5F8 Tweed question

dr bonkers

dr bonkers

Fractal Fanatic
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This is a question for Cliff & Matt.

When you capture an artist amp like 5F8 Tweed, are you capturing the amp with all controls at noon or using whatever the artist's preferences for the amp as 12 o'clock in the amp?

I'm just curious as the amp block with everything set at default is kind of a full on blazing drive in a way I did not think Keith Urban did.

It seems more Kim Thayil than Keith Urban at default setting with my Les Paul.

Messing around and pulling out a lot of bass, I got more to the sound I thought would be typical.
 
Preface: I am neither Cliff or Matt.

Cliff's modeling algorithms model the range of the controls. It's not like profiling where it's taking samples of the amplifier at specific settings. Cliff has ways of recreating the full circuit inside the Axe-Fx. When he models an artist's amplifier, he's measuring certain critical paths in the circuit and taking note of key component values.

If it sounds Kim Thayil at the default settings than that's very, very, very likely how Keith's amp sounds at the default settings too.
 
I posted Keith's settings in an earlier thread and he doesn't run every control at noon. IIRC he runs his gain around what would be 2.8ish on the Axe Fx.

Don't forget, the amp model isn't a preset of his settings, it's a model of his amp. You'd have to set the model to similar settings to get a similar sound.
 
All G3 amp models are are complete reproductions. If you set all knobs to noon on the model, that's what the amp sounds like with all knobs at noon. If you set the model's Drive to 2, Treble to 7, Bass to 3, etc., that's what the amp sounds like with the knobs in those positions. Keith's amp had markings on it where he set the controls. I don't remember exactly but I think Drive and Bass were set around 10 o'clock and Treble and Midrange were around 2 o'clock. I think there's a photo around here with a view of the panel. There are pieces of tape that shows where he sets the controls.

All that said, don't get caught up on where someone sets the controls. Your guitar, playing style, chosen IR, pickups, sting gauge, phase of the moon and prevailing winds will affect the tone. Turn the knobs until you get the tone you want. If you can't get the tone you want, try a different amp, just as you would in real life. Find YOUR tone. I played professionally for over 20 years. I never worried about copying someone else's tone. I used about five patches for entire night. I had clean, dirty, crunchy rhythm, lead and scooped heavy. I could cover any song with one of those presets and no one cared that the guitar tone wasn't exactly the same. I constantly got compliments on my tone because I didn't worry about creating dozens or hundreds of patches, I concentrated on making five really good patches. I refined those patches over months to the point that they were optimum for me and my playing style.
 
Axe-FX FW 20: added prevailing winds parameter to amp block.

And yes, +10 on your advice. Find your tone.
 
urban.jpg


Keep in mind that the amp controls are between 1 and 12, not 0 and 10.
 
The amp settings only tell part of the story. Who knows what drives he's hitting the front end with? I know he used a Fulldrive at one time, but that may have been with totally different amps as much as he changes his rig...
 
Something I think we tend to forget when comparing tones..........

When you listen to your favorite axe guy/gal on an album, you're not just hearing their fingers translated through the strings into the amp. You're also hearing whatever studio fairy dust the recording/mixing engineer sprinkled on the recording. The desk used for the recording and any outboard gear used (mic's, mic pre's, comps, eq's, etc) will have a significant impact on the final tone of that guitar/amp rig - as will the settings used to get the guitar track to sit nicely in the mix. Robben Ford's Dumble on the Mystic Mile album just kills me. I can get somewhat close to that tone with the Axe playing in a room by myself, but I'll never recreate it completely. And I'm not sure I'd want to anyway. I think Cliff is spot on about finding our own tones.
 
FractalAudio said:
All that said, don't get caught up on where someone sets the controls. Your guitar, playing style, chosen IR, pickups, sting gauge, phase of the moon and prevailing winds will affect the tone. Turn the knobs until you get the tone you want. If you can't get the tone you want, try a different amp, just as you would in real life. Find YOUR tone. I played professionally for over 20 years. I never worried about copying someone else's tone. I used about five patches for entire night. I had clean, dirty, crunchy rhythm, lead and scooped heavy. I could cover any song with one of those presets and no one cared that the guitar tone wasn't exactly the same. I constantly got compliments on my tone because I didn't worry about creating dozens or hundreds of patches, I concentrated on making five really good patches. I refined those patches over months to the point that they were optimum for me and my playing style.
Click to expand...

+1!
 
I actually enjoy, as an intellectual exercise, getting close to the original tones when playing cover songs. Whether anyone else hears it or can tell does not matter to me. I like to be in the ball park. I also don't get hung up if cover band guitarist doesn't exactly cop the tone or play the solos note for note. It's their gig.
 
Sounds great, Tyler. I'm thinking about picking up Cab Pack 15 as I really love the Tweed Twin sound (I had a Victoria 50 watt Tweed Twin at one time) and the new AxeFX II model sounds fantastic to my ears. Which IR was that out of CP15?

You may not like his music, but I think you would love the guitar tones. As far as tones go, he's my favorite guitarist over the last 10 years and I don't even like Country music (or what passes for modern Country these days). I'm a big fan of his playing and really identify with it. He sounds like I would if I was better, LOL.
 
Yeah, agreed. I happen to love Carlos. Used to try to get as close as possible, note for note and tone. But ever since listening to "Viva Carlos!: A Supernatural Marathon Celebration," and especially Eric Johnson doing Aqua Marine, I am now comfortable with my interpretations and tone of artists.
 
Gamedojo said:
Just for discussion sake, here is the amp with the setting above using Cab Pack 15:


I don't listen to Urban at all, so I have no idea of what is "tone" is using this amp, but these settings sound nice and balanced for a clean and could be a good platform for pedals.
Click to expand...

Tyler

AS a guitar player, you are someone I always enjoy listening to and appreciate-anytime. That said, if you found Keith Urban "away" from his pop $$$$ stuff I think you would enjoy his playing. He is really a killer guitar player. On youtube there are quite a few vids of him jamming with someone\band, demo-ing an amp, guitar or pedals, etc and that's where he actually plays....which is refreshing-Just MHO, as always
 
Guys, for the record, I never said I didn't like urban, I said I don't listen to him..., I actually listen to very little guitar based music these days;)
 
I got a silly question:
Is the "5F8 Tweed” amp model based on a 1959 Fender Twin Amp" in the list of amps models? If so, Im not finding it. What name it under? Sorry. Thx
 
It's listed as 5F8. If you can't find it in Axe edit, refresh for new firmware. Took me two refreshes to get it to list.
 
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