Avid's Eleven Rack

[MajorTom]

I know the Eleven Rack is a few years old now, but I have the ability to pick a few of them up for very little money brand new. So was wondering, does anybody have any experience using them as a stand alone pre amp, or in any other capacity, and if so what did or do you think of them, pro's con's, that sort of thing.

I'm basically thinking of picking up a few of them because I've been offered a too good to turn down deal on some brand new ones, and I would use them as pre amps for 'dry recording' guitars, so not only would I record the guitar via a cab that has been mic'd up, but also record a second clean unflavored signal just incase of reamping, if that makes any sense.

So far this is the best review I have been able to find on them:



Does anybody have anything to add to or dispute with this review, because based off of this review I'm going to buy them, though I have not intention of using them in the fashion that it is being used and demonstrated in this video.

I plan to use them as dedicated guitar pre amps to be plugged into my audio interface to get a direct input of the guitar's signal and 'dry record' the guitar while at the same time record the same guitar through a mic'd up cab, so it would basically be used as a means to get a effects free unflavored 'dry recording' of the guitar tracks just in case the guitars need to be re amped at a later date.

The amp simulation and effects are secondary for me, and probably won't be used, or only used if my amps and cabs break down or are unavailable for some reason.

 

[USMarine75]

I hated mine and sent it back. There were so few modern mid/high gain amp models loaded on it when I got mine, maybe two? And they had announced that they were no plans back then to update it.

The few amp models it had (10 or 11?) did sound good though, as did the effects.

Honestly, I thought IK Multimedia Amplitube sounded as good or better for far less money (at the time). I also think EZMIX sounds better, however the racks aren't as tweakable as they are on Amplitube.

I would save up for a used KPA all day over the 11R... I know we're talking prob $1k more, but in the end I'm so much happier that I saved and got one. YMMV.

 

[Deadnightshade]

If you can grab a used one for cheap go for it, as long as the expansion pack is installed. Just don't expect wonders in the tightness of the high-gain department (yes it can djent for example, just not as effectively as others). Despite its age, 11r is easy to use and generally pulls out tones without the annoying harshness that can't go away without IR's or heavy editing like on pods (plus you can actually reamp with this thing). If you don't see yourself playing live anytime soon, maybe pure software solutions (even free plugins) might sound better. If you can wait and save up for something better like the kemper then go for it, otherwise the 11r is a good mid-term solution.

 

[Big Dave]

I have had one for a few years and I think his review is accurate especially the True Z. I found that it is like most amps..I dont like them lol. What I mean is that you will have to do some tweeking to get where you want if you are looking for huge gain sounds. There is a pretty common patch you can download called Bogner Uberschall which is a great starting point for getting the amps to pop. It has pre EQ (before the preamp) and a post (after amp) EQ and I ended up basing all my presets off of that. The pre and post really bring it to life. Also just like other modellers the IRs are too drastic and you may find that outside IR's sound better.

I got mine for a steal and I cant really complain, the effects are good and the Mesa Treadplate is the best model IMO.

* Ever since I have had Windows 10 my editor doesnt work and it seems like Avid doesnt have a solution which SUCKS since using the editor was fun and easy to play with, now it is relagated to a backup device.

 

[MajorTom]

I hated mine and sent it back. There were so few modern mid/high gain amp models loaded on it when I got mine, maybe two? And they had announced that they were no plans back then to update it.

The few amp models it had (10 or 11?) did sound good though, as did the effects.

Honestly, I thought IK Multimedia Amplitube sounded as good or better for far less money (at the time). I also think EZMIX sounds better, however the racks aren't as tweakable as they are on Amplitube.

I would save up for a used KPA all day over the 11R... I know we're talking prob $1k more, but in the end I'm so much happier that I saved and got one. YMMV.

I'm not actually interested in any amp simulations nor effects, I really don't like modeling amps and think that they sound tinny and for lack of a better term 'bad', I'm actually not even interested in using it as an audio interface.

I'm purely interested in using it as a pre amp, that has the capabilities to be used for reamping, I can use it to 'dry record' a clean guitar track through the Eleven Rack, while I use another pre amp connected to my audio interface to record a mic'd up cab, so I can capture two different guitar signals at the same time, a clean unflavored 'dry recorded' signal, and a flavored and processed signal through a amp and mic'd up cab. Then if I need to reamp, I can then play back the clean guitar signal through the Eleven Rack back into a 'real' mic'd up amp and cab, and keep repeating this process until I'm happy with the sound I get.

So other than the novelty factor the on board amp simulations and effects are nothing more than a novelty for me.

If you can grab a used one for cheap go for it, as long as the expansion pack is installed. Just don't expect wonders in the tightness of the high-gain department (yes it can djent for example, just not as effectively as others). Despite its age, 11r is easy to use and generally pulls out tones without the annoying harshness that can't go away without IR's or heavy editing like on pods (plus you can actually reamp with this thing). If you don't see yourself playing live anytime soon, maybe pure software solutions (even free plugins) might sound better. If you can wait and save up for something better like the kemper then go for it, otherwise the 11r is a good mid-term solution.

I've actually been offered a really good deal on brand new ones, £250.00 each, so it makes them worth looking at for their reamping capabilities alone, not to mention that they can be used as stand alone pre amps, drive cabs, the built in amp simulations and effects that are of novelty value to me, yes it's a bit more expensive than a dedicated reamping box, but for all that it is capable of doing besides the amp simulation and effects, it works out worth it in a way, as it is also potentially a backup audio interface, though I have no interest in any of the on board amp simulations or effects, if for any reason my amps or cabs become unavailable to me, it's another back up be it a worse case scenario back up, plus there is the novelty value of being able to play around with the amp simulations and effects. Not to mention that since I'll be buying them brand new each one I buy comes with the full version of Pro Tools, so instead of spending another £1,300.00 on a copy of the full version of Pro Tools for a second computer I'm dedicating to recording, it will cost me around £100.00 if not less to upgrade the version it comes with - Pro Tools 11 I think, to the latest version, that way both my D.A.W.'s will have the same full version of Pro Tools on them.

I really just wanted to confirm that the review I posted wasn't overstating anything, or being over the top with it's claims about the unit and it's abilities.

 

[Given To Fly]

Not to mention that since I'll be buying them brand new each one I buy comes with the full version of Pro Tools, so instead of spending another £1,300.00 on a copy of the full version of Pro Tools for a second computer I'm dedicating to recording, it will cost me around £100.00 if not less to upgrade the version it comes with - Pro Tools 11 I think, to the latest version, that way both my D.A.W.'s will have the same full version of Pro Tools on them.

I really just wanted to confirm that the review I posted wasn't overstating anything, or being over the top with it's claims about the unit and it's abilities.

My advice would be to watch Youtube videos from Avid and Sweetwater until you see them do exactly what you want with the Eleven Rack. My understanding was the re-amping feature was "ITB" but when I had an Eleven Rack I never really got into re-amping so I could be wrong. The fact each Eleven Rack comes with ProTools is more significant in my opinion. I would familiarize yourself with the product as much as you can: Pro Tools | Eleven Rack | Avid

Otherwise, you are getting a really good deal! Just so you know, the built-in microphone preamp is pretty awful, so if anyone praises it, be suspicious. That was the only thing I had an issue with though and in your situation its probably irrelevant.

 

[MajorTom]

My advice would be to watch Youtube videos from Avid and Sweetwater until you see them do exactly what you want with the Eleven Rack. My understanding was the re-amping feature was "ITB" but when I had an Eleven Rack I never really got into re-amping so I could be wrong. The fact each Eleven Rack comes with ProTools is more significant in my opinion. I would familiarize yourself with the product as much as you can: Pro Tools | Eleven Rack | Avid

Otherwise, you are getting a really good deal! Just so you know, the built-in microphone preamp is pretty awful, so if anyone praises it, be suspicious. That was the only thing I had an issue with though and in your situation its probably irrelevant.

Getting Pro Tools with them is a big draw for me, if I had known that you got the full version of Pro Tools when you bought an Eleven Rack, I would of bought one to begin with as it works out a lot cheaper buying an Eleven Rack at full price than buying a full life time license for the full version of Pro Tools due to it being sold as a membership nowadays, as in you don't pay like £1,300.00 up front, but you just have to pay something like £100.00 a year to get the software updated to the latest version and up to date for a year.

And to be honest as it's really a dedicated guitar amp modeling head with pre amping capabilities and audio interface capabilities built into it, as in it's primarily a amp modeling head, I wouldn't expect the built in mic preamp to be any good, in fact I've been told the mic preamps on them sound very brittle and stale, I haven't bought them yet so I can say if I agree with that view or not.

 

[Great Satan]

I have the plugin version with pro-tools, but i hear the rack version is somewhat superior (less aliasing or something),
I'd love to pick one up for my new amp though, so far the clean channel has taken every pedal/multifx i've been able to throw at it and it comes up sounding amazing.

 

[MajorTom]

So I've had the Avid Eleven Racks now for now for almost a month a few weeks now and though I'd give my views on them, so I bought four of them because I was offered them at such a good price, and I intend to one day record the band I'm in, and we have including the bass guitarist, sometimes as many as four guitars being played at the same time.

So as far as build quality goes, these things are really well put together and rock solid, they feel really well made with a decent weight to them and a nice thick metal chassis, all the connections, switches and knobs all feel good quality and really well put together.

So I bought these to use primarily as pre amps for guitars, and for re amping, not to use them as an audio interface or for their audio interface capabilities, so as far as using it as a pre amp, and re amping it does a really good job, it doesn't add any flavour to the signal when being used as a pre amp, or when re amping through it.

As a stand alone unit, like an amp head attached to a cab, so in other words using it as a modeling amp, something I didn't buy them to do, and quite frankly have no interest in, it can do it, but the amps it can simulate don't sound anywhere as good or feel anything like the real things, it's a bit on the tinny and sterile side, and to be honest after comparing it against a Kemper, I'd be really disappointed if I had spent the extra money on the Kemper, sure the Kemper has far more amp and effects profiles, but again, they don't sound quite right compared to the real amps, and nor do they feel right, and again like the Eleven Rack, the Kemper is still a bit in the tinny and sterile side.

As far as would I recommend buying one, if you are looking for a cheaper way to get the full edition of Pro Tools, yes it's worth buying one, if you plan on using it like I am, for 'dry recording' a direct input at the same time as you record a mic'd up amp and cab through a second pre amp, and then if I need to play the the signal back through the Eleven Rack into the mic'd up amp and cab, it's worth it if you can get them at a good price, there are cheaper alternatives to the Eleven Rack that will do this, if you are buying it for it's amp and effects modeling, I don't think it's worth the money, to me that part of it is a gimmick, saying that, I feel the same way about the Kemper and all modeling amps.

So for what I bought them for, I think they do a really god job, and are worth what I paid for them, considering that I got them at a significant discount.