I need real world HD500X straight to PA/FOH Distortion tips.

[brokenbones]

Does anyone have any real world tips to get a better distortion tone?  I have read the zanzibar guides and they helped a little but I still think this thing could sound a whole lot better. Are there certain steps you're following? Do you HAVE to use dual amp mode to get a good distortion? Do you have to use an overdrive pedal instead of an amp's distortion to get a good, tight tone?

 

I'm looking for something in the range from Rock to 90s/Alternative, no metal. Something that is thick, gainy, lead/mid boost/punch. Think full bodied JCM900. No Scooped Mids. 

 

Right now I go XLR (L) straight in to the board. Master Vol on board=65.

Treadplate>HiWay 4x12, 57 On Axis.

Amp Parameters: Master=66, Sag and Hum=50. Bias=100 BiasX=75

Amp EQ: Drive=40. Bass and Mid=66, Treble=varies between venues=normally=10-40, Pres.=50, Ch.Vol=50(always)

Mixer: Path A, Center +4.0db  Path B=Mute

 

Most of my effects are split. Boost/OD in front of amp and Noise Gate is after the mixer. 

 

My biggest complaint is that my tone is just flabby and digital sounding. I'll back off the bass and treble to get by at shows.

 

Are there any tips you can provide or "ah-ha" moments when you were setting your tones?

 

Thanks...

 

 

 

[pianoguyy]

the word "better" is totally subjective and no one but you can answer it for you. 

 

but to answer the question without actually answering the question --- 

the main thing to remember is - you are not hearing a guitar amp tone. 

 

You are hearing the "album ready" tone - the final product. 

Most guitar players run into problems because "it sounds different than my old rig". It's meant to be that way. 

Think about it, you are skipping a step when you go direct, that skipped step changes the tone. So it gets added back in.

 

But since most people are not familiar with album tone, or pa tone. They are only familiar with amp tone. It causes problems for them. 

[napynap]

Does anyone have any real world tips to get a better distortion tone?  I have read the zanzibar guides and they helped a little but I still think this thing could sound a whole lot better. Are there certain steps you're following? Do you HAVE to use dual amp mode to get a good distortion? Do you have to use an overdrive pedal instead of an amp's distortion to get a good, tight tone?

 

I'm looking for something in the range from Rock to 90s/Alternative, no metal. Something that is thick, gainy, lead/mid boost/punch. Think full bodied JCM900. No Scooped Mids. 

 

Right now I go XLR (L) straight in to the board. Master Vol on board=65.

Treadplate>HiWay 4x12, 57 On Axis.

Amp Parameters: Master=66, Sag and Hum=50. Bias=100 BiasX=75

Amp EQ: Drive=40. Bass and Mid=66, Treble=varies between venues=normally=10-40, Pres.=50, Ch.Vol=50(always)

Mixer: Path A, Center +4.0db  Path B=Mute

 

Most of my effects are split. Boost/OD in front of amp and Noise Gate is after the mixer. 

 

My biggest complaint is that my tone is just flabby and digital sounding. I'll back off the bass and treble to get by at shows.

 

Are there any tips you can provide or "ah-ha" moments when you were setting your tones?

 

Thanks...

Your settings will vary, but I get a tight distortion sound that can play Green Day style songs direct to PA or FRFR with a POD HD like this:

Input Settings: Impedance 1M, Input 1 GTR, Input 2 to MIC

I use Tube Comp > Color Drive > Noise Gate> Blackface Dbl Nrm > CAB 1x12" Blackface Lux w/ mic 57 On Axis

CAB settings: Turn down E.R. (Early reflections)

PA Settings: Make sure there's not a whole lot going on here in terms of EQ or Compression, which sound engineers sometimes adjust.

[FlyingSquirrel]

I would just say that "less is more" when it comes to gain.

 

On its own, I sometimes think that I don't have enough gain in my guitar tone using the Uberschaal model, but when I record & hear it back, it's plenty fine, and dynamic.

My recordings are in the 2 guitarist perspective, ala Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, etc...  and my recordings always remind me that I am serving the recording best with the sweet spot of gain.

 

Yesterday, I was playing on my church worship team, and I ran across the same scenario playing along side an acoustic, J-Bass, Keys, and a drummer with 3 vocalists.  During sound check, again, I'm thinking, "do I have enough gain?", but then when the rest of the band fired up, I quickly put those concerns to rest as my tone fit the entire band mix appropriately.

 

Because I spend a great deal of time creating my presets in a recording environment in a band mix context, FOH barely does anything to my signal other than a slight rolloff of some low end, according to their room, and a unity gain signal.  That's it, no gate, no comp, just good gain staging with minimal subtractive eq.

[TravDaddy]

The solution I have found is to play with the parametric eq.

 

THE BEST EVER guide for crafting dirty tones was created by a user named MeAmBobbo. You'll likely need nothing else... Pay close attention to the "Fizzy Spots" section. It was exactly the mojo I needed. You may even need to use two or three effects blocks for multiple parametric eqs.

 

http://foobazaar.com/podhd/toneGuide/

[BBD_123]

Does anyone have any real world tips to get a better distortion tone?  I have read the zanzibar guides and they helped a little but I still think this thing could sound a whole lot better. Are there certain steps you're following? Do you HAVE to use dual amp mode to get a good distortion? Do you have to use an overdrive pedal instead of an amp's distortion to get a good, tight tone?

 

I'm looking for something in the range from Rock to 90s/Alternative, no metal. Something that is thick, gainy, lead/mid boost/punch. Think full bodied JCM900. No Scooped Mids. 

 

Right now I go XLR (L) straight in to the board. Master Vol on board=65.

Treadplate>HiWay 4x12, 57 On Axis.

Amp Parameters: Master=66, Sag and Hum=50. Bias=100 BiasX=75

Amp EQ: Drive=40. Bass and Mid=66, Treble=varies between venues=normally=10-40, Pres.=50, Ch.Vol=50(always)

Mixer: Path A, Center +4.0db  Path B=Mute

 

Most of my effects are split. Boost/OD in front of amp and Noise Gate is after the mixer. 

 

My biggest complaint is that my tone is just flabby and digital sounding. I'll back off the bass and treble to get by at shows.

 

Are there any tips you can provide or "ah-ha" moments when you were setting your tones?

 

Thanks...

 

 

Dual amp mode necessary for good distortion? No!

 

Overdrive pedal instead of amp drive? Depends entirely on the amp and desired effect. High gain amps don't need a drive pedal, but you can pre-EQ the tone with the tone controls on the pedal for really nice results.

 

Your Noise Gate should be the first thing in your signal chain, not the last.

 

If you don't want scooped mids, then don't use an amp like the Treadplate. Use something that is naturally closer to what you want. The Plexi Bright model might a good place to start. Leave the amp gain/tone stack, cab and mic defaults alone. All you may need to do is turn Channel Vol down a bit. Put a Tube Screamer in front of the amp, then maybe turn the Drive down a bit and the Output up - experiment. Use the Bass, Tone and Treble controls on the Screamer to EQ your tone.

 

Try the same approach with a few other amps. Hopefully this will *quickly* get you close to where you want to be. Then you can tinker with it for many happy hours until it's just so.

[bjnette]

It can also happen that the PA out front up high might be fine out in front of house but not<br />on stage and not with in ears.<br />To get some trouser flapping use an amp on stage or at least a couple of wedges.