Taming the Monster - Building an Amp/Cab Preset in the Axe-FX II + Tweaking It

Thanks for starting these tutorials, I'm looking forward to learning from them.

It would be cool if you did a final 'before and after' comparison at the end of the video. Comparing stock tone to what you've ended up with.
 
Thanks Scott, I haven't had a chance to sit down with this tutorial yet but from a post in another thread you mentioned LF resonance. So... I had been tweeking HF trying to get some of the livelyness back into my presets from 5.01 that I thought 5.04b was missing. Well I discoved that the LF interacts with the dynamics much more than what I expected, this was a big part of what I missed when going from 5.01 to 5.04b. :) There is still a little high end sparkle I haven't exactly figured out yet but ( maybe what some all calling fizz?) but I'm so close :) Thanks once again! Donnie
 
ethrbunny said:
Did you say you purchased cab models for your use? Are there any stock models that you can recommend?
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Nothing I use in the video and nothing I mention in the 'detail' post is using purchased IR's.

Here are the details from that post:

Fender (or Fender Like tones): OH 112 Boogafunk E12L/JM 112 EMI Open Back FF
Vox (or Vox like tones): OH 112 Boogafunk Blue/JM EMI 112 Open Back FF
Marshall: OH 412 SLM M75/JM 212 G12-65 FF
Higher Gain: OH SLM V30 (*or OH G65, V30, H75, Blue, or RectoV30)/JM 212 G12-65 FFNote (repeated for emphasis): No mic. No room reverb from block. Speaker Motor Drive at 5.00 (noon). Both cabs panned center.
 
NeoSound said:
Thanks Scott, I haven't had a chance to sit down with this tutorial yet but from a post in another thread you mentioned LF resonance. So... I had been tweeking HF trying to get some of the livelyness back into my presets from 5.01 that I thought 5.04b was missing. Well I discoved that the LF interacts with the dynamics much more than what I expected, this was a big part of what I missed when going from 5.01 to 5.04b. :) There is still a little high end sparkle I haven't exactly figured out yet but ( maybe what some all calling fizz?) but I'm so close :) Thanks once again! Donnie
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It's very interactive and everything you do 'inside the cab' with the speaker resonance tab effects everything else.

Raise the frequency on the low end to about 115Hz and lower it bit by bit till it's in the ballpark; then play with how much/less gain than stock in db; then tighten/widen the curve "Q" to shape it correctly. Do the Low end FIRST; do the High End second (you cannot change the Q on the high end, just the frequency and the db levels) and then try the mids - when I mess with the midrange resonance I flatten out the Q all the way (lowest setting) and then bump it or cut it a bit to hear. I often do NOT move it. On the BE, it sounds scooped to me already from the jump, so I popped a little touch of it in on the video.

Remember metal guys like sizzle, not fizzle. ;) :D
 
Rex said:
Low-frequency resonance and high-frequency resonance are two things that real speaker cabinets have. They have more response around 100 Hz or so, and they have another hump in their response at higher frequencies. Along with the changes in response, there are changes in the load that the speaker puts on your amp. That changes how the amp responds at those frequencies. All those changes are the things that give individual cabs their flavor. And cab flavor is a huge part of your sound. It's at least as important as the amp itself.
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Does the graphic display on the Amp block speaker tab represent the impedance curve as seen by the power tubes?

I'm trying to understand why a peak in the graph on the speaker tab would represent a boost in spl at that frequency? If the impedance is higher at a frequency wouldn't the result be attenuation?

Richard
 
Thanks for the videos Scott, really appreciate it.
What's the easiest way to bypass the cab EQ so I can A/B quickly. I'd like to hear the cab with no EQ.
 
barhrecords said:
Does the graphic display on the Amp block speaker tab represent the impedance curve as seen by the power tubes?

I'm trying to understand why a peak in the graph on the speaker tab would represent a boost in spl at that frequency? If the impedance is higher at a frequency wouldn't the result be attenuation?

Richard
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I would love to see the answer to this although i probably wont understand it LOL
 
barhrecords said:
Does the graphic display on the Amp block speaker tab represent the impedance curve as seen by the power tubes?

I'm trying to understand why a peak in the graph on the speaker tab would represent a boost in spl at that frequency? If the impedance is higher at a frequency wouldn't the result be attenuation?
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The graph isn't labeled, but my guess is that it's a graph of frequency response, because you adjust it using frequency-response parameters.

The impedance of a real speaker actually does increase at resonance. At that point, its impedance is purely resistive, and the speaker is about as efficient as it's going to get. As the frequency moves away from resonance, inductive or capacitive impedances drain some of the power, and the speaker becomes less efficient. This reduces its impedance.
 
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Rex said:
The graph isn't labeled, but my guess is that it's a graph of frequency response, because you adjust it using frequency-response parameters.

The impedance a real speaker actually does increase at resonance. At that point, its impedance is purely resistive, and the speaker is about as efficient as it's going to get. As the frequency moves away from resonance, inductive or capacitive impedances drain some of the power, and the speaker becomes less efficient. This reduces its impedance.
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Thanks Rex.

It *seemed* like the graph was an inverse of the impedance in that a spike in the graph would represent a higher SPL for that frequency.
 
Scott, I swapped one cab in each of my Marshall stereo setups for one of Jay's farfield IRs ... and man, it really opens the sound up. Great tip ... never thought to do that.
 
barhrecords said:
Thanks Rex.

It *seemed* like the graph was an inverse of the impedance in that a spike in the graph would represent a higher SPL for that frequency.
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It's kind of counterintuitive at first, until you realize that speakers are horribly inefficient, and only a small fraction of a speaker's impedence is caused by conversion of electrical energy into sound. Some of those other impedences run parallel, so they reduce the overall impedence, and rob some of the electrical energy at the same time.
 
Scott

I noticed in your video that for the cabs you don't use any mic types. Is this because of the type of cab/IR you selected? Just curious as I'm still learning about cabs and IRs

Great video though. Thanks so much for posting

MM
 
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could someone mark this thread as sticky? i think these videos will be really helpful for newbies ;)
 
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WITELITE said:
Scott

I noticed in your video that for the cabs you don't use any mic types. Is this because of the type of cab/IR you selected? Just curious as I'm still learning about cabs and IRs

........
MM
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Scott, I have wondered this too ... why the preference for no mics? Does it work out better with your FRFR setup?
 
I cant speak for Scott, but slapping a mic on there adds one more level of eq that most of the time I dont care to use. But they are there if you want what it could sound like with that mics coloring. I used to use the R121 allot in the ultra.
 
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So, I tried using this method for a new tone-matched preset for one of the songs my band is covering. The Speaker tab in the amp block is extremely useful! I had never really touched it before, but now I realize it's extremely powerful. Thanks for that little tidbit!
 
BMH said:
Scott, I have wondered this too ... why the preference for no mics? Does it work out better with your FRFR setup?
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Dramelot said:
I cant speak for Scott, but slapping a mic on there adds one more level of eq that most of the time I dont care to use. But they are there if you want what it could sound like with that mics coloring. I used to use the R121 allot in the ultra.
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Dramelot answered it; but the preference for no mics comes from a simple place - there is no need because it sounds better to me without them. If you like the mics, then use them. I trust my ears. My ears say: "Sounds good without" and on the gig experience hearing myself with the band(s) I play in back that up IMHO. Adding peaks and changing the overall response via using a mic serves no purpose for me.

bkrumme said:
So, I tried using this method for a new tone-matched preset for one of the songs my band is covering. The Speaker tab in the amp block is extremely useful! I had never really touched it before, but now I realize it's extremely powerful. Thanks for that little tidbit!
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I think it is the single most powerful thing we've been given to work with and the addition of a tab with a graph to help us 'see' what we 'hear' has been a blessing for dunderheads like me to get a grip on it. I want to shout from the rooftops and tell everyone about it, because it is *that* important to making the Axe-FX fully realized and stop all the 'parameter paralysis' you see folks struggle with. Learn to use these parameters - spend a little time investing in understanding what it does - and you're golden. The smallest tweaks in there can pay enormous dividends. It just made the Axe-FX II sing for me.
 
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