NRPD. New Rack Preamp Day. RAWK !!!!

    So.

    About 10 years ago I got a JMP-1, and started collecting rack gear. Around 4-5 years ago I got a Triaxis and decided to try and get the ADA MP-1 to have 'the big three' . This week - we've unlocked this task.

    Yes, there is some crossover between them (the Triaxis does a british crunch and Fenderish clean, the MP-1 does blistering Marshall tones, as does the JMP-1 etc etc etc. I don't care.

    This one is the MP-1 Classic with an improved noise gate, and a 'brown' channel to go with the solid state/tube clean, and tube distortion. Its in exceptionally clean condition with very little wear and tear.

    Sounds decent. And I'm always surprised and delighted when midi controllable devices change preset/react to midi commands.

    In my defence I was left unsupervised.

    After completing the 'big three' quest, I managed to also complete the 'All Marshall rack' quest by adding a JFX-1 to my JMP-1 and 9100 power amp.

    Yes, it took AGES to make my 15u rack into a17u rack and rejig the patchbay....again.

    Yes, its a 90's digital effect unit with no editor, slightly fiddly and a HUGE external powersupply......

    Yes - the my other FX blow this away - but its cool.

    Took a gut shot while changing the battery (nice to see a battery holder instead of a batter soldered to the PCB)

    So.

    I've found that Ikea Ivar is fairly easy to extend.

    I've added a Roland SRV3030 (yes, the srv330 gets better reviews, but they're mostly internet yahoos so meh) which has led me to adding 1 u to the top to allow one last rack device into my rig.


    So the retro half of my rack is pretty much complete - 90's to early 2000's rack nonsense, pedals, and modern profiling/modelling. Can't see me buying any more gear*.


    *Ahhhhhhahahahahahahah

    Well.

    Yet more rack gear. And there is no more room in the rack (until it gets remade). I'd added a side quest of getting a period correct reverb and delay combo, and this is the outcome. The Roland SRV 3030 I added was pretty decent (once you edit the presets to be a touch richer/deeper), so adding an SDE 330 (Dimensional Space Delay !!) gets me nearer 100% completion. Some modulation may be on the cards soon - a tristereo chorus, Yamaha SPX-90 or......Roland SDX 330 (which are too rare and pricey) would be another side quest.

    Is this as good as the RV-500 / DD500 / MD-200 combo.

    No. But they're very, very, good. And it fulfills my 90's rack daydream.

    NB - in old rack gear - ALWAYS check the PCB battery. They may be flat, they may be just starting to leak. Or - like this one...... both.

    And I've been playing this 80's badboy through it this week........

    .......a restored Washburn RV-8v in pearl white/cream with SD JB/Jazz 35th anniversary pup set. Its one of the PRS lawsuit guitars that Washburn and Epiphone made in the late 80s.... before PRS got out the lawyers and sued.

    Hair metal riffs ahoy !!

    Alesis you say ?

    Lexicon you (could) say ?

    Yamaha SPX900 you (should) say ?

    All are on the cards. Time and money permitting.

    I'm super happy with the 2x Rolands SRV 3030 (way better than internet yahoos make out, but runs very very hot) and the SDE 330. I'm potentially going to try and get an SRV 330 and do some back to back testing and pick a winner.


    The Washburn is WAY better than it has any right to be. it has loads of QC issues (none of the side markers on the fret board are..... central between the frets, the original nut was 1.5mm narrower that the fretboard and off centre, the pickup routes are off centre............, etc etc. The original bridge was missing, and the new Floyd bridge (which is decked) needed the posts to be moved (and centred). But once fixed - its a player with rock solid tuning.

    I wasn't saying what was best only what around :)...glad you are getting them all ha!

    Can't wait to see what else you end up getting...

    Quote from V8guitar

    I wasn't saying what was best only what around :)...glad you are getting them all ha!

    Can't wait to see what else you end up getting...

    I knew what you meant :)

    My plan is to try as much cool stuff as I can. A rack with some Alesis (I'd like an Akira !), Lexicon 90/91, and a Yamaha SPX900 is my plan.

    The great thing with most old gear is..... you get all of your money back if you don't like it and sell it on.

    Quote from ajbsmirnoff

    " I'm potentially going to try and get an SRV 330 and do some back to back testing and pick a winner."

    Well.

    That day has come. I've added a Roland SRV 330 to my 'rack of things from the past'.

    Found it on FB marketplace, it was 90mins away by car.

    Yes - I'm going to back- to-back it with the later SRV 3030. I may sell the loser, I may just keep both for extra lush stacked stereo 3D reverbs. THe 3030 is a great reverb unit - no matter what the yahoos say.

    Still on the list of things to add would be a Yamaha SPX 90/900/990, potentially a Lexicon PCM, Mesa studio preamp, etc etc. What it does mean is that I definitely need to make a new rack.

    In my defence, I'm often left unsupervised. No one should be surprised at the outcome !

    So. The SRV (above) was significantly cheaper than I thought.... and being foolish, I spent the 'extra/spare' cash on a 'bargain' and a new rack frame.

    A trip to Ikea followed by some sawing/gluing/screwing up/measuring twice/etc and we have a poormans rack frame (2x Ivar sides, 4 casters, and some rack rail). I added another patchbay as the old one was just 'full up'. (bought from a studio in a neighbouring town from a chap who runs a recording studio in his barn!)

    This is the rack just before the simple & quick task of cabling. I'm refitting the plywood side panels, but I'm going to leave the rear completely open for ventilation and access. Previous iterations have shown me that the base needs to be braced and sturdy, the rear need some cross members to retain its shape and size when its empty, while the front gets braced/stabilised by the rack units.

    And this is where I've gotten to today. Everything above the pedal drawers is powered and connected to the patchbays and (by some miracle) passing signal. Midi and USB control to everything (apart from the JFX-1) works too. No need to see the cabling - rest assured its exceptionally neat.

    Today's job is to reconnect the pedalboard controllers and add power to the pedal drawers. The eagle eyed will notice a Yamaha SPX 900 has been added. This was a cheeky low-bid bargain, bought mainly for the Symphonic chorus patch. My 1990s - 2000s rack is complete*

    I'm sure that this is as tall/full as this design can get. Next design will be shorter and wider.


    * Hahahahahahahahahahahaha !!!

    Edited once, last by ajbsmirnoff: fat fingered typos (August 22, 2024 at 11:59 AM).