

Help me fill my rack...

Discussion in 'Amps and Cabs [BG]' started by Dee Wurthy, Dec 5, 2003.

  1. I just can't seem to think of what toys to compliment my M-2000 with. I have a good couple spaces empty and it is such a tease to know what neat sounds, effects, ect, I can fill them with.

    Any cool ideas?
  2. The 0x

    The 0x

    Aug 24, 2003
    Timonium, MD
    How about implants?

    Oh! Wrong rack! :oops:

    How about a tuner and a power conditioner?
  3. BassIan

    BassIan Supporting Member

    Apr 27, 2003
    San Jose, California
    I'd suggest something like the Aphex 204 Aural Exciter. It was the first addition to my rack, and will surely be the first addition to any future rack setups I own. It did some amazing things to my sound that I'm sure any bass player can appreciate. Definitely a must-have for any rack setup.
  4. nonsqtr

    nonsqtr The emperor has no clothes!

    Aug 29, 2003
    Burbank CA USA
    I assume you already have the obligatory Furman PL-Plus power conditioner, and the mandatory Korg DTR rack tuner?
  5. icks


    Jul 12, 2001
    Power conditioner
    Rackmounted multi-effects
    1 vented pannel
  6. I'm ashamed to say that I have none of the mandatory.

    I really was considering something along the lines of and Aphex or BBE and a Tuner.

    This may sound uneducated, but can someone explain a power conditioners benifits? I've heard it really wasnt a must.
  7. IMHO the power conditioner isn't required, but it does offer a little more filtering, and acts as a good power distribution box, plus (most important to me) surge protection, should a humongous power glitch occur...
  8. Benjamin Strange

    Benjamin Strange Commercial User

    Dec 25, 2002
    New Orleans, LA
    Owner / Tech: Strange Guitarworks
    It's my personal opnion that a BBE or Aphex will kill your tone. I've found they can be a instant gratification tone machine, but they can be cold and brittle sounding. They work by adding distortion to your signal in some ingenious way that makes it sound "better". If you've already got a great amp like an M2000, you may want to reconsider adding one of those.

    Wireless, powerstrips, and multi-FX are always fun. Look into one of those.
  9. jobu3

    jobu3 ¿Huevos?! Supporting Member

    Feb 17, 2002
    Mountain Top, PA
    word. :cool:
  10. Yes, its seems a after a little research, that the Aphex/BBE is geared (no pun intended) towards small rigs wanting to sound big. And I do love my M-2000 the way it is. I just wish I had some kick ass Mesa cabinets to go with it. My initial thought was improvement to the sound of my lower end cabs. Probably wont happen.

    So I'll probably go with a rack tuner...Hmm....the wireless is starting to sound pretty good too!

    What are some recommended effects processors and wireless units?
  11. Lockout


    Dec 24, 2002
    How about a compressor?

    I just got myself a dbx 160A, which works very well, but it's a little on the expensive side if you buy it new ($400...I got mine used for less). A cheaper (but from what I've heard, still good quality) alternative would be the Behringer MDX2600.

    Regarding wireless units, I've heard X-Wire systems work great, but they aren't being made anymore. :(

    Occasionally you can find one on eBay, but they usually go pretty fast. :)

    Lastly, power conditioners can be helpful and good to have, but it really depends on the manufacturer and model. Some of the real cheap ones seem to just be rackmount powerstrips, which is convenient, but don't expect them to protect your gear. Some of the slightly more expensive ones will tell you how much voltage you're getting from the outlet and shut down before your expensive equipment gets damaged, which is a nice thing to have. Others (such as a Furman AR-1215) actually regulate the voltage running into its outlets. Unfortunately, these units are generally very expensive, unless you can find them used.
  12. Schwinn


    Dec 4, 2002
    Sarasota, FL
    -power conditioner
  13. rockindoc

    rockindoc Daily Lama

    Jan 26, 2002
    Bonham, Tx
    I tune once and play, with a hand-held tuner, and rarely have to retune, so I haven't felt a need for a space-occupying tumor. My rack is heavy enough without a tuner, and I figure, why put something in it that's not going to be used DURING the gig. But, that's just me. If you have an idle space, then OK, why not a tuner.

    I'd love to go wireless, but if you're a 5-string Low B Fundamental kind of guy, there are few if any choices. Is there a wireless unit out there that won't kill your low B or low D fundamental? Maybe the X-wire (if you can find one) or Shure? The Samson Airline "for bass" Wireless has a low freq. response of 50 Hz or so. What kind of bass is this for?

    Perhaps an equalizer would be worthy of a rack space?

    Definitely a power conditioner. Then you only have to pull one cord out of your rack to plug in.
  14. I'm running a Shure ULX/S Digital Wireless (UHF). The transmitter specs 20hz-20khz. Absolutely no problems with tone. If you go wireless make sure you get a UHF unit, preferably one that's programmable. My previous unit was a Shure "UT" series UHF unit which functioned quite well. Expect to pay between $300-$600 new for something "gig worthy".
  15. nonsqtr

    nonsqtr The emperor has no clothes!

    Aug 29, 2003
    Burbank CA USA
    The power conditioner is helpful in several ways. One is, it protects you from AC surges and spikey stuff on the power line (lord knows, most of the places I play have crappy house wiring). Second, it gives you 8 (usually) easily accessible AC outlets for plugging in "whatever". Third, it gives you a single power switch that you can use to turn on all your gear (that more gear you have, the more you might value that feature). And finally, the good power strips have little lights that pull out so you can see your rack on a dark stage, which is invaluable if someone bumps your EQ and you have to set it up again "quickly".
  16. MJ5150

    MJ5150 Moderator Staff Member

    Apr 12, 2001
    Olympia, WA
    I bought a power conditioner solely for the reason to fill a space in my rack. I found a really cool one from Odyssey. It has a light built into it, but it is not like other lights. It is a bar about 12" long, and it changes to three different colors. A company called Racklight also makes a.....racklight. It is nothing more than a light about 15" long, and changes between six colors. These are great to fill space.

    I purchased the Aphex 204 for my rack. I LOVE what it does for my sound. Maybe I am not experienced enough to notice that it is killing my tone, but everyone at our last gig said my rig sounded way better with it on. I could elaborate, but this post is already way longer than I planned.

    I wanted a rack tuner, but I prefer the little credit card sized Korg I bought for $15.

  17. kirbywrx

    kirbywrx formerly James Hetfield

    Jul 27, 2000
    Melbourne, Australia.
    this thread name is almost as amusing as when somone said to BrokenAngel 'show me your rack'.

    tuner, there is nothing as handy as having a tuner in your rack. handy as all hell :)
  18. slugworth

    slugworth Inactive

    Jun 12, 2003
    So. Calif.
    You could put a rack drawer in there to hold
    miscellaneous stuff; cords, straps, strings,
    etc. etc...

  19. squire_pwr


    Apr 15, 2003
    San Diego, CA.
    I dunno about the tuner thing... I find it a tad annoying when I can see the tuner light bouncing around during a performance. I say if you're going to fill the rack, might as fill it with stuff that you can play with and do something to your sound. go w/the $15 tuner MJ5150 mentioned and buy some fx that'll be worthwile. Get a pwr conditioner with the lights (cuz small tuners don't have backlights) and then go for broke for funky fx. :D
  20. icks


    Jul 12, 2001
    Useless with the Mesa M2000, this amp as already 2 very good compressors.
  21. Primary

    Primary TB Assistant


    Mar 9, 2021

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