Advice for New Users - Please Read If You Are Stuck!

ThrillGrill

ThrillGrill

Member
PLAY IN A MIX!!! Whether it be with a band, or by yourself with a backing track, I can't stress this enough. Let me explain.

I went through a phase over the past few months where I went back and forth between my AX8 and my amps. Because of the excitement of new tech, I wanted to make it work, but struggled to obtain the same vibe as with my tube amps. This went on for months, and I was ready to throw in the towel.

Then it happened, I went all in with the AX8. I set up a few patches, but when it came time for practice or a show, I always went AX8. My amps were like a security blanket, but I needed to take the plunge. I set up a few basic patches (not getting lost in the infinite possibilities), and forced myself to find my sound.

Over a short while, I realized what I was missing all along was playing in the mix. That's it. Getting used to that feeling of finding my pocket of frequencies where I can play and shine. It all clicked, and soon I was able to make the connection between 'amp in the room' and guitar properly sitting in the mix.

I guess all I'm saying is get with your friends, your band, or some backing tracks. Use the looper! Get used to the feeling of a mic'd cab sitting in the mix the way it was meant to be. STOP cranking your tube amp in a room by yourself and wishing the AX8 sounded like that because the real truth is that live, mic'd up, you never get that bedroom sound and we all kind of know that.

Ok once you get over the hump, please crank that tube amp again!! You'll finally have a frame of reference and appreciate how to enjoy both for what they are.

Hope that helps some of you who are stuck like I was!
 
Very true!

I have some high quality backing tracks and I just do that.

And set the final eq touches at 82dbs or so.
 
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The biggest thing to get over is the feel of modeling vs amp & cab. The ah-ha moment for me came when I started thinking of modeling as recorded guitar sounds, not replicating in-the-room guitar feel. I then started to listen closely to recorded tones, then attempting to create some those same sounds. I have had much more success creating good live tones using this approach.

This whole 'amp-in-the-room' argument breaks down quickly when you consider recorded music. So many guys say so-and-so has great tone then go on to reference a recording. It cannot sound like an amp-in-the-room yet they still rave about the tone. If AITR was such a big deal, there's no way they should be able to listen to anything other than live music. Even that breaks down quickly though as most live events these days are mic'd cabs through the mains. Then it becomes about the quality of the system and opens a completely different conversation.
 
AITR is the last vestige of resistance that tube amp user repeat over and over...I look at it this way.
Why would I want every room I play to color my sound? I don't.
Why play an open back cab pointed at the back of your knees and need to crank it so loud that the room becomes part of the tone?
I love the sound and feel of my AX8 via a CLR...it's always 4 feet behind me pointed right at my head.
I stand right in the beam and hear it loud and clear...before any room colors it, that's why it sounds the same from gig to gig.
I don't have to constantly change the eq of my tone with each new venue because the room doesn't affect what I hear.
I understand some people will never get used to this way of playing, but it makes it so easy to get a great consistent tone.
 
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Good advice I play with a backing track live. It is just a singer and me (I also sing) so I find I need to go back and tweak some patches after hearing them against the track at gig levels.
 
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