Eleven Rack Expansion Pack out March 2011

Go to the Avid site and see the Eleven Rack Expansion Pack which will be out March 2011.

Looks like they added almost everything per the wish lists!

Now this really makes the 11R real interesting!

WOW

OK how much will this expansion pack be then? Yes I'm cynical :-)

YES!

That is my only question. The 11r is smack dab in the middle between the price point of Line 6 and Fractal Audio. Fractal offers free updates and expansions, Line 6 charges anywhere between $49.00 and $99.00 for their expansion packs.

My guess is that it will probably be between $150 - $300????

Who knows???? They can't be stupid about it since the cost of a Axe FX standard is $1,400.00 and comes with tons more amps, cabs, effects on tap right out of the box. With the 11R selling for $799, add a couple expansion packs in the next couple years the price will be neck and neck with the cost of a Axe Fx Standard.

OK for the lazy among us:

New amp emulations:
Blue Line Bass (based on the 1969 Ampeg SVT* head)
J45 (based on the 1965 Marshall JTM45* head)
Black SR (based on the 1965 Fender Super Reverb* combo amp)
MS-30 (based on the 1993 Matchless D/C-30* combo amp)
Plexiglas Vari (based on the 1967 Marshall Super Lead "Plexi"* head with Variac modification)
Plexiglas 50W (based on the 1968 Marshall Super Lead 50W* head)
RB-01b (based on the Bogner Ecstasy 101B* head)
Custom Modern Clean Amp
Custom Modern Super Overdrive
Custom Modern 800
Custom Vintage Clean
Custom Vintage Overdrive
Custom Bass

New speaker cabinet emulations:
8x10 Blue Line (based on an Ampeg SVT* 8x10 with "towel bar")
4x10 Black SR (based on a Fender Super Reverb* 4x10 with CTS Alnico* speakers)
4x12 Green 20W (based on a Marshall* 4x12 with Celestion Heritage G12M* speakers)
4x12 65W (based on a Marshall* 4x12 with original issue Celestion G12-65* speakers)
2x12 B30 (based on a Bogner* 2x12 with Celestion Vintage 30* speakers)
2x12 Silver Cone (based on a Roland JC-120* 2x12)
1x15 Open Back (based on an Ampeg Reverberocket* 1x15 with Jensen C15N* speaker)
1x8 Custom

New effects emulations:
Parametric EQ (4-band) SWEET!
Dynamic (Stereo) Delay SWEET!
Dyn3 Compressor/Limiter
Multi-Chorus
Custom Distortion SWEET!
White Boost Overdrive (based on the Xotic RC Booster*) SWEET!

Forgot to add, there is a nifty little gadget that will allow you to specify how the amp/cab breaks up with distortion, OMG OMG OMG can you imagine some of the rigs this little lot will do....

If it is $100 I'd pay tomorrow, if it's $300, then I may struggle to justify the cost, that would make the 11R and update almost the same cost as the Axe-Fx standard, I really hope Avid think this through seriously....

Totally!

$99USD, YES!
http://www.avid.com/US/press-room/Avid-Empowers-Musicians-to-Elevate-Their-Sound?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AvidPressRoom+(Avid+Press+Room)

$99.00 Sweet! Looks like I overshot that price estimate!

Can't wait! This upgrade pack will make a great product even greater!

Fantastic news... although I am going to be the first of the moaners!! ... sorry bout this!, but I sure wish they had the harmonizer included... it is about the only exotic effect I use in the band (to make a three piece sound a little bigger).. I know you can't please everybody but I did apologise beforehand!!
Tony

The issue is probably now it is "software add-on", not sure what exactly is meant by that..

Great update - reasonable priced too !!

There is some concern at the Avid Forums that this may be a software only update rather than a firmware update. I'm hoping the mention of "live" in the following quote from the specs "Get the legendary tone of the Ampeg SVT in your recorded and live bass performances" means that it is very much a firmware update.

Just as an addendum, I can't imagine that this will be software only as this would surely equate to an RTAS plug-in rather than an update to the Eleven Rack. Equally they couldn't really call it anything else as a hardware update would have meant a Twelve Rack.

The glass is definately half-full (probably even more than half)in my book!

YEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Cant wait till march

No JC-120 but they put the cab in probably get there with the Custom Modern Clean Amp

Wooohoo! With all of those features, we'll need 11R Certification to figure them all out Hope they can stay on their release schedule.

Per TheChimp over on the DUC:

"Didn't I answer that?

You do have to have a PC to INSTALL the new firmware and Pro Tools elements (if you use Pro Tools), but all of the new stuff is available in standalone, with or without a PC connected. Just like it is now.

And we will be supporting Pro Tools 8 and Pro Tools 9 with this update (but we are dropping PowerPC...had to happen sometime...). As of right now, we will support Pro Tools 8.0.4 and 9.0.1 (or whatever other dot-updates happen between now and March). You'll get exactly the same features whichever version of Pro Tools you're using."

And also...

All of the new features are available in standalone or with a PC. I think you'll find that although we weren't able to get to all of the top-tier requests, the Expansion Pack will greatly increase the possibilities with Eleven Rack.

We hit a good number of the top-tier items from ideascale and the DUC, and all of your input was key to making this update happen. Thanks everyone!

Of course, there were things we didn't have time for, but we did DOUBLE the number of amps and cabs, added a Stereo Dynamic Delay, Parametric EQ, clean compressor, Bass amps and more...and our team is committed to delivering on as many of the remaining requests as possible in a future update.

For now, enjoy all of the new tonal possibilities! I may be biased, but I really think that it's a very worthwhile update.

This is friggin AWESOME NEWS!!!!

They are including way more stuff than what I thought that they would! I'm geeking over the AMPEG SVT BASS rig, the stereo delay, the speaker breakup, the Dyn3 Compressor/Limiter, and the PARAMETRIC EQ baby!!

Of course, the new amp models and more speaker cabinets are killer also! And at $99, the price is very reasonable! I was worried that it would fall in the $250.00 range....WHEW!

Come March 22nd......HAPPY DAYS!!!!!!!

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Nice update.
And there will be another one after this one apparently

I'm also interested to hear the Plexiglas Vari (based on the 1967 Marshall Super Lead "Plexi"* head with Variac modification), to see if it dials in better EVH tones!

Also dying ta try out the Bogner! Jeez, I'm still giddy thinking about the Ampeg Bass rig and the Para EQ too!!!!!

Reset the countdown to T-Minus 68 days and counting!


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Woo-Hoo, More stuff to mess around with!

My thinking exactly - this jumped out at me like a rat out of an aquaduct!

Can someone explain to me why the parametric eq is so revered (say versus a graphic eq?).. what can you do with a parametric eq (sounds to me like one of those little gems that only those in the know how to deal with or use)?
Thanks

There's a really good explanation in this thread:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/stomp-box/121702-graphic-eq-parametric-eq-pedals.html

In my (albeit limited) experience, a parametric eq is good to boost/manipulate frequencies to alter gain for fairly dirty sounds. Certain metal guys in the 80s used the furman PQ4 as the foundation for their dirty sound. Guys like John Albani who played with Lee Aaron, and the guys in Styper (not 100% certain that's what's used, but the rhythm guitars on Soldiers under command have that PQ4 kind of snarl) come to mind.

Cheers,

Ron

Para EQs offer more tweakability than than graphic EQs.

The frequency of each band and also the Q (shape width) can be set.

There are different shapes you can use, one is called "Bell" because the shape looks like a bell, lets say you have hum at 50 (or 60) hz, with a para EQ Bell band you could set the frequency at 50hz and dial in a very narrow Q with negative gain to basically just cut out that frequency and remove the hum.

By widening the "Q" we make the Bell shape fatter so it affects a wider frequency range.

Using a Para EQ you can finely adjust your frequencies, they are extremely useful.

There are also other shapes, this is nice little intro: http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/production/how-to-use-a-parametric-equalizer/

Cheers

Andy

Fantastic News! I think that's an awesome package of stuff for $99! I love the Eleven as it is, can't wait for all this extra stuff! Nice going guys

As above - The 11 Plexi already does a pretty sweet VH job - can't wait to hear what that plexi variac will do

Yeah, what they said!
Another way to look at it is this...a graphic EQ makes broad adjustments over a set frequency range, where a parametric EQ can target a much narrower frequency to really isolate the frequency you want to accentuate or eliminate.

There is also a wiki on parametric EQ's HERE.

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This is in no way a jab at Jimificaion.

This is fantastic news. Just think, 4 or 5 more updates and I could of had an AxeFX, or should we look at it as 4 or 5 more years? It took Avid over a year to drop an update that justified the title "upgrade". Not even an upgrade. An expansion pack. Anything else was just a patch.

Now I have to update three Avid products going forward. My Pro Tools 9, The Eleven Rack Firmware, and now this expansion pack. Keep it simple stupid! I'm just saying..

After owning alot of stuff and gassing out over the past years 11 rack is another one of those "creative" products thats made me pause and just play . It sounds musical to my ears. I do know of other stuff that would sound even better but at some point one must just play... right? This "point" is great for me. So for 100 bucks, I can act like I did'nt buy another amp modeller but I get new stuff, it all fits in my home studio software Pro Tools and I can go play it live too. thats pretty kewl
There's always gonna be another tone to chase for another couple hundred scratch I just cant come up with at the moment, so keeping me happy for 100 bucks for another couple years is worth it for me. Free update would have been better though guys.

One of the big things that I think tends to get overlooked in the comparison to the Ax FX is that the Eleven rack is more than just a modeler, it's also a Pro-Tools interface, that also just happens to ship with the Pro-Tools software included...So for me if I was doing a dollar to dollar comparison even to the Axe Standard, I can't get too bent out of shape about the Eleven having fewer amp models or lacking a couple of the other bells and whistles. This is just my way of thinking, but I think the recording interface makes it a different beast altogether, and personally for me, there's a little extra value in that which allows me to overlook the things it's missing compared to even the $1500 dollar Axe Standard...The eleven has greatly simplified the home recording thing for me, something I never would have gotten around to if I'd had to figure out how to do it with a more complex piece of gear. Yeah, free would be great, but the fact that there are going to be updates I can buy for $100 dollars or thereabouts are just gravy from my perspective.

Damn, this is great news!!

The stereo delay and parametric EQ are HUGELY IMPORTANT to me.

One thing about the para that is important is by using very narrow notch settings, you can eliminate some of the "fizziness" inherent in digital emulation of distortion. It is an extremely useful method for ultra high gain sounds!

Check out:

http://www.futureguitarnow.com/forum/index.php?topic=1370.0

No offense taken

We've all been over the "Axe vs 11" thing - they are very different products so I'm not even going to go there but come on - you don't "have" to update anything. It will run on PT8, the firmware is free and the expansion pack is entirely optional (although with that much new kit for $99 it might seem a bit daft not to grab it!)

Sorry to hear it's not what you were hoping for anyway...

Thanks, That Craig Anderton trick is a great idea..I've also been messing with parametric EQ's in my DAW to get different flavours - by boosting certain key frequencies between 250-600 hz you can get some very different resonances in the tone. The stock EQ is great but you just CAN'T do this with the fixed EQ positions. I think the parametric will really help people trying to cop particular guitar tones.

I am stoked about this update... the the 11 is a keeper. My playing time has gone through the roof with this thing, it's just so much fun!

It is a pity that some features have not been added, like delay spillover, user IR, or faster preset switching... which would be awesome for live use

On the other side, para eq, stereo delay and speaker breakup are must have. I'll definitely buy this pack...

For the extra cab and amps, as I only use MarkIIC+ sim, I don't care (even if I will take a serious look at the Bogner amp and cab...)

I have to agree the Eleven Rack is so much more than a modeler. I was using a GT10 & did not need a new one. The fact that it was a Pro Tools interface & the amps sounded so good was why I got it in the first place. Now they have added some new toys for both the live & recording world. Looking forward to March. Eventually we will get the Harmonizer & perhaps a reasonable switching system as the Voodoo this is WAY OVERPRICED.

I'm as happy as a little girl. No seriously stoked is more like it. Hats off to Avid for keeping the Eleven Rack fresh!

This is awesome news!
I cant wait to buy the expansion :-)
I was planning on buying a vocal channel, seems that I save quite some money now with the compressor and param EQ added
and THE bass amp ... YES !
Stereo Delay is also VERY welcome and I am especially stoked on trying the matchless and bogner sims

And that folks, is what it's all about!

VERY WELL PUT roliver5150! Looking for an awesome recording interface is exactly what made me buy the 11R in the first place! I almost bought an mbox2, as I was looking to get one for about a year before the 11R came out. But I just always thought that the mbox was priced to damn high for what you got out of it. So when I discovered the 11R, it was a no brainer for me, and DAMN I'm glad I got it!

.

Vid from NAMM with Hiro

Two questions pop to mind:

1. Will this update give us a stand alone editor, or do we still need to open a session in PT?

2. Will the update increase the number of rigs we can save? With more amps and cabs to use, I think a few more rig spacs would be nive. I also wonder if the preset rigs will be changed by the update. If so, I need to save some of my favorites before March 22.

Not to sound ungrateful, but I also would love to see the stand alone editor.......i know it might be unrealistic, but I would love to see it work with other DAWs as well.i love the 11r, but not pt.

Either Chris or the Chimp over on the DUC forums said that there is NO stand alone GUI coming out for the 11R yet! But they did say something to the effect that they are working on it....hopefully for the next future update

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In that case patience is a virtue (and in short supply)... I will impatiently wait for the March update, and then wait impatiently for the next update after that to hopefully get the stand alone editor.

you can already test the stereo delay and the para eq in Pro Tools as they already exist as plug-ins. It gives you a great idea of how it will sound !

1. I'm so happy to be involved with a product where the company actually seeks input from the users and forum communities. You can't keep everyone happy, but it's good that they show they actually listen.

2. That's fantastic news re: stand alone GUI. It's good to know it's not completely off the table. That's probably my own top of wish list. My DAW of choice is Reaper, so that would be cool.

3. I'm feeling a bit silly about asking this, but what/where is DUC forums?

4. I'm super happy about having a bass amp thrown in there because I record a lot.

5. What is the "new heavy amp"? I can't wait ... I'm a high gain slut.

6. Good going Avid. Great news all around.

#3- Here are the DUC forums....click All Things Guitar.
DUC

JackoMBA,

Here are the new amp sims:

Blue Line Bass (based on the 1969 Ampeg SVT* head)
J45 (based on the 1965 Marshall JTM45* head)
Black SR (based on the 1965 Fender Super Reverb* combo amp)
MS-30 (based on the 1993 Matchless D/C-30* combo amp)
Plexiglas Vari (based on the 1967 Marshall Super Lead "Plexi"* head with Variac modification)
Plexiglas 50W (based on the 1968 Marshall Super Lead 50W* head)
RB-01b (based on the Bogner Ecstasy 101B* head)
Custom Modern Clean Amp
Custom Modern Super Overdrive
Custom Modern 800
Custom Vintage Clean
Custom Vintage Overdrive
Custom Bass

The new heavy amp is probably the Bogner Ecstacy.

I think Chris Townsend also said there's a new custom model with a very tight low end aimed at heavy players and seven string guys (I think that's the custom modern super overdrive)

I can't wait until March 22nd... I think my head just might explode before then...

Hello, to look at that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDCocwDFS5w

Cool...thanks for sharing

They are putting all 3 channels of the XTC SWEET

From the DUC

"TheChimp

The XTC will have Red, Blue and Green channels (each as a separate amp model)."

I didn't hear that before.....that's Friggin AWESOME!


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Isn't it just?

Maybe that's just the excuse I need to post one of my favourite clips (from the Bogner site) FlyAngus demo of the Ecstasy 101b with an EB EVH guitar - clean channel then high gain channel

http://www.bogneramplification.com/customshop/Angus101B.mp3

I love that clean... mmmmmm good...

Yeah, the clean part is cool...funky & seductive!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3fQK2nIoFs

Arghhh!! My head asplode! (but in a good way)

GOD I cant stand that Tone King Guy

How can i have gas for a product I already own.. thats awesome!!



i usually find his demos to be lacking in the tone dept. I think my definition of tone is different from his.
but he makes a living doing what most of us only dream of..

YES - $99 - I'm buying it...

I seriously cant watch that Tone King guy either
"........let me give you one of those bad boys...." ARGH!!!!
He needs a new line.

Whatever you do dont watch his review of the Eleven Rack, If you didnt own one it wouldnt make you want one thats for sure

My GAS for the Eleven Rack has officially gone over the top with the announcement of the expansion pack!!! I may have to move the Mark IV. Nice PRS he's playing in the video too:)

Cant wait for the expansion pack... till then My DL4 will have to do in the fx loop cause I just need more rythmic type delay sounds. I am hoping the new stereo delay will be another reason to leave my anolog pedalboard at home. More Clean amps rule too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEM5kWR-05U

did you hear him say they did a little maintenance to make even the existing amps sound better? oh yeah!

Yes I did! I wonder what that means though, since Chris over on the DUC said that they didn't change anything with the existing amp models? Referring to the Speaker Breakup maybe?????


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With Chris saying that over on the DUC, I'm wondering if maybe this guy from Harmony Central is just talking out his rear-end.... I kept waiting for him to say "You know what I mean Vern??", LOL

he did look a little paranoid or like he just dropped a hit of acid. : )

LMAO....he DID look like he was tweaking out a bit!

As Rick James once put it..."Cocaine's a helluva drug"
Damn I miss the Dave Chappelle show...


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i'm Rick James bitches!

He was definitely tweaking... or he was expecting the police any minute.

Yeah I really doubt they'd change anything on existing models, there might be people that have work in progress tracks that need reamping, they are not going to take kindly to their guitar sound changing mid-project.

Tooo funny man

Yeah, you make a good point, hadn't thought of that.

Yeah, it was either Chris or the Chimp that was fairly adamant about it that they did NOTHING to the original amp models, so there should be no worries!

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Folks.. one last question on this... VaiSatchAtrucci has informed me of the bug (feature!?) whereby you can't turn off cab sim for the amp out line if it is turned on for the xlr main outs... does anyone know if this has been fixed in the new release?
Thanks
Tony

Its a hardware limitation and not software related so it'll never be addressed in the current hardware version of the Eleven Rack. The only way I can think of to get around it is to buy 2 cab simulators like a Palmer or something and just run full rig no cab to an amp / cab on stage and then use the cab sims on the XLR outs to the PA direct... Not cheap though - for the GOOD Palmers... Sucks I know - I was totally bummed when they mentioned you COULD do it in their marketing video, but then confirmed it can't be done... They owned up to the oversight at least. Not as if they could dismiss it but still...

Oh I see... thanks again VaiSatchAtrucci...as always, a mine of information...more hay to chew on!! Thanks Tony

I have actually circled March 22, 2011 on my calendar. Marking the days off... I'm such a guitar geek!