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Re: elec gtr setup - to simplify



At 6:39 PM +0300 8/25/08, Erdem Helvacioglu wrote:
>
>i have been looking at boss gt10, vox tonelab for getting decent amp 
>tones with very good speaker simulation. then maybe i can get rid of 
>marshall and some of the mxr pedals.

Okay, since we're talking about weight here, I'd throw in a 
recommendation for the Yamaha MagicStomp.  Yeah, it's not as good at 
amp emulation as the Tonelab, but it's lacking is mainly "genuine 
tube" tones, and you don't seem to have those now.  The quality of 
it's modulation/delay capabilities are fantastic, though, and it's 
not nearly 1/3 the size of the Vox or the GT.  You could conceivably 
get rid of most of your distortion and MXR pedals right there.

Oh, and since Yamaha blew them out at ~$100, you can still find them 
used in the $50-150 range.  Super cheap for a multi-effect like that.

>also the cables and adapters weigh sometimes more than the weight of 
>the units! is there anything like very light cables and adapters? :)

Oh boy, I started becoming obsessive about this a couple of years ago 
when I was rebuilding a rack and noticed the same thing -- the cables 
alone weighed more than the gear + rack.  So, here are a few tips 
I've tried:

First: short, short, short.  Get the absolute shortest size of every 
cable you can get away with.  Every extra inch is more weight that 
you don't need.  Just make sure it's not so short that it's putting 
stress on your gear's jacks.

Next, for racks and otherwise "protected" areas, do you *really* need 
those heavy-duty stomp-proof cable plugs?  Sure, they're rugged and 
will never break.  But they also add weight, and for an area (like 
the inside of a rack) that is going to be wired up and otherwise 
sheltered, this could be overkill.  MIDI cables, in particular, are 
subject to this clause.  As long as you're going to be using them in 
a protected "set & forget" system (i.e. not plugging and unplugging 
them a lot) the cheap/light plastic-ended things work fine.

As far as "light" cables go, I picked up a few sets of Roland 
manufactured patch cables a couple years back.  They're about 3 
inches with plastic elbow-shaped ends, but they're actually pretty 
good quality, all things considered.  They're about the lightest I've 
come across, too, but not so easy to find anymore.  Additionally, the 
configuration for "George L's" cables is actually pretty light.  The 
advantage here too is that not only are the cables relatively 
weight-free and high-quality, but you can cut them to the exact 
length you need.  Disadvantages are that they're pretty expensive, 
and getting the @#$%! ends properly attached can be a craft all unto 
itself.

And I mentioned MIDI, but don't forget your power cables too.  You 
can find replacement power cables for most standard cord types, in a 
variety of lengths and configurations.  I'll often replace all my two 
or three meter power cables with six- or twelve- inch power patch 
cables run into a three or four jack mult.  If you go scope out the 
electrical section of your local hardware emporium, you're likely to 
find one of these that's designed to pop onto the end of an 
industrial extension cord (i.e. it's got no cable, or only a short 
section of one).  If you terminate your power into one of these, you 
can probably do away with packing a central power cable altogether, 
and pick up one for ten bucks at a hardware store at your final 
destination.

Finally, wall warts.  See if you can get a central power system for 
your stomps.  Both the Godlyke and One-Spot systems are cheap and 
light.  But you may find that a more versatile, yet heavier, box -- 
like the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power series, or similar -- is worth the 
extra cash but still lighter than a box of wall warts.  I just got a 
little Guyatone power brick that works well (six jacks, plus sag 
capability for interesting "power-starved" distortions) and is pretty 
light, but I don't know if it's available outside Japan yet.  If 
worse comes to worse (and I'll get flamed for this -- deservedly -- 
because it's environmentally irresponsible) go back to battery power. 
But leave your batteries at your house, buy new ones at your 
destination, then chuck those before you get back on the plane home 
(you won't believe how much batteries weigh en masse).

Anyway, hope some of that helps, and good luck.  :)

        --m.
-- 
_____
"we're no longer sure where home is; homesickness is our only guide"