How low do you drop global string levels?

[nsbluesman]

So after going back and forth with my JTV89 and global string levels I wound up with this:

 

Low E at -7.4db

A at -10.6db

D at -10.0db

G  at -10.5db

B at -5.5db

E at -4.0db

 

I left the individual string values at 100% but wound up boosting the pickup output and patch level by anywhere from 2.2db to 6db, it sounds nice and clear now, I know that the 89 has fairly high output HB's on it and have actually dropped them right down to the level of the rings. I also wound up moving the pickups closer to their respective real positions and changed the tone caps and pot values to reflect the original guitars. I am just wondering what other users have experienced when trying to get a balanced sound, did you use the global values or the individual string values? Honestly starting to go a bit cross eyed here ;-)

 

Cheers

[cruisinon2]

47 minutes ago, nsbluesman said:

So after going back and forth with my JTV89 and global string levels I wound up with this:

 

Low E at -7.4db

A at -10.6db

D at -10.0db

G  at -10.5db

B at -5.5db

E at -4.0db

 

I left the individual string values at 100% but wound up boosting the pickup output and patch level by anywhere from 2.2db to 6db, it sounds nice and clear now, I know that the 89 has fairly high output HB's on it and have actually dropped them right down to the level of the rings. I also wound up moving the pickups closer to their respective real positions and changed the tone caps and pot values to reflect the original guitars. I am just wondering what other users have experienced when trying to get a balanced sound, did you use the global values or the individual string values? Honestly starting to go a bit cross eyed here ;-)

 

Cheers

 

Balancing models with mag pickups is one thing, but balancing model to model is another. The problem with using global levels is that some models are inherently louder than others. What works for the LP is unlikely to work for the Strat, etc etc... I'm surprised that you have any balance at all from one model to the next.

[nsbluesman]

So, do you normally use the individual string levels to balance? I think boosting or drastically cutting the output of the pickups allowed me (to my ears anyway) balance between models. Then again I am running this into an Hx Stomp thru a poweramp into two smallish pa speakers..so I may be coloring the sound a few times over. I tried using a clean twin model with standard cab low cut about 80Hz and High about 6.5 to 8KHz. I think I will have a go at using the individual string volumes per patch and see how that works for me..

 

 

 

[cruisinon2]

58 minutes ago, nsbluesman said:

So, do you normally use the individual string levels to balance?

 

 

 

 

It's really the only thing that works... take the Spank models, for example. They're all anemic to begin with, compared with the Lesters... and just as can often be the case with a real Strat, the B and high E strings are overpowered by the lower strings. I've got the low E string as low as 50% for the neck pickup model, slightly higher for some of the others...

 

The Lesters on the other hand,  are considerably louder than the Strat, and much more balanced. I have no need to drag the low E string's output down by that much compared to the other strings... and neither group of settings will work for the acoustic models. They're all very different.

 

There's also the piezo pickups themselves to consider... those outputs tend to vary from one saddle to the next. All these reasons are why they gave us the option of varying  string output model by model in the first place... it ain't one size fits all.

 

All that being said, if doing it globally works for you, so be it... but if that's case, your Variax is one in a million.

[Rewolf48]

I have to disagree.

Global String level settings are a great place to start especially if you use heavier strings but also because woods vary, and piezoelectric pickups vary. If every model has no dynamics then you have to lower the globals down until there’s an audible difference between light and heavy picking.

Then you tune the models to taste.

The numbers for the global settings are in the same sort of ball park as what I needed on my 69.

[cruisinon2]

Like I said...a million opinions. In 6 years, I've never touched the global string volumes.

[nsbluesman]

It's funny sometimes for sure! I wound up creating two different bundle files, one with global levels set and one with individual levels set, I will play with each and see which I prefer! Just a matter of changing the global levels for each bundle..Thanks for the input folks!!