VDC FRIDGE RACK RIG-RUN-DOWN JANUARY 0 This custom Refrigerator Rack-mount FX system harkens back to the mid 0 s - early 90 s Guitar FX systems that were as big and heavy as a refrigerator. These rack FX systems contained rack-mounted guitar preamps, studio quality effects and power amplifiers controlled by remote pedalboards that allowed the performer to call-up presets made up of different combinations of the above preamps and effects. These systems started out as guitar preamps serially feeding 6 or bit digital FX processors which would digitally chop your signal in successive stages of analog to digital and digital to analog conversion within the FX processor; thereby destroying your preamp s guitar tone. This inferior audio quality quickly became unacceptable to touring musicians so they sought out pioneering rack builders, like Bob Bradshaw, who realized that they could maintain the performer s tone by mixing the musician s pristine guitar tone with the audio from multiple digital FX units in parallel using a mixer. Secondary benefits of a system like this are. Delays and Reverbs will carry-over when switching Preamp presets.. The Dry Signal can feed its own amplifier for improved clarity due to less intermodulation distortion caused and created by effects.. Since the Dry signal has its own amplifier, when the Effects are set to Kill the dry Signal, (00% Effects Only), the FX can have their own amplifier as well creating a WET/DRY effects system.. All of the Audio remains in the Rack as opposed to a pedal-board system where long cables must transverse the stage between the pedal-board and Guitar Amplifier. Here s my system PUTS The Guitar Signal enters the rack via a custom rack patch panel in two ways;. via a guitar cable to PUT ¼ Jack labeled A or. via a LE6 G0 Wireless Receiver connected to the Rear Panel of the custom rack patch panel and normalized from the front panel W-LESS ¼ connector to the B ¼ connector. DEC WAH VOL PRE FX B A PZ W-LESS SE WIRE DECIMATOR G String DEC PUT PUT FX PRE PRE -0-60 -0-70 -0-0 +0-0 0dB [B] WIRELESS LE6 RELAY G0 RECEIVER SPLIT W-LESS SE WAH VOL B A T R [A] WIRE STEREO CABLE TO AURA Those two options, Wireless or Wired Cable, are switched using a manual A/B switch toggle switch located on the custom rack patch panel.
WIRELESS The wireless is a LE6 G0 Wireless Receiver modified with two external ¼ λ. GHz Antennae and mounted on the SKB sliding rack shelf and powered by a Voodoo Lab ISO Power Supply. WIRED CONNECTION (MAG and Piezo Pickup Routing) If a Stereo Guitar Cable is plugged into patch panel Input A, and the guitar has a Graphtech Acousti-phonic Piezo Bridge system, the Magnetic guitar signal is available on the TIP and the Piezo signal is available on the RG of the Stereo Cable. Those separate MAG & signals are routed and available on two different connectors on the custom rack patch panel; the and ¼ Jacks respectively. The Piezo signal is routed to a Fishman AURA 6 Acoustic Imaging processor and then to a Radial J Direct Box that feeds the P.A. System. NOISE REDUCTION (MAG SIGNAL) TO FX T R [B] WIRELESS B A [A] WIRE LE6 RELAY G0 RECEIVER STEREO CABLE FISHMAN AURA 6 ( SIGNAL) BALANCED TO PA RADIAL J DI SIGNAL PATH MAG SIGNAL PATH The patch panel s rear output ¼ jack is connected to the PUT half of an ISP Decimator G-String Noise Gate before feeding a Dunlop Crybaby DCR-SR Rack Wah system. The DECIMATOR half of the ISP Decimator G-String Noise Gate goes in the Marshall JMP- Midi Preamp effects loop to squelch any hum/hiss/noise from the preamp and all of the effects preceding the preamp. The Decimator G- String Noise Reduction is based on the threshold setting and the presence of the sampled guitar signal from the PUT half of the ISP Decimator G-String Noise Gate. The ISP DECIMATOR G-STRG circuit board resides within the custom rack patch panel. WAH ISP DECIMATOR G-STRG T R [B] WIRELESS B A [A] WIRE LE6 RELAY G0 RECEIVER STEREO CABLE DEC DEC TO AURA SEND FX LOOP
WAH The of the ISP Decimator G-String Noise Gate continues to the DUNLOP Custom Shop DCR-SR Rack Wah. The DCR-SR is a remote Wah-System that allows you to control the wah-sound remotely using up to six remote pedals that use a DC Voltage to control the wah so that the Audio stays in the rack. GCX EFFECTS SWITCHER - PRE-AMPLIFIER EFFECTS The output of the DUNLOP DCR-SR Rack Wah feeds five serial loops of a Digital Music Corp. (Voodoo Lab) GCX Guitar Effects Switcher with the following effects. Voodoo Lab Overdrive,. Voodoo Lab Bosstone,. MXR Phase 90,. Xotic EP Booster and. Voodoo Lab Tremolo DIGITAL MUSIC CORP. GCX SWITCHER DUNLOP DCR-SR RACK WAH WAH DCR-FCH VIBE V R V V V WAH WAH RTN SND RTN SND RTN SND RTN SND RTN SND CONTROLLER
PREAMP The above five effects precede a Marshall JMP- Midi Tube Preamp where the main tones are generated. The output from GCX loop feed GCX loop 6 which is set to mute the Input to the JMP- and feed a tuner on the pedalboard. (An Isolation Transformer before the tuner ensures that there are no ground-loops between the tuner at the pedalboard and the FX rack.) The rear panel output of GCX loop 6 makes its journey to the front panel input of the JMP- Preamp via the GCX loopthrough connectors. DIGITAL MUSIC CORP. GCX SWITCHER DUNLOP DCR-SR RACK WAH WAH DCR-FCH VIBE R V V V WAH WAH RTN SND RTN SND RTN SND RTN SND RTN SND CONTROLLER JMP MUTE 6 MARSHALL JMP- TUBE PREAMP RTN SND FEED THRU FEED THRU ISO TRANSFORMER There are three main sounds generated in the JMP- Preamp corresponding to the following sounds CLEAN, CRUNCH & BURN.
AUDIO DISTRIBUTION AMP (SIGNAL SPLITTER) The Marshall JMP- preamp has two audio outputs. The RIGHT output feeds the output mixer directly through some ¼ jacks on the custom rack patch panel that allows the Preamp dry signal to be interrupted to allow feeding the dry signal to a separate amplifier. SHURE MIXER PRE MARSHALL JMP- TUBE PREAMP LEFT PRE PRE RIGHT The LEFT output feeds a Radio Design Labs Audio Distribution Amplifier (D.A.), which also resides within the custom rack patch panel. Two of the D.A. s outputs feed two GCX loops to allow the muting of two digital FX processors The TC ELECTRONIC G-MAJOR II FX PROCESSOR and TC ELECTRONIC ND- NOVA DIGITAL DELAY. Muting the inputs to the processors allows Reverbs and Delays to trail naturally when you switch presets. PUT PUT PUT G-MAJ TC ND- SHURE SCM6 MIXER JMP- PUT GMAJOR MUTE ND- MUTE 7 RTN SND RTN SND PRE RADIO LABS ST-DA AUDIO SPLITTER PRE PRE MARSHALL JMP- TUBE PREAMP LEFT RIGHT
ISO GND AMP LEVEL Since you have a separate DRY Preamp signal, the DRY signal can be removed from the FX outputs by either, adjusting the output mix to 00% WET or by, activating the Kill-Dry function within the processor. This will allow for a true WET/DRY FX system if you use the patch panel PRE out and FX outputs to separate amplifiers. PUT PUT PUT G-MAJ TC ND- SHURE SCM6 MIXER JMP- 0 0 PALMER ISO BOX XFBB-EXS EXPRESS x 60W SPEAKER CABET w/ " Celestion V0 Vintage 0 Speaker PUT WET AMP GMAJOR MUTE ND- MUTE 7 RTN SND RTN SND PRE RADIO LABS ST-DA AUDIO SPLITTER PRE PRE 0.XCBBB-CLS LONESTAR x 90W AMP SPEAKER CABET w/ " Celestion MC90 Black Shadow Speaker DRY AMP MARSHALL JMP- TUBE PREAMP LEFT RIGHT CABLE SERTION DISCONNECTS PREAMP SIGNAL TO MIXER AMPS In the above drawing we have created two outputs, wet and dry to feed the wet and dry signals to separate amplifiers, using two amplifiers in this configuration will usually create a ground-loop that will in turn create an audio hum that can only be mitigated by the use of an audio isolation transformer. The product of choice for this function is the Palmer PGA-0 Y BOX Isolated Guitar splitter that isolates the ground of the Dry Amp as shown above. The two audio outputs feed the power sections of tow Mesa Boogie : Tube Guitar Amplifier Heads. The : Tube Guitar heads feed an EXPRESS x 60W AMP SPEAKER CABET with " Celestion V0 Vintage 0 Speaker and a LONESTAR x 90W AMP SPEAKER CABET with " Celestion MC-90 Black Shadow Speaker. Both Speaker Cabinets are modified with foam Speaker Directivity Modifiers to help level the off-axis sound of the speaker. http://www.tgpwebzine.com/?page_id=
PEDALBOARD The Midi Control Change and Program Change messages are sent via a Digital Music Corp. Ground Control Original Midi Foot Controller (V.), a Digital Music Corp. Ground Link and two Ernie Ball 0k Volume pedals configured as Expression pedals and connected to the Music Corp. Ground Control Original Midi Foot Controller. The board also has the DUNLOP DCR-FC Wah foot controller, a TC Electronic Polytune Mini Tuner, a Tap-Tempo Switch for the TC Electronic ND- Delay Tap-Tempo and a Midi Solutions Event Processor. All of the components are mounted on an ozite-carpet covered plywood board with chrome handles and transported in an SKB C6 LARGE CONTROLLER CASE. The above Midi Control pedal-board connects to the custom rack patch panel connector which connects to the GCX rear panel Input. The GCX Midi Out daisy chains in and thru in and out of the following processors GCX > JMP- > TC Electronic G-MAJOR II
EVENT PROCESSOR Here's some info on the EVENT PROCESSOR... The Ground Control Original is setup in BANK MODE ( Presets and 6 Instant Access switches per Bank). Within each Bank, I have programmed a number of G-Major Presets that apply to all four presets within each BANK. i.e. Ground Control Bank = Chorus, Delay, Reverb set-up in G-Major preset Ground Control Bank = Univibe, Delay, Reverb set-up in G-Major preset Ground Control Bank = Flanger, Delay, Reverb set-up in G-Major preset So, within any patch I can turn on/off G-Major Modulation and/or Delay and/or Reverb FX and have those effects hold across all four patches within that Bank by using the Ground Link to send CC s to control the FX blocks within the G-Major. The EVENT PROCESSOR is programmed to Filter redundant PC s from the Ground Control from being sent to the G-Major (Those are not filtered by the Ground Control if you press a Preset button twice by mistake!!) It is also programmed that when a different PC is sent to the G-Major, then set CC#, 90, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9 CC value to 00 (all G-Major FX blocks, and Ground Link LED's, turn off when I go to a new Bank) It is also programmed to block redundant CC's from being sent to the G-Major if I hit a patch button twice (all G-Major FX blocks remain as is and the Ground Link LED's do not change) The Event Processor is programmed by a small text utility that sends messages from your computer through your interface to the Event Processor. CABLE SNAKE The following lines run between the Rack and the pedal-board and connect via custom patch panels 7 Pin Midi Cable, Stereo ¼ Audio cable for remote Wah, Mono ¼ Audio cable for Tuner, Mono ¼ Audio cable for ND- Tap-Tempo and. x. Coax Power Cable for Tuner Power. POWER POWER ¼ ST. ¼ MONO P ¼ MONO CABLE SNAKE ¼ ST. ¼ MONO P ¼ MONO WAH ND WAH PEDALBOARD GCX GROUND LK FILT CC90 COMP CC9 PITCH CC9 GMAJ CC0 FILTER RED. CC s ND- MOD DELAY REVERB CC9 CC9 CC9 LOOP 7 ND- DELAY P P GROUND CONTROL WAH WAH STEREO OVERDRIVE BOSSTONE PHASE 90 EP BOOST TREMOLO TUNE/MUTE DCR-FCH CLEAN CRUNCH BURN BURN SOLO BANK DOWN BANK UP VP JR. VP JR.
PACKAGG All of the system components are mounted in an SKB SKB9-U -Rack Unit Rack Case modified with casters on the back lid. EFFECTS POWER The FX Pedals are mounted to an SKB SKB-VS -Sliding Velcro Rack Case and powered by a Voodoo Lab ISO Power Supply. LE POWER The AC power is distributed using a Furman PL PLUS-C POWER CONDITIONER that has over voltage protection, eight AC Outlets, two front light bars and a rear Littlite Lamp. EXTRAS There is an external EIA AC power outlet mounted on the outside of the SKB U Rack case so that the rack can be powered without removing the rear lid.
WAH VOL PRE FX B A PZ W-LESS SE WIRE DECIMATOR -0-60 -0-70 -0-0 +0-0 0dB DEC DEC PUT PUT FX PRE PRE SPLIT W-LESS SE WAH VOL VDC ISO GND 0 AMP LEVEL WIRG Mogami Instrument Cable (Bulk - 0 pf/ft) 0 Switchcraft Short Mono Straight Plugs 0 Switchcraft Long Mono Straight Plugs 6 Switchcraft Mono RT ANGLE ¼ Plugs, Round 6 Switchcraft Stereo RT ANGLE ¼ Plugs, Round Switchcraft Mono RT ANGLE ¼ Plugs, Flat FULL MAP RACK FX SYSTEM 0 WET -DRY IMPLEMENTATION G String LE6 G0 WIRELESS RECEIVER W-LESS W-LESS TO PA RADIAL J DI DUNLOP SHOP - DCR-SR RACK WAH [B] FISHMAN AURA 6 V RTN SND 0 RTN SND 9 VIBE R RTN SND V RTN SND 7 N.O. RTN WAH V SND N.C. 6 DEC ISP DECIMATOR G-STRG WAH DEC GUIT. GUIT. T R B A [A] WIRE CABLE DCR-FCH TC G-MAJ TO AURA WAH WAH WAH PEDAL TT TEMPO ISOLATION TRANSFORMER TC G-MAJOR TC ND- JMP- SHURE SCM6 MIXER FX FX H&K RED BOX PRO G.O.O.T.S. XLR TO PA TO AMP THRU VP JR. (RX=CH 0) VP JR. FILTER RED. CC s OVERDRIVE GCX PANEL BOSSTONE FILT CC90 PHASE 90 N.O. GMAJOR MUTE RTN SND N.C. GCX PANEL COMP CC9 MOD DELAY REVERB CC9 CC9 CC9 TREMOLO PITCH CC9 GROUND LK GROUND CONTROL EP BOOST GMAJ CC0 LOOP 7 ND- DELAY TUNE/MUTE CLEAN CRUNCH BURN BURN SOLO BANK UP BANK DOWN TC NOVA DELAY ND- MUTE 7 JMP MUTE 6 RTN SND RTN SND FEED THRU RADIO LABS ST-DA AUDIO FEED SPLITTER THRU RIGHT LEFT PRE PRE (RX=CH 0) MARSHALL JMP- PRE 6 7 0 PALMER ISO BOX CABLE SERTION DISCONNECTS PREAMP SIGNAL TO MIXER SEND RTN XFBB-EXS EXPRESS x 60W SPEAKER CABET w/ " Celestion V0 Vintage 0 Speaker WET AMP 0.XCBBB-CLS LONESTAR x 90W AMP SPEAKER CABET w/ " Celestion MC90 Black Shadow Speaker DRY AMP
WAH VOL PRE FX B A PZ W-LESS SE WIRE DECIMATOR -0-60 -0-70 -0-0 +0-0 0dB DEC DEC PUT PUT FX PRE PRE SPLIT W-LESS SE WAH VOL VDC ISO GND 0 AMP LEVEL RACK FX SYSTEM 0 MONO IMPLEMENTATION G String LE6 G0 WIRELESS RECEIVER W-LESS W-LESS TO PA RADIAL J DI FISHMAN AURA 6 V RTN SND 0 RTN SND 9 VIBE R RTN SND V RTN SND 7 N.O. DUNLOP SHOP - DCR-SR RACK WAH RTN WAH V SND N.C. 6 DEC ISP DECIMATOR G-STRG WAH DEC GUIT. GUIT. T R [B] B A [A] WIRE CABLE DCR-FCH G-MAJ TO AURA WAH WAH WAH PEDAL TT TEMPO ISOLATION TRANSFORMER TC G-MAJOR TC ND- JMP- SHURE SCM6 MIXER FX FX H&K RED BOX PRO G.O.O.T.S. XLR TO PA TO AMP THRU (RX=CH 0) FILTER RED. CC s GCX PANEL FILT CC90 N.O. GMAJOR MUTE RTN SND N.C. GCX PANEL COMP CC9 PITCH CC9 GROUND LK GMAJ CC0 TC NOVA DELAY ND- MUTE 7 JMP MUTE RTN SND RTN SND FEED THRU 6 7 PRE PRE 6 9 PRE 0 PALMER ISO BOX XFBB-EXS EXPRESS x 60W SPEAKER CABET w/ " Celestion V0 Vintage 0 Speaker WET+DRY AMP 0A 0B VP JR. VP JR. MOD DELAY REVERB LOOP 7 CC9 CC9 CC9 ND- DELAY GROUND CONTROL OVERDRIVE BOSSTONE PHASE 90 TREMOLO EP BOOST TUNE/MUTE CLEAN CRUNCH BURN BURN SOLO BANK UP BANK DOWN RADIO LABS ST-DA AUDIO SPLITTER FEED THRU RIGHT LEFT (RX=CH 0) MARSHALL JMP- SEND RTN 0.XCBBB-CLS LONESTAR x 90W AMP SPEAKER CABET w/ " Celestion MC90 Black Shadow Speaker WET+DRY AMP
9VDC 9VDC VDC 9VDC JMP- ND- GMAJ PATCH WAH WAH M I D I EXPRESSI ON W A H P R E F X B A P Z V O L T A P S E W I R E EXPRESSI ON OVERDRIVE -0-0 -60-70 -0-0 -0 +0 0dB +0 BOSSTONE JM P- PHASE 90 OVER- DRIVE ND- GM AJ BOSS- TONE TUNE / MUTE CLEAN CRUNCH BURN BURN SOLO BANK UP BANK DOWN PHASE 90 TREM- OLO EP BOOST BOOST JMP- MUTE ND- MUTE GMAJ MUTE TREMOLO RACK FX SYSTEM WIRG 0 9VDC WIRG DUNLOP SHOP DCR-SR RACK WAH ISOLATION XFMR RADIO LABS ST-DA AUDIO SPLITTER L- R- MARSHALL JMP- LE6 G0 WIRELESS RECEIVER W-LESS W-LESS WIRG SND L-RTN VOODOO LAB ISO [B] VDC 9VDC V V GMAJOR MUTE ND- MUTE 7 JMP MUTE 6 V GCX DEC DEC PRE ISP DECIMATOR G-STRG T R B A/B SW. A [A] WIRE STEREO CABLE VDC 9 VDC VOODOO LAB ISO V V 9 VDC V 9 VDC VDC RU DRAWER PEDALBOARD TO GCX TC NOVA DELAY WET WET THRU TC G-MAJOR SHURE SCM6 MIXER DRY DRY PRE FX PRE (WET/DRY SET-UP = PRE ONLY) (MONO SET-UP = NOT USED) PUTS TO AMPLIFIERS FX TO PA (WET/DRY SET-UP = FX ONLY) (MONO SET-UP = PRE + FX) TT DCR-FCH VP JR. VP JR. FILTER RED. CC s. PC s FILT CC90 COMP CC9 PITCH CC9 MOD DELAY REVERB CC9 CC9 CC9 GROUND LK GMAJ CC0 LOOP 7 ND- DELAY GROUND CONTROL Thanks for comin out check... check one... check Sincerely, Joe Leskovar, C.E.T. www.dirtyhurricane.com January 0