RackVax - Do they still exist? Has anyone got one? Used one?

Started by Stackin McCrackin, June 10, 2013, 10:01:17 PM

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Stackin McCrackin

Hey all,

I googled RackVax discussion and this forum came up (along with the RackVax forum which appears closed to new members) so I wanted to reach out to this community to learn more about this unit.

1.) Does anyone know what happened to the company?
2.) Does anyone have contact with the guy behind the company?
3.) Has anyone got one?
4.) Has anyone used one?
5.) Does anyone know if the RackVax enabled midi preset control over the models/tunings without needing a POD or Vetta?
6.) Was the tone & tunings equivalent to using either the Variax or a retrofit Variax?
7.) Has anyone done this sort of thing with the improved JTV brain?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated! I know this is a Roland forum but there seems to be a lot of knowledge about these topics floating around.

Regards,
Stackin

Elantric

I believe about 25 RackVax's exist. I have one.

but they are discontinued since 2011



Stackin McCrackin

Awesome!

Thank you very much.

How do you find your RackVax?
Is it literally like having the Variax in a rack?
Are the tones identical to playing an actual Variax?
Can you change guitars/tunings via midi or other devices or do you still need a pod or vetta?


Elantric

QuoteHow do you find your RackVax?

I helped Corey with some internal RackVax PCB design, and obtained my Rackvax as payment.

QuoteIs it literally like having the Variax in a rack?

Its the 1st generation Variax 500 guts driven by any guitar with a 13 pin interface. It approximates the tone of a genuine 2003 Variax 500.

QuoteAre the tones identical to playing an actual Variax?
They get in the ballpark, of course it depends on the type of hex pickup is driving the 13 pin system. In general guitars with a GK-3 Magnetic hex PU 13 pin work better for the Mag PU Variax emulations and Piezo hex PU 13 pin guitars works better for Variax Acoustic sims


QuoteCan you change guitars/tunings via midi or other devices or do you still need a pod or vetta?

The beauty of the RackVax is the External MIDI control of all Variax Models and many Controls .

Also Corey spent  lot of time developing the remote control via GK-3 S1 and S2 Controls too
Read the online RackVax Owners Manual here - that covers the MIDI control 
http://issuu.com/rackvax/docs/rackvax_electric_manual/1
download a PDF version here
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=45

My 2 cents, there was a window of opportunity for RackVax success between 2007-and 2010, but at a RackVax cost of $1200, many folks simply found that over priced for a 2003 Variax tone experience, and elected to fund a Tyler Variax instead , which has much improved model simulation, and option for real magnetic pickups.
Line-6 has always been amused, but never officially supplied Corey with the necessary supply of Variax guts, so technically you are buying a rack with an internal custom GK 13 pin I/O and MIDI control PC board, that interfaces with a Variax 500 board obtained via the used channel . The lack of an official supply chain of the Variax components are what drives the RackVax cost up and keeps the numbers low.     
Corey had hoped that Line-6 would tacitly endorse his product and supply him with components, but that never materialized.
Corey says:
Quote I'm seeing more lucrative opportunities in relatively larger markets.
Corey is now working on 3D accessories for the soon to be released Oculus Rift VR goggles.
http://www.oculusvr.com/blog/vr-gets-vc/


Everyone has  unique way of working,  - but what I do is be damn sure my main guitar tone I use for 80% of the gig is real magnetic pickups with a good basic amp tone with an overdrive option.

I only use the modeling features of GR-55/VG-99, Variax for random parts "as spice" during a song where the music demands I use an Alternate tone that is outside what my normal electric guitar can deliver.  I will only switch to Modeled Guitar tone only for those parts that demand it. Why not use the DSP Guitar Modeling for 100% of my tone? - because for the style of music I play, I rely heavily on my 40 year mastery of palm muting at the bridge, and wide dynamic range of volume. I can spot the modeled guitar a mile away, and some music parts I play sound totally lifeless using some of the DSP models.(this is true for GR-55/VG-99, or any Variax )  Switching back to normal magnetic Pickups (GFS Rectotron Liverpools)   restores the "life" and improved tone for my slightly broken up on the verge of distortion Mike Campbell like tone I use in my new Alt Rock/funk band           
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Campbell_%28musician%29


Another example is alternate tunings  - If I know I have an important Slide Solo in the key of Open E, where I need all the singing Lowell George  / Bonnie Raitt sustain I can use  - I will tune a spare Variax or GK13 pin guitar to Open E, then use DSP Alternate tuning function to put the guitar back into standard tuning to play  the rhythm chord parts, then for the slide solo I turn off all the DSP Guitar modelling and kick in a compressor and play a singing Slide solo that has a sustaining vibrato tone that is impossible to achieve using DSP Alt tuning.   

FWIW - I find the Tyler JTV-Variax has the best warble free DSP Alt tunings Ive tried.      


Superseded by the Antares ATG-1 DSP Alt tunings!

RogerGLewis

This is my newly completed GK13 adapter project and Demo.
I bought the 600 with the Adapter as part of the deal off E Bay.


http://s461.photobucket.com/user/RogerGlyndwrLewis/slideshow/Rackvax


Rackvax made with Variax 600 and Rackvax 13 pin adapter for GK in and thru.
Allows Synth access and VAriax modeling with any GK equipped Guitar.
Housed in a 1964 Dom Perignon presentation box for Champagne Tone.
Rackvax Web Site
http://www.rackvax.com/

https://www.facebook.com/RackVax

Demo of Rackvax Electric.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qp6TW...

Glenn DeLaune takes RackVax Electric for a test drive.

Glenn, a touring artist and longtime user of Line 6 Variax guitars, puts RackVax Electric through its paces.

Check out my Variax Transplant Videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NHLTX...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTxliL...

Viking Sound Cooperative, Let us build one for you e mail for quote today!

http://www.vikingsoundcooperative.com...

Dom Perignon 64 Tasting Notes
http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-inf...

1964 Dom Perignon Oenotheque Brut Champagne
SKU #1016846
The vintage of the century in Champagne, 1964 was perfect. A rare chance to drink a piece of history.

http://www.cellartracker.com/notes.as...

As with Guitar Tone WIne tasting is subjective.

Contrast.


1/12/2013 - BRADE WROTE:
Krug 1964 was a fun champagne to taste, but it was the weakest link of in a trio of 64's. 1964 Moet from magnum was good, but not the lights out mag had last year. And both were obliterated by a great bottle of 64 DP.

12/25/2006 - ANONYMOUS WROTE:
Slight mousse left despite some obvious seepage. Deep golden color. Burnt orange and brown sugar/coffee nose. Somewhat heavy palate lacks the vibrancy that a healthy mousse would provide. Not bad straight from the bottle, and with clear old Champagne flavors, but deteriorates quickly in the glass to a tired, angular wine.

Elantric

read the post directly above for the present status of rackVax.
Basically boils down to Line 6 not selling parts to Corey, thus every Rackvax ever sold used a Variax 500 DSP board from a used donor guitar.
The Parker Adrian Belew used same approach  - Line 6 never sold DSP boards to Parker either, and those had a 2nd hand Variax board too.
So the latest version no longer has an internal Variax DSP board.
http://www.parkerguitars.com/Signature-Series/
Ideas of Ramping up RackVax production again  remain crippled. And Line6 made it clear they have no interest in selling Variax DSP boards to third party manufacturers.

Its Line-6 in the driver seat here, as every Rackvax kills a new Line 6 Variax sale. And the reality is that Line6 would be using its own resources for RackVax Workbench customer support  - so they did the math and said NO.
The lack of an official supply chain of the Variax components are what killed the RackVax.

and from Corey's perspective, selling  one or two a month does not put food on the table or pay our new mandatory monthly obamacare medical insurance fees in USA.

Look for a huge price jump in 2014 for new products and in regards to "legacy products, "free product support after the  sale is vanishing  - turning into a new profit center with "pay $19.95 per support call", in part to offset the new burden of medical insurance.

http://line6.com/support/forum-39/announcement-16-end-of-support-for-legacy-products/

mockchoi

Quote from: Elantric on October 14, 2013, 07:01:22 AM
read the post directly above for the present status of rackVax.
Basically boils down to Line 6 not selling parts to Corey, thus every Rackvax ever sold used a Variax 500 DSP board from a used donor guitar.
The Parker Adrian Belew used same approach  - Line 6 never sold DSP boards to Parker either, and those had a 2nd hand Variax board too.
So the latest version no longer has an internal Variax DSP board.
http://www.parkerguitars.com/Signature-Series/

I believe this is not true, and that Line 6 did sell the Variax parts to Parker. 

admin

QuoteI believe this is not true, and that Line 6 did sell the Variax parts to Parker. 

They may have been true in the past - but today that is no longer the case

mockchoi

Quote from: admsustainiac on October 14, 2013, 11:15:21 AM
They may have been true in the past - but today that is no longer the case

I'm not sure that's true either.  I talked with Parker, and they said the Belew guitars don't have the variax circuitry any more because it's a signature guitar and Adrian doesn't use the Variax these days.  They said they'd build me one if I wanted one. 

admin

#9
QuoteThey said they'd build me one if I wanted one. 

And several other companies with a Custom Shop can do this too.

Bottom Line, Line6 will not provide Corey (RackVax)  the required Variax 500 ( or new Tyler Variax) DSP boards for all the reasons listed above.

Might as well try to convince Roland Corp to directly sell you raw GR-55 main Boards for a production of "Rack_GR-55"'s .


LesC

I have a RackVax, mint condition, used only by me in my studio, non-smoking, no pets.  I have purchased a JTV that Corey was hoping to turn into a rack unit.  He's given up on the idea, for reasons noted above, so he's sending me the JTV and I no longer require the RackVax.  Let me know if you're still interested.

LesC

By the way, for anyone reading this thread in the future, the RackVax works equally well for me using an American Standard Stratocaster with a built-in Roland pickup, and an Ernie Ball retrofitted with a Graph Tech Ghost system.  As Elantric said, some of the sounds are more realistic on one or the other.

admin

Just an update

For those seeking the rare RackVax - consider the Antares ATG-1 as another option - true its a floor based unit, but the ATG-1 features overlap bulk of the functions of RackVax


Antares ATG-1
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=7286.0