Hi my Axe-Fx III amigos:
Wanted to
share a few things you might want to consider when using the new Live Gold presets on your Axe-Fx III.
Where to set my Output knob for Level?
Instead of putting your Axe-Fx III's Output1 (or Output2) knob at 3:00 o'clock like I do, you might want to lower it to 2:00 or even 1:30 (or less).
It all depends on your playback system and what works for you.
I'm pointing this out because these presets were initially created and leveled a little hot on the FM3, with that Output1 maxed on my system (going to my CLR 10-12 feet away). When I A/B a preset on my Axe-Fx III versus the FM3's same preset, with both feeding the same CLR with identical input settings on that, I find that 2:00 o'clock works on my Axe-Fx III matches the FM3 signal level maxed when going in.
The presets/scenes were leveled on the FM3 to an "
average" -12db, with peaks up to -9db on my UAudio console signal meter.
While most presets are leveled evenly, I do hear some differences in volumes across scenes/presets - why?
Usually most presets are leveled with a bridge humbucker...but sometimes a neck single coil if preset or scene begins with an asterisk, like "*Clean".
First, I look at it like this:
1.
Clean -- bridge pickup, picking, sometimes neck or middle (neck +bridge pickup combination).
2.
Low -- I think of these these are picked arpeggios, like you might be doing behind a vocalist in a verse, or just low gain guitar parts.
However, using the CS2 Amp Input Boost can wake these presets up like "fifth, extra" scene as a great rhythm tone or nice low-gain lead tone!
3.
Rhythm or Medium -- these are your bread and butter gig tones. They will respond well to rolling off your guitar's volume knob to clean up too. They also like CS2 boost or sometimes the Fat switch.
4.
Lead/Hi Gain - -these can be lead tones, or high gain tones. Often I will make a lead tone LESS bright than the preceding Rhythm tone, it helsp cut out sometimes annoying pick-attack and makes it sound smoother.
Note, in Bank 3 the metal modern amps, it's a little different for many pure metal amps. "Low" may be Scene 1 and a "Main Rhythm" with some mids scene 2. Then Scene3 will usually be a very scooped rhythm, and Scene 4 a lead tone.
To the question of leveling...
Leveling a clean on bridge humbucker for most amps will not be as loud in most cases as the sound played on the neck pickup or middle (combination), because the bass content on the neck drives the signal output more/higher. The issue here is, if you level the bridge high, then using the Neck pickup on the same preset may actually cause distortion.
There are also a few amps, like the Shiva Clean or Tweed Princeton, that are very sensitive to your input/attack, and if you whack them hard you can spike the signal with transients and maybe clip -little more challenging to level those, have to settle for a happy medium/compromise.
Now - if you think your cleans sound too low, you can always boost any Clean tone scene in one of three ways:
Method 1: Turn Amp Boost with CS2 On
Method 2: Use Dr2 block channel "A" when it is a MicroBoost
Method 3: Use Filter1 Channel A or B.
Also, the EQ content in the amp sound can affect your perception of it's loudness relative to other amps/scenes. A modern amp tone is going to sound louder to you than a Fender amp, even if technically both amps are leveled at exactly -12db on a meter. (Also, google "Fletcher Munson" effect about how volume levels play with our ears and loudness perception).
So, to level
metal or modern amps, I do it a little different than other amps. I usually hit an A chord...then wait. Initially because of bass content those will spike up at first higher than -12db on my console/meters.. .what I look for is after a few seconds, at what level does the chord sustain at? For those heavier tones, I aim to have it "settle after a few seconds" to about -12db.
(I have to also say, those modern amps are the ones where it doesn't sound right and you sometimes just click up a small 0.3db or so, and all of a sudden it all "clicks" and the sound now roars out of the speaker at you that moments ago seemed distant and muffled. Interesting!)
Last, I level l
ead presets a little differently....instead of playing chords down by the nut like I might for Scenes 1 to 3, for Scene 4 Leads I instead play lead lines up around the 10th fret, and level to get them to -12db average...so if you hit a low E or chord, that's going to be louder than -12db, for example. I also need to leave headroom for boosts.
What if I mainly use a S/PDIF output into a DAW?
Another adjustment I'd suggest for Axe-Fx III users is this: if you plan to use these presets with the S/PDIF out (and possibly AES, I can't check that method myself though), be aware that the S/PDIF signal comes out 1.5db hotter on the same preset than the Analog XLR outs do.
I know this because on my Universal Audio Apollo system I feed them both into it, side by side. The S/PDIF is constant on the Axe-Fx III (turning the Output knobs do not affect it, whereas on an FM3 turning the Out1 knob will reduce the S.DPIF signal too.
So, using an Axe-Fx III S/PDIF out into a DAW like Logic or Pro Tools, you might want to use the channel insert to put in a transparent signal pad to decrease the signal by 1.5db exactly.
Personally, I do this on my Universal Audio Apollo using a Precision Channel Strip inserted. Then the analog XLR signals coming out the back of the unit show the same levels as my S/PDIF does with that 1.5db S/PDIF pad.
Okay, but I want my Axe-Fx III's preset to sound EXACTLY like what you originally dialed on the FM3 -- do I need to do anything else?
The LiveGold presets will sound great "as is!" on your Axe-Fx III.
But if you plan to use them live for gigs, here is my tip. You can use this Output 2 Global EQ setting to get your Axe-Fx III to sound almost exactly like the FM3 presets I made these on.
It's just a slight (but audible) lift the mids. I don't use this on Output 1 because I want my other presets Axe-Fx III to be flat. But I'm running my Output 2 into the same CLR my FM3 is, and this little adjustment there made the sounds identical when A/B'd.
Okay -- enough tips for tonight, but I'll be back with more this week.
