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Author Topic: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise  (Read 17487 times)

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MRob

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #30 on: Time Format »

Again... wow! Thank you all! That's a lot of stuff to wrap my brain around, so I'm gonna get wrapping and dig in. It's gonna take a bit, but I will keep you all posted and up to date. 

Just my anal retentiveness here, but what if I were to pick up another Mesa ported 1x12 cab??   Then I could do the stereo mix REAL justice right?   Just a thought.   :P

I'm gonna order patch cables.  The local big name music store staffed with long haired bearded teenagers has them, but they are outrageous in price, not to mention when I said "patch cables" to one of these highly trained technical guitar smith's, he looked at me like a teen that just lost their phone connection!  LOL!   :face palm:

Hence, I'm ordering a bunch... 

Thanks again guys, I will post questions as I read through everything here again.  I'm reading the MP2 Manual right now as suggested.

Have a great holiday!!
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #31 on: Time Format »

Have a great Thanksgiving MRob!

     Obviously, you can't ask for any help from the clerks at Guitar Center, they pretty much have the intellect of a house plant.

     For the most part, you have to know what you are looking for and why, and we can help you with the understanding.

     Good quality cables are a very important part of your sound, and I can't stress that enough. You can buy pre-made patch cables and I have some of those, from Monster or Planet Waves, or you can get kits to make your own from George L. The kits may seem pricey, but when you compare the price vs the number of patch cables you need to the pre-made cables, you actually come out  a little better.
     I use Monster guitar cables to plug into any of my rigs, and I've modified mine so that the jack that plugs into my guitar has a cut off switch. Switchcraft makes a heavy duty plug like that and I've soldered that to my guitar lead. Planet Waves has something like that but the jack has a push-push button on the casing to cut off the connection.
     Anyway, there is plenty of time, and the key here is not to rush things. Take it one step at a time, and before you know it, you'll have a killer sounding rig that will put your guitar out front and center.
      If you want to get another 1x12 cab to complete your rig, that's not a bad idea, especially if you are looking to get a big guitar sound. The more speakers you have broadcasting the sound of your guitar, the bigger it sounds because you are moving that much more air pressure. Just remember, you don't have to be loud to sound bigger. To me, the sound of my guitar coming from 16 12" speakers at a lower volume, is a lot more pleasing than the sound of my guitar coming from a 2x12 cab trying to keep up with the band. Of course the 2x12 cab is a lot easier to move around, so it's your choice...

    Harley 8)
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rnolan

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #32 on: Time Format »

Hey MRob, it's good to have matching cabs and the Messa 1 x 12 seem a good choice  :thumb-up:
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MRob

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #33 on: Time Format »

Hey everyone!  I am BACK for the ATTACK!   It's been a while for sure!  Here's where I am now in this rockin process

1.  I finally got a SKB 8U Rack Case.  Little did I know, this was a full, large, deep case, so it's huge!  Not really what I was looking for.. wanted a smaller foot print, so I'm going to pick up a 4 or 6 rack shallow unit.  Ughh... 

2.  Wanting smaller, I will ditch the Hush unit as advised here over and over and possibly not use the Furman power.  Not really needed from what I hear.  I can save a rack U not using it.

3.  I am going to get a second Mesa 1x12 Theile cabinet soon... this way I can go stereo as many here have said it's almost a must!

4. I still haven't tried anything yet, but I'm not traveling next week and will be home, so I may plug it all in and see what happens.

A couple more questions.
   1. Do I NEED that quadraVerb effects unit thing??  Will that make a difference?
   2.  Can I get good bluesy tone/sound from the MP2?
   3.  What other foot switching options do I have besides the old 80s looking black and red thing??  Is there something else that will work that's more up to date?  (just curious)

The new Mesa Mark V 35 has some bad ass KILLER sounds. Very tight, very articulate and pretty versatile.  Am I still better off with the MP2?

Thanks!

« Last Edit: Time Format by MRob »
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Dante

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #34 on: Time Format »

MRob,

Welcome back  :wave:

I had two Mesa Thiele cabs, they sound fricken awesome. Now, I have one Thiele and one 4x12 for stereo. I use the big cab for big stages, the 1x12 for little bars. The Thiele can keep up with the 4x12 just fine (I have an EV Force speaker in it).

You don't NEED the Quadraverb. In fact, there are several other FX devices out there that are probably better. Shop around. Pretty much any FX device is fine, if it provides you with what you need. I found a Boss GX-700 nearby for cheap, so I tried it. Now I have two.

You can absolutely get a good bluesy tone from the MP-2, regardless of how you define bluesy. It can give you that clean round tone from the neck PU that sounds like a hollow body...provided you feed it with quality equipment (guitar, pickups, etc.). It can also give you that overdriven clean tone that borders on searing crunch. You can get pretty much ANY tone from the MP-2. The one knock I have is the picking attack can be lacking at times....pretty minor thing really.

Use any midi footswitch with your midi gear, your preference decides which is best.

I am not familiar with that particular Mesa, but it has been my experience that:
  • Mesas do one/two/three/four things very well (one thing for each channel)
  • That/those thing(s) are very good
  • The MP-2 can do all those things, and more, and offers 10 channels, and 128 presets

MRob

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #35 on: Time Format »

Dante - Thanks Brother!  Greatly appreciate the info. 

I saw an Alesis Quadraverb the other day at a store for 60 bones.  Is that better than what I have? 

See, I thought ADA has fx in it for each preset?? 

Also, what's your take on my set up...?  No Furman, No Hush, Scale it down...?? 
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MRob

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #36 on: Time Format »

I'm looking at midi foot controllers for my set up. Came across the new Mastermind LT.  Would this work for the ADA MP2??

Also, wanted to ask another fundamental potentially dumb question.  How do I run my Wah and Boss Tuner with my set up?  Just in line as normal? 

I will be firing this thing up this week, so I will let you know how it sounds.  I've been playing though a Boss ME 80 going through studio monitor speakers at low levels at home.  Haven't gigged in over a year and haven't played through anything substantial since then.  "Then" I was playing through a Mark V 90w head that I sold, so I'm hoping for quite a big difference from the little ME 80. 

The Mark V was big and heavy and difficult for me to get the sound I wanted... I wasn't a HUGE fan of it, but I don't think I was utilizing as I should have been.  Again, I'm an 80s guy and am Jones'in for that Nuno, Skid Row heavy rockin, in your face, guitar sound! 

Some have said I don't need the Furman power conditioner... I'm assuming just go with a good small powerstrip and be done with it?  Saving rack space...??


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MarshallJMP

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #37 on: Time Format »

Unless you want to use it on a PC/mac I think this pedal is a bit overkill and quite expensive. The best pedal IMHO is an ADA MXC pedal pack. Works perfect with the MP-2.
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rnolan

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #38 on: Time Format »

I agree with MJMP on the MXC pedal pack.  The standard pedal pack was 1 x MXC pedal (which phantom powers from the MP2 with 7 pin midi lead and wall wart plugs into the back of MP2), 1 X CC expression pedal and 1 x CC Quad switch.  The MXC can accommodate 2 x expression pedals (say one for stereo master vol and one for wah) and 2 x Quad switches.  Unless you want to do much more complicated midi setups with lots of other midi gear/gadgets, it's all you'll ever need and still modern enough.  They are also road reliable (I can attest after 25 + years).

I use a QV for delay and reverb (it does much more (flange, phase, leslie, eq, etc).  Lots of other gadgets do this quite well also, but for $60, quite a good score if it's in decent nick although doesn't have midi continuous control (CC) capabilities like some of the later model units (e.g. the TC GMaj2 is a very good unit and many here like it).

Some like the Furman, very expensive and, if you have decent power, not really required (albeit a convenient power strip in the rack). In Australia, I've never needed one or similar except when I play off generators (MP2s don't like generators much). So I bought a $180 1Kva UPS (like you buy for computers) just for that purpose.
The MP2 has a built in noise gate (which you only need for the very high gain patches) so you don't need the hush.
Tuner and Wah go up front, just like normal.  But if you prefer the MP2 wah (controlled with expression pedal (I use triggered wah, no pedal req, whas when you pluck) then you don't need another up front  :dunno: .  The MP2 wah is very early in the MP2 circuit (check the flow chart at front of the manual), much the same as in front.  The MXC quad switch has (by default) one button assigned to tuner mute (cuts MP2 vol for tuning).  If you'd really like to be in tune though, get a Peterson strobe tuner, I use the strobo clip, best $75 I've ever spent  :thumb-up: . They (as are all strobe tuners) much better (more accurate) than the standard digital ones (which have a wide "dead zone" and the Boss ones are one of the widest I've come across over many years  :facepalm: ).
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #39 on: Time Format »

    I'll elaborate a little on what Richard said but expand on it a little. If you have good power at home and you don't plan to gig with the MP-2, then you don't need a Furman. If you are going to go play out with it, then I would whole-heartedly recommend you use a Furman, or compatible power conditioner. Voltage spikes and brownouts are common in bars, and while neon lights and coolers may possibly introduce noise in your rig, the bigger issue is to protect your gear from severe spikes.
    Furmans are not THAT expensive, depending on the model you choose. A PL-8 will do just fine for a bar rig, and you can pick them up used, they're just as good as new ones.
    The Wah in the MP-2 is quite useable, and sounds decent if you set it right.
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MRob

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #40 on: Time Format »

GREAT info!  Man this forum is awesome.   

Ok, so I HAVE a good furman in storage, I was just trying to save rack space.  From what I've read so far, I will use a 6 space rack and use the Furman... done deal there. 

AND, I have the ADA Pedal pack... BUT it's the older one.   All I really want to do is be able to go between patches.  I don't want or need anything complicated...

i will be firing it up soon!

« Last Edit: Time Format by MRob »
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #41 on: Time Format »

Hi MRob,

     If you have the MXC, Quad Switch, and CCP, then that's all you need for your MP-2 rig, and it's completely up to date. Your rig is a simple one, which is good to start with. You don't want to get overwhelmed.
    It will automatically be set up for program changes as soon as you plug it in. The trickiest thing would be MIDI mapping, or MIDI control of your ART processor with the MP-2, but we know how to take care of that.
    A 5 or 6 space rack case would be the best option. I was never a fan of SKB cases, but that's a matter of personal preference.
    You would have all the tones/effects you would ever need with just that basic set up. You could (if you wanted to), insert the ME 80 in the loop too, but why would you want to? You already have all the clean/distortion sounds in the MP-2 and all points in between, with everything else already there, and the ME 80 would just complicate your signal levels.
    Keep everything as simple as possible, and you'll have a great sounding rig that will be as versatile as you need it to be, without a lot of headaches.

   Harley 8)
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MRob

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #42 on: Time Format »

Harley!  Thank you and everyone here for your great words and wisdom.  YES!  Simple and with minimal to no headaches.

I like things clean and simple with little complication... so much so that, I've been looking VERY hard at the new Mesa Mark V 35!
That little thing is a beast and sounds freakin amazing!  Wow!  Pop that bad boy on top of a couple 1x12s and i'm done.
Or... am I?  Hmmm... while I like simple I also like chorus and delay and a few other things.  When I play live I really only use abut 3-4 different sounds, but I want those sounds to be solid and to kick ass!   Then again, isn't that what we ALL want?  LOL!

I have the ADA MP2 and it's just been sitting there... and I have been jones'in for that 80's big guitar sound SINCE the 80s and from what I read, and with what I "currently" have, apparently, I HAVE it! :)  So, we will see.   

I want that tight rocking guitar sound that remains articulate with the notes, has a heavy chunk and remains tight! 


Now... speaking of simple, when I look at those three pieces of black and red foot controllers, I don't see simple...??  Do I need all of those pieces?  Ha!    I'm planning on reading the manuals tonight. 

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rnolan

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #43 on: Time Format »

Hey MRob, well sounds to me like you'll get just what you want with the MP2 rig.  It's worked well for me for 20+ years  :thumb-up: Only difference is I use a QV for effects (as that was what was available back then).  As Harley says the Art will do you fine.  Like you I use 3 or 4 sounds these days, very simple.
To change patches all you need is the MXC.  The exp pedal and quad switch plug into the MXC (marked on the back, pedal1 pedal 2 switch 1 switch 2). They use small stereo leads. But you don't need to use either of them (for many years I didn't).
However, the one I find most useful is the exp pedal.  I assign that to the MP2s master stereo vol, good for fine tuning vols when playing and turn vol off between songs.  This is easy to set up BTW, you plug the exp pedal into pedal 1 on MXC, then in the MP2 global midi menu (system edit) find stereo master vol (there's a menu map in the manual), move the pedal (MP2 senses the move and assigns the exp pedals CC number (#31 IIRC)) and it's done.  On start up you need to sweep the pedal once for it to activate, then it controls the MP2s output level.  BTW this is the only way you can access the MP2s st master vol feature.  I tend to use the same patch for both lead and rhythm these days and use the vol pedal for the lead boost.
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
« Reply #44 on: Time Format »

Hi MRob,

     Actually, the Foot switches are very simple and when you try them out, you'll probably end up asking yourself: "Why didn't I do this a long time ago?"
    As Richard says, the MXC will handle all your program changes...why so many buttons? Simple. Who plays with one tone all night long? With the MXC, you can save 10 different combinations of tones and effects. Most people use only 3-4 basic tones for a whole gig, and then just add or remove effects as desired. You can do all of this with these pedals. Try programming and saving your Rhythm tones on the bottom row buttons, and your lead tones across the top row. Have all the effects you want to possibly use, programmed into each of these preset locations also, even if you don't want them to be on all the time. I'll explain why next.
    Your Quad Switch is a very simple, but very handy item because  the four buttons serve a very important purpose. One button will bypass/activate your effects loops, the next one will do the same for your chorus, the next one for your tremolo/vibrato, and the last one is a tuner mute button. The beauty of it is, you don't have to program the preamp or the switch to do these things, it's already setup like that as soon as you plug them in. It doesn't get any easier than that.
    The CCP is almost as easy if you want to use it for your Wah pedal, and it works great for that. All you need to do is tell the MP-2 what kind of wah you want to use it as, and set the range, which I found is good at 70%-75%. Save it, and your good to go. When you want your wah on, you just step on it like any other stand alone wah, (toe all the way forward). to turn it on and off.

   Truthfully, I think you will have the hardest time trying to decide which tone you want to keep when you are editing. I believe you'll be like a kid in a candy store with NO supervision  :lol: You'll get so wrapped up in the spanking cleans, the singing crunches, the gnarly distortion/overdrives, and the "Ice-Pick-In-The-Forehead" Metal tones that you get out of the MP-2, that you'll totally lose track of time...until the police come knocking on your door after hours. C:-)
    By the way, I should mention there is a vid on Youtube where a guy puts the MP-2 up against a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. The MP-2 nails it, no problem.

    ...Anything else you want to know....we are always here :thumb-up:
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