Best way to monitor when tweaking patches

[Indianrock2020]

I'm sure this has been covered so if there is a good thread, please paste in the link.    I've been using a home stereo receiver with a couple of decent speakers along with a Rolls PM 351 so I can blend the POD output with a microphone.  Laptop runs into the POD so I can play along with mp3s.

 

People have mentioned how what you hear varies by time of day, fatigue, etc -- and that sure is true.  Today I tried some quality headphones and everything sounded better, naturally.  But I want the patches to work direct into a PA, along with a band ( so I know I will have to add mids and probably reduce bass in that situation).  I did try pointing the stereo speakers out away from me somewhat -- everything seems to sound worse when its going right into your face.

 

 

 

 

[Indianrock2020]

I am thinking through that headphones might be best for using the parametric EQ to tame an overdrive.  Through this stereo I'm really having a tough time picking out the bad frequency to cut the way Peter shows in his second video here:

  http://www.peterhanmer.co.za/line6.htm   

[duncann]

The entire forum has info about this topic, scattered about everywhere and anywhere. I don't think I've seen a concentrated topic on this though, for what people's personal tweaking habits are, and any tips that might be contained in that info.

 

So here's what I do.

 

For me, tweaking patches is a very dynamic process, but depends mostly on the song I'm working with, and how whatever it is I'm tweaking fits with whatever else is going on in the song. So often, it's not just tweaking one thing. It's tweaking multiple things at once, until I hear the bigger soundscape I'm after. Most stuff I do by what I hear, rather than finding specific frequencies to work with. Sometimes, boiling things down to numbers isn't very fun. I do everything with MP3s in mind, so no worries about the differences between live and not live. And while I always use headphones, I also check the results on multiple speaker systems, from cheap to mid-range quality.

[billlorentzen]

Personally I tweak with studio monitors, and find it translates well to a pa. I am a recording engineer, so I know what to listen for. I would suggest working a bit then resting your ears, then listen again, until you like it consistently.

[MarcoSP]

Personally I tweak with studio monitors, and find it translates well to a pa. I am a recording engineer, so I know what to listen for. I would suggest working a bit then resting your ears, then listen again, until you like it consistently.

 

Hi Bill, I'm interested in how you do global eq'ing after the new update. I find that I have to cut A LOT of high end (I'm using the low pass filter at 6 Khz!!!), do you feel the same? At least with the big bottom amp I get a better result like this (maybe not so much in the studio monitors,which I could filter down to 8 Khz maybe, but live I definitely get more high end than what I hear with my monitors at home and end up filtering A LOT).

 

Cheers!

[pianoguyy]

The truth is...

There really is no right answer for how to monitor when tweaking.

 

For example:

I had downloaded a 'clean' patch while looking for a particular tone. I thought that the clean was great even though it wasn't what I was looking for, but there was too much echo going on. Obviously, I can take the echo out.

However, when playing with a band, that echo that I hated, had turned out to be perfect.

 

So, had I tweaked when it was just me, the echo would be gone. And then it wouldn't sound good in the live setting.

[pianoguyy]

 I'm interested in how you do global eq'ing after the new update. 

 

 

That question implies that you are misusing the GEQ. 

 

Global eq should be 'flat', or even off. Until you need to change the overall tone of the entire unit, such as what you may find when you change rooms or amps/monitors. 

 

 

After the update, did you remember to go back and set your studio/combo/stack settings? 

[MarcoSP]

That question implies that you are misusing the GEQ. 

 

Global eq should be 'flat', or even off. Until you need to change the overall tone of the entire unit, such as what you may find when you change rooms or amps/monitors. 

 

 

After the update, did you remember to go back and set your studio/combo/stack settings? 

 

Thanks but I asked for Bill's opinion!

 

I know what a global eq does, I've been recording and playing for 30 years... Cheers!

[AlexKenivel]

In my opinion, you should monitor through the medium the patches were meant for, although I think the OPs suggestion of using headphones for frequency hunting is a good idea.

 

I plan on playing live in direct mode so I create my patches through a PA with two 2-way 12" speakers at rehearsal volumes

[pianoguyy]

And he should tell you the same thing. 

 

Keep it flat until you need to room shape. Each room is different, there is no one miracle setting for every room. 

[AlexKenivel]

That question implies that you are misusing the GEQ. 

 

Misuse? Is there a rule about how to use this stuff? If that is indeed the way things are, then this implies the lack of creativity and ingenuity that is advance in technology.

 

Who told the Beatles distortion was horrible for guitars?

Who told Jimi that he couldn't dive bomb or hump his guitar or perform cunnalingus on his strings?

 

C'mon Gearhead!

[pianoguyy]

Of course, its music, so there are no rules. 

And, since it is your machine, you make your rules. 

 

BUT 

 

Its a no brainer --- if you design a patch and then change the GEQ, it will sound different. So then, when you design a new patch with the new GEQ setting, again, when you change to another GEQ setting, now neither patch will sound as planned. 

 

It would be like adjusting the Master Volume to accommodate for the differences in patch volumes. That isn't how you use a Master Volume, nor is it how you use a Master Equalizer. 

[NucleusX]

Personally, I create patches as good as possible on a decent set of headphones and/or studio monitors. A change to room environment

or amp and speaker setup, usually needs no more than the Global EQ to tune specific frequencies to compensate for the differences.

[AlexKenivel]

Of course, its music, so there are no rules.

And, since it is your machine, you make your rules.

 

BUT

 

Its a no brainer --- if you design a patch and then change the GEQ, it will sound different. So then, when you design a new patch with the new GEQ setting, again, when you change to another GEQ setting, now neither patch will sound as planned.

 

It would be like adjusting the Master Volume to accommodate for the differences in patch volumes. That isn't how you use a Master Volume, nor is it how you use a Master Equalizer.

 

I get what you mean. I see it this way. I set my GEQ to cut the frequencies guitar speakers don't produce, thus, making it sound more guitar-like. This stays the same for all my patches. If I'm playing guitar (99% of the time) it stays that way. All other EQ tweaks I do with effects

[pianoguyy]

If you are going to use it on your machine to filter your own personal hiss, that's fine. 

But my hiss is different than your hiss, so there is no 'set it like this' that works for both of us.

 

Plus my hiss is different from itself depending on the environment and other gear used. GEQ, instead of being used to make 'a guitar sound like a guitar', can be used to accommodate the changes. 

Kind of like, leveling the playing field. Making sure that, no matter what changes you make outside of the Pod, everything starts at the same baseline. 

Too much bass in this room, GEQ can remove the bass. There is less treble with this amp than my amp at home, GEQ can add treble.

 

 

But it's your machine, do whatever you'd like.