Buy artists' presets

[bloodninja]

I get what you're saying....my issue was, someone opened up a thread asking for guys like us that do preset creation. All well and good, right? You came in and said "paying for presets rubs you the wrong way". You've made it about you and your opinion at that point to ME. You disregarded that someone was in search of us. So I explained in full, as courteously as I could to try and make you see how and why the particular people mentioned in this thread, would charge for their preset creation.

No where did anyone say it was a consultation service. I'm not bothered by the word, but you are simply not understanding to even use that word. A consultation is when someone calls on you, or "consults" you for an opinion or advice. I do mix consultations in my business where someone sends me a mix, and I go through every instrument in the mix and tell them what is right or wrong with it. THAT is a consultation. Or, if someone asks me to listen to their tone and give my honest opinion, they are asking for my opinion via "consultation."

In a nutshell man, we've had a few discussions on this forum regarding us charging for presets. It's come up about 3-4 times now and honestly, the issue is people are mislead. I still think you don't quite understand what is going on here or you wouldn't even be posting the way you are. The issue people have, is they simply do not understand what we do, how we do it, or how long it takes. So right away, when you go into it blindly, it's easy to say "wow, those guys are ripping people off for presets we can get for free from AxeChange". It's NOT the same thing.

I'm trying to educate you and others that we are NOT the enemy and are not twisting anyone's arm to buy from us or work with us. I was hoping it would be totally understood which is why I replied to you in the manner in which I did. If you don't like paying for presets, yet you say you understand what we are doing and why...why would you post your dismay about paying for presets in a thread that asked for us specifically? See my point? I'm not trying to be confrontational....I just don't understand your reasoning or how you feel it's a consultation. You mentioned it rubbed you the wrong way. I don't want to argue with you man....I don't want people misunderstanding what WE do. That's all.

Nope, I understand exactly what's going on here. I don't like the idea of selling presets for the reasons I already mentioned, and I agreed with you that your custom preset consulting service is different. I guess I read the OP's question a little differently from you. I thought he wanted to buy artists' presets not hire someone to create them, but I see how you could read it the other way.

I'd rather steer new users toward free options rather than paying. I don't want someone lurking the forum to think that in addition to the $1500 for an AX8, you have to hire someone to create presets to make it sound good. I should have followed up with some presets that are in the forum or AxeChange. That would have been more helpful.

Nothing personal dude. I watched your video of the VH presets and thought it sounded great.

 

[Danny Danzi]

Nope, I understand exactly what's going on here. I don't like the idea of selling presets for the reasons I already mentioned, and I agreed with you that your custom preset consulting service is different. I guess I read the OP's question a little differently from you. I thought he wanted to buy artists' presets not hire someone to create them, but I see how you could read it the other way.

I'd rather steer new users toward free options rather than paying. I don't want someone lurking the forum to think that in addition to the $1500 for an AX8, you have to hire someone to create presets to make it sound good. I should have followed up with some presets that are in the forum or AxeChange. That would have been more helpful.

Nothing personal dude. I watched your video of the VH presets and thought it sounded great.

Nothing personal here either. It appears we're both defending different things which I definitely understand on both ends.

I also agree that new users should jump in and grab the free presets. That can help them learn how this thing works. That's how I learned as well.

The other side of the coin that I've learned from creating custom presets is, quite a few guys don't know or understand what makes a good guitar tone. Most of the free presets fail in this realm because they were made using the creator's signal feed. So when the new guy tries it, he wonders why it doesn't sound very good.

Thanks for the vh preset props...much appreciated. And thanks for the conversation. I see your point too.

 

[Sixstring]

One of the big things there is....you have to study the artist if you want to sound like them. If you play like you, and I give you a Hendrix, Page or Vai patch....you will always sound like you.

To me...this is a GREAT thing because you have achieved your own identity within your fingers. This is huge and what all of us should strive for in some sense.

However, we do have hobby players that just noodle around and like to sound like their hero's as well as those that may play in tribute acts.

Those guys sound like who they cop because they put the time in to not just play the licks, but the style, the vibrato, the execution, the feel. All this is important when you play through a sound that is modeling someone else.

If you play like evh you probably won't sound like Eric Gales even with the identical tone. So this may be why you've not done so well with presets.

I've been in a vh tribute band since 1995 as well as an original band that's toured and made a few records world wide. I still don't think I sound like Eddie, but I pay homage to him in my own way. Having a close tone helps me get a little closer, but it's still a frame of mind that I have to be in.

My original stuff sounds nothing like vh. I could use his sound on my stuff and sound like me. I really think that's the key to it. You have to play, think and do as the artist to sound like the artist. That's when the patch will help make the difference as it should put you in that frame of mind.

Not to be long winded....OK, we all know I fail there....lol! But...

Take a song like unchained by vh. The 3 intro chords are D sus, Bb sus, C sus etc right? If you don't play and execute those chords the way Eddie does using the strings he chose to strike in those chords, it will sound like a variation of unchained....but will not be correct.

Stupid stuff like that makes or breaks sounding like someone using their sound. That's probably why Ted Nugent felt so let down when he plugged into Ed's rig expecting to sound like Ed, and still sounded like Ted. Lol!

I have always subscribed to this mind set! I don't have my own sound or playing style but rather a culmination of players that I have tried to emulate over the years.

The whole "tone is in the fingers" I think is a wrong choice of words. It should be "style of playing" is in the fingers. You can only control tone to a certain degree and is more of a reference to sound than style, playing without a pick for instance the tone doesn't sound as bright.

Playing style on the other hand is all about your fingers in both hands, the way you pic, fret or strum which is why Eddie sounds like Eddie and why some can completely nail his playing style or others!

Sorry I didn't contribute to this topic but this post struck a chord with me so to speak

 

[Jean-Philippe JASON]

Problem of course being even when you've got an artist exact patches, such as the Larry Mitchell patches, or the guitarist who used to be in Brit Floyd, I find I sound nothing like them...

Its the same thing I ran into with analog gear. I'd go drop a few grand, get all the pedals someone like David Gilmour used, copy photos of his knobs and get everything set exactly right and I still didn't sound like Gilmour...

Obviously! As sad or disapointing as can be : you AREN'T David Gilmour... Wait... Are you?

 

[Danny Danzi]

I have always subscribed to this mind set! I don't have my own sound or playing style but rather a culmination of players that I have tried to emulate over the years.

The whole "tone is in the fingers" I think is a wrong choice of words. It should be "style of playing" is in the fingers. You can only control tone to a certain degree and is more of a reference to sound than style, playing without a pick for instance the tone doesn't sound as bright.

Playing style on the other hand is all about your fingers in both hands, the way you pic, fret or strum which is why Eddie sounds like Eddie and why some can completely nail his playing style or others!

Sorry I didn't contribute to this topic but this post struck a chord with me so to speak

I'd be willing to bet you have quite a cool style. We all have our influences and they show once in a while.

I think the whole "tone in the fingers" thing can be taken a few ways. For example, if you play a single note and hold it, and then let a guy playing for 5 months do the same, the tone you send forth is going to probably be better no matter what.

You will have a touch that he doesn't quite have yet, and probably your own vibrato or execution of how you play/hold that one note. Not much by way of style by holding one note, ya know?

I mean, yeah, I get what you're saying and don't disagree...but I think in my scenario, the tone is literally in the fingers. There's just a certain sound some guys get that others do not....and they don't have to play anything impressive to make it stand out.

 

[Dave76]

I think it would be awesome to see some artist presets just to see how they've managed to get the most out of the gear. These guys are doing this full time, have a support crew of techs to help them out and I'm guessing have access to a level of support at Fractal that the average buyer doesn't. There's a wealth of knowledge locked up in those presets. I've learned a ton from other users' presets and this would just be an extension of that.

I'd be happy to pay for the presets but I'd want to be sure they are actual raw artist presets and not something canned and sold as "The John Petrucci Preset Pack" that are really just created by someone to sound like him. Like how many artists with TC TonePrints actually use those on albums or live?

 

[R I Blues]

I don't know how much of a market there is for artist specific presets especially with how their individual tones have changed so much over the course of their careers. But, if there is a request and someone with a lot of experience and knowledge wishes to create them, then I say great! Do it and provide the service, I'm all for some good ole capitalism.

I would say that there is probably a larger market for presets that are effect specific such as: Delay's, compressors, flangers, phasers, etc. I meet a lot of young folks on the circuit that just do not understand and struggle to implement some of these devices especially when it comes to mix as well as the various parameters.

These same folks are now purchasing the AX8, Helix, etc and are looking for this knowledge, so presets that showcase the individual effects I think would be popular. If the presets were created as a template where the amp and cab could be interchangeable so the user could select whatever they want, that would be best. I think that would be very popular and sell bigly.