please help. Need modern rack mount delay and reverb

David Windsor · From: Tennessee, USA

I am sort of like Rip Van Winkle in that I have been away from steel guitar for almost 20 years and have decided to start playing and gigging again. I am dumbfounded that I cannot find a programmable rack mount delay and reverb. In the 90's I used a Quadraverb (not working now) on the road and it worked great because I could program the delays and reverb to match the set list. It also didn't color the tone. Now it seems the only things manufactured are stomp boxes that require turning knobs on every song. The Quadraverb was great in that it didn't color my pure steel tone and it was a rack mount unit that could take guitar level as well as line level. The few rack units I have seen now only take line level. Does anybody know of a modern replacement for the Quadra verb that has programmable delays and reverb that can be used together, does not color the tone, and takes instrument line level. I sure would appreciate some advice as I see nothing available when I search online. Thanks in advance.

Johan Jansen · From: Europe

Try to find a used Roland GP100, Easy to programm in presets pro song

Jim Park · From: Carson City, Nv

Lexicon makes some very nice units in the MX series. I am currenty using a Avid Eleven Rack and very happy with it.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Any Lexicon units with a P in the model number have a preamp. You can usually find an MPX100 for around a Franklin. Others have said they're easy to program, but I usually just found a setting I liked and only tweaked one knob.
I think I was able to program mine, but I must have a blind spot in reading the instructions, for I was unable to find/figure out how to retrieve stored patches.

PS: by Franklin I mean a hundred dollar bill.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

I second the Roland GP-100. Use it with or without the preamp. Especially since these units were over $1,000 when new and now you can pick them up for $150.

David Windsor · From: Tennessee, USA

Thanks everyone for the replies. It sounds I will look into the Roland or just try to find an old Quadraverb. It seems crazy that the rack thing is not in vogue and guitar players have gone back to stomp boxes. I figured with technology there would be a cheap replacement for the Quadraverb but it seems they don't make stuff like that anymore.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Well, you can still find the Peavey racks like the Profex and Transtubefex. They come up for sale now and again here in the classifieds. If they have had the batteryless mods, they should be good for years to come.

If they are programmed with all the Newman or other steel presets, you'd be set.

Anther oldie but goodie is the Lexicon MPX 1 with the Buddy Castleberry steel presets.

I'm still using multi-fx units. I wouldn't know what to do without them. I do have the GP100 and the Boss SE 70 and the Boss SX700 from the same ers. They have a few years on them, but they work fine still.

If there's a Music-go-round in your area, they will have a lot of used rack units come through there. The local one here had a Quadraverb for around $50 a few weeks ago.

David Windsor · From: Tennessee, USA

I found a Quadraverb on Reverb.Com for 40 bucks and 25 shipping. I went ahead and ordered it. I just wish I could get something new because I know electrolytic capacitors go bad after so many years. I may look at getting programmable resistors and an Arduino microcontroller to modify my stomp box units. Maybe that would be a cool alternative.

Dylan Schorer · From: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

You won't go wrong with the TC Electronic G-Major:
http://www.tcelectronic.com/g-major-2/

David Windsor · From: Tennessee, USA

Thanks. That G Major 2 looks to be the answer for what I am looking for. Thanks

Ron Funk · From: Ballwin, Missouri

The Lexicon MPX-1 is a great unit.
Buddy's website has the parameter settings for his Reverb and Delay PreSets

You might also want to keep a look out for a used TC Electronics M-One.

Much more 'user friendly' to program than the Lexicon MPX-1

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

David Windsor · From: Tennessee, USA

Ha ha. I thought he meant a Franklin steel at first.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Fixed with a postscript. Oops
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

I still have a Yamaha SPX 90 II from the 80's that's still going strong. I wouldn't worry too much about older gear.

I have a TC G-major 2 in my guitar rig and love it for modulation, delays and reverb. Pretty easy to program and there are small MIDI pedals for changing patches so you don't need a giant foot controller (MIDI Mouse for example).

With digital mixers, most effects are on board, so you don't see rack gear in PA rigs anymore. Most guitar players have gone with pedals. Stymon makes pedals with preset storage. They aren't cheap, but they sound good.

Rack units have become a dying breed.

John Booth · From: Columbus Ohio, USA

Jim Park · From: Carson City, Nv

I always called 'em Benjys...... As in "if your gonna go look at a car always take a roll of
Benjys"

Richard Wilhelm · From: Ventura County, California

I thought that was David Crosby on the $100 bill. Exclamation

_________________
"Be Kind to Animals, don't eat Them"
"If you know music, you°ll know most everything you°ll need to know" Edgar Cayce
"You're only young forever" Harpo Marx

Fender 400, Fender FM212, G&L ASAT.

Was part of a hippie-Christian store in Cotati, California (circa 1976) called THE EYE OF THE RAINBOW. May God love you.

David Windsor · From: Tennessee, USA

Thanks Paul and everyone else for the advice. I guess older gear is the best bang for your buck way to go. It is kind of a drag that the steel guitar market is so small that we have to buy what is made for electric guitar and shape it the best we can to fit the needs of a steel guitar. I have several direct recording kinds of things such as line 6 and others but the tone always comes up too inadequate for steel in my opinion. I have an old Nashville 400 from the eighties and I always come back to that with a mic in front of it.

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