"Constant evolution" doesn't even begin to describe my rig. Click on the little picture for a larger view of what I curently use to record and play live.

Rig contents:

Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier Shure AXS Wireless Instrument System Korg DTR-2 Tuner Aphex 107 Thermionic Mic Preamp Rocktron Intellifex Online DMC Ground Control Furman RackRider power conditioner 3-space drawer Axess Electronics CFX4 (custom) Anvil ATA-certified flight case SKB 8-space rack

My guitar signal gets an initial boost from my active pickups (thanks to EMG) before it heads into Shure's wireless transmitter. Although it uses the VHF band (as opposed to UHF), I have found it to be quiet and reliable and have gotten it to work through walls without a problem (even at 150 feet!). The signal enters the rig at the Korg tuner, where I can mute my guitar signal while tuning. From there, it enters the Triple Recto, which then splits the signal off via the effects loop to my effects processor, the Rocktron Intellifex.

As an effects processor, it works beautifully, i.e., transparently. Unless using heavy heavy noise gating, there is no degradation in tonal quality or signal strength. The wet signal goes back into the Recto where it is dialed in just right, and then sent through the head's power chain. From here, the signal is sent to a 2x12 Rectifier cabinet.

The cab is miked (usually in a separate room) by the ubiquitous Shure SM57. I have tried various microphones, but ended up picking the 57. After all, there is a reason why everyone uses it. The mic's signal is sent back to the rack where it is processed by Aphex's preamp (the 107; highly recommended!). The guitar signal is then sent off to the mixer/recorder where it is mixed with the rest of the band (if playing live). For EQ, I usually like to dial in some extra decibels in the 1000 Hz and 5000 Hz ranges, more in the lower range to bring out the guitar's characteristic mid-range "crunch."

Since my head either accepts channel-switching via voltage gating or a specially designed foot switcher, integrating the Triple Recto into my MIDI system was tricky. This was finally accomplished with Axess Electronics CFX4, which allows a MIDI signal to control 4 voltage gates in any combination you'd like. I had the unit custom-fitted (thanks to Mario Marino!) with an extra DC input to provide phantom power to my DMC Ground Control via a 7-pin MIDI cable.

I have three basic sounds that I use live, based on the three channels of the Triple Rectifier. There is, of course, the head's Green channel, which I primarily use for clean sounds. Personally, I like to add a bit of chorus and a touch of reverb to the signal to give it some character. I use the EMG 60 humbucking pickup in the neck position of my main axe (Custom-shop ESP). It's got an extremely mellow tone that I love (not too bassy, not too bright, but muddied just right!). The output isn't as high as my bridge pickup (EMG 81), but putting it in the neck position adds to signal strength (as well as turning up the volume on the Rectifier head).

For crunch, I use the Triple Recto's Orange channel in Modern mode: very very awesome. The high-output EMG 81 humbucker is what I like to use (bridge position) and it screams with pure aggression. I usually have the Recto's loop switch off (no effects) to let the dry signal shine through. Especially if you're playing outside or in an auditorium, crunch guitar needs little processing. For soloing, I dial in a huge chunk of reverb (helps cover-up my mistakes).

The last sound I use live is a dirty sound, performed by the Rectifier's Red channel in Raw mode. For a cleaner, more polite sound, I play with the neck pickup. For a meaner, more attention-grabbing sound, I switch to the 81. My guitars have all been rewired by me to have separate volume knobs for each pickup, allowing me to mix and match pickups and channels. This can get complicated when playing live, so I usually try to keep things very very simple on stage.

If I had a choice, I would use Monster cables all the way, especially when I'm sending a signal over a 50-foot cable to my cab in another room, but that is currently out of my financial reach. LiveWire and Spectraflex cables work beautifully in their stead. Also, if I could afford an isolation cabinet, that would be great, and would negate the need to mic my cab in a separate room. However, until then, I guess I'll have to live with hundreds of feet of cabling!

- my old rig -

- my guitars -
- my amp -
- all my equipment -