Beeeez in a jar

K

kev

Inspired
Getting aquainted to the AXE. I have been playing through tube heads for many years and haven't had a rack unit since those wonderful 80's. While setting up patches, I notice that old buzzy preamp distortion riding on top of most of the amp models, especially the higher gain amps. It isn't terrible but there. I think the distortion sounds great except for the beeez swarming around in there.
I'm playing the AXE through a SS power amp and two 1x12 guitar cabs so speaker cab is off, power sim on. If I turn the speaker cab sim on, the buzz is pretty much gone which is how it sounds playing through a tube amp. I thought playing through guitar cabs would take care of this. It's not acceptable to use the cab sim with a guitar cab, of course. It sounds muddy.

I haven't played the AXE yet with the band and I'm hoping the beeeez will get lost in the mix but I really don't want them there to begin with. I'm tweaking as much as I can but any help taming this would be great. I've heard it in sound clips from other guys too. I don't get this buzzy preamp sound playing through my tube heads. My next step is to try a PEQ and drastically roll off at about 5.5k and boost the upper mids to compensate.

How do you guys who play through SS amps and guitar cabs deal with it? I would think there would be a way to tame it in the amp parameters but I haven't been able to dial it out yet. I'm trying hard to avoid going FRFR cause I just don't need more gear. :roll:
 
Reduce the hi-cut in the amp's Advanced menu. That might help some. Default for many of the amps is at it's full value (20K). Try setting it around 5k or so (give or take).
 
The strange thing for me was, I did experience the beez in the jar effect as well. I had to turn cab sims on playing through a guitar cabinet and it didnt sound so good, but it smoothed the sound out. This was on version 7.04 when I first got my ultra. Then I upgraded to 7.06 and the bees went away. It was amazing because I was ready to just continue using my tube rig live. Now I use no cab sims or power amp sims through my mesa 50/50 and it sounds awesome. Exactly like my Mark IV sounded.
 
AxeFX = 'Beeeez-B-Gone'!

Of all the processors I have ever owned, the AFX is by far the easiest to get a fizz-free sound from. There are many parameters that allow you to tailor the Amp's hi end as well as the excellent EQ and Filter options. One very easy way to decrease fizziness is to simply raise the Amp's Master Volume setting.

~Rad~
 
Thanks, all very good tips and I have just gotten to the point of starting to tweak the amp parameters and decrease the amp's high end roll off on a per patch basis. I've only had it a week so I'm just starting to get there. You really do have to tweak every patch but it will be worth it. :cool:

I had considered keeping the cab sim on and eqing the extra low mids out, with the Output 1 global eq, to sound better with my cabs. Something else to try.

Man, I can't wait for that editor.............
 
Kev - I have mentioned to Cliff that it would be nice to have a direct mix parameter on the Cabs & Amps. Having this mix capability within the Cab would allow all the 'in-between' shades instead of simply Cab On or Off ;)

Once you find the parameters that work (de-fizz) best for your tonal concept, you'll be sailing!

~Rad~
 
mwc2112 said:
Reduce the hi-cut in the amp's Advanced menu. That might help some. Default for many of the amps is at it's full value (20K). Try setting it around 5k or so (give or take).
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I do when faced with harsh highs and it works great. It seems to act as a shelving eq rather than the fixed frequency in the tonestack.
 
Kev - try playing with warmth parameter in the advanced page .. it seems to tame some of the extra high end alongside with high cut parameter ..

Mik.
 
The Output Transformer high frequency cutoff parameter (Xformer HF) is also useful for this.
 
Thanks guys. I'm dying to get tweaking again but rehearsal is getting in the way. :p
The axe is like haivng a new born baby. Not getting enough sleep.

Radley, the mix function has a lot of potential. I hope it happens.
 
Radley said:
Kev - I have mentioned to Cliff that it would be nice to have a direct mix parameter on the Cabs & Amps. Having this mix capability within the Cab would allow all the 'in-between' shades instead of simply Cab On or Off ;)

Once you find the parameters that work (de-fizz) best for your tonal concept, you'll be sailing!

~Rad~
Click to expand...

In the meantime could you not just run a parallel non-cab signal alongside the cab signal, and adjust the levels accordingly to get the combination you want?
 
DNW said:
Radley said:
Kev - I have mentioned to Cliff that it would be nice to have a direct mix parameter on the Cabs & Amps. Having this mix capability within the Cab would allow all the 'in-between' shades instead of simply Cab On or Off ;)

Once you find the parameters that work (de-fizz) best for your tonal concept, you'll be sailing!

~Rad~
Click to expand...

In the meantime could you not just run a parallel non-cab signal alongside the cab signal, and adjust the levels accordingly to get the combination you want?
Click to expand...

As Cliff mentioned earlier, you can run into some phase issues doing this, so one of the signal might have to be delayed a bit.
 
I'm playing my FX through a ss power amp > 4x12 guitar cab, cab sims off. No bees in a can to be heard.................


............but I carefully tweak my patches.
 
Here's my advice:

There's all this talk of advanced params, etc. Not sure you're at that point since it seems it's not set up correctly yet. I haven't heard 'bees' in any default amp WHEN IT'S SET UP CORRECTLY. That means input volumes, output volumes, master's, and the things that are particular in your setup.

Now I may be wrong, but from your post count, you're still pretty new to to Axe. If I can refer to when you get 'bee's' in tube amp parlance, it's usually when your preamp is defining your tone. This is fine when your poweramp can smooth it out, but crappy when you're at bedroom volume. The AFX can get that tone, but you need to think of your poweramp first, rather than at an afterthought.

Simple. Keep your drive low, and crank up your poweramp. Turn up the drive until you get to a nice mix. (By that I mean if you have an external tube poweramp, don't expect things to happen unless that's cranked. Crank up the master on the AFX poweramp if you have a clean poweramp.) Both will contribute and change things. Try it.
 
I have no bees.

I have noticed however, that with the higher gain models, the Power Amp default is somewhere around half.

I always turn this up to 3/4 as a starting point, and somethimes higher. Maybe this is why I have no bees?
 
Hey guys, thx for the tips. The Warmth contol was the real bee killer. Had to compensate for the extra addes low mids but killed the beez dead. HF roll off helped too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom