Adjusting Presets for different guitars/pickups

Dave Z

Dave Z

Inspired
Hello. Let's say that I create a patch using a guitar with active humbucker pickups and an alder body. When I try that patch out with another guitar that has different pickups and/or different type of body wood (passive humbucker pickups and mahogany body for example), the sound is different (as expected).

My question is how do you create different versions of the same patch that compliment specific guitars while keeping the overall sound of the patch similar?

Are the B/M/T knobs enough to modify the general tonal differences between different guitars, or is EQ a better method since it is more specific?

When switching between single coil and humbucker guitars, is input trim a better adjustment to use rather than amp gain/drive alone to fine tune the amount of gain?

When modifying a patch created with active pickups, what are some parameters to modify when using a passive pickup guitar? I believe active pickups compress the sound more than passive pickups, so I don't know if compression needs to be reduced for passive pickup guitars.

I know there isn't a "one-size-fits-all" answer, but I was hoping to get some generic ideas on how to fine tune a patch in order to get similar sounds between different guitars.
The goal is to learn what parameters to adjust to either brighten/darken a patch for different guitars, and to make patches for active/passive guitars sound similar (if that's possible).

Thanks,

Dave Z
 
With V11 you now can adjust the input level on the grid with Level in the In/Gte menu.
 
I use the x/y function op the amp block to adjust my sounds for single coil (Default I use the humbuckers on my Ibanez jem)
I copy the x and adjust mostly treble, presence, comp and input drive.
Sometimes the single coils sound too harch and I found the definition parameter in the tone page usefull
 
yek said:
With V11 you now can adjust the input level on the grid with Level in the In/Gte menu.
Click to expand...

Unfortunally you can't attach a modifier to that parameter, so you could not use the same preset for both (sc/hb) with this method.
 
I've gone to the other extreme, and created individual presets for *specific* guitars.

For example, I've create a couple of patches for my Strats, a couple for my Tele, one for my LP and one for my P-90 guitar.

Within each patch, I try and utilise the Scenes for actual specifics. For instance, Scene 1 is always 'Clean', Scene 2 and 3 and low and high driven or distorted, Scene 4 is with a Phaser, Scene 5 with added delay etc. etc.

Works well for me. I've grouped all these presets in the high 350's so they are all together and easily selectable at gigs etc. I've carefully adjusted the gain levels on each patch to keep them in the same ballpark so that the single coils don't sound weaker against the humbuckers etc.
 
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I have the same presets for different guitar (set ups)

Banks 1-10 FRFR
1-5 (Humbucker)
6-10 (Single Coil)

Banks 10-20 - Guitar Cab
11-15 (Humbucker)
16-20 (single coil)

I don't just change the input trim for the guitar -- I just the entire preset (including effects/verbs/delays) for the pickup type)
 
I do this with GEQ blocks at the input. And by using global blocks, they're the same in each patch.

Of course, you don't want to try to make the guitars sound identical - the whole point of using different guitars is for their different timbres. This is just about getting a similar tone balance (the mix of lows, mids and highs) and similar overdrive levels from the same patches with different guitars.

I setup my patches for a strat, and for example, use a GEQ block with low-middle cut and a little less gain for humbuckers.

There are lots of ways to implement the different GEQs. I currently use scenes and MIDI patch mapping, so MFC patches 1 to 5 select AxeFX patches 001 to 005, all scene 1 with no GEQ blocks, for use with my strat. Then MFC patches 5 to 6 select the same AxeFX patches 001 to 005, but with scene 2 with one of the global blocks activated for my humbucker guitar.
 
Different guitars and even pickups need their own saved preset. You can't fine tune a tone for one particular guitar and then plug a different guitar in to the same preset and get the same tone. Surely the sound will be completely different from the previous one.

Kills me because i have multiple guitars and that is where i miss an actual amp. But nothing is perfect. ;)
 
Thanks for the responses. I figured I would need to create different patches for different guitars/pickups, but I was just curious what parameters people adjust to get the tone balance similar. I'll try adding a GEQ block as recommended by GM Arts to see if I can adjust my patches for the different guitars/pickups I use.

Dave Z
 
My regular gig patches have compression, mid boost, 2 drives etc. Since my guitar is HSH I can use those fx with the single coil positions and get great results.

If I was gigging with a primarily single coil guitar then I would definitely make new presets for that guitar.
 
all my presets that i've had before were loaded after 11.01 and the volumes have skyrocketed (maybe not being too literal) but they are loud!!! i had to adjust them all and its a mini mission lol then again my global amp gain is at 6db+ so that could be why... hahah
 
I did a test recording to see how modifying EQ in different places in the chain can change the sound.
I created a patch with a looper as the first block, then adjusted EQ in different places in order to record the different settings.

I did the following in the audio recording:

1) No EQ changes.
2) GEQ Block before amp 80 HZ cut to -12.0
3) AMP Block 8 Band EQ 80 HZ cut to -12.0
4) GEQ Block after amp 80 HZ cut to -12.0
5) Filter Block set to Highpass after amp 80 HZ 0 dB 0.707 Q
6) Filter Block set to Highpass before amp 80 HZ 0 dB 0.707 Q

It was useful for me to hear the differences in order to help fine tune my sound better by using EQ. A lot of good information on this was found here via the Wiki - http://forum.fractalaudio.com/ultra-std-discussion/37222-tips-eliminating-ice-pick-highs.html



Dave Z
 
Could set up 2 amps in the patch and tweak one for humbuckers and one for singles and switch with a modifier.
 
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