What are the most essential pieces in you rack?

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JonathanRay

JonathanRay

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What are the most essential pieces in your rack?

What are the most essential pieces in your rack? Just curious.
 
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The rails. If those weren't there I couldn't use it at all...

:D

Bang for buck the best investment I've made so far is the used Finalizer Plus I use as a master clock for my 002. There are certainly better clocks but that's what I could afford and it makes a noticeable difference. I also use it as the golden channel convertors. Plus I get some nice tools to boot, and it gave me the last 2 channels of my 18 i/o. Also my digital returns for getting an analog mix back into the box with as little pain as possible- usually with all the tools bypassed.

Next in my list of "most often used" are my RNC's and RNLA. They are just always patched in to something. I love them. I'll add the RNP to the list just because I really like it, too, but not with the same "Wow, this is cool!" that I get with the RNC and RNLA.

Anyway, that's my short list. There isn't single item in my rack that doesn't get used fairly regularly- if I don't use it I generally take it out of the rack and put something else in its place. :D

Take care,
Chris
 
Currently....

My M-Audio Octane (technically not in a rack, but it has ears) has been geting a lot of play recently. I use it for my drums along with a DMP3. I've also been using it for its M-S matrix tracking acoustic guitar.

I have no shame in admitting I frequently use my Behringer Composer when tracking vocals.

I also use my Rane ME15 (graphic eq) and ART 355 (another graphic eq) regularly.

My Bass V-Amp Pro gets a good workout, too.
 
Currently, a pair of Millennia TD-1s. Mic preamps, DI box (tube and SS), and great usable 2 band EQ all in one box. And all the lights are pretty too! The suckers look like they were designed for Christmas.

However, I just got a pair of API 512c mic pre/DIs to go in the rack next to a pair of 550b eqs -- so now we'll have to see which gets more use. :D
 
Chris Shaeffer said:
The rails. If those weren't there I couldn't use it at all...
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Jeez! That's exactly what I was going to say. Guess I'll have to settle for "the screws".
 
The power supply - Followed closely by everything else. I really don't think any one piece is any more or less important.

Maybe the STC8... I suppose that's the one that would just kill me if it wasn't there...
 
What is the need now-a-days in home studios for all this rack equipment? Now that software can replicate the same processes?
 
JonathanRay said:
What is the need now-a-days in home studios for all this rack equipment? Now that software can replicate the same processes?
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There's a difference between 'replicate' and 'emulate'.

Having said that, I only use emulators :o

Although I haven't seen a software emulation of a power supply . . . or a preamp, or a converter, or a power amp, or a headphone amp . . . these are the things that populate my rack :)
 
I find I'm absolutely loving my UAD card lately - especially the EMT plate - but for rack gear, I've been using an Altec 1589 for lots of stuff lately. Not an expensive piece, but funky in just the right way for crunchy electric guitars.
 
JonathanRay said:
What is the need now-a-days in home studios for all this rack equipment? Now that software can replicate the same processes?
Click to expand...

Quality. .
 
I dig the ART VLA. Although its a 'toob' design, it actually adds a sort of texture that i really like. Sort of a texture smearing would be the way to put it.
I also dig my firepod, but am looking at the fireface for a future solution.
 
everything in my rack is essential.... I can't afford to throw my money away so I scour the boards and read and read and research and read more then try stuff out and buy wisely.

Buy cheap and you almost always buy twice

Saying that, my Delta 1010 is always in use and my M-Audio Tampa sees a lot of action
 
Power!

The power conditionner is without a doubt, the most essential peice of equipment in the rack.

It protects my investment, reduces noise produced by unsteady power, reduces the effects of rf interference and provides a central point to power all the gear.

Tristan
 
LemonTree said:
Saying that, my Delta 1010 is always in use and my M-Audio Tampa sees a lot of action
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as do mine. top notch pieces for the $. likewise, my Symetrix 528 sees a lot of use, and my Symetrix 425 sees use every time i track acoustic guitar.....whereas my CL150 sess use every time i track electric guitar.


cheers,
wade
 
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