Patch level balancing

[Phil_GMC]

Hello folks,

 

I know perceived volume etc all come into this but, what's the best way you've found for matching the output from one patch to another? I'm a home studio guitarist and for the way I work I'd like to set all patches to hit the peak meters with the same db or pretty close.

 

Please don't go on about boosted should be louder than not boosted etc, I know that and I will be using snapshots to cover that sort of thing but, I want the initial patch to be close to all the others.

 

I know the long winded way of finding the cleanest, least compressed patch and setting levels to that and using it as a reference point but have you found anything more streamlined?

 

Cheers

 

[PeterHamm]

Dub meter on a phone is one good way.

[DunedinDragon]

Personally I have a small 4 channel mixer I connect up to my Helix when I'm dialing in patches.  I always set my Master Volume on the Helix at the same spot and then I dial in the patch volume using the signal lights on the mixer as a guide.  I still have to adjust a bit by ear based on the patch, but it works very well at least for maintaining a consistent signal level going to the PA for live performances.  Should work fine in a studio as well.  As long as the patches are consistent you can adjust the Master Volume accordingly to get the right signal strength across all patches.

[brue58ski]

The problem with using a meter is many meters respond differently to different frequencies. 0dB at 1000Hz may not be 0dB at 4000Hz. Having said that, this is what I do. I have a tone generator that will put out a mic level 1000hZ sine wave. It's a shure mixer so I'm assuming their mic level tone is fairly accurate. I make sure the level coming out is at 0dB. I then put that mixer's output into my main mixer and 0 the meter in the mixer with the master and channel sliders at 0. I use the trim on the mixer inputs to set the 0dB level. So from there I try to keep the level between 0dB and 4dB while playing/strumming an open D chord keeping the Helix Main volume knob at the same level and using the amps Channel level to make all of the adjustments. Mostly. That's what I do.

[AlexKenivel]

I use a DAW (usually audacity). Be sure to try all things like palm mutes and pinch harmonics to get an idea of dynamics in all frequency ranges

[Phil_GMC]

Thanks,

 

On my Boss GT100, there was a Patch level knob in each patch, is the Channel level the same or does it change the sound at all? I can't check it right now as I'm not home.

 

Cheers

[AlexKenivel]

Yes, channel level on the amp block will affect the input of any blocks following it, but not the amp sound directly. You can always adjust at the output block (more like an output circle)

[rvroberts]

Hi Phil,

There is no way!

People talk of meters, but you said it at the start of your question.

Perceived volume is the only one that counts when you are on stage with a band.

Some sounds cut really well and some get lost - if a sound is getting lost even when you have the volume well pushed, you probably need to look at it's EQ as well as volume.

What I did was find one sound that was really typical - for me that was a mid crunch - and then jumped back and forward at band level (I went into the rehearsal studio an hour before the rest turned up) and jumped back and forward from patch to patch trying to get it as close as possible.

Then when the band turned up, that had put me in the ball park, but still maybe 80%. So since then I tweak anything that doesn't seem to cut through - and that will be both volume and EQ. Generally if I'm just stalling everyone on an odd occasion, they live with my fiddling! I also have a volume pedal set to global volume at the end of every patch - so I can make adjustments depending on the stage and the typical volume creep of a band over the night......

It works well - but no silver bullet!

[cruisinon2]

Oh goody!!! Another volume discussion. If it's too loud, turn it down. If it's not loud enough, turn it up. Lather, rinse, repeat...why is this EVER a conversation?

[cruisinon2]

Hi Phil,There is no way!People talk of meters, but you said it at the start of your question.Perceived volume is the only one that counts when you are on stage with a band.Some sounds cut really well and some get lost

Hallelujah!!! This...and nothing but this. You don't need meters or flashing lights. You need ears and and IQ slightly larger than your shoe size.

 

Where's the Tylenol?

[jbuhajla]

DAW to get "normalized" between patches/snapshots before rehearsal, then tweak to taste during rehearsal. It saves some time to just have to tweak to taste instead of having to make large adjustments. Our rehearsals are fairly short and we have to be very efficient with our time. 

[Phil_GMC]

Oh goody!!! Another volume discussion. If it's too loud, turn it down. If it's not loud enough, turn it up. Lather, rinse, repeat...why is this EVER a conversation?

Sorry for the late response, family crisis for a week.

 

I only asked because straight out of the box, patch levels are massively different and when you're at home trying everything out, or going through trying to find something to base a sound on, you sometimes find a nice patch, play with it for a while then go to the next one, WHAM you're blowing your windows out!!!

[twystedriffs]

Yep Phil.. if at home, use a daw or meter, or against a drum track. Then tweak by ear if you go to a live session. Thats about it, spending a few hours doing exactly that today myself..