Preamp/effect unit recommendation?

Gerald Menke · Post by **Gerald Menke** » 12 Mar 2003 2:32 pm

After three years of using solid state gear I assembled a rack system of the following: Furman power strip, Boogie V-twin preamp, Lexicon MPX550 all going into a VHT 2/90/2. It probably won't surprise any of you that this rig sounds pretty astounding, but weighs more than my steel! I live on the third floor of my building so this is a real problem...I would be very interested in any recommendations you all might have that would eliminate some of the weight, I am thinking some kind of preamp and reverb unit in one will be the way to go. Anybody have any feelings about the Rocktron gear? Looks good on paper. Looking for 3 or four good sounds, not 256 that are so-so. Thanks to all for considering my question!

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 12 Mar 2003 5:26 pm

Had a Rocktron box in the studio recording a thrash metal neo tribal band ( go figure ) It was a very noisy box. I had to gate it before we sent it into an Ampfarm Marshal simulator just to make it tolerable... your mileage may vary.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 12 Mar 2003 6:16 pm

I hear you Gerald, I have a Mosvalve rig including a tuner and an EQ unit in a 6 sp rack....it is indeed a load! Nothing else I have tried has the SOUND tho. I finally decided to split it up in 2 racks and make another trip to the truck
Can't help w/ the Rocktron...I assume you are hip to the Peavey "fex" units that combine the pre and fx in a single unit...this wont't help a great deal on the weight tho I'm afraid...Good luck with your search and keep us posted on finding an acceptable solution to your problem.

TRAP TRULY · Post by **TRAP TRULY** » 12 Mar 2003 9:29 pm

I also am in the same boat with the heavy rack. I bought a dolly at home depot.It was the best $80 i have ever spent,cant believe i lugged all my stuff around with out one before.I just load and unload my junk from my truck to the dolly and use the elevators in one trip.

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 13 Mar 2003 9:57 am

I've been a real fan of the Peavey Pro-Fex and now Transtube-FEx units. Very clean (at least to my ear) and most of the effects I'd ever want, crappy distoritons but I have some Maxxon boxes for that. The lighted tuner right by my side is a must have for me. Another GREAT unit is the overlooked Roland GP-100. Absolutely killer sounds and effects, endlessly editable, and if you use distortion, extremely good. All I use in the studio for lap steel distortion stuff. But you still need a power amp, cabinets... for most live shows I've gone to going into the power amp in of a Nashville 1000, so I just haul that and my little rack box, steel n seat. All of the house engineers have been telling me it's the best out front sound I've ever had.

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Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 13 Mar 2003 10:19 am

A good preamp to look at is the Joe Meek VC3 (1/2 rack space, about $300), with built in compressor and enhancer. As far as effects go, I use pedals, but I also a rackmount DOD Dimension 12 delay/sampler which sounds incredible. I don't care much for the canned sounds of digital units in general, so I tend to prefer the pedals through a tube amp, no loop.

Gerald Menke · Post by **Gerald Menke** » 13 Mar 2003 11:21 am

Thanks to all for the replies, very helpful, just to focus things, I know there are lots of great sounding pre's out there, (the one I'm using now sounds fantastic) but it in along with an effect unit, etc. in a six-space Star case is just doing a number on my lower back, the goal is a smaller rack containing just the preamp/effect unit and the VHT amp...50 pounds or less.

As far as the Rocktron being noisy, how ironic! Didn't they build their reputation on that Hush technology? Althought the dirty channel on any amp is noisier...stands to reason. Any other suggestions would be awesome. Thanks you guys.

Gerald

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 13 Mar 2003 11:37 am

You might take a look at the TC Electronics G-Force.

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 13 Mar 2003 11:45 am

Hey Gerald---did you get my email about that other stuff?

I have a PV TransTubeFex that I'd be happy to let you borrow. I picked it up at an obscenely low price, used, at Manny's a couple of years ago and I just haven't gotten around to using it. If you want to try it out for a few weeks, let me know.

Gerald Menke · Post by **Gerald Menke** » 17 Mar 2003 8:21 am

Hey all, I tried some of the Rocktron pieces, yikes absolutely horrifying, the most plastic one-dimensional sounding stuff I've ever heard. Later that day I tried a vintage Alembic stereo preamp, man what a sound. Bought it on the spot. It is lightweight, and SO musical. Sounds amazing with the VHT, very Charlton kind of tone, so alive, in comparison to the Boogie, all notes are even in volume, rich, not spiky or harsh. If you ever have a chance to try one, please to. I'm told the circuit is akin to a blonde Dual Showman. Thanks to all for the responses.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 17 Mar 2003 1:40 pm

TC has some of the best reverb logarhtyms on a a par with Lexicon.

Alembec makes some of the best basses, as used by Stanley Clarke among others, and electronics for ears as decerning as his also.