Are players getting away from rack effects?

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 27 Mar 2022 9:35 am

It would seem that in the past there were rack mount multi effects being used. Also, the new and improved models being advertised for guitar players seem to be going by the way of the dinosaur.

The rack systems have fallen by the wayside for guitar players in favor of pedal boards and steel players seem to be using small pedal boards. Even my stereo Steel combo amp I was using in a 2 space pine rack with a handle and a few pedals into the input rather than a rack effect in the send & return of the amp in a larger rack with my beloved Roland GP-100 processor, Peterson rack tuner and SS combo amp all in one package.Pretty heavy unit buy very nice sounding.

Guitar players have gotten away from the big racks with effects, preamps and rack power amps. The times they are a changing?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 27 Mar 2022 9:44 am

It seems that way, Len. Nowadays everything is smaller and lighter, especially stomp boxes. Pretty soon there won't be room for the button!

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 27 Mar 2022 9:46 am

I'm pretty happy with my Stereo Steel and T.C. M-300 processor. It's a three space rack system with two speaker cabinets. Nothing adversely too heavy, but, bulky with having three components to move around. Having said that, it suits me just fine.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 27 Mar 2022 12:53 pm

Yeah, it seems to have been a trend now for a few years.

I think it's partly just players wanting new stuff, partly as the old units break down, they're being replaced with simpler systems ala combo amps and pedal fx. and maybe just trendy like everything else. I guess everybody wants new gear at some point and there's not really too much rack stuff just for steel like we used to have.

I felt the "fex" stlye component systems with all the steel presets was going to be the future, but of course they haven't been built or supported for several years.

I believe some players also just thought they had a lot of stuff they didn't use or need for their situation and felt those rack rigs were excessive for them.

Besides the lure of new gear acquistion, there is a huge move for many players, especially senior ones, toward the new digital/neo combo stuff just for the sake of portability and convenience.

Dinosaur here though. I'm decommissiong my big Mosvale/TubeWorks rack rig, but I'm keeping the other smaller stereo rack with the GP100 and one of the MosValve rack amps. Not letting that go.

It's just so nice to have all the programs for every situation right there at your fingertips. Plus for me, I play a little guitar, lap and slide too and I like different textures for the varied style of music I like to play. Plus the sound is so much better to me.

I have found a MosValve/Tubeworks 2 ch. combo amp for a simpler grab and go tote which I used last evening at the jams. It does just fine, but I have to say I really missed having the convenient rack box.

If my GP100 or other Boss units give up, I may have to re-think my direction, but for the forseeable future I'll always have a stereo rack rig around, but there seems to be a big downturn in the popularity and use of the systems in general.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 28 Mar 2022 5:16 am

I switched from a rack unit a while back when I started playing through better sounding combo amps. Pedalboards are handy and useful. Put whatever you want on them. Rack units used to be the only way to get quality reverbs and all that. Everything is smaller and better now. If you check out the bit rate on most older multifx rack units. It's very primitive.

Lynn Kasdorf · Post by **Lynn Kasdorf** » 28 Mar 2022 6:13 am

I used a ProFex on I think one or two gigs years ago. It is just too hard for me to tweak effects in the heat of the moment on stage with these things, IMHO.

I have moved to a very simple two unit approach. First, the steel goes into a Sparkle Drive, then volume pedal.

In the effects loop of the amp, I insert a TC Electronics Plethora X5. It includes ALL of the TC Electronics toneprints that are on their other pedals, such as the HOF reverb pedal. I have tap tempo for effects where that is applicable (i.e. delays).

https://www.tcelectronic.com/product.ht ... Code=P0D9M

This is a unit that I can actually operate on the fly. It is very intuitive and sounds great. It emulates a pedal board with 5 pedals, and each pedal can be anything, except distortion/overdrive which is best done in the analog domain.

You can have 128 virtual pedal boards. Each pedal board can have any combination of effects in any order. You could have 5 delays on a board if you wanted.

I built a gizmo out of wood that holds the unit where I can quickly reach it with my right hand.

This is wayyyy overkill for my very modest effects needs, but I can easily setup different types of delays and reverbs and quickly switch between them. And in one band I play with, I sometimes need something more, and this thing has it.

I think I got mine slightly used for about $350. Pricey but worth it, IMHO.

Bill Ferguson · Post by **Bill Ferguson** » 28 Mar 2022 6:52 am

Great post.

I have swapped back and forth several times. I used to use a rack with a Revalation PreAmp, Lexicon MPX150 Processor, Sarno Black Box and a couple of other ditties through the power amp inputs of 2 NV112's. I could flip a switch or two and change the combination of what I used.

It was a great sounding rig, but the rack was very heavy. Finally sold the rack & all the guts to Jeremy Drawbaugh.

Most of the time, I simply use a combo amp (NV112, Session 115 or Telonics Combo 112).

However recently I acquired a ProFex II from a friends estate.

Then while having lunch with Hartley Peavey one day, I was telling him that I needed a bass amp to use in the backline of a couple of steel shows.

Hartley spent 2 hours with me rummaging through equipment and gave me a MiniMax Bass head along with a Trace Elliott 210 cabinet.

I did not ever think of using any of that for steel, BUT>

Two years ago, Peavey engineers sent me a prototype Celestion Speaker in a cabinet the size of a NV112, to test, as they were having trouble getting the Blue Marvel Speaker. I patched the speaker to my NV112 and wow. I love the Blue Marvel speaker, but this was the same tone but cleaner.

So for now, my rig of choice is:
Carter D10 XR16 PU
Goodrich OMNI volume Pedal
George L's cables,
ProFex set to 65 Emmons
Peavey MiniMax Bass Head
Peavey Celestion 12" prototype speaker.

I used this rig at the Dallas show and people were amazed at the tone and punch. Some said it was the best tone I've ever had.
Of course, no one (hehe) said I played good.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 28 Mar 2022 10:56 am

I gave up on rack systems and rack effects about 10 years ago. I use either a POD X3 (with a Tommy Dodd leg holder) primarily for delay and reverb or more recently a NUX Atlantic Delay/Reverb unit.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 28 Mar 2022 12:58 pm

I haven’t used rack effects in 25 years. Just a couple of stomp boxes, and often no effects at all. I like traveling light, quick setup and tear down.

admin · Post by **b0b** » 28 Mar 2022 1:23 pm

I disassembled my rack system about 15 years ago. It was too awkward to carry that and 2 speakers instead of just a combo amp and maybe a pedal board.

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 28 Mar 2022 6:51 pm

I still have my Roland GP-100 and it has some very nice reverbs and delays. To think Roland stopped making this unit 25 years ago and it it still works great. I still use it my music room with various amps.

I only play out occasionally but I'm like everyone else that's looking to travel light.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 29 Mar 2022 5:00 am

I like the tap tempo delay.
I have been using a ToneMaster Twin for the last couple years.

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 29 Mar 2022 5:37 am

Like b0b, I also abandoned my rack system a few years back. I was packing a (70 lbs) Randall RSA500 and a (40 lbs) rack with a Brad Sarno Steel Guitar Black Box and tuner ahead of the VP, and an Audio Arts limiter and Lexicon PCM70 in the effects loop. Sounded perfectly awesome, particularly at high stage volumes.

After my hernia surgery I rebuilt a '64 Vibroverb for a D130f that was taking up space, and with no insert circuitry available it seemed ludicrous to plug my guitar pickup into the cheap IC input of a stomp box instead of the amp's 7025 all warmed up and ready to meet. Thus it is by default now pickup to VP to amp and the rest is up to my hands and VP. If more onstage volume is indicated I'll either bring a bigger amp, mic it off and use ghe PA, or both.

I have played mix-and-match with the spring reverb tanks in my amps for maximum sweetnesd, and all have JBL alnico speakers, which has a lot to do with my consistently sublime level of satisfaction.

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 29 Mar 2022 6:16 am

Never much cared for rack systems. Over the years I’ve reduced my effects quite a bit. I still like my Strymon Lex Leslie pedal. My compact pedal board includes that, a BB Preamp overdrive and a ZOOM Multi-stomp (containing tuner, many delays, reverbs, amp simulations, tremolo, vibrato, etc.) that I use sparingly. On the real Country gigs I barely even use reverb.

Norbert Dengler · Post by **Norbert Dengler** » 29 Mar 2022 10:23 am

less is more, just a good amp with reverb and a little delay for me.

Dave Morrison · Post by **Dave Morrison** » 2 Apr 2022 4:31 am

We’ll call me crazy( which I am no doubt) but I’m going back to my Stereo Steel rig when the venue has enough space. I’ve been using my Ltd 400 for several years now and love it but…….. I dusted off my Stereo rig the other night and it all came back to me why I bought one to start with. That was the sound I’d been missing.
Just my 2 cents worth.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 2 Apr 2022 1:44 pm

Well, some guys will ALWAYS like a big rack.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 3 Apr 2022 4:30 am

Same reason I got rid of my pack a seat.
I had a nice one with back rest and side compartment full of my stuff and it weighed a ton.
Been using a ToneMaster Twin for a couple of years now.

Dennis Detweiler · Post by **Dennis Detweiler** » 3 Apr 2022 6:56 am

The band I'm with plays enough variety of music that I need a few basic stomp boxes; country, classic rock, southern rock, funk, that I need a small amount of effects to cover it all (crunch pedal, dobro simulation, envelope filter, along with the delay and reverb). Current rack gear; Rev and Crown class D stereo power amp. The heaviest piece is the Rev. I like to have it all at my finger tips, so the rack and stomps fit the bill. I gave up on the combo amp several years ago, to eliminate having to get off of my seat to fine tune the amp in various clubs or outdoor settings. Combo amps are fine if you're still young and can tote it and get up and down to adjust it.

With regard to the Rev, it was a challenge to dial in the tone because the treble control also moves the mid frequency. I got to a point that I just used the treble control to set my mid frequency and the mid control to adjust it up or down. The gain control also modestly effects the warmth of the settings. Bass control is bass adjustment. Then, the vari-z can be moved to thin out or warm overall. The Color control kind of blends it all. Then there's the dark/normal/bright switch. It's took some time to play with it to figure out how it works. Great piece of gear. Playing with various preamp tubes is another piece of the puzzle.

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 3 Apr 2022 6:56 am

I've mostly been pretty simple... using only onboard amp Reverb for maybe 40 years, and then I lost my mind and went with this bad boy rack you see below. When I got everything I wanted in this Rack (10 space x 12) it occurred to me, "what were you thinking"?... How was I going to get it down the stairs? Since then, my mind returned to me and I've streamlined things a lot. Now either a Combo Quilter 202, or a 2-12 p2p. Back to just using a onboard Reverb blended with a Benado Steel Dream. I still have a couple of 2 space rack in my studio with a Stroborack and Presonus Interface in one and two Furmans in the other, with an iMac on one and 2nd Monitor on the other. I'm happy again, and if I do happen to play out it's quick and easy to grab the 202 Combo and go.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 3 Apr 2022 11:55 am

I tend to be a minimalist, so a rack system or a big pedalboard just isn't my style. I know a few players who use them, but they don't sound any better to me than those who don't. The absolute last thing I want is to copy or sound like someone else, so I adopted the theory long ago that I wouldn't let what others use affect my decisions as to what I use. So far, that's worked out well for me.

Eric Philippsen · Post by **Eric Philippsen** » 4 Apr 2022 11:17 am

Big amps, stereo setup, rack setup. Best sounding was a stereo setup but, with rare exceptions, I don’t do those anymore. They all sit taking up space. I’m thinking I’m getting lazier. Now, I take my steel, a seat, a NV112, throw the Goodrich on the floor, plug in, tune up and then do the best I can to not embarrass the singer, the band, the song or myself.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 4 Apr 2022 12:25 pm

I tend to be a minimalist...

Me too, Donny, and Eric, and others.

I only carry three items now:

21 lb. Quilter Mach 3 amp
32 lb. Mullen G2 S-10 (usually without the case!)
And my smallest pac-a-seat.

So it's steel - Hilton VP - amp. It's a very quick set up and tear down. Once in a while I'll use a stomp box, either an Oceans 11 Reverb, a BOSS delay, or a OCD overdrive, just to amuse myself, but in general, the Quilter sounds so good on it's own, there's no need for anything else.

Pictures from two gigs last month.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 4 Apr 2022 12:44 pm

I still use the rack pictured, but can make do with a DD-7 and a Keeley Compressor.

Bobby D. Jones · Post by **Bobby D. Jones** » 8 Apr 2022 8:42 pm

I went lighter on amp. and effects last month. The Quilter 202 Tone Block finally arrived. My stomp box Delay and power supply in original box are now sitting in the corner.

Quilter 202 Tone Block, 15" Eminence EPS-15C in custom made birch cabinet, Boss GE-7 (Do-Bro). Is my new set up.

One night last week I went to a jam session and took my old set up for equipment safety in a small room. My steel did not sound right to my ears.