help me with my rack of doom!

[Nick_cor]

okay...... so as you can see it's not made yet, but check out those editing skills, I was so impressed by the rack that some guy on this board made, i had to save it and use it as my template for my rack of doom!

My rack of doom will consist of...

Furman PL-8
GCX
G-Force
Pedal Tray ( boost pedal(s) and ISP/ other noise gate pedal )
2U rack drawer
1U ventilation panel
Mark IV

So far I have the mark IV and Furman working on the others

Now a couple questions- your feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Q1 - I'm looking for a boost pedal that works well with the mark! I've never been a pedal person and now that I've noticed a huge difference in tone with people who do, I want to get one! I've heard great things about the Ibanez TS-9, Maxon, keeley and OCD pedals but I heard you have to get them modded to get the best out of them, is this true and what pedals would you suggest?

Q2 - I've heard great things about the ISP noise decimator, especially the new G string version, but when I talked to the guy at the music store, he told me they're tone suckers and that the Boss pedals are the way better! I find this hard to believe, but not many stores carry mark IVs or ISP pedals for that matter, so it's hard to really see how well it works with my rig

Q3 - Is there a way to shorten power cables in a way that it's good as before the cut?

Q4 - Are there any misc. hardware you guys use to keep the back of the rack tidy and more efficient?

THANKS

 

[ttosh]

Q1: I really like the Xotic BB Preamp, very transparent and works very well. I used it with my Splawn I had recently and will use it with the Triaxis comiing soon if I feel it is needed.

Q2: I use the Hush Super C for $159. It is rack mounted so no pedal mess and quite a bit less expensive than the ISP rack version. Tone suckage is there but honestly I only have to use it at louder volumes and the tone suckage to me seems less the louder it gets.....

Q3: I do not have any idea, but would like to hear what others say here.

Q4: If the back of the rack has mounting holes like the front then you can use tie wraps or computer cable organizers to tie to the rack and organize the cords. You will need the kind that stretch and this works pretty well. There are probably better ways and I would like to know other options here as well.

 

[visualrocker69]

Q1 - I'm looking for a boost pedal that works well with the mark! I've never been a pedal person and now that I've noticed a huge difference in tone with people who do, I want to get one! I've heard great things about the Ibanez TS-9, Maxon, keeley and OCD pedals but I heard you have to get them modded to get the best out of them, is this true and what pedals would you suggest?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270231813255

 

[ytse_jam]

Q3: if you can't get a shorter cable and you must cut a longer one I think just make sure to solder it properly and solidly avoiding shorts. There are no issues regarding shielding with power cable

 

[gbsmusic]

Ttosh is right with the xotic bb preamp pedal, it's the best I've found so far. Great for clean boost and great for a warmer distortion overdrive boost. A little spendy but well worth the money. $185 new or $150 on Ebay used.

 

[ToneAddictJon]

The BB Preamp is definitely on top of my list of favorites, but gbs now has mine :wink:
It's definitely one I would buy again though if I needed an overdrive

The Hush is a great unit, so is the ISP, just depends on your budget and how much you're willing to spend on it. I just use the gate built into my g-major and it does the job as well as anything else I've used.

You can buy IEC cables in many lengths from places like radioshack, best buy, or circuit city.

Zip Ties or Velcro wraps are a must for keeping all the cables together.

 

[Nick_cor]

Thanks everyone, I'll definitely check out the BB preamp.

I was told about this website that sells rack hardware, www.tchweb.com , I'm still deciding on the cables though, I want high end cables running inside the rack, but I don't want to be spending 30$ on 1" cable, is the George Lynch cable kit up there in quality?

 

[cradleofflames]

I didn't like them because I lost all my high end plugged into them. I strongly prefer the planet waves cable kits. Hell, Petrucci used them for a while.

 

[GodBlessTexas]

Q1 - I'm looking for a boost pedal that works well with the mark! I've never been a pedal person and now that I've noticed a huge difference in tone with people who do, I want to get one! I've heard great things about the Ibanez TS-9, Maxon, keeley and OCD pedals but I heard you have to get them modded to get the best out of them, is this true and what pedals would you suggest?

The Ibanez Tube Screamer (TS 808) and clones/descendants are pretty much the de facto boost pedal, but there are others. BTW, Maxon makes the Ibanez pedals. The biggest issue with the TS clones is the fact that they cut low frequencies unless modded not to. Also, Keeley is a pedal modder who also makes his own pedals, so his do not need to be modded to get the best out of them. OCD's don't have to be modded either, at least not the V3's and V4s of the pedal that I've heard. I'm not sure about previous versions. If you want to try a decent TS based pedal with true bypass at a very reasonable price, try the BBE Green Screamer. You can also try the BBE Boosta Grande, which is just a clean boost. I myself use a Maxon OD-808.

Q2 - I've heard great things about the ISP noise decimator, especially the new G string version, but when I talked to the guy at the music store, he told me they're tone suckers and that the Boss pedals are the way better! I find this hard to believe, but not many stores carry mark IVs or ISP pedals for that matter, so it's hard to really see how well it works with my rig

Based one what you've relayed, the guy at the music store is an idiot. I've used Boss NS-2's, Rocktron Hush pedals and rackmount gear, and the ISP Decimator stuff. Comparing the Boss NS-2 to the Decimator G-string is no contest. The Decimator is twice the pedal the NS-2 is, though at twice the cost. I prefer the Decimator rackmount version, the ProRackG, which is very quiet and very transparent because of the way in which it is designed. I had a mono ProRackG briefly, but I am replacing it with a stereo version.

Q3 - Is there a way to shorten power cables in a way that it's good as before the cut?

Q4 - Are there any misc. hardware you guys use to keep the back of the rack tidy and more efficient?

This is the back of one of Petrucci's rigs for illustration:

You'll notice that he simply uses plastic cable ties and cable tie mounting bases to keep his stuff orderly, and that all of his cables have been cut at the male plug end (check the back of the power conditioner) and had the cables shortened to length and a new male plug put on. You can pick up all of the stuff for both shortening your cables and managing them at Home Depot, Lowes, and most hardware stores here in the US. I get mine from Home Depot, and the bases and ties are located together.

 

[GodBlessTexas]

You can buy IEC cables in many lengths from places like radioshack, best buy, or circuit city.

Yeah, if you don't want to cut your cables, you can pick up IEC cables elsewhere. I buy my IEC cables from Monoprice.com. They sell lengths from 1-15ft unsheilded, and 6ft shielded. They are listed under Power Cable.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10228

 

[Nick_cor]

You can buy IEC cables in many lengths from places like radioshack, best buy, or circuit city.

Yeah, if you don't want to cut your cables, you can pick up IEC cables elsewhere. I buy my IEC cables from Monoprice.com. They sell lengths from 1-15ft unsheilded, and 6ft shielded. They are listed under Power Cable.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10228

Hey man, thanks ALOT, i really appreciate your input, I've decided im going to get a ISP g string pedal and some tube screamer type pedal. Are those things that petrucci has on the side of his rack are called cable tie mounting bases?

 

[GodBlessTexas]

Hey man, thanks ALOT, i really appreciate your input, I've decided im going to get a ISP g string pedal and some tube screamer type pedal.

No problem. I'm always glad to help.

Are those things that petrucci has on the side of his rack are called cable tie mounting bases?

Yeah. They look like flat square pieces of plastic that get thicker towards the center and have areas to run the cable ties through. Here, I found a place called cabletiesplus.com that sells them online (no affiliation, never purchased from them, don't endorse, etc.) that has a picture.

Good luck!

 

[Nick_cor]

Hey man, thanks ALOT, i really appreciate your input, I've decided im going to get a ISP g string pedal and some tube screamer type pedal.

No problem. I'm always glad to help.

Are those things that petrucci has on the side of his rack are called cable tie mounting bases?

Yeah. They look like flat square pieces of plastic that get thicker towards the center and have areas to run the cable ties through. Here, I found a place called cabletiesplus.com that sells them online (no affiliation, never purchased from them, don't endorse, etc.) that has a picture.



Good luck!

Thanks again! what about your rack? do only use one at a time? or do you use all 3? what kind of switcher are you using for the power section for the 50/50 if you are!?

 

[GodBlessTexas]

Thanks again! what about your rack? do only use one at a time? or do you use all 3? what kind of switcher are you using for the power section for the 50/50 if you are!?

Right now I'm just using one at a time, but I'm looking into my options. All the options out there are really expensive, and all seem to come with their own caveats. The Voodoo Labs GCX seems to be the best when it comes to cost for a rackmount unit, but it comes with some limitations.