Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Jump to content

Honestly, the Les Paul models are way too nasally, any way to fix it?


Recommended Posts

I got an Epi Les Paul Custom a while ago and it blows the Variax's Lester settings out of the water, but I still want to get sounds out of it. Is it me or is the settings too nasally? Are they based off of a Les Paul with brighter humbuckers or something?

 

Does anyone else have a Les Paul and think the Lester model sounds close? It's just not happening with me.

 

Any way to fix this in Workbench?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any way to fix this in Workbench?

"Nasally" tone is generally due to an overdose of mids...making this largely an EQ issue. Just about the only thing you'll be able to do with Workbench is try different pickups, and/or changing the position of the modeled pickup on the body. Generally speaking, the closer a pickup is to the neck, the boomier things get. Move stuff around and see what happens. It's all trial and error....

 

But I suspect a parametric EQ, with a narrow Q, set to dial out the offending frequency will produce better results.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know. The more I go back to humbucker based sounds the more I feel like it all sounds too nasally. I feel like there's probably a defect with my Variax that somehow got worse over time. The quacky sound is really bothersome.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lowering the electronics and presetting the tone knob to about 8/10 helps give a more realisticly smooth Les Paul sound, but it's annoying because it ruins the whole concept of those electronic values supposedly sounding that way, or the use of the tone knob liberally.

 

I guess it can be fixed with EQ, but I'd like to just plug in the guitar and have it sound like what it's supposed to sound like.

 

Does anyone have a Les Paul that honestly sounds as bright and lacking in bass as the Variax models do?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I guess it depends on what each of us is playing, but I loaded the presets that arislaf  posted above, and they are unusable to me. I guess I'm lucky that I find the LP models pretty decent even though they aren't an exact copy of how my real LP sounds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, hichembell said:

what's the main difference between workbench and workbench HD ??

 

Well there's a bunch, but I'd hafta say the string volume controls on a per-model basis in HD. In the old one, the string volume controls were global,  which doesn't work very well in the wild. The models differ quite a bit with respect to relative perceived string volume... couple that with the variable output of piezos, and things easily get out of whack....something is gonna need tweaking, and settings that balance one model, very likely won't work for the next. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, hurghanico said:

- adopting a lighter picking touch (possibly compensated by a higher volume) gives better results with this type of instruments

 

I got to the same result. Usually I prefer to play harder to get a more aggressive tone. With the Variax, having a hotter model and running a little bit more gain on the amp will prevent me from doing that. Picking with a softer touch gets the banjo sound away.

Another big improvement is creating custom models without looking at what they are supposed to be. Just try bodies and pickups until you find what works for you.

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

which body / pickups will give that fat round an bassy les paul sound according to you ?? The lester being too nasal ....more like a  jazz guitar ...masonic seemed good in the begining but at the end it sounds like 69 magnetic ..thus more like a single coil 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OP if you're a 69 user I just got one and I noticed the trem springs effect on the acoustic sound. They give a mild early reflection reverb which add brightness - all part of the strats characteristic tone but no place on a Les Paul.

 

I've ordered a set of noiseless trem springs  - they're dampened to prevent the reverb effect (essentially you've got an acoustic spring reverb bolted in your guitar lol!) so will report back but for a tenner they must be worth a shot.

 

Bare in mind that the piezos are mechanically linked to the bridge which is mechanically linked to the springs so they will (I'm guessing anyway) pick up up that ghost early reflection effect. I have a gut feeling dampening may improve 12 string artifacts as well but won't know til they arrive.

 

YMMV.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try using Workbench HD to turn down the global string levels to the point where you can hear that changing the level has an effect for what you think is heavy picking.

 

The modelling has to cope with users playing using 13s or 7s sets of strings, it has to cope with featherweight picks or 50p coins, Pete Townsend windmills or the lightest caress using fingers.... these vary the input level into the modelling and are unique to your guitar and your playing style.

 

There is an optimum input level into the modelling stage most obvious on the sitar or acoustic models, so the input from the piezos are limited where everything above the limit is compressed down - the global string level controls the gain into the limiter for each piezo. Turn it down so that limiting only has an impact on when you play your very hardest and the models will come alive and the overpowering ones such as the F# resonance on the Acoustic 5 or Sitar are toned down. Then if necessary turn up the level of each patch to compensate and match the magnetic levels. Adjustments around -10db is common for users playing with 10s; often more for the low strings and less for the high ones.

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Before I got the Variax I was experimenting with adding Piezo transducers to my other guitars. I did this by placing them somewhere in the body of the guitar and then wiring them up to a stereo output jack. Anyway, one thing I found was if I put the piezo too close to the bridge, I would get bad sounding resonant frequencies around 700 - 800 Hz that made the output sound nasally, you may want to filter out frequencies around that range and see if that helps matters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Rewolf48 said:

Try using Workbench HD to turn down the global string levels to the point where you can hear that changing the level has an effect for what you think is heavy picking.

 

The modelling has to cope with users playing using 13s or 7s sets of strings, it has to cope with featherweight picks or 50p coins, Pete Townsend windmills or the lightest caress using fingers.... these vary the input level into the modelling and are unique to your guitar and your playing style.

 

There is an optimum input level into the modelling stage most obvious on the sitar or acoustic models, so the input from the piezos are limited where everything above the limit is compressed down - the global string level controls the gain into the limiter for each piezo. Turn it down so that limiting only has an impact on when you play your very hardest and the models will come alive and the overpowering ones such as the F# resonance on the Acoustic 5 or Sitar are toned down. Then if necessary turn up the level of each patch to compensate and match the magnetic levels. Adjustments around -10db is common for users playing with 10s; often more for the low strings and less for the high ones.

This is very good advice, thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tried to turn down the volume of the strings ....and..... it works !! I found than lowering to 40 per cent works well  ... I compensate with preset's volume .....I need to mention That i also used some fabric between the piezos and the tremolo ( I have the 69 model) I followed some advice in another thread ! and it is day and night I will never thank you enough for your sharings ...still need work for perfect tone 

 

 

any advice for accentuating the sustain???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/18/2018 at 12:34 AM, hichembell said:

which body / pickups will give that fat round an bassy les paul sound according to you ?? The lester being too nasal ....more like a  jazz guitar ...masonic seemed good in the begining but at the end it sounds like 69 magnetic ..thus more like a single coil 

My advice wasn't specific for a LP, but to get your custom guitar sound right.

 

I have to say that I also did the same thing suggested by @Rewolf48 and it made a lot of difference!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, taylorbeats said:

That was pretty much the ticket right there.  Dropped globals about -10db, evened out the string volume (high E needed an extra +5 db) upped the models volume-WOW!

hmmm I did the reverse ...lowering strings volume and ading preset volume !! will try the the other way and share with you the results

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad it is working for you too.

The variax products just need a little bit more attention from Line 6 to the software and usability; for example Workbench HD if you had an VDI equipped effects unit (e.g. HD500/Helix) could set the global levels for you automatically in a calibration process. And more information about what the effect of many of the fine tuning options in Workbench achieve would be useful without relying on somebody working it out using spectrum analysers.

Maybe when we get Variax Generation 3? With built in Guitar to MIDI over VDI and real time morphing of the models ....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...