Research - Cheapo Backup "backpack transportale rig"

lauke-lux

lauke-lux

Fractal Fanatic
Actually got myself a RP255 for playing when travelling for my job for longer periods and not having the possibility to carry the Axe FX with me. The thing actually is a piece of shit but, can be useful as long as it justs remains to keeping my fingers in condition.

Lately I found this on the web and wondered if anybody on the forum already tried it. I consider putting it in front of the RP255 to get a bit more decent sound and using the effects of the RP255 behind.

Thanks for your input.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5STIAYot5ws
 
My current setup for this is my iPhone6 with JamUp Pro XT and a Sonic Port VX. Sounds great, is extremely portable, and has a mic for acoustic stuff. My only problem for now is that it's not footswitchable. I could get a Blueboard, but I don't like the hardware...so I'm waiting and hoping PositiveGrid eventually comes through on their vaporware BT-4 product.
 
+1 on Jam Up Pro if you have an iPad or iPhone, and as far as small pedals go the Zoom G3 or G3x sounds great-plus looper, drum loops/metronome etc... Switching is a pain if used live thou.
 
I had the same digitech unit as you and also the line6 hd500 and thought the amp models sounded better in the zoom g3, also easier to tweak
 
I have a zoom ms-50g as backup. In a standard stompbox format couldn't really be any smaller, and setup with 3 presets for clean, crunch, lead it would get me out of a Axe Fx disaster should I ever have one.
 
I just got rid of a Avid Eleven rack, you can pick one of these up (make sure it has the expansion pack loaded) for £200-£300 in the UK. It is a good bit of kit and has pretty good sounds. We aren't talking Axe FX quality, but its a good solid sound with some nice effects if you ignore the presets and do your own. The mic placement and mic is a big part of the sound. I ran it thru a JBL EON 515XL with great results. A 2 unit rack, and pretty light in weight.
 
guitardrdock said:
I just got rid of a Avid Eleven rack, you can pick one of these up (make sure it has the expansion pack loaded) for £200-£300 in the UK. It is a good bit of kit and has pretty good sounds. We aren't talking Axe FX quality, but its a good solid sound with some nice effects if you ignore the presets and do your own. The mic placement and mic is a big part of the sound. I ran it thru a JBL EON 515XL with great results. A 2 unit rack, and pretty light in weight.
Click to expand...

Thanks everybody, the objective is "small is beautiful" (smaller than racksize), it must fit in a backpack and cheapo. I'm really really impressed - wow ! - by the iPhone solution, really great stuff, except that there's an expensive part ..the iPhone that I wouldn't leave on a stage for a "beer break".

BTW, where is the competition under Androïd; got the impression that with garageband and above mentionned solutions iPhone is a bit like Fractal : years in advance on the competition as well on the accessories (Line6 sonic port VX, does it work with Android also ?)

My fear with any phone solution is that in the end it quickly ends up with a fucking lot of wires and accessories running around, or it should all run on bluetooth but then the price (if it even exists at all) would go up. Howbeit, any wireless solution with a software pack on a phone, a 2 button up/down + Exp pedal footcontroller, headphones, USB connectivity and guitar input would be welcome.

For most simple "entertaining" music purposes where the singer is the main artist I'm quite convinced it would do.

This afternoon I did a rehearsal in Martinique and howbeit to my great surprise the RP255 that would do for somme jazz/blues work (I spend hours and hours for creating a correct Twin patch on the unit and any heavy crunch sound is shit with the unit when you put a 3 SC strat in it). Will check on the Zoom G3 however. What I'm looking for is something with good clean sounds or clean sounds that will just hit the compression of a tube amp. Total investment of the material (excluding cables and headphones of course) must be under 120€.
 
Don't know about under €120, but the Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 is a great all in one solution. About $249 USD new. Sounds great, and really small footprint. Fit in backpack easy. Includes speaker simulated out for running direct to PA. Clean, crunch, distortion, reverb and delay.


Sent from my iPhone
 
Having a "decent" back up for an AxeFx for less than 280/300 € seems quite impossible ...
Tech21 is a good choice ... Probably the "better" IMHO
 
not a back up rig, but handy for sure, approx. 1kg of weight - Blu Amp 1 by Thomas Blug. 100W power amp included, for all who love vintage marshall tones, you should check this out, even if it's a bit pricy compared to a cheap dsp based rig - sounds far better than all of them.....and it's very easy to use ;)
 
I had a Joyo Ultimate Drive once and the switch broke after a month or two.
It sounded really good, but not very reliable. Of course that happens with almost all gear makers... you occasionally get a bad one :(
I really liked what I heard in that video... may be willing to give Joyo another shot for it's price!

In the list of cheap and/or portable:
I have the G3. It is pretty good... it is pretty picky about what you play it through... Seems to like FR much better than into an Amp.
I have the T-21 Flyrig. It is good for a pinch... pretty limited... the Boost, is not really enough (for me anyway) to get loud enough for a lead.
I have the Fender Mustang Floor. I use it more than anything so far... It has it's limits too, but is all around the best of the three all things considered.
I have a Behringer GDI-21. It can be made to sound good stand-a-lone, but is mostly a one trick pony and did not seem to take pedals all that well to me.


And a list of dis-Honorable mention items over the years that just did not impress:
HD 500 POD. Never really "bonded" with it. (The mustang floor sounds better to me)
Tech-21 Blonde <meh>
Tech-21 Tri-Ac <bad interface. Glitchy/jumpy knob action>
Vox Tone-Lab
Zoom G2
Digitech GNX3000
Some Behringer V-Amp thingy
a couple or rack mounted units... digitech something or other and a something, something Butler <was actually not that bad... very scratchy pots>
And several others...
 
PacoCasanovas said:
not a back up rig, but handy for sure, approx. 1kg of weight - Blu Amp 1 by Thomas Blug. 100W power amp included, for all who love vintage marshall tones, you should check this out, even if it's a bit pricy compared to a cheap dsp based rig - sounds far better than all of them.....and it's very easy to use ;)
Click to expand...
If I could put that price, I'd take the Joyo American and add an Axe Fx8.
 
guitarded said:
I have the G3. It is pretty good... it is pretty picky about what you play it through... Seems to like FR much better than into an Amp.
I have the Fender Mustang Floor. I use it more than anything so far... It has it's limits too, but is all around the best of the three all things considered.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I actually did also have a look at the Fender thing, but as I definitely will not use it through an amp and you indicate G3 is better for FR; did you get the occasion to compare both G3 and Fender Floor on FR and which one did you prefer ? Second hand you can find them between 120-150 Euros here.
The Tech21 RK5 seems to have that extra boost you're missing on the std version BTW. It's a bit out of my price range (don't find a 2nd hand in EU) From the sound samples I came a bit to the same conclusion as you but, well, soundsamples, I sometimes wonder if the samples have not been a bit "pumped up" you know.
I confirm your list of dishonorable items BTW..
 
lauke-lux said:
Interesting, I actually did also have a look at the Fender thing, but as I definitely will not use it through an amp and you indicate G3 is better for FR; did you get the occasion to compare both G3 and Fender Floor on FR and which one did you prefer ? Second hand you can find them between 120-150 Euros here.
The Tech21 RK5 seems to have that extra boost you're missing on the std version BTW. It's a bit out of my price range (don't find a 2nd hand in EU) From the sound samples I came a bit to the same conclusion as you but, well, soundsamples, I sometimes wonder if the samples have not been a bit "pumped up" you know.
I confirm your list of dishonorable items BTW..
Click to expand...

Let me back up a bit and say... I am not what you would call a "tone hound" ;)
I have both the G3 and M. Floor. I will occasionally switch them out to try something new, but after a few hours, I always go back to the M. Floor.
It sounds better through my set up at least, which is a power engine type thing I built.
It has a SS power amp with both line and guitar level inputs and a 2-12 "stacked" cab with Texas Heat guitar speakers.
The G3 amp modeling sounds pretty good through it but the drive pedals all have a kinda cocked wah sound, which I believe could have been
easy to compensate for had they added a bass/mid/trb controls to the drive blocks instead of only a tone control.
I mean COME ON!!! Its programmed.... should have been a no brainer!!

The Floor has a pretty decent drive pedal built in with the bass/mid/trb. It is not a super high gain drive tho... I would say prolly a little less that a tube screamer.

The Floor does have its annoying limits tho!!!
There is an fx loop, but it is at the front of the signal chain (right after the guitar input) and CAN NOT be moved!! Bummer!
It only allows ONE instance of an effect. I.e. one amp, one drive, one mod, one delay, and one reverb.
The fx can ONLY be moved about in the chain via the software... a pain, but can be workable with some pre-saved templates.
The drive and the compressor are both on the "stompbox" block, so it's one or the other, never both!! Bummer!

To be honest I don't recall playing the M. Floor though a strict FR, or even headphones now that I think about it... I am sure I am mistaken but nothing comes to mind... weird!

I did hook up the G3 into the FlyRig and it sounded pretty slick through headphones and was a kewl little recording rig (which I suck at!)
But it did not carry over that well to the stage. So I was back on the M. Floor in just a few hours :O



I am just sharing my findings, but I am prolly the LEAST knowledgeable person on here... 95% of the people would prolly
take the FlyRig over either of these other 2 unit every time.
Hope this helped and I hope you find something that works for you.
Let me know if I can be of any more help
 
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