Help!!Why all the wahs sound 'gain boosted' by default in FW10.10?

D

dbmusic

Member
Hi all,
I just spent 2hrs testing on the new Wahs in updated FW10.10
I'm bit frustrated since all the wah models are highly 'gain boosted' by default.(sounds to me)
I used the most cleanest amps trying to get a transparent/clean wah but no matter how I tweak,
they are all sound over-driven.
It just sounds like going through a crank up british amps all the time and no way to get a clean nice wah tone.
I also notice that turning drive knob <0-10> in the Wah parameter has no effect at all.
All the wah models sweeping frequency ranges become distorted..
Take note that I'm testing the it by attaching a LFO controller as to achieve a 'auto wah' effect.
Does it mean there may be some reason that It'll never be able to get a good clean wah by this way?
Or is it some kind of bug?
Anybody can get a good clean wah sound by using external expression pedal?
Please advise and will will greatly appreciate.
db
 
Distorted / 'gain-boosted' was not my experience after upgrading to v10.10. I played several of my patches that already had Wah blocks....no distortion or such on my clean patches. Gain remained at 0. Posting a patch is a good idea here.
 
thanks for your help but sorry not able to at this moment.
Just imagine it sounds like putting a AC/RC booster all the time in the signal chain with the Wah before the amp(I've tried the cleanest amps without break-up)
I'll presume it'll sound even worse if I use other higher gain amps like Marshalls etc..:-(
Any ideas?
Chris@KatsuKuriMedia said:
can you post a preset?
Click to expand...
 
I'll give it a listen tonight. I didn't notice that when I was going through it, but I'll dial a clean sound in tonight and check. Worst case scenario lower the level and/or resonance.
 
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Thanks for your help Guru..:)
I've tried simple patch from scratch just Light compressor/wah/amp/cab..that's it.
Used cleanest amps as possible..no luck.
No way to get a transparent clean wah sound..lots of break-ups due to the boost from nowhere..
tried tweaking everything..lower the level doesn't help, it's just lowering the vol but the boosted gain is still there.
the drive knob barely has very very minimal effect, or may be even doesn't response,,at least to my ears.
As long as the gain boost is there, all other knobs doesn't sound right no matter how I tweak.
Hope you can guide me the way.(I tested it like an auto-wah with a LFO controller attached)
Hope to hear your good news
Regards

javajunkie said:
I'll give it a listen tonight. I didn't notice that when I was going through it, but I dial a clean sound in tonight and check. Worst case scenario lower the level and/or resonance.
Click to expand...
 
I noticed this today too

I compensated by dropping the level by -3 to -6 depending on patch, but I do have to confess to actually liking the 'broken up' effect it had! Although to be fair, these were on slightly dirty patches right up to full on screamers, so not quite the same shortcomings as a purely clean tone could suffer
 
I also had some distortion show up with the wahs on my clean patches. Most noticeably in the middle of the sweeps. Dropping the level 3 or more db helps, but there's sometimes still a little bit of breakup.
 
Poparad said:
I also had some distortion show up with the wahs on my clean patches. Most noticeably in the middle of the sweeps. Dropping the level 3 or more db helps, but there's sometimes still a little bit of breakup.
Click to expand...

That is not good news.

I was looking forward to finally setting up my wah pedal this weekend -- and I want a very clean wah ---- zero grit
 
If the Drive is at zero the wah will not distort. It may push the amp block into distortion though (as a real one would). If you want to push the amp less simply turn down the level in the wah.
 
Can't say that I am really experiencing this. I even pulled out a couple of my real wahs (crybaby, dunlop 95Q, and a DOD FX 1). No more distortion present than those on clean amp setting. I was actually rather impressed with Axe-fx.


You can try this. since you were testing with a LFO instead of a foot controller. Loose the compressor for now, it may be acting as a boost. Limit the max of the sweep in the modifier menu (You typically wont stay as high with foot controller as you might with an LFO). That will keep it from getting too peaky.
Most importantly, if you want the wah more transparent turn down the RES parameter. There does not appear any real boost from level on the types I quickly went through.

I used the Shiva Clean as a test, it is an uber clean amp.
 
FractalAudio said:
If the Drive is at zero the wah will not distort. It may push the amp block into distortion though (as a real one would). If you want to push the amp less simply turn down the level in the wah.
Click to expand...

Thank Cliff and everyone..
I'll give it a shot tomorrow in my recording session...1st time with FW10.10
Hope to get a good result ...
Regards
 
dbmusic said:
I'll give it a shot tomorrow in my recording session...1st time with FW10.10
Click to expand...

That's brave! :lol

I mean, I'm never scared to jump in and indeed upgraded to 10.09 just a few hours before a gig, but 10.10 can do things to some of your presets if the changes happen to coincide with what you've previously been using

You can still get a good result too, no doubt, but you may need to be prepared for some adjustments and doing those whilst the studio clock is running isn't the greatest scenario

Good luck! :)
 
FractalAudio said:
If the Drive is at zero the wah will not distort. It may push the amp block into distortion though (as a real one would). If you want to push the amp less simply turn down the level in the wah.
Click to expand...

On my Axe v10.10 the Drive control in the Wah block now seems to be broken.

Set Drive to zero, and the OP's distortion is quite evident.
Set to non zero, there is a very slight change from 0 to 0.1, but from 0.1 to max there is little if any change in distortion characteristics.

Seems like a bug to me.

I reset the Wah Block by clicking twice on the Byp button and then selected/re-selected the various Wah Types and the above problems are still there.
 
joegold said:
On my Axe v10.10 the Drive control in the Wah block now seems to be broken.

Set Drive to zero, and the OP's distortion is quite evident.
Set to non zero, there is a very slight change from 0 to 0.1, but from 0.1 to max there is little if any change in distortion characteristics.

Seems like a bug to me.

I reset the Wah Block by clicking twice on the Byp button and then selected/re-selected the various Wah Types and the above problems are still there.
Click to expand...

Just for comparison's sake I fired up up my old Vox Wah (modified for true bypass) and it also distorts, but not as much as the Axe's Wah sims.

And the Axe's Wah Block Drive control does seem to be either broken right now or so subtle as to be almost useless.
 
I'm not observing that behavior. The code turns off the drive modeling if the drive is set to zero so there is NO distortion if the drive is at zero. You can argue otherwise but you'd be wrong.
 
Well if I listen real close, there does seem to be a bit more distortion with the Wah Drive cranked compared to having it set at 0.01 but not much.
And there's still quite a bit of distortion at 0 and very very little difference in distortion between 0 and 0.01.
I can hear a little pop when I engage the Drive control (e.g. from 0 to 0.01) but the distortion characteristics don't change much unless I crank it and even then it's not much different than it is at 0.

If that's the expected behaviour then I guess all is well.

I don't know yet if the distortion is gonna bother me.
I'm just a bit surprised that it's there and that it's so obvious.
I don't use the Wah much anyway but it's nice to have it for when I want to.

If that's not the expected behaviour, then what could cause things to be different on my Axe compared to yours?
 
The wah block generates NO distortion with the drive at zero. I don't know how many times more I have to say this for it to sink in but I'll keep repeating it until it does I guess. If you are hearing distortion it isn't the wah block.
 
Sounds more like IMD to me M@...(multiple frequencies in non-linear devices causing undesired distortion @ resultant frequencies in later output stages.)
 
Even though I'm having some distortion issues, I totally agree with Cliff. I know that the distortion is coming from the amp. I usually have the damping dialed up just to the point where my loudest chords don't overdrive the amp, but by the nature of a wah, it emphasizes certain frequency ranges, and the midrange is most likely to push a tube amp into overdrive, which is exactly what I'm experiencing. I just need to go in and either turn the level down on the wah a little more, or increase the amp's damping to compensate. I can't speak for the 'drive' control on the wah, as I'm not using it.
 
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