Good guitar rack setup

For all his success, Slash has a remarkably simple setup. One thing that isn't showcased in the Moshcam video is a remote wah pedal processor, which allows Slash to use multiple wahs at different points on stage. Joe Garvey, Hinder's lead guitar player, relies heavily on a rack guitar system that's similarly structured to some of the examples we've provided.

Image via Premier Guitar. This floorboard is the control point for an Avid Eleven Rack effects processor , which is the heart of Garvey's tone and signal processing. All of Garvey's amp models and effects come from the Eleven Rack the second one is a backup , which then runs directly into the speaker cabinets and monitors.

Garvey avoids the typical amp head setup in favor of relying entirely on has Eleven Rack which does all the preamp work, in addition to handling effects processing.

Disturbed's guitar player, Dan Donegan, runs his signal through a setup that looks complicated, though is actually quite close to the diagrams I showed you earlier. First, his signal goes through Randall preamps and a DigiTech effects processor, which you can see in the picture below:. Donegan's Randall power amps. Finally, Donegan's signal lands at this speaker cab not sure about the brand , which has four microphones total one for each speaker and is enclosed in a box before it's sent out to the mains at Disturbed's concerts.

Donegan's speaker cab and microphones. A few pedals and the DigiTech effects processor are all controlled through a Voodoo Lab MIDI foot controller, which is the same model we saw being used in Garvey's rig. Donegan's MIDI controller on his pedalboard. In a lot of these rigs, you might notice wireless receivers, since the pros almost never go without them. Usually that's not a necessary component for a small time rig, whether you're running everything into a rack case or not. While you can get some cheaper wireless receivers, my advice would be to run a cable and put your money into some other aspect of your guitar rack system.

Wireless just doesn't help you much if you're not performing in a larger capacity. If you do decide to add a wireless receiver to your rig, they'll usually take up one or two rack spots, similar to the effects processors and noise gates. Line 6 and Shure both make some solid wireless units that are decently priced.

When you look at the pro rigs, you'll often see a lot of wires and what looks like a complicated mess. The first thing to keep in mind is that this sort of thing always looks messier and more complex than it actually is. If you watch the Premier Guitar Rig Rundown videos, you'll notice that the "neatness" of a rig will often depend on the personality of the guitar tech. So, don't assume that just because the wiring looks a bit chaotic that you can't do it yourself.

Remember, your signal is linear , which means it runs in a straight line from beginning to end. This is even easier to see in the TC Electronic G Major setup manual, which gives a simple reference graphic that applies regardless of which effects processor we might be using:. Guitar rack system setup example. Image via TC Electronic. If you look at it this way, wiring and cables are fairly straightforward. Electrical wiring would include pedal power 9V cables and any kind of adapter or power plug that needs to be accounted for.

These should all be kept separate from signal processing cables, which would include MIDI cabling, instrument cables and patch cables between pedals or rack units. What I like to do is wire all the necessary instrument cables first, then come back in and do all the electric wiring, while taping down as much as possible to cut back on the mess. For simplicity's sake, I've focused primarily on the core elements of a guitar rack system.

However, you can migrate anything that has to do with signal processing to a case. At this point, it comes down to an issue of how much money you want to spend and how you want your rig to function. Having a tuner and equalizer in a pedal form is cheaper, but there is a lot more versatility and flexibility to be had if you can migrate it all to a rack case.

This topic, while frustratingly vague, can often be made really simple by seeing what kind of rack systems other guitar players have been able to successfully build and set up. You can shoot him an email to get in touch. Can someone tell me what kinda rack setup armon amarth is useing for there death metal guitar sound I want to know. Hi there Bob. Alright I have a few things in my rack I want to hook up properly. From bottom of rack to the top I have 6 units not counting the Furman P PF R that all are plugged into at the very top.

OK The first is the amp, Marshall If there is any way you can help me hook these up correctly, please do. Hey Brian — how far have you gotten so far? You should start with the master output on the JMP-1 going into the Your tuner could probably be in the effects loop as well. Alright Bob if I understand this right this is what I have done. I could not figure out how to use these two together. I have never had that on a amp before. Hey Brian — if there is only one effects send on the back of the JMP-1, that should go into the input of your first rack unit, then you would just treat your rack units like effects pedals, with the exception of the tuner.

I assume you have a speaker cab attached to the your power amp? Hey Bob I appreciate the help. You have to use either one as both are pre-amps. If I used together I would have to unplug guitar from one then plug into the other every time just to get the benefits of either one.

We have come along way since the JMP came out. I think there is around 20 years difference in the two pre-amps. I like to play all genres of music but Mainly rock and metal so should i consider another preamp?

I have a 50w head that i love but would this be to weak to power both preamps? Any help would be appreciated. The head is a type of preamp. I would do either the or the MP1, but not both. In a scenario where you use a self-contained Amp head like a JCM into a speaker cabinet, when do you use the effects loop for signal processing effects vs placing the effects before the input of the JCM ? Conventionally, ambient effects are handled better in an effects loop, while everything else gets placed before the primary amp input.

In the second diagram, they throw a volume pedal and some modulation in the effects loop as well. But again, this is just convention. Comment Policy: You're down to leave a comment?

Crucially, it's worth noting that cheaper units are not isolated on a per-output basis, so it's still possible to inadvertently create a ground loop. The second is a rack mixer.

This will allow you to consolidate multiple inputs down into one balanced stereo output. Most mixers also have a headphone out, so they can be used for monitoring, or silent playing if you're not routing the outputs to a desk or DAW.

At the budget end, both Behringer and Samson make units that can be had either new or used for the price of your average Boss pedal. In addition to these, a passive splitter and phase-inverting box like the cheap-and-cheerful Millenium SP31 will allow you to split your guitar signal and keep a dry path running parallel into your rack mixer, as well as debug phase issues. First it was a TM18 with a TC G-System, having them racked was so convenient because I could leave all the patch cables connected, allowing me to setup and tear-down very quickly.

These days I have a GM36 with no other fx units but I still have it racked along with a power conditioner and rack tuner. I used to have a rack way back when.

Too much hassle! Hi Allan. Yep, we were amazed when we met Armin and he was able to set the rack up so quickly! Rock on Stage Play at Home Record at Night Play Acoustic. All Posts. This is one way of keeping an amp cool…. And if you liked this post, try these too:. All Topics. Leave a comment. It was a good choice for those that only want the GM36, and it helped me afford it initially.

What do you think? Fiolka is amazing. Huey T. Allan on June 3, Reply I used to have a rack way back when. We use cookies to give you the best user experience. If you continue to use this site, we assume that you agree. OK Deny.