Sweetest Processor for steel

Gary Steele · Post by **Gary Steele** » 16 Mar 2003 8:36 am

You guys that have tried about everything out there, What is the best effect processor you have found. I just traded my stereo steel for a Evans PreAmp and i think i'm gonna really like it. I had a Evans Se-200 HV amp but i didn't seem to like it. What combination of toys have you guys found that you like best.

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 16 Mar 2003 8:40 am

Roland GP-100.Mosvalve 500 or 1500. ......bb

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 16 Mar 2003 9:48 am

I have one setup where I have an Evans pre into a TC Electronics G-Force into a MosValve. The sweetest processor I've found is the TC Electronics M-5000, to get into and out of that, I use a Demeter Tube Bass pre and a TC Electronics Gold Channel, but this is expensive stuff and not practical for regular gigs. For regular gigs, a tube Standel amp or a THD Bi-Valve, with a tube spring reverb is hard to beat.

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 16 Mar 2003 4:51 pm

Hi Gary
Hi chas

chas has spoken! chas knows. He be EF Hutton! When he speaks...everyone listens!

The following is IMHO. Having tried stomp boxes, one poor spring reverb unit, tubefx, transtube fx. I do not intend to try them all.

The sweetest/bestest/ for stereo steel effects is Lexicon. I have been using a PCM 81 which is a studio stereo rig, but wow. Avalon 737sp tube mic preamp/eq/comp, split to stereo, Lexicon, to a pair of powered 15" Peavey cabs (Px300). Pretty good. JBL's would be better I think. High end studio toys.

I don't think these nice effects are appreciated in most band/club situations.

Therefore, a lower end Lexicon like the MPX-1 with a tube preamp, and power amp and speaker of your choice. I really like the powered amps like PV 300x. Practical, powerful, simple. 300 solid state watts, and an on/off switch and gain control. Let your front end create the tone and effects. The ss amp does a pretty good job of recreating the sound. This will work for a huge outdoor show or a club. Take just one on samller jobs.

I think the ultimate rig is the Standel tube reissue amp with a 15" JBL, a Lexicon in the effects loop. Add a powered Standel speaker cab for stereo.

Men and their toys.

Ron

PS. Gary. The autostrobe is working great!

Gary Steele · Post by **Gary Steele** » 16 Mar 2003 6:26 pm

Gentlemen, Get on the band wagon. Everyone jump in plus you Gurus that have tried and heard it all. If i get a killer system and then still sound bad i'll know its in my hands, LOL, Ha Ha. Little humor. I have heard the Roland unit mentioned also. Has anyone other then Jeff Peterson tried any of the Peavey tube stuff? I talked to a guy in Indiana at a major pro music house he SWORE that the Manley stereo tube PreAmp would knock your socks OFF and put them back on. Anyone tried these? They are hand made. He said Dwight Yoakum plays his guitar thru one and loves it. I think they are called a Tube Direct S. How do you guys like the Evans i think it is called an ESPA.If you dont want to say email me direct.
Thanks,
Gary.

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 16 Mar 2003 6:59 pm

chas has spoken! chas knows. He be EF Hutton! When he speaks...everyone listens!

We're all in trouble now, on the other hand you could take all of that cash that's clogging up your wallet and send it to me.

I think the ultimate rig is the Standel tube reissue amp with a 15" JBL, a Lexicon in the effects loop. Add a powered Standel speaker cab for stereo.

Another possibility is an Altec 418 or 421 speaker and a Demeter Real Reverb (springs) although I can't argue with Lexicon.

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 16 Mar 2003 10:29 pm

Gary,

I have a Peavey VMP2 preamp. It is a class A tube type mic pre. Built like a tank. 2 rack space about 20 pounds. No wimpy LEDS on this baby. It has 2 channels and a bit of EQ on each channel. Treble and Bass only. IT is a terrific mic pre for acoustic stuff, dobro stuff. About $800 or so used.

I have run my steel thru it and it sounds ok. There is not enough EQ to give you the ultimate. One trick is to put one channel on full treble and one on full bass. Adjust the gain knobs, and send to your signal processor, then to power amp, or powered speakers.

As I understand Jeff Peterson's set up, (second hand info). Steel-compressor-Tubefex-VMP2-PV 300 powered speaker(s). Sometimes mic'd off stage.
He uses the VMP2 as a tube buffer between the tubeFX preamp/processor and the solid state amps. He likes it as of a few months ago.

Have you looked at the Lexicon MPX G2? Check out Lexi web site. Buy from eBay. $950 new. Musician's friend is $1300. I am just looking.
It can act in an amp's effect loop, it can put effeccts in front of your preamp, and/or it can be your preamp. With compression, EQ, etc. It can also go direct to a PA/mixer. No power amp required.

This thing is for real. Makes hook up easy. Spend 2 years trying to tweak the effects!

Hope all this BS is helpful fair an friendly.

(hope EF is listening!)

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 17 Mar 2003 12:08 am

I'm very pleased with my Roland gp100, for more then 5 years now, esspecialy in combination with my boogie studio-pre-amp.
see schedule for my way of connecting:

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Click on the pic!

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 17 Mar 2003 1:47 pm

You most likely won't do better than an Eventide, but you most likely won't plump for that in a rack either.
But they have midi controled invisible patch changes. Very cool.
You don't hear ANY delay, it just smoothly trasitions the effects from one to the nxt.
parallel monos, mono to stereo, or stereo In Out.
Plus chained effects in all modes till you run out of DSP, then you can add more.

I can't imagaine a better set up than that patched through an Avalon preamp / eq / opti compressor / mic pre / DI ...IMHO[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 17 March 2003 at 04:21 PM.]

James Quackenbush · Post by **James Quackenbush** » 18 Mar 2003 6:17 am

Gary,
A lot of the VERY high end gear that is mentioned is all very nice, and sounds incredible...Perhaps you might want to locate a Recording outlet that has a lot of this gear available, and bring a steel down to listen to it all...I know it souunds wierd, but if you're going to be spending a few thousand on a rig with all top shelf gear, I would make darn sure I would be happy with it !!..By the time you add up your cost of a pre, and and amp, and an effects unit, and on and on, you're looking at a few thousand dollars !!..
This is a nice sale from any salesman !!...I do that very thing here in NY...I don't try, I don't buy !!....Good Luck....Jim

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 18 Mar 2003 6:24 am

James is quite correct. I think if you try an ideal set up, then you can really judge what you find acceptable; cost verus features/sound. Budget must almost always be a real factor.
I am not being esoteric like a Standell Amp for $3,500 which is lovely, but there are ways and there are ways. Look carefully and you will find yours.

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 18 Mar 2003 6:48 am

Hey daydreams are fun.

I think, IMHO, there are recording studio applciations, where the studio will have the high end reverbs. I think I would need a darn good quiet tube amp, better than good speaker. Don't need power.

Second is playing out with a band. Here you need power and tone, but the high end efx and reverbs are not valued. Simple verb/delay most of the time.

Third is the "sand box". This is the project studio, home studio, where play and creativiy are valued. Any thing goes here.

So many toys. So little time.

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 18 Mar 2003 7:04 am

I agree totally with Johan. My roland is now about 6 years old and trouble free.

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HookMoore.com

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 18 Mar 2003 2:03 pm

I have several racks full of the high end studio quality stuff being mentioned here and while I could take an Avalon 737,Lexicon,multiple hi-fi speakers,etc down to my gigs,I find it to be overkill. When I'm casting my musical pearls before even the finest of swine,I feel like my Excel Steel,Goodrich pedal w/built-in matchbox,GL cables,Alesis Microverb II and Nash 400 w/mod all fits nicely in the trunk of my Sentra,sounds plenty fine and is about as hi-fi as a working mans' rig needs to be.
-MJ-

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 19 Mar 2003 2:47 am

I agree with Mike J. But the topic refered to "Sweetest Processor for steel". So I responded to that. How could I get the BEST sound from a steel.
Practical stage applications are more in Mike's and Johan's decriptions.

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 19 Mar 2003 6:18 am

I figured Gary would not be playing a lot of master sessions.So I responded with a good economical rig.My answer was more to the question. (What combination of toys have you guys found that you like best?)

As for the Roland GP-100.I know Bruce Bouton uses one.Also Lloyd Green contacted me with an interest in buying one.Whether Lloyd ever purchased one or is using it I can't say.[This message was edited by Bobby Boggs on 19 March 2003 at 09:05 AM.]

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 21 Mar 2003 5:38 am

Boys, get yourselves a Peavey Profex II and a PX 300.

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Rick McDuffie
Tarheel Jazz Q-tet
Debbie Elam Band
www.tarheelmusic.com