Anybody nailing any psychedelic/stoner metal tones?

I'm talking about Monolord, Spelljammer, The Sword, Red Fang, Clutch, etc. I've just not been very satisfied with my attempts at it. I realize that fuzz pedals in front of blasting amps is a pretty big deal for the over-the-top sound, but I've just not been able to get there with my attempts using the Axe-fx II pedals. I've considered getting an actual fuzz pedal. But I'm wondering if anybody is REALLY getting there in-the-box.

If you've got any advice I'd love to hear it.
 
Red Fang has said they use Sunn Beta Lead amps, but I don't know if they are similar to anything in the Axe-FX, since they are solid state amps.

The Sword use Orange Cabs. I think they've changed up amps recently but JD was using an OR100 head. Kyle uses pedals modded or built by Bryan Ritchie, the bass player and a Big Crunch 50 watt One Knob amp.

Here is a Demo of the One Knob. It's nice n fizzy. :)

 
Red Fang has said they use Sunn Beta Lead amps, but I don't know if they are similar to anything in the Axe-FX, since they are solid state amps.

The Sword use Orange Cabs. I think they've changed up amps recently but JD was using an OR100 head. Kyle uses pedals modded or built by Bryan Ritchie, the bass player and a Big Crunch 50 watt One Knob amp.

Here is a Demo of the One Knob. It's nice n fizzy. :)



See - that's what I mean though. I know an amp can sound that way, and I do find the humor in the first response about finding these tones in the Axe-fx II a clip of an actual amp.

I've tried a variety of different IRs for direct recording, I play through a tube power amp into a cab and record. For the life of me, I cannot get my axe-fx II to give me that raw and nasty a breakup. If I keep the gain low and push the master volume I can get closer, but it's almost like the axe-fx II breakup is too smooth and doesn't have the same bounce and percussive attack, nor does it have the mids structure of this type of distortion. It's a sound I've heard on countless records of countless bands, and I just do not get there with this black box. So again, I'm asking if anybody can cop something like the tone posted there, please let me know. Because it's killing me.
 
I just checked out Monolord and Spelljammer. Those tones are sick! I'm not in front of my unit at the moment, but to me, it sounds like like an amp slightly broken up and then using either the Hard Fuzz or Big Muff with lower gain (1.5-3) and messing with the variable clip shape (maybe turning clockwise) until you get the response you're after. I would also add a little speaker drive from the speaker page, maybe around 3-4. That should give you some tightness from the fuzz and keep the amp from being too stiff.

The hugeness of the overal tone sounds like sum of several lower gain fuzzes to me. If you want something a little bigger with just one guitar, you can increase your input drive and then reduce the fuzz mix going into the amp.

I don't know if any of that will be helpful to you, but those methods have worked for me in the past. If nothing else, thanks for turning me on to some new bands!
 
I just checked out Monolord and Spelljammer. Those tones are sick! I'm not in front of my unit at the moment, but to me, it sounds like like an amp slightly broken up and then using either the Hard Fuzz or Big Muff with lower gain (1.5-3) and messing with the variable clip shape (maybe turning clockwise) until you get the response you're after. I would also add a little speaker drive from the speaker page, maybe around 3-4. That should give you some tightness from the fuzz and keep the amp from being too stiff.

The hugeness of the overal tone sounds like sum of several lower gain fuzzes to me. If you want something a little bigger with just one guitar, you can increase your input drive and then reduce the fuzz mix going into the amp.

I don't know if any of that will be helpful to you, but those methods have worked for me in the past. If nothing else, thanks for turning me on to some new bands!

I've definitely given those methods a shot, but not all in combination. I will work a bit more with the fuzz tonight. Whenever I engage those pedals in the axe fx they never really do what I hear them do in real life. I think it's been mentioned before that because of the a/d conversion certain aspects just can't be modeled. Oh well.

I may just save up and get a doom rig if I can't figure it out though. It's really the sound in my head, so whatever I gotta do to get there.
 
Are you guys using a Mk1/2? Anyone wanna upload a preset? I'd love to have a reference... I've been considering buying a boutique fuzz for the AFX but I really would rather not run external gear...
 
I've got an mk1 and could upload a preset, but I'm away from my unit. At any rate, this is the type of thing you still have to cater to your guitar and setup, dude.

I assure you my preset would sound hugely different on your end.

Basically, I ended up going with fas modern, but with the gain at around 0.6 and input trim at around 0.85. MV up at about 5.5 and pretty neural eq setting. Maybe a little less bass. And yeah, speaker drive is a must to get that tight crunch sms punch of the sound.

I used the hard fuzz, turned on the variable clip and basically played with the tone and variable clip knob until I got where I wanted. The interaction between amp and pedal varies greatly depending upon your settings, so you'll just have to keep digging until you find your happy place.

Oh and I'm also using my own 212 IRs that I shot of my Avatar Contemporary 212 with Vintage 30s. I actually prefer the mids structure on this for the doom sound more than 412 IRs that I have. Experiment!
 
I've got an mk1 and could upload a preset, but I'm away from my unit. At any rate, this is the type of thing you still have to cater to your guitar and setup, dude.
Of course. But this IS the preset exchange. ;) Still wouldn't wouldn't mind seeing someone else's preset. I find looking at other people's setups and hearing them will either inspire me or give me a direction I would have not explored otherwise. I bought Fremen's presets and don't even attempt to use them with his default cabs when I have been playing with them... and many have them have been very inspiring and useful nonetheless, well worth it.

Thanks for the tips; though, those are good ideas.. I will poke at it some... I have a couple of crushing Doom presets on my Ultra. Maybe I will look at what was going on in those bad boys too.

Maybe I'll just buy a Pharaoh, A/B it until I get a preset working and then eBay it. So many things to explore. I have no doubt it is in there. I know about the 'Fuzzes are buffered by the AFX' thing which makes sense but I don't think it is my issue, there's a good chance I would run a buffer prior to a Fuzz in a traditional rig, anyway.
 
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Says the guy who posted the thread in the preset exchange asking for input. :rolleyes: Sorry I asked.

I just mean in my case. LOL. I actually posted this in the discussion originally. They moved it. I was just asking for advice. I've not used one preset that taught me a single thing.

Effects blocks? You betcha.
 
@JustinYork - Dude... I owe you one big friggin' solid. That variable clip just did the damn trick! I'm suddenly WAY more in control of the tone of my fuzz pedals and I'm in doomy drone merry land of enrichment! Thanks so much!

So... the axe-fx II CAN do doom, indeed. WAY FRIGGIN COOL!

I'm just now seeing this and so glad that the Variable Clip was the ticket for your tone! The Hard Fuzz model is pretty awesome. I like using the bit crusher on that fuzz as well for a cool grainy texture that gates off on the tail end. I feel like the drive blocks really work well with Q2.01 and it's so cool that we get to go under the hood and customize our own pedals. I'd love to hear the tones you've come up with with the FAS Modern/Avatar setup.
 
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