[nature scene]

I'm looking to establish a rack setup for recording. I'm in the process of selling certain guitar pedals (compression, etc.), and I'm looking for some suggestions on some good rack gear. Nothing real expensive - I just play as a hobby.

So what do you guys suggest? Post your rack gear here if you want to showoff your setups.

[Everyneurotic]

i don't like rack effects.

[nature scene]

good story.


Anyway, I'm keeping the "cool" effects, like delay & phase, in pedal form.

I'm just looking for info on rack compressors, gates, preamps, & possibly reverbs because it makes so much more sense to have that stuff in a rack sitting under my mixer.

[Everyneurotic]

i'm sure the "effects" thread has some websites that have reviews and samples for you to try.

and cool or not cool, i've never liked rack effects, i like pedals better, whether digital or analog.

if you're not strapped for cash and want an all in one deal, get the eventide harmonizer.

[Everyneurotic]

by the way nature scene, fuck off if you can't handle opinions.

[nature scene]

Yeah yeah. pedals are great... for guitar and bass. But I do vocal stuff too, and it's kinda hard to use pedals for all of that.

Pedals also only make sense for stuff that you're planning on changing during the course of playing. Things like compressors and EQs are unlikely to change, so rack gear makes more sense - more tweakability too, usually.

Don't get me wrong - I love my pedals and I spent a long time finding the exact pedals I like:

In my typical setup I use:

Boss DD-3 Delay
Boss PS-2 Digital Delay/Pitch Shift
NYC Tech 21 SansAmp Tri A.C
MXR Phase 90


But since it took me a lot of experimenting to figure out which pedals I like and use the most, I have a surplus that I'm now getting rid of. I also use a compression pedal a lot, but it makes more sense for me to get a rack one now.

[nature scene]

Originally Posted by Everyneurotic

by the way nature scene, fuck off if you can't handle opinions.

I can handle whatever you've got kiddo. It's just that your first response was completely unhelpful and irrelevant. Your second comments were much better, and I'm sorry I hurt your feelings.

[nature scene]

One serious question that I have is whether or not most affordable rack compressors are made for instrument inputs or line inputs. I guess it makes more sense to run rack gear through an FX loop right?

[Everyneurotic]

you make good points, and yes a compressor and eq for studio use would be better in rack form (larger bulbs on the comp, more bands on the eq).

i myself am more into experimenting and getting different stuff out of different gear, mostly not wanting a typical result. perhaps i didn't really consider you wanted more of a professional, typical results out of your gear.

on topic, your best bet is probably to go to the store and actually see and try what you're interested in and then make a decision. i'm sure there are compressors that have line inputs, others are for instruments and probably some will have both.

[pbradley]

I thought this thread was going to be about fake tits.

 

[terminal pharmacy]

Originally Posted by nature scene

I'm looking for some suggestions on some good rack gear. Nothing real expensive - I just play as a hobby.

Text in red is the key. The stuff doesn't exist.

I'm guessing you have a fairly small budget.

Stay away from - behringer, and alto gear it is noisy

for ok compressors at a cheap price I would go for DBX ones. DBX have been making pro audio gear for along time and decided to combat the likes of behringer and alto with their own product and industry knowledge. Their cheap gear is ok but it you want good you may only be able to buy one piece of gear. The DBX comps have gating.

I would go an avalon pre (which has compression) these are aprrox $4000au per channel. Or focusrite do some great ones for around the $2000au mark.

Drawmer make the best gates you can get.

Reverb I'm assuming you want something fairly easily rack mountable.

If you can find second hand go for a yamaha spx 990 or spx 1000. These can be noisy if you don't know how to set them up properly. Otherwise look for Lexicon pcm70 or pcm90 secondhand. If you are lucky and come across a lexicon224 for sale for under $2000 secondhand buy it.

In reality if you are just a hobbyist I would say use plugins instead, they will be far less headfuck than trying to run a heap of outboard gear that you may not understand.

As for your question on how do the compressors plug. If you have a desk I would recommend DI'ing the guitar and then inserting the compressor/gate over the channel that you have the DI going to. This will give you alot more control over the gain / eq/ gate / compression.

I'm not sure you understand why you want or need rack gear though.

[nature scene]

Originally Posted by terminal pharmacy

Text in red is the key. The stuff doesn't exist.

I'm guessing you have a fairly small budget.

Stay away from - behringer, and alto gear it is noisy

for ok compressors at a cheap price I would go for DBX ones. DBX have been making pro audio gear for along time and decided to combat the likes of behringer and alto with their own product and industry knowledge. Their cheap gear is ok but it you want good you may only be able to buy one piece of gear. The DBX comps have gating.

I would go an avalon pre (which has compression) these are aprrox $4000au per channel. Or focusrite do some great ones for around the $2000au mark.

Drawmer make the best gates you can get.

Reverb I'm assuming you want something fairly easily rack mountable.

If you can find second hand go for a yamaha spx 990 or spx 1000. These can be noisy if you don't know how to set them up properly. Otherwise look for Lexicon pcm70 or pcm90 secondhand. If you are lucky and come across a lexicon224 for sale for under $2000 secondhand buy it.

In reality if you are just a hobbyist I would say use plugins instead, they will be far less headfuck than trying to run a heap of outboard gear that you may not understand.

As for your question on how do the compressors plug. If you have a desk I would recommend DI'ing the guitar and then inserting the compressor/gate over the channel that you have the DI going to. This will give you alot more control over the gain / eq/ gate / compression.

I'm not sure you understand why you want or need rack gear though.

thanks. I do understand rack gear, I've played in bands and have been recording for about 8 years. Now I just play and record as a hobby, so I'm doing some research for my own personal gear. I use Sonar and a bunch of plugins usually, which is fine except that they are all post-recording effects. I'll occasionally go play live, so plugins aren't going to work there - thus my interest in rack gear.

Rack stuff is a little expensive for my tastes, but the idea of having a mobile box with my mixer and several effects really appeals to me. I buy all of my gear second hand, so I might be able to find some deals. I'm going to spend some more time deciding if I really want to put the money into this though.

I've realized a I have bit of a gear fetish (like a lot of people probably do) and get ahead of myself sometimes in visualizing the gear I'd like to have without really thinking through if I really need to drop the money on it.

[jon boy]

i wondered how long it would be before someone posted a shot of some tits.

[terminal pharmacy]

Originally Posted by nature scene

thanks. I do understand rack gear, I've played in bands and have been recording for about 8 years. Now I just play and record as a hobby, so I'm doing some research for my own personal gear. I use Sonar and a bunch of plugins usually, which is fine except that they are all post-recording effects. I'll occasionally go play live, so plugins aren't going to work there - thus my interest in rack gear.

Rack stuff is a little expensive for my tastes, but the idea of having a mobile box with my mixer and several effects really appeals to me. I buy all of my gear second hand, so I might be able to find some deals. I'm going to spend some more time deciding if I really want to put the money into this though.

I've realized a I have bit of a gear fetish (like a lot of people probably do) and get ahead of myself sometimes in visualizing the gear I'd like to have without really thinking through if I really need to drop the money on it.

most venues will have at least an fx unit. I understand why you want fx like reverb excetera and you know what you will use it for.

Why, however, do you want dynamics processing. I am still not sure you nderstand why you want or need compression and gating as you didn't really understand how this type of dynamics processing works in a live situation.

if you don't have much money at all I would only go for a secondhand fx processor like the ones i mentioned before. perhaps though have a look for yamaha spx90's as well you should be able to pick these up quite cheaply.

[ondskan]

As Therminal Pharmacy already pointed out, cheap and good rack-gear doesn't exist.

As for compressors, I'd recommend SSL Duende. We've been using it here at home and in this towns only studio. But, the price...
Focusrite is also quite okay. Universial Audio as well.

The only reverb I have any experience of is T.C. Electronics M3000. Not too expensive, great sound and reliable.

Originally Posted by nature scene

get ahead of myself sometimes in visualizing the gear I'd like to have without really thinking through if I really need to drop the money on it.

I've been there. I'm still there. I need new geetar. And amps. And mics.

[terminal pharmacy]

Originally Posted by ondskan

As Therminal Pharmacy already pointed out, cheap and good rack-gear doesn't exist.

As for compressors, I'd recommend SSL Duende. We've been using it here at home and in this towns only studio. But, the price...
Focusrite is also quite okay. Universial Audio as well.

The only reverb I have any experience of is T.C. Electronics M3000. Not too expensive, great sound and reliable.

I've been there. I'm still there. I need new geetar. And amps. And mics.

the duende is hardware acceleration for plugs though ondskan, it isn't quite what naturescene is after.

as far as the m3000 goes it definitely is a reasonable fx unit, i personally am not a fan of the tc electronics reverb algo's though, i have found i have to tweak them alot to get what i want and then eq them quite harshly on my return channels. but they are definitely a solid unit but for my liking a bit pricy on what they offer.

[pbradley]

Originally Posted by jon boy

i wondered how long it would be before someone posted a shot of some tits.

An hour and seven minutes. Pretty disappointing.

[king_buzzo]

Originally Posted by pbradley

I thought this thread was going to be about fake tits.

 

lol.

[ondskan]

Originally Posted by terminal pharmacy

the duende is hardware acceleration for plugs though ondskan, it isn't quite what naturescene is after.

as far as the m3000 goes it definitely is a reasonable fx unit, i personally am not a fan of the tc electronics reverb algo's though, i have found i have to tweak them alot to get what i want and then eq them quite harshly on my return channels. but they are definitely a solid unit but for my liking a bit pricy on what they offer.

Sorry, i meant the XLogic Compressor. Though we have the Duende as well. Just mixed up the names.

[terminal pharmacy]

Originally Posted by ondskan

Sorry, i meant the XLogic Compressor. Though we have the Duende as well. Just mixed up the names.

I'm not sure nature scene has the dosh for SSL gear. The Xlogic G series is about $3500+.

The only things i would recommend would be secondhand yamaha fx units, maybe dbx and lexicon cheap range fx units.

cheap dynamics processing generally sucks and is noisy, compression is not meant to be heard, i prefer to mix without compression than wix with a noisy ones.

and as far as the tc electronics m3000 it is more expensive than a yamaha spx2000 and does not sound as good.