Amplification: 2 x Komet Trainwreck 60. One has EL-34 tubes; the other one has 6L6.
Cabinets:
Ambikabs: 2 Komet Ambikabs. Each Trainwreck 60 has its own dedicated Ambikab, and each Ambikab has its own effects loop with a Source Audio Ventris Reverb and a Way Huge Supa-Puss Delay. The 12″ speakers are Celestion Heritage 65’s.
Leslies: 2 x Leslie G-37. One of the Leslies is dedicated to guitar, while the other is used for the samples coming from the McMillen 12-step. There is a Leslie speed selector switch and a volume expression pedal that controls the Leslie volume.
Bass: There’s a 50-watt Ampeg bass amp next to the Komets that is taking a slave signal from Tony Markellis’ amp so that Trey has better control over his bass mix.
Guitars:
Electric: Koa #2; Ocelot is backstage tuned to drop D. Trey is favoring the humbucker configuration and particularly the bridge pickup during this run.
Acoustic: D-28, D-35 (drop D for Waste and others). Both have the stereo Trance Amulet system under the bridge plate and a Sunrise magnetic in the sound hole. Acoustics are strung with D’Addario EXP 16 phosphor bronze coated strings.
Mics: Trey’s rig is mic’d by a Shure SM-57 and a Royer SF-12. Trey also uses SE GuitarF Reflexion Filters to isolate these mics.
Effects:
• 2 x Tube Screamer
• Klon
• POG2
• Beigel Tru-Tron 3x Envelope Filter
• Boomerang
• Eventide Space x 1
• Moog MF-104M analog delay
• 5 x Way Huge Supa Puss (most of the five have the R79 removed from the printed circuit board, allowing for a smoother curve or more linear slope on the mix control)
• Victoria Reverberato
• Bradshaw Custom Tremolo
• Shin -Ei UniVibe
• Ibanez DM-2000 digital delay
• McMillen 12-step midi keyboard foot controller and samples (see explainer below)
Below is a channel listing for the CAE RST-24 based on the “Rosetta Stone” photos above. Note, this table compares each channel to what was in that space for the MSG NYE run with Phish. Plenty of changes.
Channel | NYE 2017-18 | Spring Classic TAB |
1 | Leslie Speed | Time Factor – Band Delay |
2 | Victoria Reverberato | Victoria Reverberato |
3 | Bradshaw Trem | CHOP (Bradshaw Trem) |
4 | Bass Envelope Filter | Centaurus (Space) |
5 | DM 2000 | DM2000 |
6 | MOD | MOD |
7 | HOLD | HOLD |
8 | CAE Wah | Wah |
9 | Leslie ON/OFF | 6L6 Amp |
10 | Space (pre) | Moog (MF-104M) |
11 | MuTron | MuTron |
12 | Vibe | Vibe |
13 | OC-2 | Supa |
14 | Moog | Puss (for the 2nd in-line Supa Puss) |
15 | POG2 | POG2 |
16 | Whammy II | Whammy II |
17 | Tuner/amp A/B | EL-34 |
18 | Ross | Klon |
19 | Less | Less |
20 | Klon | More |
21 | More | Echo (3rd Supa Puss) |
22 | Moog Tap | Tap (controls analog delays) |
23 | Eventide Tap | BTAP (secondary tap *) |
24 | Boomerang | Boomerang |
* The BTAP sends midi cc for anything that reads midi. It has been used for the Eventide Space and Time Factors both in the rack and in the Ambikab loops, depending on rig configuration.
The McMillen 12-step
The McMillen 12-step is a midi keyboard foot controller that Trey first brought out during his winter/spring 2018 solo tour. He uses it to trigger sounds stored on a Mac laptop offstage. The samples are mostly ambient, ethereal noises designed to fill in space and create textures that Trey can play over. The sounds themselves were designed by Trey in conjunction with Strange Cranium Studios, a Manhattan-based recording, performance, and production studio.
Most sounds were captured using real vintage analog synthesizers running through MainBrain, a proprietary software developed by Strange Cranium. The instruments used to develop the sounds included, among others:
EML ElectroComp 200
Publison DHM89
Publison Infernal Machine 90
Tridex Muse
Arp 2600
They also used a variety of vintage reverb and delay units (including a Binson Echorec and an AMS Nieve DMX 16 Reverb) as well as several modular synth units, including a Moog and an Oakley.
For the Trey solo tour, they ran direct to the board. For Classic TAB/Trey Trio they run into a second Leslie G-37 rotating speaker, lending an even more ambient and ethereal swirling vibe.
What is the McMillan controlling??? Thank you!
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There’s a MacBook offstage holding samples created by Trey with the help of a sound design firm. I’ll be writing a lot more about this soon!
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Insight into how he’s setting all the Supa puss? Why the switch from eventide in the AmbiKab to Supa Puss / Ventris? Any idea of Ventris setting? Supa Puss Wet in parallel? Controllable by tap?
For the space in front of the amp, is the Centaurus the only algorithm he’s using or others as well?
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I just froze a screen shot of last night’s show, and it appears that the Keeley true bypass looper to the left of the CAE says Leslie on it. (There’s an excellent extended look at the whole floor area during the latter part of Simple Twist Up Dave.) To my ears, it seems like the exp. pedal just beneath the Keeley controls the mix/pan of Leslie vs. guitar and there is still a separate speed (fast/slow); sometimes it sounds like full on Leslie, whereas others it is more mixed w the regular signal. Also, it sounds like one of the Supa’s is set to ‘normal’ (like he’d usually set it); the other is set similarly but with modulation on it (slight seasick sound); and the Moog delay is set w heavy modulation, the kind that bounces/shifts quite a bit and is pretty wacky. Trey has really been tweaking lately. Thank you for the thorough and quick updates!
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That exp very well could control the speed though, as the G37 has that capability.
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I just got to guitar solo in “Miss You” — that’s clearly the modulated Moog.
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Guessing “Tap” is for the Moog and “BTap” is for the Bandpass Delay as those are the 2 delays with midi control and tap tempo.
Guessing Echo is for a single repeat slapback from one Supa-Puss – this wouldn’t need to have Tape. Guessing the other 2 Supa Puss’s are for more subtle lead style delays where there doesn’t have to be rhythmic syncopation (perhaps around 4-500 ms)? One dry and one with mod?
The Supa Puss in the Ambikab must be always on/set and forget? No longer any need for feedback and mix controls, or on/off is my guess. Is this delay in parallel with the Ventris or in series? Also, is he using the Plate Algo on the Ventris?
Really interesting to see Trey experimenting with more obvious, modulated delays. Would love to know more details about how he’s setting all of these ambient effects, and get new pictures of the rack layout and insight into the signal chain order.
Thanks!
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For the first few shows, it was the Plate algo on the Ventris. Now it’s the Spring.
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What is he using that makes the organ sounds?
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The Leslie
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…in combination with the midi synth sounds, which are also running through a Leslie
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Yes, I think the straight-up B3 impersonation is just the guitar into the Leslie; he may use the octave pedal at times to get a thicker, more fully-harmonized organ sound. That’s what he’s using for the quick punchy organ-like solos that he’s placing between longer guitar passages. But he’s also sending all the samples from the 12-step through a second Leslie speaker, giving them sometimes an organ drone-like quality. That’s a more ambient organ sound.
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Feel free to ignore my lengthy question on the 12-Step I submitted on the Summer Tour rundown. Totally missed your explanation here. Thanks!
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Question about the first picture. Just left of the mic stand, in front of Trey, and above the RST is an iPad looking display—-Black screen and white text (I think). Is that a song list? Too many entries for a set list, but maybe Trey’s list of possibilities? Does he use a similar display for Phish? Or is it something completely different?
This is a fantastic resource. Many thanks for your effort.
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Thanks! There are two iPads; one is for song listing, another for lyrics I believe.
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I’ve got a few questions:
Is it possible that the “Echo” switch is a bypass for the delays in the Ambikabs? I know he used to use a Boss FS to bypass them. If that is the case, wouldn’t it be 4 Supa Puss, the Moog, and the Timefactor? And is the “B. Tap” switch possibly for the Timefactor? All the other delays have a 1/4” jack for tap-tempo, and the Eventide’s use midi. Also, are you certain he went back to the Black Cat Vibe? As someone who sold mine after getting a ‘69 Uni-Vibe (and made money on the deal!) it would surprise me if Trey went back to the Black Cat. It’s hard to decipher this rig without pictures of the rack. Thanks for the work you put into this site and for any answers you may have for me.
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My guess is echo is a slapback single repeat for one of the 5 Supa pusses and that the AmbiKab Supa Puss is always on? Wondering if the delay and verb in the AmbiKab are in parallel?
Also had a feeling B Tap was for the bandpass Delay and Tap was for the Moog since those are the rhythmic/syncopated delays…perhaps the regular tap switch also controls the “Supa” and “Puss” delays, or perhaps those are just set to a certain ms for non-rhythmic Delay.
Also weird he switched to the Black Cat…seems he had a bunch of welll serviced vintage units..
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Correct! It’s still the Shin-Ei UniVibe. I’ve updated the post. I’ve also done some updates around the “BTAP” based on some reporting and research – check it out.
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Yup, it’s the Shin-Ei Vibe. BTAP is for the midi devices (the Eventides). I know there are 5 Supa-Pusses onstage, and TAP controls tempo for all the analog delays.
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Hey now!
Can we identify what type of speakers are being used?
Wondering if he still has V30s?
Maybe comet has something different?
I don’t think they make them smaller than 12”??
Thanks everyone!
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G12-65s in the AmbiKab – not sure about what type the 10” Wet speakers are however
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I own a POG2 and it can do an incredible variety of organ noises. From subtle to deep and anywhere in between. I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the organ sounds to just Leslie. More likely than not it’s a combination of the two.
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Could the “B TAP” replace the old Boomerang “Once” switch Trey uses on “Heavy Things” etc…??
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I’ve just updated the post explaining the BTAP — check it out.
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Makes sense! Thank you
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any updates on the rack/pedals? saw the twitter post….looks like the ventris reverbs are in the ambikab trays. cant see what other pedals are in there. I see a Klon, 808 and Ross Comp on the Borttom Tray. Another 808 on the spare pedal tray? No more Microverb…
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Hey Trey,
I have a question about your way huge supa-puss: Is it save to remove r79? Does this solve the mix taper issue or does it need any other mods? Should I just remove r79 or does it need a solder bridge? Have you done the mod by yourself? Thanks!
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Spencer at 3LeafAudio did my mod. I think analogman is doing it as well. Spencer said it required “Desoldering Tweezers.”
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