What is a rack exactly?

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Mongoo

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I know it sounds stupid but I just don't understand all of there glory is all. I get the Idea that you have this cabnit looking think with a bunch of effects but I don't get what there used with.

Like Is the Idea you say hook up some reverb (in the rack) to a multitrack or mixing board? If that were the case would you be editing the sound per track or just the whole thing. Would you need say 12 cables going into a rack and 12 cables going out of the rack if you wanted to ad he reverb to a 12 track song? Or is it just one in and out?

And what are the staple effects? Does it kind of work like guitar pedal effects, where they are all link in a chain, but just on a larger scale?

Thanks

Mongoo
 
yep, a "rack" is simply a collection of outboard gear that lives in a box called a rack. it could be (but is not limited to) reverbs, delays, compressors, mic preamps, patchbays, you name it.

what you use it for and how you hook it up is purely subjective to what you have, what you do and what you need it for. the choices are pretty much infinite. people who run a lot of live sound will generally have their racks wired differently than someone who uses their racks for recording, and even within recording it's a subjective ballgame.


of conversely, a "nice rack" is something that cameron diaz has that JLo does not. :D


wade
 
Two giant knobs on a female compressor. Think about it............
 
Mongoo said:

Like Is the Idea you say hook up some reverb (in the rack) to a multitrack or mixing board? If that were the case would you be editing the sound per track or just the whole thing. Would you need say 12 cables going into a rack and 12 cables going out of the rack if you wanted to ad he reverb to a 12 track song? Or is it just one in and out?
Click to expand...

Most commonly, outboard reverb is run off of an aux buss, so that one reverb can receive signals from several tracks, and then be returned to one aux return. the amount of reverb for each track is then adjusted by that tracks aux send. It's sort of like a mixer within a mixer. Compressors on the other hand are usually inserted into a particular channel.
A companion to most outboard effects racks is a patchbay, which brings all the ins and outs of the effects units, and several of the ins and outs of the mixer into one place where short patch cables can be used to configure things easily.

cheers, RD
 
Sorry, but you are all off base. A rack is a box with an evil spell on it. It curses the owner making them sink every dime they have (and many they don't have, too) into it while all the time it promises to give them true bliss and golden ears. However the poor soul spends enternity throwing his whole life, and everything he earns, into this black box only to find it leaves the cursed one to never truley obtain one moment of true happiness. Alas, many a poor unsuspecting victim of this cursed black box can be found in dark, damp basement home studios going bald and whispering to themselves while spending eternity searching for the unobtainable perfect tone.

My advise to you is buy peavey amp with cheesy onboard effects, or maybe a cheap stomp box (Boss makes some really cheap crap) and never let your ears hear a well produced recording. Most of all...never, never go in search of the cursed black box!
...ignorance of the ears is bliss.
 
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the cursed black box

and that's different from a woman with a nice rack how? :D :p


wade
 
Re: the cursed black box

mrface2112 said:
and that's different from a woman with a nice rack how? :D :p


wade
Click to expand...

Their cursed boxes are PINK!
 
mrface2112 said:
a "nice rack" is something that cameron diaz has that JLo does not. :D


wade
Click to expand...

Talent would be another thing Cameron has the J Lo does not.
 
OK now see, this is how things get all screwed up!! :mad:

When I fist came here, everyone told me: "You need to get a rack... you need to get a rack."

And I thought, well, seems kind of odd, but... OK.

You guys need to be more specific!!
Now what the hell am I supposed to do with this?:
 

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Michael...

Why did you buy the Behringer version?

Didn't you know that there was a new, much better version being designed that is a collaboration between Studio Project, FMR Audio, The Sound Room, Mercenary Audio, Neve, and 15 guys named Carlos?!

You wasted your money on that rack my friend... and it doesn't even say "Brent Averrill" on it... tsk tsk.

Velvet Elvis
 
The one to the right is a rcak. The left one aint a rack. That's bombs. :)
 
I'm damn proud to say that the above picture is my avatar on several forums.

I know quality when I see it.

And THEM is some quality rack gear.

And that's just another reason why I'm a quality rack gear slut.
 
The 'Rack' is just a universal unit of measure for recording gear. Each rackspace is 1.75" thick and 19" long.

So, if something says 2U, it means it takes 2 rackspaces in your cabinet. It's just units of measurement, that's all.
 
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