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Dream Rig Controlling With Exp + Jtv-knobs


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If an idea is right, it is only a question of time until it find its way ... good to see that this applies from time to time !

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I am using the DR (JVT / HD500 / DT50) for gigging. And I tend to use this rig with lots of FX and AMP changing through songs. And I started to morph complete presets with my EXP which I more and more going to use.

 

So Instant control on stage during a song is vital to me.

 

I am now reviewing how to increase my possibilities to incorporate the JTV knobs (Volume / Tone) and may be even another EXP.

 

I would appreciate if we share different concepts to use EXP and / or JTV-knobs to control:

 

- FX-parameters

- amp parameters

 

Sharing special presets to adapt to its own suitability would be even more beneficial.

 

Any ideas ???

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Excellent!

 

I am still a new dream rigger so the things I'm about to share may not be earth shattering, but it has opened a lot for me.

 

1. With dual tones, I will assign both foot expression pedals to control the volume of the amps. That way there is no need to use a volume pedal in the signal chain. I can also blend them in ways that are really cool

 

2. I like assigning the drive of Amps to the JTV tone knob. Makes getting bite on over driven amps really easy. One caveat, if you switch back to mag pickups, you will need to Remeber to turn your tone knob back or you will sound under water.

 

3. I like blending an acoustic with mags on clean to slightly dirty patch. Assign the acoustic volume to exp 2 with delay and chorus and blend accordingly.

 

I have been playing with assigning delay feedback to my tone/volume knobs on the JTV. I find I can feather the blending of fx better with the pinky finger of my picking hand better than I can with my foot on an exp pedal.

 

Looking forward to other great finds!

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Hi Tboneous,

 

thanks for sharing your ideas to control the DR-sounds!

 

I guess there is no right or wrong, because the level of control heavily relates to the music style, the player, the line-up of the band, etc. So sharing ideas / concepts where users can pick up something and adapt it to their own needs is a good thing I would say.

 

I like your idea with the Acosutic and magnetic-PUs Dual Tone. As I am the only guitar player in our Cover Rock Band, I will give this a try. Apart of that I am not a fan of Dual Tones/amps presets: It is more natural to me to go for ONE amp in a song. Sometimes I use TWO amps in one song, but with different presets.

 

As far as I see there are two main approaches for users to control the DR-sounds (or standalone with a POD HD):

 

- using the POD HD as a classical pedal-board with different FXs assigned to a FS (FS mode = FS 5-8)

- using the POD HD with more or less lots of presets (FS mode = ABCD)

 

Depending on the approach a user has choosen, the level of control may be pretty different. I am using the ABCD-Mode, because I am personally using several FXs in my sounds during a song and I do not want to spend lots of time pressing FX-pedals during a song.

 

I also think that everyone needs decide how much moving around on stage is needed: for shure using the JTV-knobs exclusively gives the most flexibility. I myself can live with a combination of EXP-pedals and JTV-knob control.

 

 

What makes me also thinking is what level user assign to the MIN and MAX-parameters? I am currently assigning an initial ("right") level to the MIN-parameter and add some 50% on Top to the MAX-parameter. So there is only the possibility to add more.

 

I have reviewed my need of control during songs over the weekend and I thought about your approach too.

 

It turns out to me that I need to have some extended control  over the following effects and amp parameters (although I am using normally more than 1 preset per song) and this should have some "easy-to-remember" approach for gigging as well:

 

- WAH-pedal (pretty obvisiously): I am going to use the EXP-1 (no change to old setup)

 

- Amp volume on stage and FOH/PA-Mix: I tend to use a new separate EXP-2 pedal. This can be also used to control any volume levels between the Dual Tone Acoustic/magn-PUs you are using (and right - this saves a FX-block in the signal chain). I guess this EXP-2 will probably used rarely, because I normally add already +7db more gain via the mixer section to my Lead presets.

 

- Amp volume ONLY on stage: I am using a power attenuator to set the overall volume level on stage (not shure if this is self speaking for every one that this only affects stage volume and NOT FOH/volume)

I add this for completeness; but the power attenuator thing is a different story with already lots of existing Threads.

 

- Morphing between two sounds with several parameter changes: I tend to go for the EXP-1 pedal, because using these sounds, I am normally pretty busy playing and to not have that much time and free fingers to change JTV-knobs.

 

- Amp parameter Drive, OD/Dist-parameter drive, COMP-parameter Thresh: I tend to go for the Volume knob on the JTV to control; these parameters tend to change the overall volume level too, so the amp volume parameter needs to be controlled also in that case. In some songs I am using the Volume knob in an old school manner to control volume and Lead part. This is then going to be the exception.

 

- Delay parameter Time + Mix: I tend to go for the Tone knob on the JTV to control,
 

 

 

Well, that is what makes me thinking for the moment.

 

Any additional ideas/thoughts are really appreciated, because I don't feel that I have finally made up my mind here.

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If you mean "Midi = POD HD500" this is how it works directly at the POD HD screen (not HD Editor):

 

- choose the FX or Amp where you want to assign a parameter to the JTV-Tone knob

 

- double press the "Move-Button"

 

- choose the parameter you want to assign by moving the "1"-knob clockwise or counter clockwise

 

- choose "2"-knob to assign a controller by clockwise scrolling and assign to "Variax Tone"

 

- you need to lock the Tone where you want them to be (something between 0% - 100%); this locks the tone so the JTV-tone does not change with the parameter you have assigned.

 

P.S.: your JTV has to be connected to the POD HD

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If you mean "Midi = POD HD500" this is how it works directly at the POD HD screen (not HD Editor):

For me, using the HD Edit is the easiest way to assign fx and generally navigate through setting up your patches.

 

Apart of that I am not a fan of Dual Tones/amps presets: It is more natural to me to go for ONE amp in a song.

I'm with you on the dual amp thing. I have only used dualies on a couple of patches. While experimenting, I stumbled upon the acoustic/mag blend. In one other patch that I like, I blend a Supero and the Phd Motorway. Very ballsy rock tone. But other than that and maybe a couple others, when I play live, I am strictly a one amp Dreamer.

 

 

As far as I see there are two main approaches for users to control the DR-sounds (or standalone with a POD HD):

 

- using the POD HD as a classical pedal-board with different FXs assigned to a FS (FS mode = FS 5-8)

- using the POD HD with more or less lots of presets (FS mode = ABCD).

I am a foot switch mode guy. I think that's because I'm old! I grew up working in a San Francisco music store in the Haight Ashbury where I worked hard just to raise enough money to purchase my next Boss Pedal. So clicking a button and changing my entire preset is overwhelming to me. The real deal for my foot switch choice is I want to have as much control over my tone as possible. I may want to add chorus in a particular section of a song or I may not. I may want some delay or I may not. I have not found a need to change an entire preset during a song. I am the lead guitarist/singer in a Blues/Funk band. So I am not trying to copy someone else's tone. I want my tone to sound like me. When people hear me, they know it's me. To that end, I, so far, only use 3 different amps, Hiwatt, Gibtone, and Phd Motorway. Each has pretty much the same bunch of fx. (2 reverbs, chorus, tremolo, delay, tube screamer, red comp mid focus eq)

 

-exp 1 is my amp channel volume. Tip: set the min value @ 20%. Max value @ 70% this makes the sweep more manageable. You can feather your volume without big jumps or dips in volume

 

- exp 2 is a crap shoot. Usually it is used to control the drive of my screamer. But I have used it for other stuff. It is a works in progress and is subject to my whim!

 

-Variax tone has been my amp drive.

 

-Variax volume is usually delay stuff. It seems intuitive to me because I use it like a swell. The way we used to swell notes before I got a volume pedal. So swelling in delay mix and feedback seems natural in that position.

 

2 changes I think I am going to make for playing live:

 

-I am going to use an external Wah. Why waste a block? I've got a Vox Wah that has never let me down.

-Also thinking of getting rid of reverb in the fx chain and just using the reverb on the DT. Again, why waste a block?

 

My latest experiment is picking an amp model and creating different presets with the amp in triode, then one in pentode then one in triode class A then one in triode class A/B and so on.

 

For recording and writing...

 

I find inspiration for new songs while using HD edit along with the workbench. I use the custom slots on my JTV exclusively for my recording tones. I spend many nights into the wee early hours having a ball making stuff up! All my "rules" for my setup go out the window when it comes to recording. Wherever the inspiration takes me is where I go!

 

I think that last sentence is key. Go where ever you are inspired to go. Try stuff! Then try it again! The only caveat I will offer those new to the dream rig is this....There are those on this forum who really struggle getting their rig to sound "right". They are almost ready to scrap the whole thing and go back to what is more familiar territory. This rig offers a lot! Almost too much. But you don't have to use everything this rig has to offer all at once! You may be inspired by something you heard and want to get that tone on your rig and find that you are struggling to get there.

 

You have to master the basics before you get that killer tone. Pick one amp. Learn the nuance of that one amp without any fx. Learn how the drive works on it, learn your speakers, mic selection, bias control, presence etc. Make it sing! THEN and only then do you move to adding fx. Having a solid amp tone is the foundation to every patch. If you have a crappy foundation, your end result is going to be crap as well.

 

Hopefully my ramblings are making sense!

 

Cheers!

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Hi Tboneus (Mr. Rambling :) ),

 

You come up with a lot of additional and very relevant DR issues where I tend to suggest to have separate Threads.

 

Some points I like to pick up

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"To that end, I, so far, only use 3 different amps, Hiwatt, Gibtone, and Phd Motorway.":

 

Although I am a Cover Rock Musician and the only guitarist in my Band I strongly recommend to use as less amps as possible. I mainly use the BF Double (for Clean), Plexi Lead / Park-75 / JCM800 (for 70s Classic Rock) and the Soldano (for Hard Rock / Hi-gain 80s).

 

 

"exp 1 is my amp channel volume. Tip: set the min value @ 20%. Max value @ 70% this makes the sweep more manageable. You can feather your volume without big jumps or dips in volume"

 

I have levelled my presets for Rhytm versus Lead parts. The Difference is normally +7db on the mixer. This does not lead me into big volume jumps, but I think I have to do it a little bit similar to you. May be not starting at 20% for MIN but for 30%. 70% is good for most amps as MAX. Amp volume normally tends to color the tone, so I try to balance with the mixer (it depends on the amp to choose). Unfortunatelly some amps I have to raise the amp volume to 100% (like the BF Double) so they are balanced with a JCM800. This means there is not that much to change amp volume wise with a pedal.

 

"I am going to use an external Wah. Why waste a block? I've got a Vox Wah that has never let me down."

 

I try to avoid external pedals by using the HD500. Although the WAH on the HD500 is not really stellar. to me. I have generate some postive effects by lowering the mix to 85% and reduce the other parameter around 20 - 90%. That sounds a bit more natural to me.

 

 

"Also thinking of getting rid of reverb in the fx chain and just using the reverb on the DT. Again, why waste a block?"

 

Fair point to save a FX-block. And if you can live with one type and one level of reverb this is fine. It ease when gigging, becuase partially you need to get rid of reverbs in some location in your presets.

 

 

My latest experiment is picking an amp model and creating different presets with the amp in triode, then one in pentode then one in triode class A then one in triode class A/B and so on.

 

This is a wide area: did some testings in 2011: The Triode reduces the overall volume. I would say around 10%. If I remember correctly, Clean sounds get more vintage with Triode. I try to avoid Class A and Class A/B switching, becuase it generates that popping sound. I have choosen Class A/B to all of my presets.

 

 

For recording and writing...

I find inspiration for new songs while using HD edit along with the workbench. I use the custom slots on my JTV exclusively for my recording tones. I spend many nights into the wee early hours having a ball making stuff up! All my "rules" for my setup go out the window when it comes to recording. Wherever the inspiration takes me is where I go!

 

 

Although I do COVER Music with my own spicey taste in it, I do recordings too. What I at least can confirm: the recording presets are WAY different to live gigging presets. And it is not only the pre amp versus full amp change.

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Couple of Q's for you wolbai.

 

I always keep the mixer set centered @ 0db. Do you find that a +7db colors your tone?

 

You change the entire preset for lead work? So you go from a BF to a Plexi for example to do your lead? I have found it a bit smoother to keep my amp the same and turn on a tube screamer and maybe a comp boost for my lead. That way the only leveling that I have to do is to the output of the screamer and the comp. I'm lazy that way! I hate leveling stuff. I just want to ROCK OUT!!!

 

Why do you not like using external fx? 

 

You are right on the money with regards to the difference between recording presets and live. Night and day! I have found that some amps sound great through the DT as full models even though the conventional wisdom is to use the pre amp models. Let your ears be your guide!

 

Last question...What output do you use with the DT? if you are using Stack or Combo Front, do you adjust the focus or Low/high? I use combo front with no adjustment to the preset parameters. Though I have heard others claim that the studio/direct sounds good too. 

 

Thoughts?

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Hi Tboneous,

 

"I always keep the mixer set centered @ 0db. Do you find that a +7db colors your tone?"

 

All about the levels of mixer I do comes from my ears. There are guys in these forums which can explain this to you pretty much more technical than I do (I am just a guitar player :D ):

 

From -7db to +7db I haven't heard any negative tone colorations with all the amps I am using. I consider the mixer as a good tool to fine tune the overall volume between presets without sound coloration when used not in extreme ways. This is my chain I try to get the right volume level Mastervolume ---> Ampvolume ---> Mixer.

 

Mastervolume and Ampvolume colors the tone. How much depends on the amp you are using

 

 

You change the entire preset for lead work? So you go from a BF to a Plexi for example to do your lead? I have found it a bit smoother to keep my amp the same and turn on a tube screamer and maybe a comp boost for my lead. That way the only leveling that I have to do is to the output of the screamer and the comp. I'm lazy that way! I hate leveling stuff. I just want to ROCK OUT!!!

 

Normal I stick to one amp in a song for the same reason you do. But there are several songs where I change the amp between the songs. Especially when there is a sparkling clean Rhythm part which moves into a Gain / Hi-Gain Leadpart with a demand for sustain. Of course you can use a Fender Twin and get the Leadpart done by pushing a distortion pedal (screamer, Tube driver, etc.). But this does not sound to my ears really tube driven, creamy distortion which you will get from the pre amp or power section of an amp which is designed for that.

 

Apart of that: I have never found a better Clean amp like the BF Double amongst all the amps I am really using. I also tried the Hiwatt. But the BF Double is unbeatable to me for cleans. But this is for shure subjective an a matter of taste.The flip side of the medal with the BF Double is that you cannot get a sustain Leadtone from the pre or power section itself without any distortion / Overdrive / Compressor-pedal AND that this amp (= voicing 1 in the DT50) has a pretty lower volume level compared to others I use, for example like the JCM800.

 

Another aspect is that I normally change some effects between Rhytm and Leadparts. I tend to add subtile delay level or chorus to the Leadpart to thicken up the sound. And for some amps where I like to get a bit of more sustain in some parts I add a Overdrive pedal or the Tube comp in front of the amp. All these differences in effects and amps I am assigning to ONE preset. So my songs normally consists 1-3 presets.

But this is just my way to use the 512 preset lots on the HD500.

 

I fairly understand when you say that you don't want to level presets. But unfortunately this is the consequence using different amps in one song and different presets to me.

 

 

Why do you not like using external fx?

 

One of my initial reasons to go for a HD500 was to get rid of lots of external pedals for simplification reasons. And I still try to stick to that, although not all effects in the HD500 are stellar to me. I put some hope in the new HD500X once the developer have really change the algoritmns to get better sound quality with the new enhanced DSP-power. But this for the moment not the case.

All in all there is no real other reason to me not to use external pedals.

 

"Last question...What output do you use with the DT? if you are using Stack or Combo Front, do you adjust the focus or Low/high? I use combo front with no adjustment to the preset parameters. Though I have heard others claim that the studio/direct sounds good too."

 

I am using the the default settings with my DT50/212 when connected with the Line6 Link. I think it is "Combo Power Amp" and I haven't changed any settings in Focus / Lows / Highs.

 

I think it is pretty much a matter of taste (ears) what output mode you are choosing. The Studio Direct mode does not sound good to me with my DT50, but pretty good when I am recording with my HD500 directly into an audio interface.

 

It is more the cab/sims you are using or not (ON/OFF). Until now I stick normally to the standard cab/sims ON. But this heavily depends what real cabs you are using with your DT25/50. For example, if you have a 4x12 cab with you DT 25/50 and playing a Marshall Plexi Lead amp model, I would switch off the cab/sims in the HD500, because the real 4x12 cab should do this better than the cab/sim in the HD500. If I would choose a BF Double (the real amp is a Twin Combo with 2x12 speakers) I would use the standard cabs/sims ON in the HD500.

 

But now I realize that I am going to another story and there are also no fixed right or wrongs here. The only thing which is clear to me (which wasn't before Line6 has anounced the midi-interface to the Dt25/Dt50) that the DT 25/50 really uses cab/sims with the original 4 voicings in a standalone mode.

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts?

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Hold the VIEW-button 2-3 seconds and scroll right to 7/10 menue (Variax).

 

Set TONE to 100% (if not) with knob "4".

 

LOCK the TONE on your selected VARIAX-Model with knob "3" by scrolling and select "Tone" with locked sign.

 

This only of course works with VARIAX models. And not, if you play the magnetic PUs.

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Actually I am going to use the EXP-1 pedal and the JTV-tone knob controller in a song from Stevie Winwood which my Band is going to play in the near future. But in a version with his old friend Eric Clapton.

 

 

I will use the Marshall Plexi Lead amp model. The guitar sound I will do for that song will be mainly Clean. I add some sustain with a Tube compressor which is assigned to EXP-1 as the controller.

And I have assigned the delay mix parameter to the JTV-tone knob. For the recording I have used the Full amp model. The POD HD is linked to an audio interface over the XLR-connections. For live-performance I will the pre amp model.

 

I am playing my JTV 69 with the Strat model. I am using the position 4 + 2. Clapton uses very often the rarely used ones: 2-3-4 and sometimes pos. 1 (he plays a lot in position 3 - I saw him recently in a concert with big vidoe screens).

Another astonishing thing is that he is playing solos only with 3 fingers. His pinky is only in use when he is playing chords.

 

In the past I have only used the positions 5, 2 and 1. The amazing thing is the these positions 2-3-4 really makes the Clapton sound to me.

 

What I have realized is that when switching between position having the Tone-knob somewhere in between for the Delay mix, the tone is NOT going locked any more. This is somehow a flipside of the medal.

 

I thought that a recording is a good supplement to get an idea how the POD HD EXP-1 controller and the JTV Tone-knob controller can be used. These are just some phrases - nothing sensational - where I throw in the tube compressor and the delay mix with the controllers while playing. The overall sound is pretty clean and somehow a "Saturday morning recording" after two pods of coffee ;)

 

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=12416855&q=hi&newref=1

 

 

Any thoughts ?

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Very nice tone! I received my JTV69s and DT25 in the mail 3 days ago, and my HD500x in the mail last night. It's absolutely astounding how far this modeling technology has come, and how many truly usable tones exist. Your recording sounds truly realistic [i.e. nondigital]. and the ability to adjust/ assign fingertip AND foot controls is incredibly handy.

 

Gotta say, I've spent the last week reading everything i could find on the dream rig, and it's VERY overwhelming [especially after listening to all the default presets on the hd500x] how many options actually exist.

 

Looking forward to watching this thread [and my experience with the system] grow.

 

Keep rocking.

~Ken A.

Actually I am going to use the EXP-1 pedal and the JTV-tone knob controller in a song from Stevie Winwood which my Band is going to play in the near future. But in a version with his old friend Eric Clapton.


I will use the Marshall Plexi Lead amp model. The guitar sound I will do for that song will be mainly Clean. I add some sustain with a Tube compressor which is assigned to EXP-1 as the controller.
And I have assigned the delay mix parameter to the JTV-tone knob. For the recording I have used the Full amp model. The POD HD is linked to an audio interface over the XLR-connections. For live-performance I will the pre amp model.

I am playing my JTV 69 with the Strat model. I am using the position 4 + 2. Clapton uses very often the rarely used ones: 2-3-4 and sometimes pos. 1 (he plays a lot in position 3 - I saw him recently in a concert with big vidoe screens).
Another astonishing thing is that he is playing solos only with 3 fingers. His pinky is only in use when he is playing chords.

In the past I have only used the positions 5, 2 and 1. The amazing thing is the these positions 2-3-4 really makes the Clapton sound to me.

What I have realized is that when switching between position having the Tone-knob somewhere in between for the Delay mix, the tone is NOT going locked any more. This is somehow a flipside of the medal.

I thought that a recording is a good supplement to get an idea how the POD HD EXP-1 controller and the JTV Tone-knob controller can be used. These are just some phrases - nothing sensational - where I throw in the tube compressor and the delay mix with the controllers while playing. The overall sound is pretty clean and somehow a "Saturday morning recording" after two pods of coffee ;)

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=12416855&q=hi&newref=1


Any thoughts ?

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Hi kenaucre,

 

congratulations being a new DR owner !

 

I see that you have just recently got all the components at once. That is a lot of stuff to assimilate ... Retrospectively I was lucky that I got mine with severals months of interruption. This helped me to deal with each single piece step by step. But I still had a hard learning curve to go through. And after approx. 2 1/2 years with the DR I still have the one or another issue where I don't feel that I am at the end of my personal learning curve

 

Normally everyone turns into that honeymoon phase where everything as stellar / exciting / thrilling / etc. first. Then - sooner or later - it turns into a frustration phase where user struggle heavily with some fundamental issues like:

 

1. How do I get the original 4 voicings on my DT25/DT50 sound the same over the POD HD as playing the DT25/50 standalone ?

 

2. Why is there so a big difference in the overall volumes of the models and how can I level them ?

 

3. Do I use pre amp models or full amp models?

 

4. What Output mode shall I use with my DT25/50?

 

5. Should be the cab/sims on or off ?

 

6. How to I power the Acoustic sounds ?

 

7. etc.

 

 

If you ask me for some simple generic tips:

------------------------------------------------------

 

- Take your time and be prepared to go through a learning curve of 3-6 months depending on your experience.

 

- Don't get confused with the great flexibility of the DR

 

- Don't try to understand everything at once. Go step by step.

 

- Use the L6 forums: read the Threads to your specific questions and don't hesitate to ask a question. Use also the OLD read-only forums from Line6. There are a lot of good Threads in.

 

- Don't expect that there is that much clearly right or wrong how to use the DR in the manuals or in the forums or that you will find answers on all your questions in the manuals. There are often more answers to the same question and you

have to make up your own mind on some of them.

 

- Start with basics: learn how to create your own preset from scratch; don't rely on the existing ones in the POD HD or from customtone. These presets can give you an "inspiration" to your own ones. But they are heavily related to the guitar

player, or to specific purposes they were made for, like recording or gigging, and this seldom fits to your own capabilities and needs. Start only 1 amp and try to figure out how this amp sound best to you. Then add effects to your preset.

May be you also need to learn how to place the effects in the signal chain (depending on your preveious experience) and how the sounds is changing, if you place them differently.

 

 

Probably all things you may be already aware of or have already read somewhere else ...

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