How 'fast' does your distortion sound??

[Sten]

I don't recall anyone ever saying they noticed this kind of thing, but I always have. I'm not sure where it is in the tonal spectrum, but there's a kind of speed to the tone of various gains. For example, the FAS6160 is medium speed. Vintage amps typically sound slow. The Dizzy 4 sounds RACEY.

Know what I mean? And what makes for this?

[Rex]

I'm not sure what you mean by "fast distortion," but there are some differences between the amps you mentioned that will relate to tone and feel. Vintage amps often get much of their distortion from the power amp. When you hit a power amp hard, clipping is softer, the supply sags, and you get a squishier tone and feel. Higher-gain amps get more of their distortion from the preamp, clipping is harder, and their tone and feel are sharper. Is that what you mean by distortion speed?

[joel]

i think you mean sag?

[Trazan]

Know what I mean? And what makes for this?

Yeah, know what you mean...unless you mean something else! Getting into preamp distortion only would be the speedy kind. The combined clipping from various stages can somehow result in what sounds like a new, more coarse soft clipping shape made on top. Resulting in e.g. RRRRRRR instead of zzzzzzzzz....if ya know what I mean

[Moltenmetalburn]

Transients.

[Sixstring]

I have referred to this as different tooth sizes on a saw blade but Trazan's description is a good one also. Again the true difference is preamp vrs power amp distortion.

[Cover'd]

It's a very difficult thing to describe...

One example I could point to would be Dream Theater's 'Space Dye Vest' where (from about 2:39) it sounds to me as if they recorded higher pitched chords at higher tape speed and then when slowed back down to normal speed, it produces that 'slower distortion' sound (perhaps more obvious on the long held chord at 3:54)

[flying_walrus]

i think he's using a comb filter to get that sound. you can hear the resonant frequency sweep at around 3:50-4:05 (when the vocals drop out)

he's able to reproduce it live, so i'm pretty sure it's not just recording tricks

[MisterE]

Would you call this a "slow distortion":


Or this one @ 1'20"


This is what I would call a "snarling" distortion an IMHO the hardest to emulate
At least i haven't been able to get that out of the axe-Fx

[Sidivan]

I think I know what you're talking about, but I don't know what causes it.

To me, "slower distortion" kind of sounds like it's grinding away at the chords. The natural oscillation of the string seems more apparent. Almost like a really slow, subtle vibrato... or a hand cranked meat grinder. "Fast Distortion" is a more even and immediate. Like you hit the chord and it's "there". Some might think it sounds sterile. I think it sounds focused/compressed.

That DT song Cover'd linked is a good example of the "slow" distortion sound. Here's what I would consider "fast" distortion.

Guitar starts about a minute in.

[Cobrango]

I love that kind of distortion! What you refer to as slow, I think of as american. Maybe american distortion is something else. Anyone with a term on this fenomenon?

As MisterE implies, anyone here with some snarling clips for us from the axe-fx? May the snarl be with you, always.

[Sten]

The DM is too diffuse to tell. The Accept is medium. The Slaughter sounds faster, in this case I think it's the highs that accentuate it. Hear how 'fast' the highs seem to buzz. I've found that scooping the mids can sound faster than boosting the mids, but there's isn't this difference on any amp; more often mid to high gain. The tone stack of the Dizzy 4 ch4 seems to be somewhat inherently scooped; setting the mids to at least 6 gives less mids than the FAS6160 at 3 (or maybe the mid freq of the Dizzy is a bit higher...).


@Sidivan: the vid isn't playing over here.

[Sidivan]

The DM is too diffuse to tell. The Accept is medium. The Slaughter sounds faster, in this case I think it's the highs that accentuate it. Hear how 'fast' the highs seem to buzz. I've found that scooping the mids can sound faster than boosting the mids, but there's isn't this difference on any amp; more often mid to high gain. The tone stack of the Dizzy 4 ch4 seems to be somewhat inherently scooped; setting the mids to at least 6 gives less mids than the FAS6160 at 3 (or maybe the mid freq of the Dizzy is a bit higher...).


@Sidivan: the vid isn't playing over here.

It's "Starfire" by Dragonforce.

[Sten]

It's "Starfire" by Dragonforce.

Uhm, yeah I suppose it sounds fast, again due to the treble content. That's a dense mix. A tone I always thought fast was Metallica on Puppets.

[Gorilla]

Oh yes! I hear you guys on this!!! Man I've been trying to get THIS distortion/ tone and I haven't heard anyone yet get it on a Ultra or Axe Fx II.

Not without fizzys and there's no fizzys in this...it's just balls out 5150TONE!! Help me get this someone

[guitarnerd]

You'd be surprised how much fizzer than tone is if you would listen to the guitar by itself. Distorted guitars pretty much always sounds smoother in a mix.

[Rex]

You'd be surprised how much fizzer than tone is if you would listen to the guitar by itself. Distorted guitars pretty much always sounds smoother in a mix.

This. ^^^

That fizz is what cuts through the mix. In a heavy mix, "fizz" sounds like "clarity."

[ccroyalsenders]

It's amazing how much listening to isolated guitar stem tracks will do for your concept of what good tone should sound like. One of the best things you can do as a player who wants to play well with others, IMO.

[shotgunn]

It's amazing how much listening to isolated guitar stem tracks will do for your concept of what good tone should sound like. One of the best things you can do as a player who wants to play well with others, IMO.

Agreed. I was blown away at how, dare I say, 'fizzy' Sad But True's rhythm tracks sounded in solo. Then you add the rest of the mix and the rest is up to the coroner.

[shotgunn]

Uhm, yeah I suppose it sounds fast, again due to the treble content. That's a dense mix. A tone I always thought fast was Metallica on Puppets.

Same here. Mustaine had a pretty fast tone too. A bit too thin for my taste, but 'fast', 'clear', and 'cutting'.

I think, at least to my understanding, that Dimebag had the fastest distortion ever. Razor sharp, yet not harsh, and an absolutely immediate attack with utter clarity. RIP.