AliensExist4 said:
I read the article and I'm still a little confused. So would having a pre-amp and power amp basically make my total volume louder and have built in effects because of the pre-amp? I'm not really sure what it would do for my set-up.
- Patrick
A rack setup won't necessarily make you louder. It depends on what kind of power amp you get.
Most (but not all) pre-amps don't have any effects built in.
If you don't know why you would need a rack setup, odds are you don't need one.
I went from a Mk IV combo to a rack setup for a couple of reasons, but mainly to have stereo effects without having to buy another amplifier, and more tonal options than the Mk IV alone could give. I switch it all with midi and always have instant access to ten "channels" and two effects parameters such as delay level and overall volume.
For a touring musician, having all their equipment in a rack makes setup and teardown much easier. All the roadie/tech/musician has to do is is plug in the speakers, guitar, and foot controller (if any), and they're set. Many buy wide racks and rack their amp heads/combos instead of going with seperate pre-amp/power amp setups.
If you're happy with your sound "as is", your rack could be as simple a power conditioner, tuner and effects in a four space rack sitting on top of your amp, or you could not have a rack and use pedals for any effects.
Racks are as simple or complex as you need them to be.
