Need advice on what gear to use for live gig!

[racerevlon]

Ok--so I have a small-ish gig at a local venue (outside) and as my current rig is "in development" I'm looking for some advice from the RT community regarding what I should use for this gig. As most of you know, I don't have a shortage of gear. I want a minimum of pedals/controllers in front of me and need a nice chorus/clean tone, crunch tone, strong rhythm tone, and lead tone. The options I currently have in mind "on the table" are:

Main MIDI rig + Mark V Combo controlled with All Access (problem here is no way to foot switch effects loop on Mark V on/off in/out using All Access).
Main MIDI rig + Marshall HAZE 40 Combo controlled with All Access (problem here is no way to foot switch effects loop on Mark V on/off in/out using All Access).
Hughes & Kettner Switchblade Half-stack with Rocktron MIDI-Mate
Main MIDI rig + (Marshall JVM410H OR Hughes & Ketter TriAmp MK II OR Hughes & Kettner Trilogy OR Diezel VH4) controlled with All Access.
Mark V Combo + BOSS GT-8 and 4-cable method. (This means 2 foot controllers: One for Mark V and GT-8)
BOSS GT-8 in front of Marshall HAZE 40 Combo.
Main MIDI rig + Mark V Combo with Line6 M13 in Mark V loop controlled with All Access (not sure this will control the M13 correctly)
BOSS GT-8 in front of Marshall 1974X
BOSS GT-8 in front of pretty much any of the half/full stacks or combos
Line6 M13 in 4-cable method in front of pretty much any of the half/full stacks or combos (This means 2 foot controllers: the M12 and one for the amp)
Run the GT-8 straight to the board

Hit me with all the comments, or any other suggestions I may have missed.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ACShreds]

I would just go with any of the amps and then one of the processors with the 4 cable method and the amps footswitch. I play with my band with pretty much the same setup except with my board of individual pedals and the Mark IV's footswitch. Its really not that bad if your tone needs arent crazy complicated. or use one of your midi heads along with the processor and just control the channels switching with it, even easier.

 

[hunter]

You could use the M13 in Scene Mode, gives you 4 banks with 12 scenes, each with their own series of up to 4 effects, and whenever you switch scene you can send a Midi program change to the amp to change channel, switch the FX loop or whatever.

Works great and brings your rig down to a minimum.

Combine this with any of the stacks that have Midi and you are set.

 

[racerevlon]

I'm not a huge fan of the distortions in the M13 so would probably want to 4-cable the setup, and at that rate I should just use the Mesa, except no MIDI. I've got the All Access working with the GCX to control all of the Mark V functions EXCEPT the effects loop. I suppose on those patches where I don't want the effects I can put the Xpression either completely dry or in bypass mode. DAMN!! Except the Mark V loop is either assigned to one channel ONLY, or to the foot switch.

HELP!!!

 

[racerevlon]

Oh, side question--is there a "rock star" component to be considered here? For instance, if I show up with too little or too "commercial" gear, will I lose street cred?

Will the bitches not be up on my jock if I'm not rollin' the mad gear? Will my wife get to throw the bitches
a beatin' if they are? Gotta know!!!

 

[petejt]

Just use the Boss GT-8 into the MarkV combo.


Do you really need to use the effects loop? Stick a chorus pedal in front if you just want it for clean tones. If anything it sounds nicer that way.

 

[some dude]

Oh, side question--is there a "rock star" component to be considered here? For instance, if I show up with too little or too "commercial" gear, will I lose street cred?

Will the bitches not be up on my jock if I'm not rollin' the mad gear? Will my wife get to throw the bitches
a beatin' if they are? Gotta know!!!

1) Only men give a shit about gear.

2) You only loose credibility if you can't perform up to expectations. The more gear, the higher the level of expectations.

3) That's why the highest level of cred is always given to the guitar-cord-amp guys... provided they don't fuck it up.

 

[rupe]

I'm sorry but I simply don't understand threads like this. You specifically state what you want:

I want a minimum of pedals/controllers in front of me and need a nice chorus/clean tone, crunch tone, strong rhythm tone, and lead tone.

You also have a ton of equipment at your disposal to accomplish those goals...just play through your options and see which rig works the best for you. No amount of advice from a forum is going to determine what sounds/feels/functions optimally for your personal preferences and playing style.

 

[Tawlks]

I'm sorry but I simply don't understand threads like this. You specifically state what you want:

I want a minimum of pedals/controllers in front of me and need a nice chorus/clean tone, crunch tone, strong rhythm tone, and lead tone.

You also have a ton of equipment at your disposal to accomplish those goals...just play through your options and see which rig works the best for you. No amount of advice from a forum is going to determine what sounds/feels/functions optimally for your personal preferences and playing style.

+1.

MIDI rig into the Switch-blade to switch channels, chorus in front of the amp. Sorted.

 

[racerevlon]

So how do I get the time-based effects (reverb, echo, delay) for solos AFTER the amp distortion? I'm looking for tech-savvy, not tone-savvy. If you don't understand the thread stay out of it.

 

[rupe]

I'm looking for tech-savvy, not tone-savvy.

I want a minimum of pedals/controllers in front of me and need a nice chorus/clean tone, crunch tone, strong rhythm tone, and lead tone.

Odd way to word a tech request.

Now that you cleared up what you're looking for, it sounds like the 4-cable method would be the way to go (What's in the "main midi rig"?).
You could also run the GT8 into an effects return and use it as your tone generator and effects. I don't like the GT8 to FOH option as I've never heard one cut through a mix well in the scenario (although that could have more to do with the user than the unit...never used one myself).
What about adding a midi-switcher (GCX, etc) that would change effects and Mark V channels simultaneously allowing the use of one footswitch?

 

[racerevlon]

Odd way to word a tech request.

Agreed--it was pretty late when I put this together

Now that you cleared up what you're looking for, it sounds like the 4-cable method would be the way to go (What's in the "main midi rig"?).
What about adding a midi-switcher (GCX, etc) that would change effects and Mark V channels simultaneously allowing the use of one footswitch?

This is the "main MIDI rig."

This is exactly where I'm at--I have the All Access controlling both a Rocktron Patchmate 8 and a GCX--it switches everything on the Mark V EXCEPT the effects loop. The knob on the back of the Mark V allows you to assign the effects loop to CH1, CH2, CH3, or FS (foot switch). There's no 1/4 jack for the foot switch control, or I'd just use the GCX for that as well--hence my dilemma. I could assign the loop to CH1 for my clean/chorus sounds, but that would leave me @$$3d-out on CH3 for any light echo for leads.

The only other thing that is coming to mind is to use the Xpression in the rack for chorus in front of CH1 and control that with the Patchmate, then put the M13 in the Mark V effects loop, assign the Mark V loop to CH3, and program the M13 for the exact lead effects I want, that way I can create two MIDI-controlled CH3 patches: one with the M13 active and one with the M13 all effects off (and hope the levels are ok). The M13 is true-bypass, so this should work (in theory).

Sux being a guitar player AND an engineer... you tend to over-think EVERYTHING...

Thanks again to all who are pitching in ideas! I'm sure there's a cool solution out there somewhere...

 

[some dude]

Put the reverb, chorus and delay in GCX loops, then use the GCX to bypass the effects when not required.

There's no requirement to bypass the Mark Vs loop when not in use.

 

['63-Strat]

Put the reverb, chorus and delay in GCX loops, then use the GCX to bypass the effects when not required.

There's no requirement to bypass the Mark Vs loop when not in use.

Beat me to it.

 

[racerevlon]

I don't have separate effects--all the effects for this rig come from the Rocktron Xpression... so either everything is hard-coded to one channel, or I have to have the Mark V foot controller up front with me to switch the FX loop in/out (which I don't want).

However, I think it's a moot point. My wife let me know that astrologically we're now in a time where mechanical items can and will break randomly and at-will. Thus, if I can get good tones and make it work, I have decided to go with the All Access controller up front with a volume pedal and a wah, and the Line6 M13 back with a Hughes & Kettner TriAmp MK II (or Trilogy--both have MIDI Smart Loop programming) and have the Hughes & Kettner Switchblade on stand-by as backup if I experience a failure. I'll also keep redundant components and my MIDI Mate in case the All Access fails. Still deciding whether to go half or full-stack.

Bummer--would love to take the MIDI rig for a spin but I don't think I can transport both the live rig AND the backup, even if I only do a half-stack.

I'm tired now so I may have to re-think this and work out the technical details with a clearer head.

Cheers,