Hey guys, how's it going? Need some input on this. I'm getting kind of sick of setting up my pedal board every night I play. I have also ran out of room on my pedal board, so end up having to set a few pedals up on the floor next to my board, everynight. So between the extra pedals, all my cables going back and forth from my rig to my pedals, power cables, it's just a mess, sometimes I end up missing something, plugging in an effects loop backwards, some cable not plugged in all the way, start chewing up AC adapter cords, it's really starting to piss me off. I have thought about for some while now going to some sort of MIDI switching system. The more I look into it, I see more people using things like a TC Electronic G-Major, or an AxeFX, or crazy stuff like that. I have kind of gotten away from multi effects units cause I don't think they sound as good as stompboxes, and they aren't as easy to navigate and tweak like a stompbox as well. So what would you guys do and why? Stick with stompboxes and try to come up with some MIDI switching system, or just do a rack mount effects processor like an AxeFX or G-Major?

BTW - as far as preamp/distortion, I would like to continue to use my Mesa Road King. The only thing I would conisder changing to is a Mesa Triaxis/2:90 - I found a used one with a decent price I'm considering right now.

I use my Axe-Fx II standalone about 75% of the time. But I still throw some pedals in there every now and then. Largely because I like the variety.

No amps though. Those things are evil. Like the fruits of the devil.

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- IAN C. -
Rig: PRS | Schecter USA | Gibson | Axe-Fx II | empress effects
Beta tester: Fractal Audio | empress effects

I prefer pedals because 1) I can build them, 2) they're cheaper, 3) racks are heavy, bulky things and 4) I'm biased against anything any one device that centralizes too many features.

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crew

Selling BOSS FW-3. I live in Brazil, mind you, so prepare yourself for $30-ish for shipping and waiting. Local pickup available, along with beautiful beaches and cheap bitches.

I like pedals because there are all the knobs, no menues to take a wrong turn in during a concert, and if one thing breaks, I still have all my other sounds and it's easy and cheap (usually) to replace. Plus I can twist the knobs with my feet if I have to, and that's a plus for the feel and association I like to have with my gear. People tend to be impressed when you put down a complicated pedal board too. Audience members get funny ideas about you and remember the three things they heard from Guitar Hero III about Tom Morello or some such. I'm not quite sure what goes on, but I know I get interesting comments before and after the show.

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Talking about wireless pedals...

If you are playing in a canned band doing weddings or restaurants they work fine. But IMHO they sound plastic as hell. Some people are fine with plastic and you can get a consistent sound at different volumes.

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Stage Guitars: '80s Thin line LP Custom, '70 LP Standard, '83 Squier Black Headstock Strat w/ Dan Torres pickups, '59 Black Danelectro DC, sometimes others.

Pedal Board: Nady UHF 10 -> TU2 -> Rocktron Big Crush -> 70s MXR Phase 100 -> Cry Baby -> Bad Monkey -> Early '80s Rat -> Early '80s Ibanez CS 9 -> Ibanez DE 7 -> Behringer Dr 100 Stereo Reverb

Stage amps: '63 Blonde Tremolux w/ two original 2X10 cabinets with a '60 Ampeg Rocket/18 watt VTB Marshall clone/ Epi VJ into a Mashall 1965A

To me it is like saying a hammer is better then a screwdriver. It is. Different tools for different jobs. You use what works for the situation you are in at that point. Best to understand how both work inside and out.

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No one has to be alright all of the time.

A hammer is better than a screwdriver. Violence is always more fun.

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crew

Selling BOSS FW-3. I live in Brazil, mind you, so prepare yourself for $30-ish for shipping and waiting. Local pickup available, along with beautiful beaches and cheap bitches.

I had more money on the floor in pedals and my amp than I do in my Axe-Fx rig.
And it weighed in at over 100 lbs for all of it. Way more than my rack rig.

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- IAN C. -
Rig: PRS | Schecter USA | Gibson | Axe-Fx II | empress effects
Beta tester: Fractal Audio | empress effects

depends you can really **** someone up with a screwdriver. Phillips can be a pretty lethal weapon.

Plus with racks, I typically use a tube power amp at the end to warm them us. Even if i get an axefx 2 I will still use tube power and real speakers. I just want it for the preamp models and effects. All the direct stuff is not for me and powered monitors just look terrible onstage. Hell, my band won't let me switch to an axe fx because they don't think it fits our image. I can kinda agree, stoner metal and high end rack units usually don't go together. Old head, crusty pedals and dudes that look like they pump gas for a living. That is stoner rock.

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No one has to be alright all of the time.

I've built most of my dirt and modulation pedals, but I can see where you're coming from.
Nothing to add, really...
A screwdriver through the eye is surely pretty nasty, but it can't break bones--where the fun is at.

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crew

Selling BOSS FW-3. I live in Brazil, mind you, so prepare yourself for $30-ish for shipping and waiting. Local pickup available, along with beautiful beaches and cheap bitches.

Your issue sounds like it could be better solved by buying a new powered pedalboard. One that will fit your pedals and require just plugging in a couple jacks to set up.

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I have had smooth gear transactions through this board with Users: Verve, and FakePlastic
www.myspace.com/sfawesomes

I have a friend who was a huge pedal geek.... His boards were quite huge, he had two of them, that went from gig to gig...... We did the math one day, found out all his pedals was about almost $10,000 USD...... He had vintage effects in there too, like an original ADA Flanger...... The rack setup is easier, though MIDI switching systems can clear up your floor space on stage, and still utilize your pedals. It gets more expensive, but all of this comes down to, truly what you can live with...

I can't live without my tube amp, just like fiveways, it's what I use, and what I'm used to, though, I do miss the simplicity of a rack setup. I just got tired of hauling around a huge crate, plus integrating all the midi stuff, and switches, seemed a little expensive to me, for just a couple pedals. To each their own though, iaresee is the man to talk racks to

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ESP Eclipse Limited (3/100) or Gibson Les Paul Standard (97) - Fulltone OCD - H.B.E. Detox EQ - Laney GH50L - 80's Ibanez AD-9 (in loop) - Randall XL 4x12
Tortex "The wedge" picks, Blue Steel strings, Line 6 Moble In, Charvel Model 6 modded to a Model 5FX.... Probly other stuff as well

I use both, different tools to do different jobs.