Erik's new rig

erikbojerik · #1 10-16-2008, 06:35 PM

Behold the possibilities of Erik's new rig; it should be noted that I have been known to pick up a gu*tar on occasion...

The case is a Gator 6U powered wheeled rack, with telescoping luggage-style handle. Locking lids front & back.

From the top-down:
Behringer Eurorack 1602 line mixer
Eventide Eclipse
Mesa Triaxis
(2U space)
TC Electronics G-system (brain)
rack power conditioner

Here is the G-system's foot controller. It connects to the brain with a standard Ethernet cable, and sends out MIDI program change messages to change patches on everything in the rack.

The Triaxis is superb - basically 8 of the best Mesa Boogie tube preamps in a 1U space, from pushed clean to vintage creamy to rectified. It has 5 JJ Electronics 12AX7's. 100 user presets.

The G-system has great digital effects, 200 user presets, and nice big footswitches that make my size-13's happy. Built like a tank. Also has 5 programmable analog effect loops for routing or stompboxes.

The Eclipse is a digital processor from another planet - delays, harmonizers, pitch shifters, reverbs and more out the wahzoo, all of them super-tweekable. Great for great ambient effects, including stuff very strange and scary.

The routing is this:

Instrument->Gsystem IN
Gsystem Loop 1 sends to Triaxis
Triaxis returns to Loop 1 and Loop 3 returns
Gsystem Loop 2 sends to the Eclipse
Eclipse returns in stereo to the line mixer, output panned hard L/R
Gsystem outputs in mono to the line mixer, output panned center (might switch this to stereo - not sure yet)

So...
Loop 1 on/off is dirty/clean to the Eclipse
Loop 3 on/off is dirty/clean to the Gsystem
Triaxis volume knob A is dirty level to the Eclipse
Triaxis volume knob B is dirty level to the Gsystem
I can mute either the Eclipse or the Gsystem on a patch-by-patch basis.

Line mixer sends stereo output to the mixing board, and line mixer headphone out goes to my Yamaha G100-210 as a stage monitor. I can also use the headphone jack for (yep...) headphones to practice while the kiddies are asleep.

Next step is to establish a rack-global tap-tempo from the Gsystem floorboard, and get a couple of expression pedals.

I'm pretty pumped!

Even if I am broke...

KarateKid25 · #2 10-16-2008, 06:37 PM

Whoes Erik?

KarateKid25 · #3 10-16-2008, 06:37 PM

ahh.. Your Erik!

Hi Erik

Nice Rig!

MikeBass · #4 10-16-2008, 06:46 PM

Mike thinks Eric should remember that this is TalkBASS.

(nice G-System BTW!!)

NKUSigEp · #5 10-16-2008, 07:07 PM

I've never seen contraptions with so many buttons and knobs and dials before!

erikbojerik · #6 10-16-2008, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NKUSigEp

I've never seen contraptions with so many buttons and knobs and dials before!

The beauty is that all channels change on all units with just one footstomp - and then you have creative on-the-fly options as well.

I more or less knew what a guitar would sound like through this - but this rig does one heck of a number on bass. You can get some really in-your-face or back-of-the-gymnasium stuff going.

I will be tré happy to ditch the amp monitor if we ever go to in-ears.

superbassman2000 · #7 10-16-2008, 07:57 PM

beautiful! I love eventide!

Higgie · #8 10-17-2008, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NKUSigEp

I've never seen contraptions with so many buttons and knobs and dials before!

I haven't seen the Brave Little Toaster in years!!!

Nice rig by the way

erikbojerik · #9 10-17-2008, 08:07 AM

What I really need now is a decent crossover - the eventual plan after the line mixer is to have the low-end clean and a wet/dry situation on the high-end (stereo wet panned L/R and dry panned to the center).

I have heard that active crossovers are the way to go - that passives are a bit fiddly.

santucci218 · #10 10-17-2008, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NKUSigEp

I've never seen contraptions with so many buttons and knobs and dials before!

You just made me Rock Hard.

Edit: Oh yeah..Rig, speakers ext.

MakiSupaStar · #11 10-17-2008, 09:33 AM

So this set up is for a guitar? You got some really interesting stuff there. Can you tell me a couple of things? That Eventide, is it an FX processor? Do they make one for bass? But more importantly, how are the synths?

The Mesa TriAxis. Let me get my head around this thing. So is this a digital interface atop a tube amplifier, that automatically dials into traditional tube sounds? Is that how it works? Pretty cool, not for me personally (I really love my sound right now), but I can imagine there might be other bass players here in the market for something like that. Again, do you know if they make this for the bass?

So all this is controlled at your feet with the pedals?

Wow. This is really cool.

santucci218 · #12 10-17-2008, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

So this set up is for a guitar? You got some really interesting stuff there. Can you tell me a couple of things? That Eventide, is it an FX processor? Do they make one for bass? But more importantly, how are the synths?

The Mesa TriAxis. Let me get my head around this thing. So is this a digital interface atop a tube amplifier, that automatically dials into traditional tube sounds? Is that how it works? Pretty cool, not for me personally (I really love my sound right now), but I can imagine there might be other bass players here in the market for something like that. Again, do you know if they make this for the bass?

So all this is controlled at your feet with the pedals?

Wow. This is really cool.

Im pretty sure the Triaxis is used by bassplayers AND guitar players. Such as John Petrucci from Dream Theater and John Myung from Dream Theater.

MakiSupaStar · #13 10-17-2008, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by santucci218

Im pretty sure the Triaxis is used by bassplayers AND guitar players. Such as John Petrucci from Dream Theater and John Myung from Dream Theater.

Cool. It's a brilliant concept nonetheless.

erikbojerik · #14 10-17-2008, 09:47 AM

Yes mostly this stuff is used for guitar, but I have always found very useful and musical stuff for bass as well, just needs way different EQ-ing compared with guitar. Once I finish re-arranging the music room, I'll try to post some sound clips.

Triaxis - yes, digital control of an all-analog tube-based preamp.

Eclipse - yes, FX and only FX; all digital 24-bit with your choice of 44/48k or 96k sample rate. You almost need an advanced college degree to wrap your head around the manual, but once you do - my goodness...

I did a LOT of research on this by downloading the user's manuals from the respective websites and understanding what they can (and cannot) do. It is almost impossible to test-drive rack-mount gear these days (everyone downsizing to Pods, etc), so I went with used stuff figuring that if I hated the unit, I could at least resell it for close to what I paid. So far I haven't been disappointed.

MakiSupaStar · #15 10-17-2008, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikbojerik

Yes mostly this stuff is used for guitar, but I have always found very useful and musical stuff for bass as well, just needs way different EQ-ing compared with guitar. Once I finish re-arranging the music room, I'll try to post some sound clips.

Triaxis - yes, digital control of an all-analog tube-based preamp.

Eclipse - yes, FX and only FX; all digital 24-bit with your choice of 44/48k or 96k sample rate. You almost need an advanced college degree to wrap your head around the manual, but once you do - my goodness...

I did a LOT of research on this by downloading the user's manuals from the respective websites and understanding what they can (and cannot) do. It is almost impossible to test-drive rack-mount gear these days (everyone downsizing to Pods, etc), so I went with used stuff figuring that if I hated the unit, I could at least resell it for close to what I paid. So far I haven't been disappointed.

Yeah, I'm a synth head and it's become a damn near obsession of mine. I leaning toward a rack system, as well as one day actually purchasing a real synth. Cool. Thanks for sharing bro.

erikbojerik · #16 10-17-2008, 10:12 AM

No real synth stuff here - though I have thought about it. Might need another rack for that...

Rickett Customs · #17 10-17-2008, 10:13 AM

Ahh yes, I remember talking to you about this very rig.
Did you decide to go stereo with it?

markjazzbassist · #18 10-17-2008, 06:09 PM

those TC G systems are really great. a friend of mine had one for his guitar rig and loved it.

erikbojerik · #19 10-18-2008, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alembicplyr

Ahh yes, I remember talking to you about this very rig.
Did you decide to go stereo with it?

Oh yeah

The Eclipse is really a waste of space if you're not running in stereo.

I still need to tweek up some kind of L/R ping-ponging rotary speaker kind of effect. The G can't quite get there, but I should be able to dial it in with the Eclipse.

JohnDavisNYC · #20 10-18-2008, 08:58 AM

I can't believe that you are running such great preamps and processors through a POS Behringer???? It is a super cool rig, but please, buy a line mixer that does justice to the quality of gear the rest of your rig is comprised of! Rane or Ashley would be good brands, or a used Speck mixer...

anyway, besides that, awesome!

John