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Erik's New Rig


erikbojerik

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Behold the majesty of Erik's new rig:

Total Rig:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/bojerik/EHHrig1.jpg

The Rack:

EHHrig2.jpg

The case is a Gator 6U powered wheeled rack, with telescoping luggage-style handle. Locking lids front & back.

From the top-down:

Behringer Eurorack 1602 line mixer

Eventide Eclipse

Mesa Triaxis

(2U space)

TC Electronics G-system (brain)

rack power conditioner

The Floorboard:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/bojerik/EHHrig3.jpg

Here is the G-system's foot controller. It connects to the brain with a standard Ethernet cable, and sends out MIDI program change messages to change patches on everything in the rack.

The Triaxis is superb - basically 8 of the best Mesa Boogie tube preamps in a 1U space, from vintage to rectified. It has 5 JJ Electronics 12AX7's. 100 user presets.

The G-system has great digital effects, 200 user presets, and nice big footswitches that make my size-13's happy. Built like a tank. Also has 5 programmable analog effect loops for routing or stompboxes.

The Eclipse is a digital processor from another planet - delays, harmonizers, pitch shifters, reverbs and more out the wahzoo, all of them super-tweekable. Great for great ambient effects, including stuff very strange and scary.

The routing is this:

Guitar->Gsystem IN

Gsystem Loop 1 sends to Triaxis

Triaxis returns to Loop 1 and Loop 3 returns

Gsystem Loop 2 sends to the Eclipse

Eclipse returns in stereo to the line mixer, output panned hard L/R

Gsystem outputs in mono to the line mixer, output panned center (might switch this to stereo - not sure yet)

So...

Loop 1 on/off is dirty/clean to the Eclipse

Loop 3 on/off is dirty/clean to the Gsystem

Triaxis volume knob A is dirty level to the Eclipse

Triaxis volume knob B is dirty level to the Gsystem

I can mute either the Eclipse or the Gsystem on a patch-by-patch basis.

Line mixer sends stereo output to the mixing board, and line mixer headphone out goes to my Yamaha G100-210 as a stage monitor. I can also use the headphone jack for (yep...) headphones to practice while the kiddies are asleep.

Next step is to establish a rack-global tap-tempo from the Gsystem floorboard, and get a couple of expression pedals.

I'm pretty pumped! :D Even if I am broke...

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I don't see anything that says "Engl"

Well.....I am in the market for a used 570 but there are not (m)any out there. Maybe there's a reason for that.

I went "pre-owned" for this rig, figuring that if I hated any of the units I could resell them at pretty much the price I bought them at. But nary an Engl 570 is to be found - and I MUST have the ability to store and recall many many distortions. I also looked at the Randall (cf. Egnater) pre, but meh....only 4 distortions per unit.

I have to say I am liking the Triaxis pretty well, and it was easy to score a clean one.

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Nice! But where are the power tubes? :D

I had a G-System for a few months - great f/x. I did notice that plugging into the input thinned out the tone a little. Sounded better when I bypassed the A/D converter by plugging into one of the stompbox loops. I sold it to finance another HIWATT head... B)

I did end up buying the TC Nova delay and modulation stompboxes to feed the ((stereo)) half stacks. :D

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The front end is great gear but you have got it plugged into a toy amplifier. You need to give that preamp and effects some grunt.

Something like this

marshall-el34.jpg

will stoke the engine coupled into something with at least 4 x 12 cones. The triaxes though is a fantastic start to a cool rig :D

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My power tubes are mostly either behind me or below me - pumping out the house PA. Actually, they're transistors....

All you power-amp guys - that's all great if you're playing a venue that has enough stage space for your dedicated guitar cabs (at least 2 if you're running in stereo), and a room big enough for your sound, and lacks a decent PA and sound board. And even though you're willing to lug all that stuff around, how many venues do you play where you can actually push those power tubes? If you're playing a typical club, are you really pushing those tubes to the point of power tube breakup?

I think you can see that the evolution of stage gear - and stage volumes - is headed in the opposite direction. That means a clean stage space - Pods instead of Marshall stacks, wireless mics instead of cables everywhere - and a stage volume where you can actually hear yourself think - in-ear monitors instead of wedges (if you even have monitors), and the drummer in a plastic cage where he belongs anyway! Some bands these days, you don't see a cable anywhere on the stage, except from drum mics if you look hard enough.

I wasn't willing to dumb down my Tone by running through a Pod - although I use a Pocket Pod for rehearsals - so the mini-rack is a compromise in that it delivers great Tone without taking up too much stage space. And I'm not really after that "power-tube soak" tone anyway.

The Yamaha amp is actually a classic jazz amp from the 80s (not quite as classic as the JC120 but almost) and it is very clean - perfect for an onstage monitor, but I'm tired of lugging it and I'll gladly leave it at home if (when) we make the transition to an Aviom monitoring system.

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And even though you're willing to lug all that stuff around, how many venues do you play where you can actually push those power tubes? If you're playing a typical club, are you really pushing those tubes to the point of power tube breakup?

Actually, yes I am! Even if they're not breaking up, the tubes still contribute a certain roundness and warmth to the tone.

I'll often use an attenuator (Ultimate Attenuator) to keep the volume down and still warm up those output tubes. Sometimes I'll use a clean boost/overdrive to push the front end instead, but it's not quite the same as winding up the master volume.

I used to use a preamp - f/x - cabinet simulator rig. It sounded good to me at the time, but it doesn't hold a candle to a real old-school amp/cab rig.

It's a bit of a load carrying two halfstacks, but that's why they invented hand trucks. :D It's really not much more than I carried before, with a large f/x + power amp rack, 2x12 cab and MIDI controller pedal.

But whatever works for you! YMMV. :D

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Yeah I hear you. I know exactly where you're coming from, I have just fallen in love with lower stage volumes, letting the PA push the house volume, and just making one trip from the parking lot to the stage.

The Triaxis does sound better when I bypass the first-stage A/D/A, it would be better to have had an analog filter+compressor in that stage. But I'm not sure if you can employ an envelope follower in analog - and I do like my generous helping of touch-wah.

Bass sounds great through this rig too BTW. If I ever land a regular bass gig, I'll probably invest in a crossover and run the low-end dry and the high-end wet-dry-wet in stereo. I'm working on an acoustic guitar patch as well.

Once I get the music room re-arranged, I'll try to post some sound clips.

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I'm impressed. but I think you need MORE!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Well, there still is 2U worth of space - but in all honesty, there's no effect I could put there that isn't already there. Except a MIDI controller.

Or a wireless.

I do need some kind of shelf for the back, to hold up the arse end of the Triaxis (which is a very deep unit).

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Really nice rig...

Evantide AND TC gear.... and great preamp.... My wife would NEVER let me spend that much.

But I do agree with some of the other guys here.

Amp and cab simulators anrn't as good as the real thing and with a rig THAT good it seems a shame.

Someone must be able to point you at a good 20 / 40 w sterio amp and a couple of decent 1x10" or 1x12"s.

Not much space and better sound.

But your dead on about not needing 100 watts in most venues.

I use a 75wat 1x15" guitar amp and cant get the thing above 4 on a stage without the soundman asking me to back it off a bit....

Even in decent sized venues.

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Even if they're not breaking up, the tubes still contribute a certain roundness and warmth to the tone.

I have the same experience. I have gone completely from a Mesa Preamp (Studio pre converted into a three-channel thing with parallel fx loop, mixable), some outboard rack FX going through double, all tube power amps (TWO Kitty Hawk 2x60Watts, massive and built like a German tank). From that I went to all out POD. Now I’m stuck somewhere in between. I still use a PodXT live but I power my 4x12 (in stereo, and I mean stereo! I’ve even built a MDF divider in the cab to get 100% true stereo…). But that rig didn’t came alive (yeah, some of you will argue if a POD rig can ever come alive) until I pulled out one of my old Kitty Hawk power amps. I even started with a Marshall valve state power amp, but what really wake the POD up was a tube power amp. So while there is still some space in your rack, may I get you interested in a nice used Kitty Hawk 2x60 watt power amp :D

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Yep using power tube distortion is pretty easy, you can just get a 50 watt Marshall and put both volumes on 10, even in a rehearsal room, but that is pushing the volume envelope. For a 100 watt head you can use Edward's trick and lower the voltage going in with a variac then turn up the volume. I have never tried THD Yellow Jackets but the web site says they allow you to crank a big amp and get a smoother class A sound, anyone tried this?

Or go the other way and make a loud head even louder by connecting up the effects loop and turning the effects volume up. Fun.

33ogxi1.jpg

PS One I forgot, if you have a 100 watt amp with 4 power tubes take out tubes 1 and 4, (translation for :D valves 1 and 4) that will lower the wattage to 50 and then you can turn it up to get the remaining two bottles to clip.

Edited by Muzz
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>snip<

PS One I forgot, if you have a 100 watt amp with 4 power tubes take out tubes 1 and 4, (translation for :D valves 1 and 4) that will lower the wattage to 50 and then you can turn it up to get the remaining two bottles to clip.

Or find an Early 80s Carvin X100B, they have a switch for 25/50/100 watts. I think the new release of it only does 50/100?

MK

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The whole power amp discussion is missing the point of this rig approach - which is to free yourself from the requirement of "turning up to match the drummer's volume" while still making as few compromises in tone as possible. And freeing up stage space as well. Of course, all of this depends on the drummer sitting behind a drum shield.

I get the power tube points, I can hear a difference as well, but in most of my gigging situations the drummer sits behind the shield, and the house PA is sufficiently good that I don't need a power amp to provide the guitar tone "garage-band style". All I need is a dedicated monitor, just loud enough that I can hear it and still pull in feedback when I need it.

It is a totally different world - you can actually talk to each other during mid-song without having to shout over the stage volume, and it saves on the wear & tear on your eardurms (which is irreversible). And its about 10% the weight of a stereo power amp & speaker cabs I'd need.

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PM me and I will send you the file, I have left a space for your brutal solo

Me?I am not much of a lead guitarist at the moment..Lack of practice...but I would be glad to help if you can wait a month or so for me to have more time off work...

Why?the original solo not to yur liking?or do you want the original solo played in a more brutal fashion?I think the latter is probably a better idea...

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PM me and I will send you the file, I have left a space for your brutal solo

Me?I am not much of a lead guitarist at the moment..Lack of practice...but I would be glad to help if you can wait a month or so for me to have more time off work...

Why?the original solo not to yur liking?or do you want the original solo played in a more brutal fashion?I think the latter is probably a better idea...

Cool :D. I will mix it down tomorrow, and you can muck around with it when ever you like, it's just a bit of fun.

The song has two solos on it, I've put the first one on and the second is free for you. Two solo songs always sound better when two different guitarists play each solo, and yeah having the second sound nice and brutal and very different from the first would be great.

PM me your e-mail address and the track will be on its half way round the globe to you.

Edited by Muzz
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>snip<

PS One I forgot, if you have a 100 watt amp with 4 power tubes take out tubes 1 and 4, (translation for :D valves 1 and 4) that will lower the wattage to 50 and then you can turn it up to get the remaining two bottles to clip.

Or find an Early 80s Carvin X100B, they have a switch for 25/50/100 watts. I think the new release of it only does 50/100?

MK

I didn't know that, that would be awesome to have a 25/50/100 switch, way easier than pulling the back off the amp :D

Edited by Muzz
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On a personal note I'm not talking about a rig that'd compete with a drummer just somthing to mic up and run through the PA.

Power amp distortion would negate the whole point of the huge effects set up you have there.

But valves do have a nice tone and a decent cab will also make things... Nicer.

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I get the power tube points, I can hear a difference as well, but in most of my gigging situations the drummer sits behind the shield, and the house PA is sufficiently good that I don't need a power amp to provide the guitar tone "garage-band style". All I need is a dedicated monitor, just loud enough that I can hear it and still pull in feedback when I need it.

It is a totally different world - you can actually talk to each other during mid-song without having to shout over the stage volume, and it saves on the wear & tear on your eardurms (which is irreversible). And its about 10% the weight of a stereo power amp & speaker cabs I'd need.

Hey Erik, I can sort of see where you are coming from, I don't think I would ever develop the same attitude but life is more fun when you try to look at the world through someone else's eyes every now and again rather than try to make them see through yours all the time. But what is wrong with lifting heavy objects? :D And I hope with that easy lug in for you, you go and help your drummer with multiple trips to the car park bringing in that shield :D

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