FAQs

1. What is the Eleven Rack?
   
   Released on September 23, 2009 by Digidesign / Avid Technology Inc., Eleven Rack is a 2 space (2U) rack mountable guitar amplifier modeler and sound effects processor for electric guitar players. While the Eleven Rack can be used alone with a guitar amplifier it also interfaces with Digidesign's Pro Tools LE 8.x software for a direct to computer recording solution. Presets (also called Rigs) can be saved, edited and recalled to/from Eleven Rack via Pro Tools LE, HD or M-powered 8.x or by using the front panel of Eleven Rack. Read the press release.
   
   
2. How do I save my Rig presets (.tfx files) to my computer and upload them to this site?
   
   In Pro Tools open up your Eleven Rack window and click on the SAVE drop down menu. You'll see two options - Save to Computer and Save All Rigs to Computer. Save to computer will save the rig you have presently to a .tfx file. You might want to save your rig file to your desktop so you can easily find it (or any folder you like). Save All Rigs to Computer will save all the user rig presets in your Eleven Rig to a folder.
   
   When you're ready to upload to this site, simply go to the homepage click on ADD ENTRY in the middle of the page. Follow the instructions on the right side of the page. After the Admin approves your uploaded rig file, it will be listed in the directory and available for other people to download. Note: you may upload individual rig files or your entire folder of rigs but if you are uploading multiple rig files please zip them in an archive first.
   
   
3. How do I load presets from this site into my Eleven Rack?
   
   First, use the directory on the homepage of this site, click on the preset you want, and download the .tfx file. Then, in Pro Tools, open up your Eleven Rack window and click on the preset name, a dropdown menu will appear. Select Load from Computer and select the preset .tfx file you just downloaded. It will automatically be loaded into your Eleven Rack. That's it!
   
   
4. What makes Eleven Rack different from other modelers/effects processors?
   
   As told by Chris Townsend, Lead Guitar Products Architect, Digidesign/Avid...
   
   "I think the difference you hear between the Eleven plug-in and Eleven Rack comes down to 3 primary factors. In terms of DSP the Eleven plug-in algorithm is identical to 11R (except 11R does not have speaker breakup). We made sure of it by doing cancellation tests between the plug-in and the Rack.
   
   With a plug-in there is no easy way to exactly calibrate the incoming analog level. But with 11R the guitar level is calibrated so the amp model is driven just as hard as plugging into the real amp. One other thing cool about 11R is that it's calibrated to the same level as what the plug-in expects, so you can record a direct guitar track with 11R and then send that track to the plug-in without needing to do any level calibration.
   
   As you've theorized True-Z is also a big factor. The True-Z impedance modeling adds capacitance on the guitar input (when the first algorithm in the signal chain is the amp), which is essentially the same as what an actual tube guitar amp does. This capacitance actually changes the response of the pickups. The resonant peak of the pickup is lowered and the high end is rolled off somewhat, which removes some of the "brittleness" you might otherwise get with a generic DI. Because the response of the pickup is changed in a way that's dependent on the pickup you're using (due to it's particular inductance, capacitance, and resistance) it's not something you could "fix" with EQ before the amp.
   
   Lastly I think having FX, such as reverb, can help make the sound more "polished". It sounded like a number you really liked the Twin example, and I suspect our new Spring Reverb algorithm is part of the reason for that. Additionally the Stereo Reverb is the same algorithm as Reverb One but with a greatly simplified control set, and in my opinion Reverb One really is an excellent verb, especially on guitars.
   
   There's one other reason that I think might be a factor for some users, which is that Eleven Rack is totally plug and play. No time needs to be spent calibrating levels, futzing with different DI boxes and adding other FX, such as reverb. With this sort of instant gratification you can just focus on playing."
   
   
5. How do I reset my Eleven Rack back to it's original factory setup?
   
   Press and hold the Edit/Back button until the User Options screen appears. Turn the Scroll wheel to select the option titled Reset Memory, Press SW1 to select. In this screen, pressing SW1 will reset the memory of Eleven Rack back to factory specs. All user created Rigs and settings will be erased. You can exit this screen without resetting the memory by pressing the Edit/Back button.

More FAQs coming soon!

Also, check out Avid's FAQs here... http://duc.digidesign.com/showthread.php?t=270510