The Steel Guitar Forum

This question may sound dumb, but I have just recently gotten back into playing steel after about ten years away from it so please someone help me understand all that is needed for these effects. I see posts about profex, profexII and so forth, how do you hook them up, do you use 2 amps etc. Any help appreciated.

I'm probably the least well-equipped person to answer, but here's a first shot. In short, it depends what you have. In a rack system, a Profex can act as you effects unit as well as the preamp (unless I'm mistaken). So you need the power amp and speaker setup, minimally. I have a separate power amp, and preamp, and effects unit, so I've got more stuff to lug around. So, 'what is needed', as you say, is really what all floats your boat. Lots of ways to go. I happen to like the components that I use, but there are lots of options.

Ron, Steve's right. the profexII is effects and preamp. I used to hook it up wrong, but it goes volume pedal to profex to power amp in. This bypasses your amp's preamp. The ProfexII is cool. It is a little cryptic to learn all of it's functions, but if you read the book and study and play around with it, it becomes easy enough. I have simplified my rig. I'm back to one amp. (Old Session 400 with a JBL). Boss DD3 delay pedal. Thats enough for most of the jobs I play. I have a big heavy Evans stereo rack rig. but seldom ever use it cause it's so much to haul around. I'm still shopping. I'm interested in a Lexicon. Also got the hots for a Fender Tube Amp. Regards.

I just got a Prfoex 2 and played through it this weekend and I love it. I go from the guitar to pedal to profex to the amp INPUT. I'm still experimenting with the settings but have found a few that I like. THere's a lot of potential there.

Tim, You're right the profex has some awesome potential. I would have a pair of them except for 2 problems. It has a Mono input but mono/or stereo outs. I want a profex with stereo inputs. It also doesn't have a "hard wired" wet/dry mix for the overall effect. You have to individually set wet/dry by percentages for each effect in the chain. After I detailed my favorite programs to suit the rooms that I was playing, and I more or less used a RTA and then set up my EQ for each effect, I would go into the edit function from the + or - that is next to whatever effect. EX> REV+, put the cursor on the + and hit EDIT. Then you could detail the saturation % on the reverb. Its ok once you get used to it. But for what I do now days, its way too much trouble for me. Wish peavey would reissue Profex with the stereo ins and a hardwired wet/dry. Regards.

Those of you that like the Profex II can improve it 100% by installing the Lemay mod in it. I had one and could never get it to sound the way I wanted, but I installed the Lemay mod in a friends Profex II and it really brought it to life.

I've been using a Transtube Fex for the past two years and this is a major improvement over the Profex II in all areas.

Hello Bill,
I have received requests that we reintroduce the Profex II. It's very hard to determine what the guitar/steel guitar marketplace will support sometimes. That's why certain types of products do well for awhile and then consumer preferences change, ie; rack units vs. single units.

Right now, it looks like single unit amps are selling well and rack units not so well. The Profex II was a good piece of gear, but our customers told us that they wanted an effects processor with knobs that they could turn "on the fly". So, we introduced the Tubefex and then the Transtube Fex. These did well in the steel guitar market, but not as well as the Profex II.

There could be a swing in the rack preamp/effect direction in the near future, and I'm sure that Peavey will be right there with a new product that would fulfill the needs of the steel guitarist.

Mike,
thanks for the info. Sounds like I need to check into a pair of tube fex's. I need some more info, but that would just make my Evans rack system REAL cool, to have 2 seperate preamps. If tubefex has knobs instead of presets in each effect, then I'm more than interested. I'll have to see if any of the local Peavey dealers have tubefex. I have not seen one yet.

Something else, Does Peavey make a tube amp with a 15" speaker? Regards and thanks.

Bill, the TubFex and Transtube Fex are stereo processors. You don't need "a pair" of them.