Preset levelling

N

Nagi Mysore

Inspired
This is a followup to the video by Scott Peterson...just wanted to note that there is a free app on Android called Sound Meter which measures the sound in decibels and does a fairly accurate job...of course free. Thought it might help.

One other note...I think that video is great and it really is one of the firt steps that everybody needs to take to set up the AXE. That said...I have a basic question.

Do you all keep the presets that you use for lead at a higher db than say the rythm presets..I asume this is so....If so how much higher...maybe 6 db?
I know it depends on individual taste but I wanted to see what others are doing.

With the advent of scenes, is it possible that scene One may have a different amp output level than Scene 2?

Thanks
 
I have an android app that has an SPL meter, but it won't go higher than a certain dB (it is fairly low - maybe 85). I'm not sure if it is a hardware or app limitation. The problem was I wanted to do the leveling at gig volumes and this won't get me there. If your phone/app has the same issue I suppose you can still do a relative match at a much lower dB.

About a lead boost - I think 6dB is on the high end. Mine is usually closer to 3, but sometimes higher. It can depend on the tone (dirty or clean? if clean, compressed or not?).
 
I am no pro...just an enthusiast...so I cant say about gig volumes. I checked the app just now and it shows that the max it can read is upto 140 db. Hope that helps.
 
3 to 4db is right for lead boost. Found several db meters for the iPhone. Decibel 10th and JL Audio are two of them and both exceed 85db.
 
Secret80'sMan said:
3 to 4db is right for lead boost. Found several db meters for the iPhone. Decibel 10th and JL Audio are two of them and both exceed 85db.
Click to expand...

Yeah, depends of course on how loud the rhythm guitar is in the mix. Less dBs when it's already loud.
 
Isn't sound pressure level only part of the story? IMO the way the guitar sits in the mix also depends on how it's EQ'd and, because of Fletcher Munson, also depends on the overall volume. I've got patches that use different amp models for rhythm and lead. Their relative volumes sound well balanced live, but unbalanced at rehearsal levels, and totally wrong at bedroom levels. It's not too bad if the lead sound is similar to the rhythm. A 4 to 6 dB boost, or a turn of the guitar volume knob, works well in those situations. If the lead is a different amp type then the volume difference is often very noticeable, particularly at low volume.
 
Simply put, I've found trusting my ears for patch volume equality is the best method for me. Sound guys have been happy with the results and when I tried using meters, patch volumes where all over the map (due to different compressions and playing styles used per patch)

I generally have a 4db filter block boost for all solo sounds. but have recently simply had entirely new patches for solos (so I can tweak gains and delay..etc) which then means I can build the extra 4-5db increase into the amp block itself.
 
A lot of good info here. SPL Meter or not, its hard to get it 100% perfect everytime. Different venues make for different volume levels.
 
Trainwreck1446 said:
A lot of good info here. SPL Meter or not, its hard to get it 100% perfect everytime. Different venues make for different volume levels.
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...its also why I've got my Macbook hooked to my Axe at gigs. If I have a new patch that suddenly sounds WAY too quiet or too loud, I just adjust it right there on the fly.
 
So when firmware changes and there is a new version of firmware eachtime, along with a new set of presets (like the V9 preset banks) what do you all do? Do you retweak the new presets that Fractal provides each time or just use a copy of the existing presets you have and just tweak it to normalize it for the new firmware.....
 
Gamedojo said:
Simply put, I've found trusting my ears for patch volume equality is the best method for me. Sound guys have been happy with the results and when I tried using meters, patch volumes where all over the map (due to different compressions and playing styles used per patch).
Click to expand...

I used the SPL meter approach for a while and it never really worked well for me either. Same issue with compression differences. I'm back to using my ears.

Terry.
 
Nagi Mysore said:
So when firmware changes and there is a new version of firmware eachtime, along with a new set of presets (like the V9 preset banks) what do you all do? Do you retweak the new presets that Fractal provides each time or just use a copy of the existing presets you have and just tweak it to normalize it for the new firmware.....
Click to expand...

I view the Fractal presets as a set of ideas, and integrate what I like into my standard patch layout. When new firmware comes out I tweak my patches as required.

Terry.
 
I have one preset that uses a TS808 drive block into the AC 30 sim that has a 12 dB boost @ 900 k and makes for a very interesting lead tone, has a Brian May flavor to it.
 
4db is pretty standard, by there is also "perceived volume". You can boost your leads just by changing your eq w/o touching your volume and slice right through a mix with no problems whatsoever an you will still "seem" louder to the listener. Your amplification system plays a huge part as well. Different tube amps can and will many times respond differently to changes in eq and/or volume. A db meter is great, but I mainly use my ears with the guitar by itself in addition to how I sit in my band's mix. Best advice is use your ears and know your gear...
 
Roland said:
Isn't sound pressure level only part of the story? IMO the way the guitar sits in the mix also depends on how it's EQ'd and, because of Fletcher Munson, also depends on the overall volume. I've got patches that use different amp models for rhythm and lead. Their relative volumes sound well balanced live, but unbalanced at rehearsal levels, and totally wrong at bedroom levels. It's not too bad if the lead sound is similar to the rhythm. A 4 to 6 dB boost, or a turn of the guitar volume knob, works well in those situations. If the lead is a different amp type then the volume difference is often very noticeable, particularly at low volume.
Click to expand...

The more compressed your audio is, the less upward headroom you will have playing live.

Most everyone plays with more energy at the beginning of a set / show.

That usually means everything, the drums, vocals, bass, keys get a little more amped up sounding.

If you have a really overly compressed preset, you have no where to go and end up being masked / drowned out by the other band members.

The compression can be from a compressor, duh, or from gain / distortion.

That's why you will see a lot of advice about backing down on the gain for live.

And also why clean presets almost always sound louder than dirty presets at the gig. And why clean presets are usually harder to level in with your distorted presets too.

Richard
 
There's also that I'm not the only one playing. Same tone will destroy in the first verse and be inaudible in the second chorus where everyone's on hi-octane. It's a bit puzzling to deal with that. I can get the tones equal enough but the music dynamics still make it necessary to have several instances of the same tones. I'm not that handy with the volume pedal.
 
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