Well, then again... (more musings on rack rigs)

About a week and a half ago I was pondering... was it time to make the return to rack gear? Mesa and Egnater preamps? TC effects units? Randall power amps? Avatar cabinets?

After a bit more research and a lot more shopping around, I've changed my gear "wish list" a bit. Why? Perhaps because some of the gear I was looking for is rather hard to find (and I'm rather impatient), or it could be the desire to make things even simpler (yeah, right). While I still want to build a multi-preamp rig, I'm now going with even simpler preamps: a Mesa/Boogie Studio preamp and Soldano SP-77 preamp. Both have only 2 channels... the Mesa adds graphic EQ and spring reverb, while the Soldano is (for me, at least) about as stripped down as they come. Both would be switched using a Rolls/RFX RP-93 Patchwork, controlled via a Lexicon MPX-R1 footcontroller, fed through a Lexicon MPX-G2 for digital effects, continuing with the Randall RT2/50 power amp and Avatar 2x12 cabinets previously discussed.

Routing, then, becomes a bit more complex, due to my simultaneous desires to take full advantage of the MPX-G2's inputs & outputs and avoid any unnecessary AD/DA conversion. The guitar signal will first hit the Axess BS-2 buffer, then proceed into the RP-93. If front-of-amp effects (wah, overdrive, compression) are needed, the signal will be routed to the MPX-G2's guitar input, with the MPX-G2's loop send returning to the RP-93. The RP-93 will feed (and switch) both preamps. The preamp outputs will connect to the MPX-G2's stereo loop returns, proceeding to the RT2/50 and cabinets--similar setup to before: the Mesa running through the 6L6 channel on the power amp into the open-back CL80-loaded cab, the Soldano through the EL34 channel into the closed-back V30-loaded cab. The MPX-R1 will be the only piece on the floor, running into the MPX-G2 using a 7-pin MIDI cable, then switching the RP-93 (and RT2/50 if needed) via MIDI.

Once again, I've mocked up what all the gear will look like in a rack...


... and thought through how everything will be wired up...


Now it's time to get down to business with buying & selling... I've already found deals on the Mesa Studio, Soldano SP-77, Randall RT2/50, and Lexicon MPX-G2/R1 pair; still need to hunt down deals on the 2x12 cabinets.

--B