April 2010 \ Reviews \ Digidesign Eleven Rack Review

Digidesign Eleven Rack Review

Digidesign's Eleven Rack lives up to its hype as an ultra-useful performing and recording tool for pros
Premier Guitar April 2010
(3 of 3)

I love the fact that I can have so many options for whatever part of Eleven Rack I want to use. An effects loop is built in as well, so you can still include your favorite stompboxes and effects. Also, if you have a favorite amp that you prefer to use live, you can choose to only use the Eleven Rack’s effects. But if you want to leave your amp at home, you can simply use the entire Eleven Rack rig live and connect it directly to the PA with the XLR outputs.

Backward Compatibility
I was able to use Eleven Rack with my existing Digidesign 002 Rack interface easily. After updating Pro Tools to version 8.0.1, I connected the digital ins and outs of the Eleven Rack to the 002 Rack and connected the Eleven Rack to my computer via USB. Pro Tools recognizes the unit immediately after launching the software, and an Eleven Rack control window comes up. I actually preferred to control the Eleven Rack with this window, because adjusting certain parameters was a lot easier. You can click and drag effects anywhere within the graphic representation of the signal chain. Also, the label for each effect has a pull-down menu so you can quickly choose and swap out different effects with one click. Selecting presets was also a breeze, because one window comes up with all presets listed, instead of requiring endless scrolling with the knob on the unit itself.

You can record the guitar signal into three different tracks of Pro Tools. The first is the clean, uneffected signal that you can use to reamp the guitar later. The second track is the output of Eleven Rig with any and all effects or amps. The third is what really makes the Eleven Rack unique: you can embed the audio file with any of the Eleven Rack settings that were used to record the track. So if you need to call up the session at a later time to replace one line of a guitar solo, you can instantly recall the settings with the exact same sound as when you recorded the original track. This is pretty much a lifesaver for me, since I hardly ever write down my settings or make detailed notes for every parameter I tweak.

The Final Mojo
There are so many features on the Eleven Rack that make life easier for the recording guitarist. Some may think that 16 amp models aren’t enough, but with so many combinations of the 16 amps, 7 cabinet emulations, and 8 microphone emulations within the unit—as well as all of the effects—I had more than enough tonal variety to work with. Also, some guitarists may not use Pro Tools out of fear that the software would be too intimidating to learn. You would definitely have to use Pro Tools to take advantage of all the Eleven Rack features, but the software is easy to learn and use. I love the fact that Eleven Rack enables you to be as simple or complex as you want, too. If you want to quickly call up a sound and jam, you can do that. If you’re an endless tweaker who is meticulous about every aspect of your signal chain, you have complete control over every amp, cabinet, effect and mic emulation. As a stand-alone unit without Pro Tools or a computer, guitarists will love using the Eleven Rack live and in the studio. As a complete recording and effects-processing system, the Digidesign Eleven Rack makes recording guitar easier and more efficient than ever before.
Buy if...
you’re looking for an all-in-one solution for performing and recording.
Skip if...
you don’t want to use or learn Pro Tools recording software.
Rating...


Street $899 - Digidesign - digidesign.com

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Comments

 (27 comments) display by
UsernameComment
Jason
on 01/30/2012 		The only problem I have found with my eleven rack is a constant buzz in the background which sounds like a grounding issue. Has anyone else ran into anything like this?
Zombiejunk
on 12/20/2011 		Honestly, there is a switching delay. This fact makes the 11R unusable for live! ´Don´t get me wrong, the sounds are great! really great! but switching delays??? It is 2011 and regarding to this it´s defenitly a NO GO!
Roman
on 11/01/2011 		For anyone seriously considering the Eleven Rack check out the EP that my band just released. ALL GUITAR TRACKS were done with the Eleven Rack. www.reverbnation.com/severthesenses
TLTD
on 03/02/2011 		Eleven Rack is awesome, I've had it almost a year and still haven't done everything I have planned because I get sidetracked trying different preamps with and without the amps and cabs, etc. Reamping tracks and using a wah later on and adding divebombs with my Pitchfactor stomp box was nice to see. Seems like anything I can think up, I can do. I finally switched back to Cakewalk because I wanted to try Recabinet 3. I think at this stage in the game, people know how to tweak around with Line 6, Axe FX, and Eleven Rack but you owe it to yourself to think about the possibilities and there are a lot more with Eleven Rack overall and you don't get that weird "samey" digital sound even if the only two things you have are a guitar, OD, and the 11R. I only do direct recording, but I hear that this is a very good live box from people I see in person. Some cover bands use them for 80s stuff that I have heard. I have made a few presets I like, but going back through the presets I am learning to trust the ones they already have now that I see they are made for specific sound. I tried some riffing through "7 String King" and left it alone and my Mesa Boogie Quad on Mark IIC cruch ch into it is the biggest baddest sound I have ever had. You can get this sound a lil cheaper by just buying the recording preamp. I might sell it and just get that because that's all you need really. The only think I like about the MKIII ch is combining it with ch 1 for leads. But any preamp really would sound cool and I recommend it. I have 3 preamps now and am still under budget of the Axe FX price and sounding way better, and knobs are so much faster to turn than deep editing and all that crap.
Lance
on 02/11/2011 		Eleven Rack Mods Available..Checkout TheToneDoctor dot com.
Tom Hartman
on 08/27/2010 		The Eleven software version and rack version are identical in sound except for the rack's ability to add speaker cone distortion.
PeteScud
on 07/25/2010 		I've owned both and for the money, you can't beat a Eleven Rack. To me just to be put in the same sentence as a Axe FX is incredible, considering a new 11R now is $699 on ebay, and a Axe is at the least $1399ish with no recording interface or midi interface. I'll admit, i think the Axe FX is more my preference and better, but both are incredible units just the same...I say own both if you can
Ben
on 07/11/2010 		Axe is the way to go if you want to sound like every amp has a distortion pedal in front of it. Listen to way 11 handles the Lows notes in the clips. You hear the tube fattening sound, grit and fuzz. Axe fx has none of that..its like there is tube screamer in front. He got the distortion wrong so it sounds like solid state on the low strings. Yes, the quality of sound is great..but anyone who knows tubes hears that lame SS lowend on the Axe
Steve
on 07/02/2010 		Could someone please talk about the latency when switching between presets?
VaiSatchAtru cci
on 04/06/2010 		The only issue I have with the review is it makes it sound like you HAVE to use ProTools and this is not true at all. I was able to use it in Logic Pro and do everything that it can do in Pro Tools except the embedding of the rig settings in the track. Re-amping and all that is done easily within Logic (recording direct guitar signal and full rig signal simultaneously) so that is very misleading. You also don't get the on screen editor, but all you have to do is open ProTools to have access to that - you don't even have to open a session to view it so the "Skip if:" comment at the end of the review is not accurate in my opinion with the only drawback having nothing to do with actually using it to record with. Also to answer another posters question : no there is zero latency changing patches IF you are using a midi controller - but yes if you are manually changing via the front knob to scroll through presets. Lastly, if you need more effects then what the Eleven Rack offers and don't care about reamping or being able to recall rig settings on the fly of a previoulsy recorded track or don't need a pro-tools interface, or need pro-tools 8LE, or want to actually feel like and sound like you are playing through an actual amp then get an AxeFX - otherwise save your money and get an Eleven Rack and use SOME of the difference money wise you'd save and purchase a Ground Control Pro - then use the other $200 on a rack bag, cables, expression pedals, etc... or just buy an AxeFX and wonder how you are going to afford to control it, transport it, and hook it up... the comparisons to me aren't legitimate when you compare everything the Eleven Rack brings to the table that the AxeFX can't do at all. To me, the savings money wise justifies the Eleven Rack alone on top of what it can do. The AxeFX sounds great no doubt and I wouldn't say the sims are better or worse, but it doesn't FEEL like you are playing an amp to me through the AxeFX but you have to compare th



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