Question for serious gigging players, especially cover/non-heavy players..

jlynnb1

jlynnb1

Axe-Master
One of the only issues I have with my live tones is that probably 60-70 percent of our tunes can be covered with one general amp/cab combo, which for me is the Matchless DC30 into either the OH 1x12 Alnico Silver or the new AC20 UR Mix in FW15. On some of the 90's/80's rock stuff that we do I switch to a more Marshall-esque tone and a 4x12 ir, usually the OH MGE el34 live 05. Both tones sound great on their own, but when I switch, it's such a drastic shift in tone that I never like how the gainer tone sounds, ever.

My question is, how many of you ever play with one ir over a range of amps, to keep a sort of "consistency" between tones. Has anyone ever tried? I found an ir today that sounds shockingly good on both, and i thought about giving it a go, just to see if I dig it.

I mean, most gigs you aren't taking different heads/cabs for different songs. Trying to find a nice middle of the road solution that can cover it all. I understand that the beauty of the Axe is that you can have it all...but I think there is still validity to the other approach as well....any thoughts?
 
I really don't care about consistency, it's that I've found several that I really like and stick with them. That said, for clean/cleanish tones, I use a different IR for my Strat than I do for my 513.
 
Maybe part of it is that I've always been a 112 or 212 guy, mostly open back. Never owned a 412 in my life..I'm just trying to use them because that's typically what these amps/times call for.
 
i play mostly clean for my current gigs. but before the axe i had a Roadster and a 2x12 Lonestar cab. cleans sounded great with that cab of course, but so did the lead tones. it didn't have all the bass you'd normally hear from a 4x12 and a recto, but it really fit my music well and didn't overwhelm the stage with tons of low end.

maybe you aren't, but don't limit yourself to "rectos and marshalls use 4x12s"

i once got a killer tone with the Herbert and the 1x6 Oval cab. it just worked.
 
jefferski said:
I think you answered your own question. If it sounds good, do it!
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Ha, true....I jwas just curious if anyone else had the same experience. I can't be the only one that finds shifting bet went irs/cab types live to be a bit jarring. Or maybe I am!!
 
The only thing I try to keep consistent are the output levels. I use 20 to 40 different amps/ cabs a gig. It takes a while to get them all balanced.
 
kev said:
If I could only choose one cab to play everything through, it would be the OH_112_DLX_J12-PR_SP cab.
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yeah, for me it would have been the OH 112 DLX Alnico Silver, until today. I'm going to try and throw some clips up tomorrow.
 
I have pretty much one "clean" IR (an UR IR I shot of my DRRI 112), and one "dirty" IR, which currently is one of The Amp Factory free Mesa IRs (#6), but I'm still experimenting. All of my crunch, lead, and distorted rhythm tones run through that IR.
 
Ive always preferred 2x12 open and sealed cabinets. The 1x12 and 2x12 ir's work for me. I jammed with an OH 1x12 and a Plexi the other night for 15 minutes and thought it sounded great. Not something you'd tend to do in real life, but to me the 4x12s were always too much of everthing and I could never turn them up loud enough to work the speakers the way I wanted to, because they were just too loud by that point.
 
I totally see your point. Jarrs me a bit too onstage.

However, In many instances....It just doesn't sound right to me utilizing only one cab. For instance, doing VH ....the Guitar Hack IR gets me so dang close. Yet doing AC/DC don't cut it with that IR.

Same thing when doing U2, Santana.....and so on. These tones need different cab treatments to really pull it off.

I think using 1 cab may work for majority of the time.....but I myself would need to utilize different cabs for these special cases.
 
I really only use two combinations with all of my 20 live patches

• SM57 G12M
• U87 G12M

• Pettrucci V30
• R121 G12H

I use the first paring with all my clean to dirty marshall tones and the second for all my heaviest tones.

They work so well, I don't even try looking for different speakers. Celestion just made those type of speakers right, and the Redwirez IRs I use just fit my playing.

Here is an example of my clean and then marshall tone with the same pairing of IR captures:

CLEAN

DIRTY

I'd even go as far to say player SHOULD try to do their best to stick with a limited array of IR captures for their live sound. This is because our ears get used to how a sound feels and reacts to our playing and too much jumping around may make a player overcompensate and get thrown off by the change in everything. Similar IR captures allow for an experience a little more akin to play a real amp on stage because you only have one set of speakers when you do that...maybe two:)
 
Which of the redwirez are you using, they have billion versions and I'd like to try your recipe?
 
this definitely makes me feel better about the direction i'm leaning. i was pretty shocked at how good this cab sounds with almost everything this side of really high gain, killed with my DC30 and Dirty Shirley.

There just seems to be a clarity and cut with the 112 and 212 ir's i don't get with the 412 ir's, especially live.
 
Have you ever played any of the Kingsley amps? You have some of the best Strat tones, along with Simon Jarrett, the builder of Kingsley amps. Your clips above and his have a lot of similarities; a very mature Strat player. Both of those clips are fantastic. I really miss my Strat.

Gamedojo said:
I really only use two combinations with all of my 20 live patches

• SM57 G12M
• U87 G12M

• Pettrucci V30
• R121 G12H

I use the first paring with all my clean to dirty marshall tones and the second for all my heaviest tones.

They work so well, I don't even try looking for different speakers. Celestion just made those type of speakers right, and the Redwirez IRs I use just fit my playing.

Here is an example of my clean and then marshall tone with the same pairing of IR captures:

CLEAN

DIRTY

I'd even go as far to say player SHOULD try to do their best to stick with a limited array of IR captures for their live sound. This is because our ears get used to how a sound feels and reacts to our playing and too much jumping around may make a player overcompensate and get thrown off by the change in everything. Similar IR captures allow for an experience a little more akin to play a real amp on stage because you only have one set of speakers when you do that...maybe two:)
Click to expand...
 
I'm not at my axefx right now, but I believe my current favorite combo is:

• Basketweave G12M SM57 0" Off Axis CapEdge +2db level
• Basketweave G12M U87 0" CapEdge -2db level

aziz said:
Which of the redwirez are you using, they have billion versions and I'd like to try your recipe?
Click to expand...
 
What I get out of all this is guys adopting digital but still thinking in the constraints of singular tube amp and cab.

I would think that as a covers guy, one would want the Axe FX for its diversity, not singularity.

I use different amps and cabs and tone matches blended to try and recreate a tone that is as authentic as possible to the original song I am covering. I am well into 200 presets now and it took a lot of work but people recognize the tones and love it. I think a lot of the self critique is just that, as most people don't give a crap and just want to drink/dance/party.
 
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