Cab Block Preamp Tone Control

rodzimguitar68

rodzimguitar68

Fractal Fanatic
Just wanted to post a blurb about the bass, mid, treble tone knobs in the Cab Preamp block. I had a nice preset built and it sounded righteous when I played by myself, but the tone didn't cut through in the mix. I tried various combinations of bright switch, sat settings, and presence knob, but it wasn't helping in the right way. That's when I stumbled upon those tone controls. That took my good tone while playing alone, into a good tone while sitting in the mix.

It is a refreshing experience to have this self-discovery, even after playing for 35 years.

There are so many options for tone shaping in this box, that it is easy to overlook any one of them, due to the sheer magnitude of the choices available.

So, this is a good natured "heads up" to everyone - don't be afraid to try these tone controls in the cab block preamp.

Rod
 
I use the cab block tone controls as my final tone tweak in all my presets. I dial in the amp controls to where i get the character of sound I'm looking for and then use the cab block controls, usually to add a bit of mid and high and then tweak out any bass issues.

They are perfect for when you have a base tone you are happy with it, but need to make some small adjustments to sit in the band mix properly.
 
Exactly. I guess I like "dark" tones, and I end up having to brighten my tones when they are in a mix context. It is easy to do if needed, with plug-ins and post production when I record, but that doesn't help me if I'm playing live. Yes, the sound guy is probably making adjustments, but I want to spoon-feed him something as close to useable, as I can, to make his job easy (and to keep him from feeling like he has to over-adjust my signal, and could possibly not do as good a job of preserving my tone, as I can).
 
FractalAudio said:
Guitar players ALWAYS dial their tones much too dark to fit properly in a mix. Listen to some stems and you'll be amazed at how bright they are but in a mix they're perfect.
Click to expand...

I have been guilty of this in the past. The Axe has certainly helped me learn how to properly dial in sounds for a mix. I'll also note that most of my patch-tweaking occurs in my home studio, while using my studio monitors at (relatively) low volumes. I found that I was letting the brightness of the strings in the room contribute to my penchant for dialing dark tones to begin with, making them even darker. I just wasn't paying attention.
 
FractalAudio said:
Guitar players ALWAYS dial their tones much too dark to fit properly in a mix. Listen to some stems and you'll be amazed at how bright they are but in a mix they're perfect.
Click to expand...

Not everyone... I'll stick an icepick in your forehead all day long; mix or no. ;)
 
FractalAudio said:
Guitar players ALWAYS dial their tones much too dark to fit properly in a mix. Listen to some stems and you'll be amazed at how bright they are but in a mix they're perfect.
Click to expand...

This is so true.

And although I mix a lot and am forever brightening up guitar tracks recorded by someone else, when I gig, I play with a dark tone lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom