Massimo Varini's Biagio Antonacci Tour's Rig Pack

    During the preparation of Biagio Antonacci tour, Massimo Varini has posted a series of videos in which he showed how he carried out the profiling of his amp. After many requests decided to sell these fantastic profiles appreciated in his instructional videos and tour. The Profiles are of "recent" and vintage amplifiers: Hiwatt DR013 1979 (with the famous Partdridge as output transformers), Fender Tremolux 1963 (with tube rectifier), Vox AC30, Marshall 1987X of 1969; Marshall 1959 Hand Wired; Brunetti 059 and Custom Work Mercury; Marshall Astoria Combo. Some sounds are profiled with stompboxes as Menatone Dirty Blonde, Brunetti Taxi Drive, Boss CS3.
    Amps have been profiled with their own speaker or the MV Custom cabinet that Massimo has developed and is using for years. The cabinet is "half back open" and uses Celestion speakers: GreenBack, Blue Alnico and Vintage30. The microphones are the typical used for guitars: Shure SM57 Sennheiser MD421 and Royer Ribbon (Ribbon) R-121; DPA 4011.
    The high-quality mic preamps chosen by Massimo are: 512c API; Brunetti Par 400, Universal Audio LA-610. The mic preamps are then in a tube of Thermionic adder:
    the Fat Bustard. Then small equalization touches are made with the legendary GML (George Massemburg) 5200 and then as a compressor / limiter a Universal Audio 1176 or a Teletronix LA2A. Some of these profiles have the effects and are already all optimized from the point of view of editing (using the options offered by the KPA).


    12 PROFILES:


    NAME suggested Pickups Head/Amp stompboxes Cabinet speakers sound type microphones mic preamp summing eq/comp post


    Dirty Watts Single Coil (Strat pos. II) Hiwatt DR103 1979 Menatone Dirty Blonde MV Custom Blu Alnico (open back); GreenBack (open back); V30 (closed back) Edge Shure SM57, Sennheiser MD421, Royer Ribbon R-121 Brunetti PAR400; API 512C; Universal Audio LA610 Fat Bustard Thermionic GML 5200 EQ / Universal Audio 1176


    Power Solo HB Brunetti Custom Work Mercury - MV Custom Blu Alnico (open back); GreenBack (open back); V30 (closed back) Lead Shure SM57, Sennheiser MD421, Royer Ribbon R-121 Brunetti PAR400; API 512C; Universal Audio LA610 Fat Bustard Thermionic GML 5200 EQ / Universal Audio 1176


    SuperCrunch HB Brunetti Custom Work Mercury Brunetti Taxi Drive MV Custom Blu Alnico (open back); GreenBack (open back); V30 (closed back) Crunch Shure SM57, Sennheiser MD421, Royer Ribbon R-121 Brunetti PAR400; API 512C; Universal Audio LA610 Fat Bustard Thermionic Teletronix LA2A


    Ready for Stomps SC Brunetti 059 - MV Custom Blu Alnico (open back); GreenBack (open back); V30 (closed back) Clean Shure SM57, Sennheiser MD421, Brunetti PAR400; API 512C; Universal Audio LA610 Fat Bustard Thermionic -


    Middle in Face HB and SC Marshall 1987X 1969 - MV Custom Blu Alnico (open back); GreenBack (open back); V30 (closed back) Crunch Shure SM57, Sennheiser MD421, Royer Ribbon R-121 Brunetti PAR400; API 512C; Universal Audio LA610 Fat Bustard Thermionic Teletronix LA2A


    Cranked AC HB and SC Vox AC30 Landgraff OD VOX ac30 Blu Alnico Edge Shure SM57, Sennheiser MD421, Neve 1073 Fat Bustard Thermionic -


    Crunchy Tremolo Single Coil (Strat pos. II) Fender Tremolux 1963 - MV Custom Blu Alnico (open back); GreenBack (open back); V30 (closed back) Edge / tremolo Shure SM57, Sennheiser MD421, Royer Ribbon R-121 Brunetti PAR400; API 512C; Universal Audio LA610 Fat Bustard Thermionic GML 5200 EQ / Universal Audio 1176


    Pop Arpegio Single Coil (Strat pos. II) Marshall 1959 Hand Wired Boss CS3 - Nux Overdrive MV Custom Blu Alnico (open back); GreenBack (open back); V30 (closed back) Clean (Edgy) Sennheiser MD421, Royer Ribbon R-121 Neve 1073 Fat Bustard Thermionic -


    Funk Clean HB and SC Marshall 1959 Hand Wired - MV Custom Blu Alnico (open back); GreenBack (open back); V30 (closed back) Clean Sennheiser MD421, Royer Ribbon R-121 Neve 1073 Fat Bustard Thermionic -


    Rockin' Combo HB Astoria Dual Combo 2015 - Combo Creamback Crunch mid DPA 4011 API 512 - -


    Rock'n'Roll King HB and SC Fender Tremolux 1963 - MV Custom Blu Alnico (open back); GreenBack (open back); V30 (closed back) Crunch mid Shure SM57, Sennheiser MD421, Royer Ribbon R-121 Brunetti PAR400; API 512C; Universal Audio LA610 Fat Bustard Thermionic GML 5200 EQ / Universal Audio 1176


    Exotic Crunch HB and SC Marshall 1959 Hand Wired Xotic BB preamp MV Custom Blu Alnico (open back); GreenBack (open back); V30 (closed back) Crunch Shure SM57, Sennheiser MD421, Royer Ribbon R-121 Brunetti PAR400; API 512C; Universal Audio LA610 Fat Bustard Thermionic GML 5200 EQ / Universal Audio 1176


    Link

    Massimo Varini is well known as a great player here in Italy (teacher, producer, sound engineer and so on...a real Guru in the italian music industry), but I think they are too expensive.
    That been said, no doubt about the overall quality of all the profiling process Massimo has used to come up with these rigs.
    Furthermore, no DI/Cab/Merged profiles are expected to be (if i am not wrong).
    Let's wait for some user's clip.

    they even cost more than the Wagener pack which caused a miriad of protests and comments. MW most expensive pack goes 240 euros for 204 profiles (something like 1 euro per profile) here each profile is equal to 5 euros.


    frankly...very, very expensive...5 times wagener ones.


    my curiosity is: why so expensive? what is the price for? he's a nice player but don't think he sells some special sound that deserves such pricing....

    "...why being satisfied with an amp, as great as it can be, while you can have them all?" michael mellner


    "Rock in Ecclesia" - new album on iTunes or Google music

    Like 1

    Pretty sure clips will come.
    As for the price, they are of course more expensive than others. But the "Xyz's cost 1/10" argument makes no sense. I can have 7000 rigs for free on RE. BTW, the grocery on the road here sells potatoes for 8 € (10 kg).


    Ultimately, what matters is if you like those sounds or find something special in them. I am not saying I will buy them, but this is exactly the same situation as when we say on the board "wow, I'd love Muse released the profiles they have used on their last tour": this is exactly that, happening. Those are exactly the tones he used for the Biagio Antonacci tour.
    From the production notes he supplies it's clear that Varini did not just put a pair of mics in front of a cone, but took several hours or days to tailor each sound and create it. Furthermore, he did not release just 12 rigs for speculative reasons: those 12 tones are what he used for the whole tour, meaning that the pack represents "all" he needed for touring with a (pop) artist that filled San Siro stadium (70,000 seats).
    I mean, it's serious stuff. Having said that, one may of course like the tones or not... But 5 € seem to me to be not, as an absolute, excessive for that work, which who's interested can learn about through a series of 8 videos. Here's the first one.
    Note: Of course he speaks Italian, and... a lot! But his gear is interesting, and his approach definitely a producer's one.


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    makes non sense, you say.....so, what's in the price, then?
    a sound? an experience?


    a video showing a tons of pedals says nothing....so as releasing profiles of a tour experience says nothing.


    as a matter of fact, or at least it is my opinion that the value of a sound is what you get out of it, i.e. how well it serves my playing purposes.


    if Eddie Van Halen releases a profile but it sounds like s#*t that profile is s#*t. Period! it doesn' become gold only because Eddie has an experience in placing a mic on a speaker!


    of course I'm not saying that Varini's profiles aren't good. no one has even heard them yet.
    All I'm saying is that I don't think it is justified to value my production on the basis of the hours and experience I put on it. If so, then Wagener should have value his packs 1000 of euros!


    This is why I compared the prices. not a simple mathematical calculation (which in this case you are right: makes no sense) but a thinking of the meaning and reason of pricing.

    "...why being satisfied with an amp, as great as it can be, while you can have them all?" michael mellner


    "Rock in Ecclesia" - new album on iTunes or Google music

    Like 1
    Quote from michaelmellner

    All I'm saying is that I don't think it is justified to value my production on the basis of the hours and experience I put on it.


    I would not agree with this :) Valuing one's production doesn't need any justification. Remember, the price of a good (when it's not a needed good like water or bread) is only given by the market. You as a producer just know that the more expensive, the less you'll sell. There are apps on the Apple Store that cost hundreds of euros. This is not intrinsicly good nor bad, ethical nor non-ethical, is it? Those who find it's not worth it simply won't buy them...


    On a side note, I also think that "the hours and experience I put on it" do contribute to the definition of price for something I do or create.
    I could easily give guitar lessons to beginners at 30 € per hour in my area, and pretty sure I can add some "added value" to them because of my professional skills; the reason why I don't do it is that I earn more by doing my main job with\for musicians.
    So, if someone considers taking lessons with me they will have to factor in the value of my time and my competence and, if they believe it's not worth it, they will simply not come.


    Back to the topic, Varini has got a huge fan base and is considered a sound guru by many. Pretty sure a number of Kemper users will love to use his sounds :)


    BTW, there are 8 videos on YT, and they show much more than a parade of pedals. You can learn a lot in terms of sound production by watching them, even if you are not a Kemper user ;)

    Quote from viabcroce

    BTW, there are 8 videos on YT, and they show much more than a parade of pedals. You can learn a lot in terms of sound production by watching them, even if you are not a Kemper user ;)


    no doubt about it.....but this has nothing to do with the fact that a profile is usable or not

    "...why being satisfied with an amp, as great as it can be, while you can have them all?" michael mellner


    "Rock in Ecclesia" - new album on iTunes or Google music

    Agreed. This has never been in discussion tho :)
    No-one claims they will be anyone's do all, be all rigs. Even Wagener's or Britt's rigs are not everyone's cup of tea.


    Another thing I'd point out is that these (which I haven't heard yet as well) are not 12 tone variations of a same rig, but are 12 different tones exactly as used on tour. Granted they are still expensive, but I remember megapacks where each amp was profiled at 20 different tonestack positions, and most probably you ended up using just one or two. So the actual price per rig may end up being quite different from the price divided by the number of files.
    ... Just thinking out loud :)

    Quote from viabcroce

    Agreed.


    Another thing I'd point out is that these (which I haven't heard yet as well) are not 12 tone variations of a same rig, but are 12 different tones exactly as used on tour. Granted they are still expensive, but I remember megapacks where each amp was profiled at 20 different tonestack positions, and most probably you ended up using just one or two.


    agreed...

    "...why being satisfied with an amp, as great as it can be, while you can have them all?" michael mellner


    "Rock in Ecclesia" - new album on iTunes or Google music

    I guess if we want them we pay for them. I'm sure he's spent a lot of time and effort to make them so I don't really have an issue with the price , but will wait a while to purchase I think .....

    That looks like lots of work on quality gear , and I see that the pickup style is taken very seriously. I'm honored to have the same approach on my own profiles :)


    That said, there should be a few test profiles and some clips and maybe an English page , since they are very pricey.

    In the Italian community rumours are we are going to have some clips :)


    Anyway, I found some concerts on YT. The query is


    Biagio Antonacci 2014-2015 tour


    PS: Renaud: there's a description of the pack in English in the link I posted. It reads a bit funny, but I could survive it :D
    It's the one I've pasted in the OP, BTW ;)


    Anyway, the main target is certainly Varini's (online) students and fan.

    thanks for posting the video and info regarding Massimo Varini.. I have not known him so far.. so I have watched all his videos.. he seems to be really cool man.. I like very much his approach regarding micing his amps.. but looking on all those stomp boxes.. an immediate headache :D I like the K.I.S.S. approach so... 8|


    ps: now I realized that time ago I have noticed that Truefire has released 4 courses made by Massimo Varini, hmhm...

    Yep Hallan, AFAIK Varini is the first Italian teacher on Truefire.
    His explanations always make a lot of sense. Too bad he only publishes in Italian ATM.
    I also liked his guitars comparisons I posted on the "Other gear" forum some days ago, he's very practical and he evidently wants to talk people's language without ever being obvious or too simple.

    Quote from viabcroce

    On a side note, I also think that "the hours and experience I put on it" do contribute to the definition of price for something I do or create.


    I agree, but I think you also have to consider the market. While everybody are selling their rigs at a lower price, Varini stands out as the more expensive on the market, as far as I can tell right now. And it sells only 12 rigs. Seems legit that people are wondering why. Again: no doubt about the overall quality (I will probably buy them too).


    Otherwise, as Michael said, Wagener (credited on more or less 50.000.000 copies sold worldwide) could easily ask more money from its profiles.


    Just my 2 cents.

    I am no way trying to justify Varini's pack's price point, nor saying anyone should buy them! This is not in contradiction with "I think that "the hours and experience I put on it" do contribute to the definition of price for something I do or create" :)


    On a side note, I'd point out that Britt's or Meulendijk's packs seem to be much more popular than Wagener's, despite his immense curriculum as a producer and his undoubted skills in choosing the right tone for a song.
    So it seems that Wagener's price point (from a marketing POV) is not too low after all :D