
Updated by Bobby
Updated on March 2nd, 2023
Updated pictures, products, links, and freshened everything up for a new era of rack gear, amps, and all the things. Enjoy it.
Most guitar players start out with a setup that goes something like this:
You have a guitar, a cable, a small (maybe mid-sized) combo amp and perhaps a pedal or two. But what you'll quickly realize is that the pros (and most who have been playing for an extended period of time) don't set their gear up that way.
In fact, their rigs look quite different.
Take this diagram of Marshall amps and effects processors:

Rack mounted Marshall preamp and power amp with Asus and Roland Effects Processors
This looks nothing like a guitar rig most of us would own. Fair?
Here's another example:

More amps and effects processors pulled from an old diagram of Deftones' Stephen Carpenter's rig.
We don't see a combo amp running a simple pedal line. In fact, these setups look somewhat complex. Enough so that many might be turned off from even attempting to set up a similar rig.
There's also the issue of expense.
Rackmounted guitar rigs are, undoubtedly, burdened by a heavy price tag.
But if we can take some of the complexity out of these systems and boil them down to a few basic components, it becomes easier to see how we can set up our own guitar rack systems at an affordable price and benefit from their versatility.
The Difference between Combo Amps and Standalone Power or Preamps
To understand rack systems, it helps to know what a guitar amp actually is.
Let's say you buy a combo amp, like the Boss Katana 50:

Combo amps like the Boss Katana contain a preamp, power amp, and speaker cab.
For most of our product reviews we take our own photos, in-house. Thank goodness for portrait mode. For those interested in using these photos, that is completely fine with us as long as you give us credit and don't claim the work as your own. Simply linking to guitarchalk.com near the photo is totally fine.

Gear | Name | Rate | Shop |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Katana | 89.8 |
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This "amp" is actually three different functioning pieces:
- Preamp
- Power Amp
- Speaker
While these three functions get throw into the term "guitar amp" the only actual amplification is the power amp segment.
The job of the preamp and the speaker actually have little to do with what is technically amplification. Thus, the act of throwing all three of those roles into one amplifier, isn't always the most optimal way to set up your guitar rig.
In rackmounted rigs, these roles are often split between devices:
- Preamp and power amp combined which is called an amp head
- Standalone preamp and power amp where the two units are separated
- At least one speaker cab
- Effects processors, power conditioners, wireless transmitters, and more
Which setup is better?
There is nothing wrong with going the combo amp route. Because, clearly, it has some major advantages in certain situations. It's cheaper, easily transported, and a lot quicker to set up and take down.
Moreover, many of the most popular guitar amps of our day are combo amplifiers.
Read more: Best guitar amps overall
However:
Combo amps do have limitations and are not the method that most professionals choose to use.
In many cases, guitar players will at least separate the power amp/preamp from their speaker cab. This gives us the amp "head" I mentioned. Here's an example:

The Marshall JCM800 is one of the most popular amp heads, containing a preamp and power amp that then need to be connected to a speaker cab.
Amp | Name | Rate | Shop |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | JCM800 | n/a |
This can be, and often is, part of a guitar rack system as it can fit into most cases.
The real advantage is that amp heads give you a lot more flexibility and customization options with your rig. You can choose one brand for a speaker cab, another for a preamp/power amp.
The pros often take advantage of this because it allows them to leave their amp heads in one spot, while speaker cabs can be moved somewhere else entirely.
So, the question of which setup is better is situational.
I'll show you your options and help you set up a guitar rack system that isn't overly complex, is reasonably affordable, and works in your situation.
Guitar Rack System Signal Processing Options
Let's just take a minute to review your guitar rig options.
The first, and more obvious choice that we looked at earlier, is the combo amp plus a few effects pedals setup.
It's the "de facto" choice for most beginner guitar players:
Option 1: Amateur Hour

Typical beginner setup with a combo amp and some guitar pedals
Gear | Name | Rate | Shop |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Katana | 89.8 | |
![]() | SD-1 | n/a |
In this scenario, the power amp, preamp and speaker are all combined in the single combo amplifier, while some effects may or may not be added for basic signal processing between the guitar and amp.
Option 2: Separating the Preamp/Power Amp and Speaker

This is a more advanced setup with the amp head and speaker cab separated.
Gear | Name | Rate | Shop |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Mesa Mark V:25 | 94.8 | |
![]() | Boss GT-1000CORE | n/a |
Comparison for speaker cabs not available.
In this example, we have an amp head containing the preamp and power amp, with a separate speaker cab.
At this point we still don't necessarily have a rackmounted system, though we've taken the step of separating our preamp/power amp and speaker cab, giving us some flexibility with both pieces.
Option 3: Separating the Preamp, Power Amp and Speaker Cab

Though less common these days, some guitar players (pros included) will separate the power amp and preamp into different units. However, the amp head from the earlier example is, by far, the most common setup.
Now it should start to make sense why guitar players need a case to hold all of this stuff. We have a power amp, preamp, speaker cab and effects pedals all separated into their own unit.
As mentioned, the separation of the preamp and power amp isn't quite as common anymore, especially when compared to those who just go with an amp head, that contains both.
Option 4: Adding Rack Effects for Guitar

Rack effects are usually added to more advanced rigs and setups.
Gear | Name | Rate | Shop |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Line 6 Helix Rack | n/a |
Now we have a digital rackmounted effects processor, which is how most professionals deal with basic effects.
You'll notice that many of them will run just a few pedals (wah is a good example) from the floor, while the rest of their effects are housed in a case.
How do they control rack effects from somewhere else?
MIDI foot controllers allow you to control a unit like the Line 6 Helix Rack or any other multi-effects rack processor, from the floor.
A few examples of good MIDI controllers include:
These units allow you to program and engage whatever rack effects you're using, which is why you almost always see a MIDI floorboard on professional guitar rigs.
It's just a much easier and more streamlined setup.
Adding the MIDI controller expands our guitar rack system to the following:

Rack effects and MIDI-compatible guitar pedals can then be controlled by a MIDI controller or foot pedal.
Gear | Name | Rate | Shop |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Voodoo Lab Ground Control | n/a |
What you see here is the core of any guitar rack setup, with the preamp and power amp often combined into the amp head we showed you earlier.
It's how almost every professional guitar player sets things up.
While there are plenty of other rack mount units to discuss, let's review the core of our setup so far:
- Separate power and preamp or power/preamp combo
- Speaker cab
- Rack effects processor
- MIDI foot controller for effects processor
Getting a Guitar Rack Case that will Hold your Gear
Getting a case to hold all of this stuff is what's often the most confusing aspect of setting up a guitar rack system and knowing what to buy.
Though again, it's surprisingly simple once you know what to look for.
Rack cases will have either open slots or drawers where you can place pedals and/or rack units. The number of slots and drawers can vary, though most will have between five and 12 slots, with one or two drawers.
This example is a little smaller with just a few slots and no drawers, but also very simple.

A guitar rack case from Gator Cases.
Note that these can hold amp heads are as well, along with preamps, tuners, power conditioners, and effects processors. The case you buy will depend on how many devices you need it to hold.
Note that amp heads are often just put on the top of rack cases, or somewhere else entirely.
There are a wide variety of ways that you can set it up.
How do I install rack units in the case?
If you look closely at the front of the case, you can see lines of holes on either side:

Lines of holes for attaching devices.
Now, look closely at the front of the Line 6 Helix Rack:

Holes in the Line 6 Helix Rack for fixing to a case.
These holes will correspond to the ones in our case, allowing us to attach the rack unit to the case, rather easily.
Once everything is in, the result will look something like this:
The number of rack units you want to run will determine what kind of case you buy.
The number of slots in each case will vary, while the vertical size of many rack units can also differ. However, getting a case that holds between eight and 12 rack units is fairly standard.
Other variables include the drawers I mentioned, which can be added and removed as needed, as well as the wheels on the bottom of the case.
It should be evident by now that this gives you a massive amount of flexibility with how you design your rig. Particularly for musicians who perform live on a regular basis, this setup is extremely useful and versatile.
Now that we've seen how to set up a guitar rack system, let's look at a few rig arrangement ideas and templates that might work for you.
Guitar Rack System Idea: The Modern Hard Rocker
In this rig, we have an amp head, speaker cab, effects processor, and MIDI controller, giving you all the basics. Note that this isn't necessarily the case that would be the most ideal, but just a placeholder. You'll need to do your own research to see what kind of case will be the best fit.
It's a great build for the minimalist hard rocker who wants to have effects and preamp functionality consolidated, along with the extensive control offered by the MIDI foot controller.
Gear | Name | Rate | Shop |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Line 6 Helix Rack | n/a | |
![]() | PRS SE Custom 24 | 89.8 | |
![]() | Mesa Mark V:25 | 94.8 | |
![]() | Voodoo Lab Ground Control | n/a |
Guitar Rack System Idea: The Lead Electric Player with Pedals
Another simple setup with the effects processor and MIDI controller. All of this is pushed by an Orange Amps solid state head that runs into an Orange Amps speaker cab.
Gear | Name | Rate | Shop |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Fender Player Telecaster | n/a | |
![]() | Orange Super Crush 100 | 90.3 | |
![]() | Line 6 Helix Rack | n/a | |
![]() | Nektar Pacer MIDI | n/a |

The Orange Super Crush 100 is one of the highest rated solid state amp heads we've reviewed.
Guitar Rack System Idea 3: The Classic Rocker
For the classic rocker, the amp head is a Marshall JCM800 paired with the Marshall slanted cab. Stompboxes and the effects processor can both be used in tandem.
Gear | Name | Rate | Shop |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Gibson Les Paul Studio | n/a | |
![]() | Marshall JCM800 | n/a | |
![]() | Line 6 Helix Rack | n/a | |
![]() | Nektar Pacer MIDI | n/a | |
![]() | Boss SD-1 | n/a |
Now, keep in mind:
All of these are just examples that I came up with to give you an idea of how you might piece together a guitar rack system that fits your specific needs.
Part of the beauty involved with putting this kind of system together is that it's uniquely your own and completely fluid. In other words, there's no right or wrong way to do it.
There are plenty of instances where "rules" can be broken.
For example:
Tool's Adam Jones has been known to use a bass cab with his rig.
It's easy to see that once you get this many pieces into a guitar rack system there's a lot of experimenting and mixing and matching that can occur.
To give you a few more ideas about how these systems are put together, I'll walk you through some real life examples.
Some More Real Life Examples

Flickr Commons Image via Theleom
When trying to set up guitar gear, I find it helpful to look at what other people are doing, take a few notes, and then go do something similar.
The same is true of guitar rack systems.
Part of the reason I don't like doing it from scratch is because there is an infinite amount of ways it can be done. My personal preference is to look at a template, take a few ideas I like, then go make my own way, which is what we'll do with these examples.
Let's start with a guitarist you probably recognize.
Slash's guitar rack system

A shot of Slash's signal Marshall amp heads. Image via Moshcam
In Moshcam's rundown of Slash's (Saul Hudson) rig with Ace (Slash's guitar tech), we see a fairly simple setup consisting of the two Marshall JCM heads.
One is the Slash Signature, while the other is a traditional JCM800.
The two that sit to the right of Ace in the photo are backups.
Otherwise, Slash's rack system is just a pedalboard that sits atop the amplifiers where all the pedals are controlled backstage by Ace (wah pedal excluded).

A shot of Slash's pedalboard. Image via Moshcam
For all his success, Slash has a remarkably simple setup. One thing that isn't showcased in the Moshcam video is a remote wah pedal processor, which allows Slash to use multiple wahs at different points on stage.
Otherwise, it's a basic Marshall amp outfit.
Joe Garvey of Hinder
Joe Garvey, Hinder's lead guitar player, relies heavily on a rack guitar system that's similarly structured to some of the examples we've provided.
First, his pedalboard is almost entirely controlled by a Voodoo Lab MIDI foot controller:

The Voodoo Lab MIDI foot controller on Joe Garvey's pedalboard. Image via Premier Guitar
This floorboard is the control point for an Avid Eleven Rack effects processor, which is the heart of Garvey's tone and signal processing.
There are two of them in this picture (the two orange boxes):

Avid Eleven effects processor which is controller by the Voodoo Lab Ground Control. Image via Premier Guitar
All of Garvey's amp models and effects come from the Eleven Rack (the second one is a backup), which then runs directly into the speaker cabinets and monitors.
Garvey avoids the typical amp head setup in favor of relying entirely on has Eleven Rack which does all the preamp work, in addition to handling effects processing.
Dan Donegan of Disturbed
Disturbed's guitar player, Dan Donegan, runs his signal through a setup that looks complicated, though is actually quite close to the diagrams I showed you earlier.
First, his signal goes through Randall preamps and a DigiTech effects processor, which you can see in the picture below:

A look at Dan Donegan's Randall preamps and DigiTech effects processor. Image via Premier Guitar
The signal is then powered by Randall RT2 tube power amps.

Donegan's Randall power amps. Image via Premier Guitar
Finally, Donegan's signal lands at this speaker cab (not sure about the brand), which has four microphones total (one for each speaker) and is enclosed in a box before it's sent out to the mains at Disturbed's concerts.

Donegan's speaker cab and microphones. Image via Premier Guitar
A few pedals and the DigiTech effects processor are all controlled through a Voodoo Lab MIDI foot controller, which is the same model we saw being used in Garvey's rig.

Donegan's MIDI controller on his pedalboard. Image via Premier Guitar
- Voodoo Lab Ground Control
- DigiTech Whammy Pedal
- Randall RT2 Power Amps
- DigiTech GSP1101 Effects Processor
- Randall RM4 Preamps
What about wireless units?
In a lot of these rigs, you might notice wireless receivers, since the pros almost never go without them.
Usually that's not a necessary component for a small time rig, whether you're running everything into a rack case or not.
While you can get some cheaper wireless receivers, my advice would be to run a cable and put your money into some other aspect of your guitar rack system. Wireless just doesn't help you much if you're not performing in a larger capacity.
If you do decide to add a wireless receiver to your rig, they'll usually take up one or two rack spots, similar to the effects processors and noise gates.
Line 6 and Shure both make some solid wireless units that are decently priced.
We've reviewed the budget-friendly Xvive system as well.
Read the full review: Xvive Guitar Wireless System
How tricky is the wiring for all this stuff?
When you look at the pro rigs, you'll often see a lot of wires and what looks like a complicated mess.
The first thing to keep in mind is that this sort of thing always looks messier and more complex than it actually is. If you watch the Premier Guitar Rig Rundown videos, you'll notice that the "neatness" of a rig will often depend on the personality of the guitar player and their tech.
So don't assume that just because the wiring looks a bit chaotic that you can't do it yourself.
It's often quite simple.
Remember, your signal is linear, which means it runs in a straight line from beginning to end.
Linear signal processing in a guitar rack system
This means the signal is relatively easy to track.
Just like a conventional pedalboard, everything will still have one input and one output.

Linear i/o (cable routing) in a guitar rack system.
This is even easier to see in the TC Electronic G Major setup manual, which gives a simple reference graphic that applies regardless of which effects processor we might be using:

Guitar rack system setup example. Image via TC Electronic
If you look at it this way, wiring and cables are fairly straightforward.
Make sure you separate all your wires into two categories:
- Electrical Currents
- Signal Processing
Electrical wiring would include pedal power (9V cables) and any kind of adapter or power plug that needs to be accounted for.
These should all be kept separate from signal processing cables, which would include MIDI cabling, instrument cables and patch cables between pedals or rack units.
Keeping them distinct makes everything much easier to manage.
I prefer to wire all the necessary instrument cables first, then come back in and do all the electric wiring, while taping down as much as possible to cut back on the mess.
What else can be mounted in a rack system?
For simplicity's sake, I've focused primarily on the core elements of a guitar rack system. However, you can migrate anything that has to do with signal processing to a case.
For example, you can get any of the following components in a rack form:
- Equalizer
- Tuner
- Wah controller
- Compression
- Channel switching
- Power sources/conditioners
At this point, it comes down to an issue of how much money you want to spend and how you want your rig to function.
Having a tuner and equalizer in a pedal form is cheaper, but there is a lot more versatility and flexibility to be had if you can migrate it all to a rack case.
I'd consider these items to be luxury inclusions, or fun additions for a later date.
Your Examples
If you have a rack system template to share, drop it in the comments section below.
This topic, while frustratingly vague, can often be made really simple by seeing what kind of rack systems other guitar players have been able to successfully build and set up.
Share what you know and others will benefit.
We'll talk then.
Additional Resources
- Guitar.com/Rigs. A well-stocked archive of professional guitar player rigs that provide in-depth graphics and details that cover plenty of rack systems.
- Reverb. One of the largest music gear retailers also happens to be a great place to find used and boutique gear, like the Marshall 9100 power amp.
- The Eleven Rack quick setup guide. Even if you don't buy this particular preamp, the setup guide provides a quick and convenient look into how to include an effects processor in a guitar rack system.
- Premier Guitar's Rig Rundown's. The rig rundown series from Premier Guitar offers some of the absolute best insight into guitar rack systems and professional rigs. This is where I got most of my examples.
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Written by Bobby on Amps and FAQ
Written by Bobby on Amps and Roundups
Hi Bob,
I bought a new patchmate…..I want to be able to switch between my Prophecy to my Voodu & Intellifex…and know if you can also go to any preset on any rack with the midi controller, can I switch between 3 racks….is there a easy way of doing this with the patchmate!
And the best lead inputs configuration also!!
I’ve read manual….it’s shows multiple ways of doing it, but not having much luck!
I’m very new to this technology & not very good at it!
I’m using my Midi Raider!!
This stuff is way above my head!!
Thanks in advanced!!
Cheers
Spiro🎸
Hey Spiro – which patchmate did you get? Could you share a link?
https://www.pitbullaudio.com/rocktron-patchmate-loop-8-rack-mount-midi-switcher.html
Rocktron Patchmate Loop 8 Rack
Ok – that makes sense. With the Rocktron you should definitely be able to connect everything. When you do, are you able to switch between the three devices?
Let’s start there, then when we confirm that’s working, we can tinker with presets.
You should definitely be able to get it to do presets.
Hi Bob,
I’ve plugged my Prophecy into loop 1 & than looped 1 into loop 2…loop 2 is my Voodu valve….looped into loop 3….loop 3 is my Intellifex & output of patchmate into my amp!
I have plugged my midi controller into midi in of the patchmate!!
It seems that I’m getting a bypass signal but no signal from my Racks, I’m still trying to work out how to program the blue
buttons on my patchmate!
Some professional help will be much appreciated!
Are you able to switch between say, the Prophecy and the Valve?
Yes I would like to know how to switch between my Rocktron Prophecy…..Voodu valve & Intellifex racks…..& go to certain preset
Start by programming each device to a channel on the raider: 1, 2, and 3. 1=Prophecy, 2=Valve, 3=Intellifex
Once you do that, you should be able to use the “UP” and “DOWN” buttons to cycle through presets on each device, depending on which one you have selected.
Hi Bob,
How do we do this?
Hey Bob,
Thanks for that….I’ve managed to get my head around it……have a signal from my voodu on channel 2 & Intellifex on channel 3 on midi raider & loop 2 on patchmate & loop 3 & managed to assign sounds through the midi function…..but however I’m getting a bad signal through my prophecy on loop 1, can’t get it to operate it like the other 2 racks…..the prophecy is my main unit…am l doing something wrong?
Can you select the Prophecy from the Raider at all?
I’m thinking its maybe a lead input thing….maybe there’s a way to route it…..I thought all leads go into the patchmate in separate loops as I’ve done!!
Hi Bob,
Thanks so much for reaching out to help….appreciate your support!!
I have narrowed down the buzz…..went a bought brand new 1/4 jack leads today & ran 1 rack at a time then 2 racks & then 3 racks…..Prophecy loop1….Voodu loop2 & Intellifex loop3….the buzz seems to be coming out of the input jack on intellifex….the buzz is on both left & right input jacks!!
I don’t think there would be anything wrong with both input jacks!!
Spiro
By 1/4″ jack leads, do you mean new instrument cables?
Hi Bob,
Thanks so much for reaching out to help….appreciate your support!!
I have narrowed down the buzz…..went a bought brand new 1/4 jack leads today & ran 1 rack at a time then 2 racks & then 3 racks…..Prophecy loop1….Voodu loop2 & Intellifex loop3….the buzz seems to be coming out of the input jack on intellifex….the buzz is on both left & right input jacks!!
I don’t think there would be anything wrong with both input jacks!!
Spiro
Hi Bob,
Worked out the how to navigate around all the presets with patchmate & midi raider, however the ground hum I can’t get rid of which now I have the intellifex still on top of my road case which works well…..in the road case it’s noisy…..I purchased the Buzz Kill, that hasn’t done anything to help!!
Thanks for all your support Bob!!
Hi Bob,
Yes I can select the prophecy from the raider as I have it assigned to patch 1 of the patchmate….i don’t have a full signal though, it’s a weak signal….when I unplug from the front panel of Patchmate active in & plug into input of prophecy my signal is perfect!!
Dang, that’s bizarre. To be honest, I’d have to take a closer look at it to be able figure exactly what the deal is. Sorry I can’t be more helpful with this =/
Well written and understandable article.
Thanks
Iain.
Thanks for the kind words, Lain.
Everything I needed to know is here. Gonna stick with couple pedals in loop on my Peavey head and a Marshall combo. Spend more time on playing/practicing.
Good to hear, Bill. Thanks for sharing.
Can someone tell me what kinda rack setup armon amarth is useing for there death metal guitar sound I want to know
Hi there Bob. Alright I have a few things in my rack I want to hook up properly. From bottom of rack to the top I have 6 units not counting the Furman P-1800 PF R that all are plugged into at the very top. OK The first is the amp, Marshall 9100. 2nd is a pre-amp Marshall JMP-1. 3rd is a Rocktron Prophesy 2. 4th is the Korg 1000 tuner. 5th Rocktron Hush. 6th is a BBE 362 Sonic Maximizer. If there is any way you can help me hook these up correctly, please do.
Hey Brian – how far have you gotten so far? You should start with the master output on the JMP-1 going into the 9100. Your Rocktron Prophesy and BBE could then go in the send/return from the JMP-1. Your tuner could probably be in the effects loop as well.
Does that make sense?
Alright Bob if I understand this right this is what I have done.
JMP master out to 9100
Prophesy main out to BBE
BBE out to JMP effects return
and on rear of Prophesy there is a single out to tuner
Bob also what has been stumping me is there is only one effects send not L/R effects send on the JMP-1. I’m not going to turn unit on until I hear from you Bob as I’ve hooked up as I said above, hopefully I understood you correctly.
What I was doing before I asked for help is, I only used Prophesy or disconnected and only used JMP-1. I could not figure out how to use these two together. I have no idea what goes in the rear of 9100 A/B remote voice switching. I have never had that on a amp before. Also on rear of JMP-1 is Speaker emulater L/R outputs, have no idea what that is or what that would go to.
Hey Brian – if there is only one effects send on the back of the JMP-1, that should go into the input of your first rack unit, then you would just treat your rack units like effects pedals, with the exception of the tuner.
From what it sounds like in your second post, you’ve got it setup right.
As far as the emulation and speaker outs on the back of the JMP-1, I don’t think you need those at this point. I assume you have a speaker cab attached to the 9100 (your power amp)?
Yes I have 2 4×12 cabs hooked up, 1 in channel A and 1 in B of the 9100 set at 16Ohms. So the main out L/R of the Prophesy to BBE A/B input then BBE A/B out to JMP-1 effects L/R return is correct, not effects send L/R from Prophesy to BBE A/B input then BBE A/B output to JMP-1 effects return L/R. As far as the one effects out coming from JMP-1 the next in line unit would be the Prophesy so I guess it doesn’t matter what side effects return on the Prophesy it goes in L or R I put it in the R.
I think you’re right about the Prophecy. Shouldn’t matter which side. I’d say give it a try and report back.
Hey Bob I appreciate the help. It ended up just as I thought the Prophesy and the JMP do not go together well. You have to use either one as both are pre-amps. If I used together I would have to unplug guitar from one then plug into the other every time just to get the benefits of either one. The Rocktron Prophesy 2 just has everything The JMP does not, not that the JMP is bad, just the RP-2 can do it all alone. We have come along way since the JMP came out. I think there is around 20 years difference in the two pre-amps. The JMP-1 OD2 is worth admission alone but The RP-2 wins hands down x 10.
i am currently considering building my first rack unit (always cab and stompbox guy). my question is, how does the MIDI control two preamps? I think i want to start with an ADA MP1 and ART SGX 2000 preamp then add something like a Mesa Boogie power amp for the monster low end.
I like to play all genres of music but Mainly rock and metal so should i consider another preamp?
I have a 50w 5150 head that i love but would this be to weak to power both preamps? Any help would be appreciated
Ok, first thing I would point out:
The 5150 head is a type of preamp. Adding the ADA MP1 and ART SGX 2000 would, in effect, give you three total preamps, where the SGX would be more of an effects processor.
I would do either the 5150 or the MP1, but not both. If you like the 5150, I’d say pair that with the SGX and be done with it.
If you want to use multiple MIDI devices (preamps or otherwise) you’d run a MIDI cable from the pedal to the input of the first device, then use a second MIDI cable going from the output of that device to the input of the next device. Strymon’s article here does a good job of covering it: https://www.strymon.net/using-midi-to-control-your-pedals/
Do you have a speaker cab you plan to use? Hope all this is helpful.
great article , Bobby …
greeting from Indonesia …
i have question regarding effect loop chain , currently i’m using mainly pedalboard effect for my live / studio session …
few days ago i’m just purchase 2nd hand Axe FX II XL+ with its MIDI foot controller & TC Electronic D-Two from my friend who just moving to Japan for study abroad …
but i’m also planning to expand my rackmount rig in the future by adding more rackmount device such as Mesa Rectifier Pre Amp , Mesa 90/90 Power Amp , EL8X Distressor & maybe Lexicon Reverb rack …
currently my pedalboard rigs is PolyTune 3 -> Strymon OB1 -> Dunlop DVP3 -> Dunlop CB535 -> EHX POG2 -> Strymon Sunset -> Strymon Deco -> Strymon Ola -> Strymon Timeline -> Strymon Big Sky -> Ditto X2 connected to Mesa Mark V Head ( which is have effect loop ) & Mesa Rectifier 4×12 cabinet for my studio session …
from what i understand based on article that you write above , can i running my configuration like this ??! …
Instrument -> Pedalboard -> Mesa Mark V head -> SEND to -> Axe FX II -> TC D-Two -> RETURN to Mesa Mark V -> Mesa Rectifier 4×12 cabinet
can i running configuration like i write above for my Live & Studio session ( so i can get best of both world ) or did i miss something ??! …
also , lets say my rackmount rig is complete by now & i’m configure it like this Mesa Rectifier Pre Amp -> Mesa 90/90 Power Amp -> EL8X Distressor -> Axe FX II -> TC D-Two -> Lexicon PCM 92 & want to use both pedalboard & rackmount rig …
can i running configuration like this ??! …
Instrument -> Pedalboard -> Rackmount ( via Mesa Rectifier Pre Amp 1/4 guitar input then SEND to Distressor -> Axe FX II -> TC D-Two -> Lexicon PCM92 -> RETURN to Mesa Rectifier Pre Amp ) -> Mesa 90/90 Power Amp -> 2 x Mesa 2×12 or maybe 2 x Mesa 4×12 cabinet
regards.
Reza.
Reza – if I’m understanding you correctly, then yes, using the send/return in the Mesa is your best bet and a totally standard way to run everything you mentioned. Alternatively, you can place everything before your preamp, although many rack units require a send/return.
From what I can tell, you’re good to go. Sounds like a sweet setup.
In a scenario where you use a self-contained Amp head like a JCM 800 into a speaker cabinet, when do you use the effects loop for signal processing effects vs placing the effects before the input of the JCM 800?
There’s no right or wrong here.
Conventionally, ambient effects are handled better in an effects loop, while everything else gets placed before the primary amp input. Typically, I refer people to this Strymon article that covers effects placement and has a couple awesome diagrams with effects loops: http://www.strymon.net/setting-up-your-effect-signal-chain/
In the second diagram, they throw a volume pedal and some modulation in the effects loop as well.
But again, this is just convention. Myself, I don’t typically use a send/return unless the effect specifically calls for it (some rack mounted units do).
Hope this helps.
excellent post, thanks a lot.
You bet.