VIDEO: The power of a cab block

Thank you again Danny. I really like your videos because, as long as I'm listening on a decent setup, I can hear the things you are saying to listen for. And though you laugh at yourself for making the noises with your voice, that's a perfect way to communicate what you're talking about.

A comment on replicating a tone vs doing a cover with your own tone: While both are obviously valid, I am finding that I like it when folks use their own tones better. As much as I love Hendrix, the world would be a lesser place if SRV had just tried to do Voodo Child Slight Return just like Jimi and using Jimi's tone. Led Zeppelin's No Quarter is great but I absolutely love Tool's version. Likewise for Holy Diver. I have always loved Dio's, but KSE managed a fantastic cover. There are tons of other examples of course. And of course covers that I think...well...less of lol.

On using real cabs: I'd love to see a video on (a) how you'd approach dialing in a patch where the cab block is disabled vs. one where you can tweak the cab as in this video (would you use an EQ bock and tweak some stuff in the amp?), and (b) how you approach building a patch where you are running an IR through a real cabinet. How to deal with the "muddiness" that many, including myself, hear when doing that. Maybe what to listen for and how to adjust. I suspect that would be beneficial to a great many Axe users.

Kevin
 
Deadpool_25 said:
Thank you again Danny. I really like your videos because, as long as I'm listening on a decent setup, I can hear the things you are saying to listen for. And though you laugh at yourself for making the noises with your voice, that's a perfect way to communicate what you're talking about.

A comment on replicating a tone vs doing a cover with your own tone: While both are obviously valid, I am finding that I like it when folks use their own tones better. As much as I love Hendrix, the world would be a lesser place if SRV had just tried to do Voodo Child Slight Return just like Jimi and using Jimi's tone. Led Zeppelin's No Quarter is great but I absolutely love Tool's version. Likewise for Holy Diver. I have always loved Dio's, but KSE managed a fantastic cover. There are tons of other examples of course. And of course covers that I think...well...less of lol.

On using real cabs: I'd love to see a video on (a) how you'd approach dialing in a patch where the cab block is disabled vs. one where you can tweak the cab as in this video (would you use an EQ bock and tweak some stuff in the amp?), and (b) how you approach building a patch where you are running an IR through a real cabinet. How to deal with the "muddiness" that many, including myself, hear when doing that. Maybe what to listen for and how to adjust. I suspect that would be beneficial to a great many Axe users.

Kevin
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You're welcome. Glad you found them helpful.

I agree on the cover stuff. Sometimes it's cool when you hear someone nail something tone for tone, note for note too. The reason I say that, it's not easy to do. Copping licks can be easy today due to youtube, but getting tones down can be tough...especially if you don't have an axe fx or any sort of tone matching ability. I've been doing VH tones since I've started playing and though I've come semi-close, I never invested in all the right stuff to really try and nail it.

On the cab thing, I've never tried anything without a cab block. I use both cab blocks and power amp emulation while using real cabs and a power amp. Without those options, there is way too much fizz for me through my 25 watt greenback cabs. I can always add fizz the way I do it, but I prefer to have a warm, no fizz sound as my canvas starting point.

Doing a vid on that sort of thing probably wouldn't be useful as every cab is going to sound different. I created my tones by tone matching, saving as cabs and then tweaking through my real cab. It was easy to do. The difference between my studio sound vs my live is just a little more bass and a little less treble and amp gain for live as well. The greenback cabs drive themselves so I can back the amp gain down, making for a more natural sustain and tighter driven sound.

How people make the axe work without a cab block and all emulation turned off is beyond me. Same thing with the old 2101. I used the speaker sim at all times, even with my cab plugged in. I get that same warm sound with my axe fx....so I've stuck with that method while creating my live tones. Anyone not happy or struggling with their live tone....try cab block and all emulations on. The sound is warmer....way warmer and will take some time to get used to, but once you dial it in and compare to what you had, you'll throw up in your own mouth when you hear your old tone. ;)
 
Right on. That's the thing...some tones sound just odd with cab simulations on. At least through my Mesa 2x12s. And though I can say it sounds strange, I'm not sure why so I don't know where to start tweaking. I guess I could just experiment. That's a beauty of the Axe. It isn't going to break from that kind of tweaking. :).

I did notice the sound got noticeably better when I dialed in the amp block's speaker page to suit my cabs. But with cab sims on there would be a conflict between what's "optimal" for the real cab and what's optimal for the IR. But I guess that's really the science part of it. As you said at one point (paraphrased), if it sounds good that's all that matters regardless of whether it makes sense from a science perspective.
 
Well as long as you don't hear any phasing or that type of weirdness, then you're in good shape. Maybe that's what you're hearing? If it's really bugging you, post up a clip and I'll give you my take on what the oddness might be.
 
Danny Danzi said:
Hey guys,

Talked about this in another thread. Nothing spectacular and I apologize in advance for the bad playing. Operating on very little sleep and loads of stuff going on here (all good stuff) but I wanted to get this out to you as promised.

This vid just feeds your head a bit on tweaking cab blocks. I took one that I'd never use and made it into something totally usable for quite a few mid gain/classic rock to blues type amps. Hope it helps you guys.

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Dude, your videos,patches are great you have helped my get my sounds that much better. ROCK ON BROTHER!
 
Andrew Sullivan said:
Danny,
Just started watching your videos today and have already gained a wealth of information. Also bought one of your CDs. You rock!!
Thanks
Andrew
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Awesome, Andrew! I'm glad to hear the vids have been helpful.

Wow thanks for the CD support as well, I really appreciate that and hope you enjoy it. Working on another one that I hope to have ready sometime this year, but it's taking a little longer than I expected.

Thanks so much again!
 
I have listen to most of your material and it's fantastic Danny. I really like the care you take in dialing in your effects, those that are modulation, delay and reverb, (phase 90) of course but the attention to compression, eq, noise gate, etc is outstanding. Dont want you to give away any secrets, but i think the approach is what really matters.
 
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stratabuse said:
I have listen to most of your material and it's fantastic Danny. I really like the care you take in dialing in your effects, those that are modulation, delay and reverb, (phase 90) of course but the attention to compression, eq, noise gate, etc is outstanding. Dont want you to give away any secrets, but i think the approach is what really matters.
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Thank you for the kind words. It really means a lot. :)

Attention to detail is what allows us to come up with the best sounds in my opinion. This of course isn't always true because there are some people that just throw a few things in a signal chain and it sounds great. I'm not one of those guys lol....I have to work my brains out to get good tones.

Though we all have a tone fingerprint in our fingers that helps to give us a sound and identity, until you have a few years under your belt, you're most likely going to have to work at creating a sound that compliments you.

There are quite a few variables to consider. For me personally, I believe the key is knowing what to listen for in a tone. What makes everyone like a tone, and what makes people cringe? Is it a case of a better tone being in the mix or a different frame of mind being the culprit?

I've always hated Dimebag's tone ( but I dug his playing God rest his soul) but his tone and that style of music had it's own cult following. For example, the guys that like that tone probably hate Eddie's tone in Unchained. They wouldn't be wrong, just a different sound, style etc.

It's funny, one of my favorite tones was Lay it down from Ratt. I listen to it now and hate it. Thin, small, but it worked. The first time I tone matched it and played it for a bit, the hair on my arms stood up. Then I switched to one of my personal tones and went back and nearly threw up. I like my tone so much better.

And that there is the final thought....tone is subjective. It always will be. Even when 10000 people love a tone and 3000 hate it....there is no right or wrong. What matters most is what sounds good to you.

If guys like Eddie and Nuno would have listened to all the people that probably bashed their tones in the beginning, we may not have the awesome tones they gave us.

The key is to be creative and enjoy it while keeping your focus while learning how to identify with certain things that can affect your tones in both positive and negative ways.

Some of the things that helped me came from always being in the studio my entire life. When I wasn't learning from someone in their studio, I was experimenting in my own. I've done lots of trial and error lab work. Lab work is important. But having guidelines and knowing certain things while you set up your tones and effects can be the difference between a good tone and a bad tone.

If you try to learn something this year related to sound....concentrate on what makes a good sound/BAD sound. Sound identification (I teach this as a lesson for my studio students) is one of the most powerful tools you can ever have in your tool box.

Some people spend hours, days, weeks working on something where I or someone like me with experience would say "trash that sound and start over because it has too much of this, that this and this in it and it's missing this that and this."

Sometimes you can fix a sound, other times you can't or shouldn't put in the time. Knowing when to rebuild or knowing not to even proceed with a sound, is worth it's weight in gold. :)
 
Hi Danny,
I'm AX8 Newbie trying to get The Tone. Your video was a revelation.
Thanks for the inspiration and It's All Right Now
AJG
 
Super helpful video - thanks Danny.

Turning the treble down to -12db and adding a Tape 35us preamp made a huge difference to my tone.

Thanks again !
 
bread said:
Super helpful video - thanks Danny.

Turning the treble down to -12db and adding a Tape 35us preamp made a huge difference to my tone.

Thanks again !
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You're welcome! Yeah, the thing about our virtual world is....most times you have to come up with what works for you, even if it seems to be extreme.

Case in point, if you check out the presets FAS gave us with Larry playing on them, for his tone, he has the bass completely off on one of those presets. We have to do what sounds good to us.

Sometimes we have good starting points and we can edit and carve, other times you gotta build from the ground up. One thing I really love is the onboard cab power we have in the XL+. I dance around in that and can pretty much make my own cabs.

They come out so good, I'm happier with my own creations than the purchased cabs. But hey, whatever works, right? :)
 
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