy? Hahahahaaaaa!!!!! That's the fun part!!! Especially when you get a killer sound setup and jam on it for an hour! Gotta excuse me, I'm a leedle exited now. ← And you should be excited, exited suggests you may not be coherent enough to be playing with fancy electro gizmo's without a seat belt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 Wo!! Jackpot!!!! Did you end up buying that Drak? I didn't see where Dangerouso posted a link to it? Was it his gear? If you did buy it, I hope you are happy with the processor. It's hard to imagine you not being happy with it. If you have any questions, I'd be glad to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 I'm sorry Dave, my post was slightly misleading. Yes, I BIN'ed that bad puppy. El Dangerouso PM'd me about it late this morning, -very- cool of him, and I thank him again. I took one look at it and I really couldn't believe it, it was so perfect, like it was meant to be. Now I know why I didn't bid on that old Traynor a few days ago, THIS was predestination waiting to happen! I've already e-mailed with the guy, we'll get her done by this weekend. He lives in semi-Northern VA, I live in MD, so a local pickup is underway. How cool is THAT? I'm still sort of laughing inside that I wound up with a G-Major after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dangerouso Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 Thanks Drak, I was just cruising the 'bay after the Furman discussion fired up(my G.A.S. was kicking again), and found that auction. Since it seemed like it had a fair amount of the stuff you were looking for at a reasonable price, I checked to see if you were on PG and cut and pasted the link in a PM. Not a whole lot of effort on my part; I'm glad it worked out for you. I'm, as always, with Dave on the G-Major; it is my favorite. The effects are first rate, and the MIDI implementation is both powerful and very flexible. In short, it will rock. My rack is actually my only amp. With my VHT GP3 preamp, I'm able to cover a lot of territory. Good idea on splitting everything to two racks. I've got one eight spacer, and it's heavy as a mutha. I picked it up once, before I put the Echo Pro in it, and didn't ever want to pick it up again. Just to the truck and back, let alone truck to stage, almost killed me. It only had preamp, poweramp (the real satan as far as weight is concerned) and the G-Major for a long time. That wasn't so bad, but now, it's killing me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 Not a whole lot of effort on my part; I'm glad it worked out for you. Play it down all you want, you made my friggin' day man, that was very cool and I thank you. You helped breath LIFE into the (((deep metal voice))) ...Drak Rack! Heck, even WOD sez yer cool beans! Hahahahaaa!!! (and it don't talk much, just usually burps n' stuff) I'm preparing a few amps for e-Bay right now actually, tax return season is right around the corner. Gotta fund this whole thing by turning other gear around. I already sold a chassis and a faceplate for $100.00/ea., this weekend, so it's coming, I haven't even put the big guns out yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowser Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 post those auctions when you get them up, would you? I'd like to see what you have, even though I know you have a ton of great stuff and it would be out of my price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 Ahhh, you probably wouldn't be interested in my amps, they're OLD, hahahaaa!! But I'll let ya know when time comes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorecki Posted January 20, 2005 Report Share Posted January 20, 2005 Ahhh, you probably wouldn't be interested in my amps, they're OLD, hahahaaa!! ← And so am I. So, do keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 You wanna see a gear-aholic in action? There's a blizzard ready to hit us in about 7-8 hours, and I'm scheduled to do the G-Major/Behringer 1010/rack rig pickup with the guy tomorrow morning 9:00am, right when the storm is supposed to hit, I've got about an hours' drive to get there. Well, you know why, ...right? So when I'm snowed in for 2-3 days I can start ramping this bad puppy up! It's gonna be a close call folks....very close. I wonder if that Rivera has an Iron Maiden circa 1979 setting, hehehe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 22, 2005 Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 I wonder if that Rivera has an Iron Maiden circa 1979 setting, hehehe... i an willing to bet it does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted January 22, 2005 Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 Iron Maiden circa 1979 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowser Posted January 22, 2005 Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 get it all back to the castle in one piece? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 Yeah, man, we did that just in time, as I was headed back the snow started coming down. I already added the Piranha and PRO Gap when I got back. I guess the Gap will come out when I get a BBE Sonic Maximizer. I just stuck it in there to fill in the space... The Gator case is OK, it's pretty light duty, as long as you don't drop it onto concrete it should be OK, but I don't know if I want to put the Rivera in something that light duty, I don't think I do. Weight-wise, it should work out pretty good, I think all 4 effects weight just about the same as the amp by itself, maybe a few lbs lighter, so I think it was a good idea to split them up. Here it is, minus the Behringer (still in box) The 2 big knobs on the Furman powerstrip up top are actually pull out night lights, they just slide in and out, and have light bulbs in them. Cool! Thanks Jack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted January 23, 2005 Report Share Posted January 23, 2005 damnit, ive already spent almost a grand and a half on my new computer to record with. thank god my next paycheque doesnt come through for a bit. i might have forgotten all about this by then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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