DON SCHIFF : MACRACK

In brief, (is that possible for me?!) here is a quick "MacRack" overview. I use it to replace using pre-amps and effects. They can all be purchased as software. You can then plug your instrument directly in the MacRack and send the "outputs" to the club house system and/or go into your own power amp and speaker set up. You can also record and play to the recorded tracks live.

All that is well and good, the hidden expense is the plug ins. The high end ones seem to hover around $350 a plug-in. And there are also wonderful cheaper plug-ins that capture the essence but not the quality of the expensive ones. It depends on your needs as to which ones you should acquire.

I also (see it's starting to not be so brief isn't it) ... recommend getting the fastest laptop available. So far, that's the Macintosh G4 Titanium series. My iBook is a G3 (Processor speed of 500 "something's" --insert technical word there--) and works well, I just now need to upgrade to "More, Faster, Better, Bigger!!!!"

There is the "Big" upgrade but I don't even want to think about it yet for myself, as I just put one together for the tour...(their money) it weighs in at around $15,000. It's Ohhhhh so nice....but you know, even at that level....it still can't make a decent cup of coffee...Go figure!

Hi Greg and everyone,

Excellent, sounds like you were busy as usual. Greg, on the job and doin' great.

<<for you MAC heads,>>

"You Rang?" "Did somebody call my name?"

<< I talked with a few folks who said OSX drivers for all your favorite digital recording software are just around the corner. With
the plethora of computer interfaces and inexpensive high-speed computers available, I think I'm going to take the plunge soon and put my MDMs out to pasture. At this point it looks like a MOTU 896 and eMac (very inexpensive for what it does) would be a very hi-fi, reasonable system. Happy Tapping, Greg>>

That sounds great and I'm happy to hear that, (excellent information gathering...oh heeeee's Gooooood!) though my wallet did jump a little at the thought of wondering...how that will effect my current set up 9.1, up grades and such to OSX.

I think moving into the MOTU/Mac recording system makes recording happen so smoothly. And...if it's done all in a laptop!, not only will you get to say the word "MacRack" BUT will be able to record, edit, compose, write a letter, send email , etc., on the job and on the go.

I think I've mentioned this before, but, I've nothing new to say so I'll mention it again...I'm in the process of putting together (for a tour...i.e., I won't own it....dag nabbit!) a Pro Tools MacRack version in a Titanium Power Book. Very expensive to go the Pro Tools way,,.Full blown around $15,000... remember - (for a tour...i.e., I won't own it....dag nabbit!)... Cheaper only in price, yet excellent way to go is the "Mbox" $400 (without Mac) "Oh sure, that one I get to keep." It's an excellent way into Pro Tools and the RTAS Plug ins.

MOTU (in my opinion) delivers the same basic system and sound quality (top notch) with more options...mainly inputs/outputs on their hardware. Also, MOTU uses SDII files and AIFF files as does Pro Tools. I transfer them back and forth all the time so your session can start on MOTU and also be put into Pro Tools.

Thanks for the report Greg, see ya soon I hope.
Don

Hi All,

My two cents....okay a quarter.

I have both, Digital Performer/Motu 828 interface and Pro Tools/Mbox interface. Both are great top of the line recording quality (in my book) and I run it with an iBook G3 500 MHz Laptop.

Motu/Digital Performer lets you have 8 ins and outs into a laptop were Mbox/Pro Tools gives you only two. If you are not in a laptop then you can use the Digi 001 Pro Tools Le system that will give you 8 ins and outs. The Plug ins that you can run with these systems are also Pro quality.

Also in the 3 to 5 hundred dollar range per 'cool' plug in range. The deluxe thing with buying these plug ins is that if your wallet ever gets to heavy from too much cash, just a few of these plug ins really lightens the load. I just found another "must have" plug in called "Amplitube" at www.amplitube.com. They have Mp3 examples of what the "cyber/virtual" amps and effects sound like. For only $399.00 you can lighten the load even further.

Feeling quite drained myself financially YET encouraged by the last concert gig in Santa something, Ana I think...(I was pointed in the right direction and got there okay). The MacRack and all it's glorious plug ins performed and sounded just great. Soooooooooooo yes, I will go to the music store, listen to the "Sales spiel" about Amplitube, get excited, and....lighten the load...though I have yet to ever have that "too much money in my wallet" feeling. I have also never had such a great live or recorded sound.

Yes, you are hearing the sounds of me talking myself into this even before I give the salesmen a chance...or tell my wife. Maybe if I tell her that by me buying this "yet another piece of must have gear" it will feel like "air-conditioning" in the house...of which she has always wanted. Ohhhh that's a good angle. I think it will go over just like the "Leslie Cabinet" I just brought into the house (no, I didn't take it to the gig) but did pick it up after leaving it for seven years at that studio...it was still there)! Well, her delight upon reuniting with it again was summed up with "What's that piece of junk doing here again?" (The whirling Leslie didn't whirl enough to pass as air-conditioning" soooo that excuse was out.

Oh well, better work on the angle some more...
Don

Hi all,

Don Schiff may again be ahead of his time. Or is he a head of his time? Space can make a difference, especially if it's in ahead, er... a head. Whither the wind blows, or whether it's weather.... aw crap, it's just too hard to be witty in this group, especially when you have to keep up with dwoz. :-)

Anyhoo, this month's GIG magazine features a one-pager on the guitarist from Big Head Todd & the Monsters, who uses a Mac G4, ProTools, and Line6 Amp Farm to create his studio sounds on the road without hauling a buttload of amps and equipment. I couldn't believe it -- Don, you need to go collect royalties on your MacRack idea! On second thought, wait until the next Britney uses it, so you can get some *real* money out of the deal.... Now if that die-hard Mac crowd at Line6 would only make DirectX plugins, my life would be complete, and I'd never have to carry another big amp. :-)

Paul F.

P.S. Also noteworthy was the blurb on the Line6 Variax, the first one of which that enters Stafford County is ending up in my hands, dammit!

Hi Paul,

Yes, this MacRack idea is getting some wind in its sails...(4,5 knots with ocean swells) AND the beauty is that "Amplitube" (software amplifier) is designing a peddle that will control software presets........."Ohhhhhhhhhhhh that's gonna be nice" and I have been waiting for such a thing. Of course I need it yesterday and it will be bench tested for months to come...but it's coming AND the Next invention we will need IS......................(sound of "Timpani" roll from soft to loud,...with the pitch increasing upward do to the fervor of the percussionist.....whew, long picture) "and the answer is............"A peddle switching device that will control 'all' plug ins, not just a one companies product." It's coming folks, I can feel it.

I played through the "Big MacRack" today, Zero latency, ohhhhhhhh it felt nice. Not only do you need the "Titanium" but yes, there is the deluxe expense of the "gizmo" that holds the "farm cards plus full blown Pro Tools. GOOD NEWS, Pro Tool has come out with there "new" Pro Tools making the previous version useless as (typical to Pro Tools) the two are not compatible. So, buying someone's used "old" version for a "MacRack" is becoming a cheaper option.

My version of the MacRack (Ibook, Mbox) still works great, you just need to "adjust your feel" to accommodate for the latency of live. It (in my experience) becomes "intuitive," I can still nail parts as if there is no latency. Your ear tells your hands to play "more on top" the beat to create the pocket you want. It's just "refreshing" when you don't have to do it. Again, why do I do it? The Pro Quality of sound and ease of transporting a 4 space rack instead of 200 pounds in a 15 space. Plus the bonus of a recording studio in your hotel room, email, practice amp...And I'm still workin' on the "Coffee Maker" part.

Take care,
Don

Hello all,

Well, this version of "MacRack II"is the "Mbox" in a "ibook",...(Hmmmmm I beginning to see a alphabet theme going on here!) ... is finally settling down with no crashes. On the last rehearsal a clicking and popping sound started occurring after about an hour. The slight beauty was that it was 'almost' in tempo with the tune at the time. Nice pop/click tone occurring with gusto, "Loud and Proud" and if it weren't for that fact that it was slightly off tempo, I might of gotten the looks of, "Wow, you can program and play at the same time...ohhhh he's good" instead of "Hey, something go wrong with your spaceship there pal?". So, of course you then find out (in fine print) you need to download some "thingamabob" from the digidesign website to correct the problem. I'm not that good at "thingamabobs," I get confused easy in that department, but do to my 'lack of concentration and dumb luck' even I figured it out. So all is smooth so far and sounding pretty fantastic if I say so myself.

So I'm thinking of going to this studio where probably 5 years ago I left a "Leslie" cabinet there. I (figuring it's still there) am thinking of picking it up and using it on an upcoming gig. WHY, I ask myself... (sound of slight wind and tumble weeds rustling in the cavernous space between my ears) because "lack of concentration" permitted me to forget why I started the MacRack to begin with...
1. Scale down in weight and size of rig.
2. Improve quality of sound and effects
3. Software Vs hardware in quality and affordability.
4. Scale down in weight and size of rig!

Wow, That looks great in print, like I really thought this all out...(the wind sound again).

Okay, but the LOOK of the MacRack next to the whirling Leslie cabinet!!! not to mention the (tuck and roll) "Kustom"

Hmmmm upcoming tour will have professional 'schleppers' but this little gig would mean....Oy Vay my aching back, what was I thinkin', darn that "Lack of concentration...short term memory."

We'll see.....I could ask my Son to carry it....Hmmm he's smarter than me, that's out.

Okay tie in time.....The "LA 2 A" and "Pultec" software sound incredible on the NS bass side while the "Tel Ray," "LA 2A (compressor)" and a few other fancy schmancy chorus and delay effects really laid a nice ground work for the top side. Since my bass lines usually tie into the melody side...I choose sounds that when I cross the proverbial "stereo bridge" on into the melody side, the bass line doesn't sound like it quite but rather "blossoms" into a new sound accentuating the higher tones while keeping the "bassness" in tact. Fancy way of saying, "hey, still sounds good when you go up high."

Well, there I have it...about 4 pounds of thoughts of what I could do....
Certainly it must be "coffee" time.
Don