New member/? for studio rack set up?anyone want to help?!

[trevort]

Hello mesa folks! New guy here...

I just bought a used Triaxis and a 20/20 amp on line. I want to know if I made the right choice for a recording rack set up? I had an opportunity to buy a 2:90 but, I thought it would be too much for studio stuff.
Any thought's on this? Also, I want to get a cab or cabs for this set up. I am thinking obout the Road series with the 2 12 one with a open back and a v/-30 and with closed on other side w/ c90. Good chioce or other?
Also I want a dedicated rack effects unit. I have outboard compressors. Rack and pedal any recommendations?
I have a Lonestar 12 and a Traynor blue 50/Also. I often combine the two amps to get one tone. also I mic them and split them lft./rt. stereo for a spead effect.How would I use the Triaxis? Any suggestion's is great!
Trevor :lol:

 

[6L6C]

Effects: depends what your look for, personally I like rack. And with the TriAxis put a rack processor right after the TriAxis not in the loop of the Tri Axis, just personal taste. I personally like time based effects in the loop or in this case after the TriAxis. Time based effects being, reverb, chorus, flanger, phaser, delay and so on. The rack units can go mono or stereo (so you have choices) also the mixing capabilities with rack processors you just can’t always get with pedals.
Effects I like in front of the amp mostly dynamic based like wah, some sort of gain pedal compression and so on.

These are basic rules for my taste and not written in stone, as for the units a big favorite around here is the TC Electronics G-Major some others might be the Rocktron Xpression and one I just started playing with is the Digitech GSP 1101. These units are pretty true to your sound and wont color the sound that much. The GSP 1101 is different in that it does the four cable method and has stomp box simulations in it (which I like BTW). So this unit allows you to have some of your effects in front of the TriAxis and others after it. As far as programming effects this unit is a bit stomp box like in it does not have as many controls as the G-Major or the Xpression.

Speakers if you go with two cabinets like you stated, might recommend the V30 cabinet being the close-back and the C90’s being the open-back. BTW if you like to get your sound this way (two different sources to make 1 fundamental tone) you might just want to run the effects in mono. If you get two identical cabs run stereo. Running your rig in stereo with two such different cabs might (again not etched in stone) have a strange effect, like you can never seem to dial in what you want.

As far as the recording end, like to record with no effects I add them later but of course there are exceptions like wah for sure an effect that is usually part of the performance and if added later is sometimes lacking.

 

[trevort]

6L6C,

Thanks for that info. I was hoping someone would respond!
You make a valid point on the two different spk. thing.
I also have been running effects after the fact. But, sometimes I think it's nice to get ideas if nothing else so I can see what works best. And I wonder if
using the fx during has a different emotional feel to it? I've heard of
other folks using them during recording. So I am not sure which way to go.
I do use reamp from time to time and in that case you can use fx
safely without regard of ruining a take. The reason for want two
different spk. cabs is I use two amp's now for different lft./rt.
sounds. I also combine (to mono) each for one sound I can blend later.
So, with that being said,still a bad idea on the cab?
Thanks
Trevor :roll:

 

[6L6C]

Yeah the decision to print effects during tracking can be a *****, the control freak in me does not want to touch them till post tracking, the ones I really say away from while tracking are the time based effects. Dynamic effects that are a bit different since they also effect the performance also. For me time based effects are the ones you can go wrong with the easiest (that delay sounded awesome while tracking but now the track sounds lost in the mix)stuff like that.

As for the cab thing running two different cabs hard left and right for stereo is very cool effect and if your adding effects post isn’t going to be a problem and as far as dynamic effects does not even matter. But if you to run effects in stereo while tracking Tri > processor (in stereo) > 20/20 I think certain ones might sound a little off, chorus top of the list and also flanger and phaser. Basically what I’m trying to say in print is, with a stereo chorus you are used to hearing that effect a certain way and that is what you hear coming out the left you expect to come out the right in same fashion, a pair of headphones a home or car stereo (same system for left and right basically) now you’re throwing in not just open-back vs closed-back cabs but also v30’s vs C90’s so you hear the chorus effect left vs right through two dissimilar systems. However adding chorus after tracking that’s different! You have your stereo cabs recorded hard left and right (track 1 and track 2) now you add that stereo chorus to track 1 the weird perception thing I have been talking about does not exist anymore, the chorus is tapping one source and the effect itself is going hard left and right through two similar systems (headphones, monitors, whatever). You can still take the other track and add chorus or leave it dry or even set up a different chorus and blend all as needed. Hope this makes sense what I’m trying to convey. But by all means experiment!! That’s what gives all this spice and that’s why its art.

What I have been talking about is what goes on in John’s world not right or wrong just my way it already sounds like you have your **** together

John

 

[trevort]

6L6C

Thanks for that once again, It makes complete sense to me. It's something
I should have thought about. Sometimes your thought's are a little distorted
when you are trying to put together a new system and you loose focus.
The idea was based on what I use now. I have Lonestar and a Traynor
50watt Blue. I replaced the tubes with JJ's. I use them alone or paired for one tone or split the lft/rt. It all depends on the effect I want.I have a tonebone for amp selector, couple compressors.a tube trem,and a wah pedal. About it.
Then I might use delay,chorus after the fact(mod. stuff)
You've got me thinking about the set up. Do I stick to the way I've been tracking without fx? Or do I use fx with a matched set of spk's?
I like the rack Idea especially for the preset idea. I know you might want to tweek things anyway but, it makes it easier to get started and you'll remember what your preset was. Kind of like a snapshot on a digi mixer.
I'm leaning towards a dry signal except for the few basic things in front of the amp. I would like to hear some verb though. Maybe a tube spring would do the trick? Do you use verb a little when tracking?or no?I am looking at maybe a Lexicon PCM81 that is on sale bstock at American Musical S. for $1095.00 ! That would work for other things to.
Sorry for rambling on...

Thanks! Trevor
:wink:

 

[6L6C]

You hit upon what I use to do! I come from old school (reel to reel machines then to Adats but most importantly a analog mixer)I usually went into the studio with my processors preprogrammed since I usually did some sort of rehearsal with a band. The processor then came out of the rack and went into the studios rack. My amp was recorded dry but while tracking I still heard the effects that I had programmed they where patched into the board, gave the best of both worlds, tracking dry but still hearing my effects while tracking. Very easy to do with the old boards, however recording with the computer presents a bit of a problem for me at least. I can do it but with my computer but there are problems mostly due to latency, when applying effects to tracks that I’m tracking (live) machine gets overworked and the track will most likely drop out. Plus the effect just does not sound right, sometimes old school is easier. The only real problem is I need to build a new machine

As far as you tracking May I suggest just take a song of your and lay down a ton of experimental tracks, what works for me is not for everyone else. If you double track your rhythms try tracking them with no effects including reverb and add it post tracking. You will find things to sound a bit tighter and not swimmy sounding which can happen while double or triple tracking and adding verb to each track. (no matter how little you are using each time) Allot of times rhythm tracks are not effect depended to get the feel. Guitar solos that’s different the way you hear that delay or reverb can make you hit that pinched harmonic a bit different, so the performance might be slightly depended on the effect in this case. But the good news in most cases guitar solos are single tracked! Unless your Randy Rhoads or Michael Schenker. No stacking of time based effects so no swimmy effect.

As you said though some things up front like a wah, overdrive pedal compression, yeah I’ll print them without worries, basically any dynamic effect.

BTW all for the PCM81!!!

John