Tip for Matrix users

Enzo Sutera

Enzo Sutera

Inspired
During retweaking of my presets for V7 (biggest step forward imho) I found something interesting.. I´m using a Matrix GM50 into real cabs but the following applies to the GT1000 as well.
As already pointed on the forum, later Matrix power amps tend to infatuate somewhat the speaker/cabinet resonance frequency curve. The GT800 was flatter in this regard.
I was struggling capturing the feel of my real amps inside the Axe (I have access to almost each amp I´m going to emulate) and found that lowering the LOW and HI RES values on the SPEAKER tab of the amp block got me there. I mean at the point of being unable to discern the model from the real amp!
Try the following:
- set the LOW resonance frequency of your actual cab (normally 5-20Hz higher than the used speaker resonance frequency)
- decrease the LOW RES and HI RES parameters by 3 points, most the Amp models have a low res of 5.00 and an hi res of 5.83 so the tweaked values would be then 2.00 and 2.83
- enjoy the MIDS back on your sound!
 
As this is done is done in the Amp block, this will also impact the tone when playing through studio monitors (when not playing through the GM50).
Do you use these settings also in tha scenario or do you reset them?
 
I use IRs of my Cabs powered with the Matrix. The IRs contain the Matrix response then, at least the static one.. but your point makes sense. Anyway it sounds "real" on my studio monitors too.
 
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I applied this tip and indeed it does improve the sound through my GM50 and M75-equipped cab. Through studio monitors as well.
Gonna try this today during soundcheck before a gig.

Would like to know Matrix's opinion!
 
I've often been using just about the exact same numbers myself when at gig volume. Mostly because/when I find things to edgy and flubby. I'm not sure it's a Matrix thing though, as I don't find it that different from other SS amps.

People should really dive into these parameters and check out what they do. Try dialing the low res gain to the extreme and hear how it affects compression. Hitting those low strings will then compress the snot out of everything. It's a good exercise to adjust for dynamic behavior on the speaker page and compensate freq on the graphic eq page. Do the same with the hi res, maxing the gain and back off on the graphic eq some dB's at 2k/4k and maybe 8k.
 
This is absolute gold. I was previously just shifting frequencies in the speaker tab, your suggestion gives much much better results.

Edit: GT1000 to Hughes & Kettner Coreblade 4x12, slightly oversized cab with Celestion Classic Lead 80's.
 
Enzo, just to clarify: we GT800FX users should not have to use these resonant frequency "mods", correct? I know that we could if we wanted to, but we shouldn't have to use them to achieve the effect you're after. Right?
 
I haven't tried these settings yet, but I expect they would make a small change to frequency response, with a more noticeable change to the "looseness" at different frequencies. If I understand correctly, these are output impedance settings which affect the damping factor where low settings maintain speaker excursion under tighter control than higher settings.

So these lower recommended settings should give a tighter, punchier sound, often percieved as stronger mids. Just a wild guess without testing, so I could be way off base here.
 
rsf1977 said:
Do you do this on all your amp models? And what kind of music are you this for?
Click to expand...

Yes I do. I dont use many amp models thought. A classic Fender clean, an hot rodded Marshall kind of tone, sometimes a Vox.. it´s all about recreating the real amp feel. You will not realize it until you compare the model to the real thing.
Anyway these are the sounds I´m after: G66 - ENZO SUTERA
 
Thomas-Hawk said:
Enzo, just to clarify: we GT800FX users should not have to use these resonant frequency "mods", correct? I know that we could if we wanted to, but we shouldn't have to use them to achieve the effect you're after. Right?
Click to expand...

The GT800 is definitely flatter than the GT1000/GM50.. I dont have mine anymore, I liked the GM50 transient attack a tad more.
I can only suggest you to do an A/B test with a real amp thru the same cab, if there´s a difference you will hear it.. the models on the Axe are very accurate after V7, if there´s something to compensate for, it is on the speaker tab imho
 
GM Arts said:
I haven't tried these settings yet, but I expect they would make a small change to frequency response, with a more noticeable change to the "looseness" at different frequencies. If I understand correctly, these are output impedance settings which affect the damping factor where low settings maintain speaker excursion under tighter control than higher settings.

So these lower recommended settings should give a tighter, punchier sound, often percieved as stronger mids. Just a wild guess without testing, so I could be way off base here.
Click to expand...

You´re absolutely right.
To put it in simpler terms: the tweaked settings let the model react with the actual cab in the same way the real amp would do.
As pointed out the effect is pretty apparent as you compare the model to the real counterpart.
 
Enzo Sutera said:
Yes I do. I dont use many amp models thought. A classic Fender clean, an hot rodded Marshall kind of tone, sometimes a Vox.. it´s all about recreating the real amp feel. You will not realize it until you compare the model to the real thing.
Anyway these are the sounds I´m after: G66 - ENZO SUTERA
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info
 
Just tried these settings with my GT800FX, on a number of my favorite presets, and it made all of them sound better! More "real", just like you described! Many thanks for the tip, Enzo!
 
Tried it, and not totally convinced.

Really helped a lot for amps that got flubby with gain - like the Carol Ann and some higher gain amps like the Recto/Modern/Soldanos. not as convinced with more naturally mid voiced sims like the Marshalls, Splaws, Bogner XTC etc - though that may just be personal - the more I played the more I liked it.

Much less convinced with clean amps - Fenders, Shiva, AC30 etc as I lost the top end sparkle and the low end body (the body would be easy enough to get back with Bass and/or depth - but the sparkle is harder to get back). Its possible Id already dialled in the missing mids in other ways on those patches - and the trick certainly helped if I didnt drop the Res by 3 points - more like 1 to 1 1/2. Again though - its possible Id not used to the sounds I had (no longer having any real amps to compare to).

Im going to stick with all my patches re-tuned this week and see how I feel by the weekend.
 
Thought.

Im guessing its because the speaker interaction is in the Amp block not the cab block. Before it was where it is now - you had some control (though not as much) but in the speaker settings. This made sense to me - as each "speaker sim" would have different res points, but a real cab always has the same. a real amp interacts with a real speaker naturally - so the res points in the amp block is artificially adding something that isnt there with this method.

This leads me to think these settings should naturally be in the cab block (as before) not the amp block - however people using real amps/cabs then miss out of what you CAN do with these parameters. Maybe its worth splitting them into their own block - so you have Amp block, dynamics block and Cab block. You can then choose which combination to use dependant on your setup (as those using real valve amps rather than SS amps would need the dynamics options even less than those of us using SS amps).
 
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