Do you use rack gear?

[Fynn]

I feel like I've asked this before at some point, but I can't remember if I actually did.
So here I go potentially again, besides all the times this has been asked before by someone else.
Do you use rack gear for your tone shaping, when playing gigs? I don't mean just simply a rack mounted amplifier, or a racktuner. I'm wondering how many people actually bring a rack to a gig, with dedicated preamps, poweramps, effects units, maybe even a channelstrip?

I've always loved the idea of rackgear, because for one it kinda looks more serious, but really, the rack stuff usually is way more complex. I'm secretly hoping that there's still plenty of people out there that can afford to bring all that glorious stuff out on gigs.

Further, has anybody ever used one of these Palmer speaker simulators? I almost bought one a while back, but I just couldn't justify the purchase.

 

[Goatrope]

It’s been over ten years since I’ve used the rack at a gig. Now it’s my practice room/ self study setup.

After my rack, I went with the GK MBF 800 for a couple years, then the Mesa D800 for a few years, and finally settled on a Fender Super Bassman 300.

I know, back to “heavy”, but it sounds so sweet with no added tone shaping or compression.

 

[Marko 1]

I put "Used to, but not anymore". The last time I used it was last year, and I'd just put a different preamp in it (SansAmp RBI). I'm just assuming I won't use it again, but it is possible.

 

[WayneP]

I’ve been “racking” for over 25 years. Wouldn’t have it any other way. Pics in my signature.

I've always loved the idea of rackgear, because for one it kinda looks more serious, but really, the rack stuff usually is way more complex.

I don’t think it’s any more complex than a bunch of pedals (which seems to be the popular thing now). Once you get the gear set up, it’s “plug and play.” Plus, you can adjust things on the fly if needed, without having to squat down.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Pedulla Club #45 Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Administrator, Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Basses
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
Pedulla Club #45

 

[Goatrope]

I’ve been “racking” for over 25 years. Wouldn’t have it any other way. Pics in my signature.


I don’t think it’s any more complex than a bunch of pedals (which seems to be the popular thing now). Once you get the gear set up, it’s “plug and play.” Plus, you can adjust things on the fly if needed, without having to squat down.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Pedulla Club #45 Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Administrator, Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Basses
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
Pedulla Club #45

[/QUOTE]

I’ve checked out your gear several times. Quite an amazing setup.

 

[WayneP]

I’ve checked out your gear several times. Quite an amazing setup.

You are very kind – thank you sir!

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Pedulla Club #45 Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Administrator, Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Basses
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
Pedulla Club #45

 

[WayneP]

I’ve checked out your gear several times. Quite an amazing setup.

PS like yours too!

I initially did a six-spacer like you have, but it was too heavy for my skinny arms. And I didn’t even have an amp in it! So I split to two racks.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Pedulla Club #45 Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Administrator, Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Basses
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
Pedulla Club #45

 

[Fynn]

It’s been over ten years since I’ve used the rack at a gig. Now it’s my practice room/ self study setup.

View attachment 5030044
After my rack, I went with the GK MBF 800 for a couple years, then the Mesa D800 for a few years, and finally settled on a Fender Super Bassman 300.

I know, back to “heavy”, but it sounds so sweet with no added tone shaping or compression.

Love seeing dbx stuff!

 

[mrcbass]

My head and power conditioner are in a small rack. Used to have other stuff (tuner, wireless receiver, in ears transmitter - even had my preamp-pedals mounted on a shelf), but currently trimmed down.

 

[Killing Floor]

Not anymore. Sad part is there is some great gear in my garage and it’s worth $0. Gave away a lot of it to some high school kids and that made me feel good.

 

[Yools]

I had a great rack system setup back in the 90s. BBE 383 preamp, dbx163 compressor, Nady 3D wireless, and a Carvin DMC1000 power amp. Power amp was really light for that amount of power. All in a wood rack case a friend made for me. I had a power strip installed in the back with an extension cord that fit in the case when I closed it, and I would run the extension cord from my pedalboard to that so I only needed one power outlet at gigs (I know - sounds like a recipe for noise and interference, but I never had any problems). The wireless was a really affordable unit (<$200) that had true diversity, and I swear it made my tone better when I used it. I ran that into an Eden 410XLT cabinet, and I loved the convenience and way it sounded.

I swapped that out for an all-tube head (Mesa Buster Bass) after 2000, then switched to a solid-state Acoustic B600H head sometime around 2014. All my subsequent rigs worked great for what I wanted at the time, but I do miss that BBE-Carvin system.

-Y

 

[2112]

Need a category for "used to, went all pedals, and now considering going back st partially". The utility pedals I used to create my base tone (see what I did there?) are always on and never change. I'm very tempted to tuck them onto a rack shelf and stick it into a shallow rack I have along with a wireless and a couple other doodads. That would just leave me with my effects pedals out on the floor. Dunno, we'll see.

 

[Deleted member 261632]

Does hybrid solutions count? I used to have a fully MIDI managed rack-rig:
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Now it is just, a cab, with my amp - wireless and powerconditioner in a 4U rackcase:
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The FX-board is replaced with:
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[Wasnex]

Whether a rack-based rig makes sense depends on the type of work you do and how you transport your gear.

When I was still an active pro, I had a combo amp and a rolling rack. The rack included an Ashley MX508 rack mixer and a stereo power amp rather than normal bass gear. It also had a rack drawer, a rack tuner, and a Furman rack power module with lights.

The rack made sense for touring because we carried our gear in a cargo truck with a lift gate. Usually we unloaded right onto stage level. My speakers were in rolling flight cases. So my entire rig was rolled into position.

We frequently did background music gigs. A combo amp was usually better suited for those gigs, as we transported everything in a 15-passenger van. However, if a smaller gig required vocals, sometimes I added a pair of powered speakers and some Galaxy HotSpots to my rack rig, so it could function as a mini PA.

My previous touring rig was an Eden WT800 in a rolling rack. Before that I used a biamped GK 800RB in a rolling rack. Several years earlier I used a biamped Marshall Integrated Bass System 3540 in a rolling rack.

So I used a lot of rack rigs over the years.

 

[moon-bass]

I answered "used to" - I had a rack full of preamps and effects at one point, and another rack with power amps. I think my very first rack was when the old ADA MB-1 preamp came out At a later point had another rack with rack effects and a bass amp.- went through quite a few mos (WT-800, Ampeg SVT-II pro, et al). I sold all the rack stuff and went to pedals for tone shaping, however, I did end up buying a 1u amp -a Demeter pre with an 800 watt amp built into it. So technically I'm using a 1u rack at times. Also, when I get the enery to drag my Mesa 400+ to a gig, that is also in a rack.

So I changed to "at times."

 

[Zooberwerx]

My rehearsal rig is a BBE BMax and QSC power amp...I use a dedicated Epifani head for gigs. PA is all-analog rackmount. As of late, I've been selling / giving away under-used peripherals. Problem: for every piece that disappears, Tim finds two to take its place. Anyone need an Aphex 301 Compellor?

Riis

 

[sawzalot]

I used to but not for the last 10-15 years. Back in the early ‘90’s I had a huge, heavy rack. Then in the 2000’s it shrank to an Eden WP-100 and a QSC MX-1500 power amp. Still very heavy. Then I swapped out the power amp for a lightweight Crown, then finally went with a class-D head. And then I went to a pedalboard preamp with IEM’s, but I still use the head and cab occasionally. I was just able to get the sound I wanted out of progressively smaller/lighter gear.

 

[rtav]

 

[2saddleslab]

For amp protection & transportation of the big rig.

 

[40Hz]

70s type sound for a dinosaur 70s type bass player…

Alembic F-1X into a Crown XLS-1002. The Furman is there mainly to provide a master on/off switch on the front plus the convenience of a single power cord coming off the back.

It doesn’t really weigh that much since the Crown is a class-D amp and the case is an SKB rSeries shallow rack.

Can’t compete in terms of weight or features with something like the Mesa Subway series. But it has a sound I like and does what I need it to do. And more importantly, considering the state of the current economy, it’s already paid for.