Glorious Rack Tones - H3500/PCM81/Eclipse/SPX90/BBD320

[@BrettPapa]

OMG those tones are ridiculously good! Great vid!

[@LeonTodd]

Thanks mate, appreciate it! This old stuff may be a bit clunky by today's standards but it has the TONE.

[@BrettPapa]

@@LeonTodd How close can you get to getting these tones with just the Axe Effects? Thinking of picking one of those up.

[@LeonTodd]

@@BrettPapa really well IMO - nice thing with the Axe is you can take this template and go even more overboard like this - kzbin.info/www/bejne/omawc2t8qst5atE

[@peterharvin2775]

Oh man. That Eventide. Just glorious. Beautiful stuff, sir.

[@george.kollaros]

When you engaged the Eclipse and started playing in the beginning (4:33)I thought you'd play the theme from Mission Impossible, the first notes and sound was the intro spot on! With that rack and the way everything is routed IT IS a Mission Impossible you pulled off! Great '80s tones!

[@LeonTodd]

Hahaha the MI rack!

[@davidrogers8373]

It was ALL beautiful tone LT, but the last track with the Mark IV was INDEED glorious my friend. Great playing as always brother.

[@LeonTodd]

Thank you kindly!

[@liongroove3301]

That's amazing! I love old units from the 80's....Just when I was thinking I'm crazy for buying old rack units, there is someone more crazy than me! Great video!

[@wadeburgan1574]

I have absolutely no desire to own any of this gear, but your enthusiasm is contagious LT. You're a gear geek for sure, and we all love you for it. As always, I really enjoyed your playing. When are you going to jam with Papa Todd on the channel?

[@LeonTodd]

I appreciate that! Hopefully soon :p

[@ianfurqueron5850]

I'm putting together a similar "stay at home" rack. Although I need to condense the three moderately sized racks I have into one easier to route rack. I also have a Ground Control GRX system for doing some routing and Midi switching. It should be fun when I finally have the time and space to work on it. Until then I keep collecting various pieces when they show up for sale in FB Marketplace.

[@michaeltoren]

Truly inspiring video Leon. Great work!!

[@LeonTodd]

Thankyou rackmaster!

[@RockNJeep]

Some powerful flavor in this vid. Tasty tones.

[@dizzyred1390]

Some days I wonder...Leon is most likely struggling to think of something to say or show today right? ...I mean he's every single day ya know.... Nope, he' always delivers with such class.

[@LeonTodd]

Appreciate it mate. So much gear, so little time.

[@brandonproctor3639]

Glorious tones! My God, I love it!

[@mohammedsayed7989]

That sound is incredible my Dear. I have a quesrion, i have all that units and the line mixer from samson too but i am new in that kowledge , could you please explain how to wire up those units with the line mixer in extra video? Thank's that will be a good idea for most guitarist they look for the perfect guitar sound

[@courtney2018]

Mother of the gods! That sounds glorious! The only thing missing with this is an IMAX screen and Dolby Atmos. I need to add to my rack like you have. The classic processors have such a great sound that's hard to beat.

[@LeonTodd]

Getting a mixer really, really helped with this setup

[@ian1eh944]

That was SICK!!!!! Great job Leon! I really love the Lexicon Pan/Circular delays stuff......

[@LeonTodd]

That combo is gorgeous

[@BigMikeGuitar]

Reminds me of my 80’s-90’s period 20sp. Mesa “refrigerator” rack. Too big and heavy to move - lol. Loaded with: Eventide 3000; Eventide GTR 4000; TC 1210 Chorus/Flange; Rocktron Intellifex; Ground Control digital switcher; Mesa Quad pre + 295 Power-amp. Plenty of other classic gear rotated through, and occupied supplemental down-scaled racks. Tons of pre-amps, that’s for sure. Cheers~

[@eltonjustogtr]

Amazing tones! Love this!

[@LeonTodd]

Glad you like them!

[@grahamburgess6163]

Sounds great dude,can hear dan huff and lukather in there.

[@SubstituteMusician]

My setup is similar, but a little simpler, since everything goes from the Axe FX to a Antelope Audio Galaxy 64 then to an Eventide H9000. I can spend hours playing with all of the effects, getting those lush, wide sounds. It’s a lot of fun to just play a single note and hear what is possible from that. Glorious indeed.

[@LeonTodd]

Now that's a great modern rig!

[@mohammedsayed7989]

Hi. Could you please explain how do you connect the axe to the sound card and the eventide? Thank's

[@satarello]

EVENTIDE !!!! Leon amazing presets !!! I love it !!

[@seventhsealhere]

A mini tower of terror! The ADA's should be in that rack - Yeah! 👍

[@LeonTodd]

I've got 3 seperate racks for all my preamps now, it's getting wild

[@rblossey]

he's right, the ADAs should be in that rack....like the ADA STD-1 Stereo Tapped Delay :) (SICK analog chorus for high gain, and some very "Alex Lifeson" flanging to boot, better than the 1210's! there, I said it!! ;) )

[@JesseN1976]

Want to make sure I understand the aux send routing for the PCM81 and Eclipse. Does this mean that the dry signal is running in parallel out of the Axe through the H3500/SPX-90/BBD-320 into the mixer and then a wet signal runs I parallel through the PCM81/Eclipse?

[@LeonTodd]

One dry line goes to the BBD320, one dry line goes to the Eventide, one dry line goes to the SPX90. SPX and Eventide are 100% wet so there's 2 channels of "wet" fx. BBD is a 50/50 wet/dry mix (in stere) which goes to a channel on the mixer - Aux 1 and Aux 2 are tapped from this channel, are set 100% wet and a re blended on their own channel.

[@travisrusselldc]

Glorious tones, indeed!

[@stevenmgyori3826]

Straturday? Rackstrat? Stratrack! There we go! Lovely Brother and thanks for sharing Leon! Enjoy the weekend and Be Well All!

[@LeonTodd]

Strackurday?!

[@pwnEdge1]

Sounds glorious , I love the 80’s , fun video 🎸😎

[@Joop5000]

Hey Leon, at the beginning of the video you said you don't take this rack setup out or record much with it. Why not? Is the Axfx better than all the rack stuff?

[@LeonTodd]

I use the FM3 or FM9 live, and they're way more portable, flexible, affordable and consistent than something like this rig. I've spent plenty of time recreating these sounds in the Fractal but sometimes I just want the tactile experience of twisting knobs and pressing buttons.

[@jake_peralta_BR]

Awesome!

[@carlroberge7535]

Sounds glorious indeed! Damn!

[@dan_perry]

That's some magic right there!

[@rockstarjazzcat]

I’ve wired and unwired rack rigs so many times now… More fun to watch you enjoy messing with ‘em. My rigs used a pair of Digital Music Corp (aka Voodoo Lab) eight (independent) channel rack loop switchers and the original Ground Control. Ride that rack gear glory, mate! 😎🤙🏼

[@LeonTodd]

It's actually crazy that I have never tried one of those loop switchers!

[@rockstarjazzcat]

@@LeonTodd I used one for a pedal drawer and the other for taking rack effects in and out (8 loops becomes 4 with stereo units). More recently used with a dual magicstomp rack drawer to complement giant all analog pedalboard and a manageable mesa 5:50 combo, but then the world changed again and Fractal… The pedalboard uses voodoo lab switchers compatible with the older rack units, but these days, if starting down that path I’d look at TPS Dan’s G3 ecosystem.

[@LeonTodd]

@@rockstarjazzcat yeah the G3 looks amazing, I've been eyeing one off funnily enough. Love the stereo loops and assignability.

[@AngusClarkGTR]

This is all just to play the big guitar intro from the first Giant album, yeah?

[@mortenslenesandersen6769]

The HUFF - One of the best, a genuine talent! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWHJaJWJmNB8o7s (DBX160, H3000, wide fat Chorus, Lexicon delay, etc)

[@paulrobertson2099]

Id love to see you cover some Giant, Leon!!

[@jayboy6895]

Take a listen to Kristian Larson on KZbin brother.

[@michaelcurnutt]

Was there a reason that you are not adding a dry signal into the mix?

[@fabiol.9161]

Any chanche to have the chandler delay that satriani used a lot? Is it a simple delay or has something special that the great joe love? No in the axe/fm3? Thanks

[@LeonTodd]

Always wondered about those, never seen one IRL

[@Mold81]

Leon.. Great Demo as well.... So impressed!! This is a little off-road question.. My Eclipse has 4 rubber feet under its bottom and I can't find a way to push any racks below Eclipse in the shelf. Is your Eclipse removed rubber feet?

[@LeonTodd]

Yeah pull the rubber feet off and you'll be golden!

[@lukather1]

What about the Tri stereo in the Axefx ?? Throw that in !

[@LeonTodd]

That's a winner too! I'll have to try do an Axe-Fx recreation of this ;)

[@hanashlo4956]

It's funny, but I think the tones and effects that can be had with just an AXE-111 or FM3 are better. I'm not one for massive effects though. Amp tone is most important, than the right blend of compression, reverb and delay with the right IR's and I'm a happy man. Add on another pedal or modeled overdrive and it's cooking with Crisco.

[@LeonTodd]

It's amazing what the Axe-Fx can do - as much as i love all this stuff the Axe-Fx would be the absolute last thing I'd part with.

[@leohernandezcolonful]

No, no it can’t. Have you compared the Axe Fx to a propert dialed in PCM 81? The effects are a lot better. Not to mention the H3500 or the eclipse. I run a studio where we use tons of vintage and modern gear. The Axe fix has proven to be useful but not a replacement of the vintage units.

[@Utube-s8m]

Ok bud.

[@mentoneman]

@@leohernandezcolonful agree. definitely has comparisons to DAWs running entirely in the box with plugs v hybrid with external analog gear. i am not a fan of axe-fx a/d-d/a ins and outs if trying to run 4 cable method and the like. gtr cable in one time a/d, stay "inside" to a digital output to DAW, and it's all good!

[@amonster8mymother]

I've got choruses in my A3s...somewhere..

[@DanGower]

The wetter the better!! 🎸💦Such killer tones and great playing man!

[@LeonTodd]

Precisely!

[@wolfsdenmusic9404]

Ahhhhhh...this is sonic heaven. :D

[@chrishastings]

RACK LIFE!!

[@lukather1]

Ok Leon time for direct compare with the FM 9 !!!! U know it’s what everyone wants to hear !!!!

[@LeonTodd]

Soon!

[@kirkfabrin4839]

at 9.17 ...... sounds like Steve lukather playing in a subway toilet !

[@LeonTodd]

I've often been accused of being a shitty version of Steve so that tracks perfectly :p

[@got2rock4]

Awesome rack 🤘😎🤘🎸

[@Hells_Bells_2019]

Where this lick is taken from on 03:43? I remember it from here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2PQe5KujZyahMU&ab_channel=mentoneman

[@timp.9582]

Can the fractal fx8 do some of this?

[@LeonTodd]

Try Dual detune +/-9c, 80s style chorus with the rate at 0.5hz , vintage digital delay 400ms and chorus hall verb with decay around 4s

[@timp.9582]

@@LeonTodd will do, thnx young man

[@SrBarbasmusic]

This is awesome , do you have a video recreating this sounds now at days ?? Using stomp pedals of any kind.,,,, 80’s sounds with 2023 fx pedals 😅😅😅😅 so no need of racks Great video

[@LeonTodd]

Yep - kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJbGnGCgr6d5Z9k

[@benjaminlinus2792]

Hey Leon, could you be kind to make a part 2 of this video? :) Here is why: There is this world that Cocteau Twins created in the 80s, and I feel you have all the right kinda gear for it.

[@LeonTodd]

Definitely, I've got an "80's but not Rock or metal" vid planned

[@benjaminlinus2792]

@@LeonTodd I've been meaning to ask you this long ago, but didn't want to impose. It's just, you're always in "that orbit" with all the right chorus, delays and reverbs effects. Thanks for not ignoring. Cheers.

[@beargonefission6160]

One can search “Robin Guthrie gear” and easily find credible recollections from the source himself of the rack gear he used in the studio.

[@rblossey]

@@LeonTodd you have the 3rd Dimension now, better have some Mondo Rock for us :)

[@LeonTodd]

@@rblossey we play "Come Said the Boy" live, ripper of a song! Perfect vehicle for chorus

[@mentoneman]

iYes! i feel sad for guitar players who have never experienced a high end rack rig tone in person! but the axe fx is a very pretty sounding rack in a box which can be dialed in to emulate the big boys if you know what your after…

[@timp.9582]

Steve Stevens went to the dark side

[@LeonTodd]

Oh dude the vids you post always make me fire this thing up. The rack workflow is so unique and satisfying when you get it sorted and it certainly pushes you in ways other gear doesn't.

[@mentoneman]

@@LeonTodd makes me happy to see people using the golden rack era stuff!

[@mentoneman]

however i will continue to champion the request for you to use either your mesa cleans or synergy t/d and an analog compressor!! the axe amp/comp is nice, but not AS NICE!

[@toom6087]

Almost perfect. You just need a TC 2290 original. But please do the same without this damned Axe FX. Go for Soldano pre + VHT amp and you'll get it.

[@Bricklinsv1970]

Incredible sound quality Would love to hear your rig powered by a Mesa Strategy 500 Stereo cranked ;)

[@LeonTodd]

As would the rest of my suburb :D

[@Bricklinsv1970]

@@LeonTodd I would probably run you ragged trying to pick your brain lol!

[@nicklebac6753]

Detune aka evh

[@nicholastotoro7721]

That definitely reminds me of 1989… 🤣

[@poison7512]

Its 2023 and im building a rack for my main amp tones.. lord help my wallet.

[@RDamps]

loved it, soaking wet

[@migasbalasteiro]

So... old digital gear sucks? Nan... no way... Fractal, Line 6, Kemper or Neural DSP just made them more compact, more comercial and more user friendly, the only thing that the new units dont have its caracter, that small thing that guitar players find in some guitars.

[@LeonTodd]

The Fractal stuff definitely does the "character tone" thing really well in my experience. The old stuff is really inspiring still, I feel so fortunate to live in a time when we've got both options

[@italoop7850]

IF YOU'D REALLY CARE ABOUT 1980s TONES YOU SHOULD USE REAL AMPS... NOT THAT SAD SYNTHETIC TONES, TOOOOD!!!

[@NikosPage]

Awesome!