Commercial U2 preset packs

Always something new with this box :) I need to try this I hadn't worked out that it was possible to use the front and rear inputs to get two guitars into the axe. Doh!
Makes for quicker guitar changes. Just roll down the volume knob, swap guitars, and roll up the volume on the new one.
 
I guess the thing is that when you cut / boost at bedroom levels, those cuts / boost are much more noticeable at gig level. Maybe the eq changes I made in the amp block were too subtle at bedroom level yet too dramatic at gig level.
This. So often, things that make a big difference at gig levels are undetectable at bedroom levels.
 
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OK I want to share some thoughts on this topic but before I do, here are a few caveats :)

1) I'm certainly no professional on how to set up the axe fx
2) Anyone who knows me from the U2GT forum will remember I have a tendency to prefer 'a bit of grit' in my U2 tones :)
3) Don't you just love how U2 geeks obsess over the tiny things ;)

Anyways. So a few weeks ago, Two good friends (both of whom are excellent guitarists and far more expert than me) spent a day comparing tones. I was using Edo's presets and my friend had his axe fx loaded with his presets (I should explain that he plays in a fantastic U2 tribute from the UK) My summary was this.

For the cleaner tones that Olivier is referring to, there was no doubt that in the room on the day my friend's tones were cleaner, chimier and more 'classic U2' than Edo's presets were in my setup. And I think we three agreed they were 'better' (whatever that means)

That said, I think what we were comparing to in making this assessment was more the studio version or some 'idealised' version of these clean type tones.

Based on the last three tours that I've been to, I don't really hear the edge playing this very clean chimey tone (however beautiful it is.) IMHO Edo's tones are more like the live versions, certainly from the more recent tours that I have been to. They are a bit more gritty.

Not sure if this adds anything to the discussion other than the possibility that at the end of the day Its largely down to personal taste. I am really enjoying playing with Edo's presets. Out of the box they sound great to me.

As for the more exotic tones, then I just take my hat off to Edo. The wilder and more overdriven or effects laden tones are just stunning. In the I&e pack, the low e note in the outro of 'until the end of the world pack' is worth the purchase price alone :)

From my experience, what sounds crunchier at bedroom volume will sound much cleaner at gig volume in a band mix, because part of the crunch will kind of be absorbed by the other instruments, and at loud volume the transients and attack of the guitar tone will be much more in your face than at bedroom level. Anyways, yes, I always go for the live tone, to me it has way more character than the cleaner studio tone.
 
From my experience, what sounds crunchier at bedroom volume will sound much cleaner at gig volume in a band mix, because part of the crunch will kind of be absorbed by the other instruments, and at loud volume the transients and attack of the guitar tone will be much more in your face than at bedroom level. Anyways, yes, I always go for the live tone, to me it has way more character than the cleaner studio tone.
Looking at it another way, fizzy crunch becomes a hot knife cutting through the mix when you turn it up to gig level. This can make it seem cleaner because you have more clarity in the mix. On the other hand, I've found that if I think I've dialed in enough gain at bedroom level, I have too much gain when I turn up to gig level.
 
@ZOLAIVE, I'm sure you've already tried, but have you tried dialing the volume back a bit on your Strat? @edo's presets clean-up nicely when I dial the volume back on both my Strat's (CS-69's and FS-1/Fat 50's), Les Paul's (T-Tops and Classic 57/57+) and Explorer (Tarbacks), when I use both my AC30 and headphones.

Edo has the amps perfectly setup on the edge of break-up, so the volume control on the guitar works great as a gain control.
 
@ZOLAIVE, I'm sure you've already tried, but have you tried dialing the volume back a bit on your Strat? @edo's presets clean-up nicely when I dial the volume back on both my Strat's (CS-69's and FS-1/Fat 50's), Les Paul's (T-Tops and Classic 57/57+) and Explorer (Tarbacks), when I use both my AC30 and headphones.

Edo has the amps perfectly setup on the edge of break-up, so the volume control on the guitar works great as a gain control.
Yes i tried that. It's not a good option in my humble opinion because it's way too sensitive. Only one small modification on the volume button changes the amount of drive drastically. I like to play with my guitare volume at max because i can easily have the same volume settings this way each time I play (don't know how to explain that in correct English...).
 
then Olivier, have you tried to reduce the input trim on the amp page ??
put it at 0.5 instead of 1, and it already makes a difference (at least with my guitar)

(@ bigtim : Tchao my friend !!! o_O )
 
Yes I did. The tone is not dirty anymore but I can't get the tone of Edo's samples (punchy, bright tone). Still some kind of "dullness" with lows.
I should tweak the EQ and/or try other IRs but I would need the help of Edo (the "service après-vente").
Cheers
Olivier
 
About hte bedroom and the gig levels. It's a well known phenomenon.
The Fletcher–Munson curves show the sets of equal-loudness contours for the human ear. We can see that we need to raise a lot the dB in order to hear lows the same way we hear the high mids and the trebles (when they are at a lower level).
As we raise the overall level, we can see that the loudness for the lows doesn't raise a lot wheareas the loudness of mids and treble raise a lot.
curves.png
 
Yes I did. The tone is not dirty anymore but I can't get the tone of Edo's samples (punchy, bright tone). Still some kind of "dullness" with lows.
I should tweak the EQ and/or try other IRs but I would need the help of Edo (the "service après-vente").
Cheers
Olivier
I'm having similar results on the Vertigo Pack with AFII-8.02. Global I/O's all at 0dB. Front Input. Left Only. Edo stock Pride preset for example. Using Sig. Edge Strat, stock pickup height, quack position. With my guitar volume between 6-7, tone 7-8, I'm already starting to cross from edge of break up into break up. It's a very sensitive sweet spot. Above 7 and I start to fade into fuzzy overdrive. My overall volume sounds relatively low at the stock preset level as well (through head phones or stereo Atomic CLR actives). Output 1 volume knob between 11ish. I've tried raising the preset amp1/amp2 outputs respectively and that helps, but with the guitar volume turned down as above - just seems to be missing something - basically what Oliver describes. Just can't get the edge of breakup, but distinct punchy/bouncy delay. Oh - this is straight guitar, no backing track just to really hear the tone. Blue Herdim, etc.
Overall these are awesome presets - it's just this drive/volume balance that is giving me the most difficulty and I'm trying not to veer far from Edo's core settings.
Thanks all,
Todd
 
I'm having similar results on the Vertigo Pack with AFII-8.02. Global I/O's all at 0dB. Front Input. Left Only. Edo stock Pride preset for example. Using Sig. Edge Strat, stock pickup height, quack position. With my guitar volume between 6-7, tone 7-8, I'm already starting to cross from edge of break up into break up. It's a very sensitive sweet spot. Above 7 and I start to fade into fuzzy overdrive. My overall volume sounds relatively low at the stock preset level as well (through head phones or stereo Atomic CLR actives). Output 1 volume knob between 11ish. I've tried raising the preset amp1/amp2 outputs respectively and that helps, but with the guitar volume turned down as above - just seems to be missing something - basically what Oliver describes. Just can't get the edge of breakup, but distinct punchy/bouncy delay. Oh - this is straight guitar, no backing track just to really hear the tone. Blue Herdim, etc.
Overall these are awesome presets - it's just this drive/volume balance that is giving me the most difficulty and I'm trying not to veer far from Edo's core settings.
Thanks all,
Todd

That's even stranger, considering you're using the same guitar I'm using for the clip, and I have both volume and tone at 10.. Please, send me the patch via email so I can look at it and see if anything got messed up during import / export of the preset!
 
I'm having similar results on the Vertigo Pack with AFII-8.02. Global I/O's all at 0dB. Front Input. Left Only. Edo stock Pride preset for example. Using Sig. Edge Strat, stock pickup height, quack position. With my guitar volume between 6-7, tone 7-8, I'm already starting to cross from edge of break up into break up. It's a very sensitive sweet spot. Above 7 and I start to fade into fuzzy overdrive. My overall volume sounds relatively low at the stock preset level as well (through head phones or stereo Atomic CLR actives). Output 1 volume knob between 11ish. I've tried raising the preset amp1/amp2 outputs respectively and that helps, but with the guitar volume turned down as above - just seems to be missing something - basically what Oliver describes. Just can't get the edge of breakup, but distinct punchy/bouncy delay. Oh - this is straight guitar, no backing track just to really hear the tone. Blue Herdim, etc.
Overall these are awesome presets - it's just this drive/volume balance that is giving me the most difficulty and I'm trying not to veer far from Edo's core settings.
Thanks all,
Todd

So you used a non-XL? (I just wanted to be sure it wasn't an XL and you didn't use Fractool)
 
That's even stranger, considering you're using the same guitar I'm using for the clip, and I have both volume and tone at 10.. Please, send me the patch via email so I can look at it and see if anything got messed up during import / export of the preset!
Will do Edo - Thank you!.

So you used a non-XL? (I just wanted to be sure it wasn't an XL and you didn't use Fractool)
ah..left that out. It is an XL. Used Frac-Tool to convert pack from II to XL both presets and to make a bank out of them...hmmm.
Thanks!
 
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Hi,
Finally Edo fixed my drive and lows problem !
I want to say that he really did a great "Après-vente" service. I sent him a DI of my dry guitar and he went to the conclusion that my Strat was hoter than his Strat, with also some more treble.
He used my DI track with a POPMART preset and matched it to his tone.
Here's how he tweaked the parameters in the POPMART PRIDE preset :
To get rid of the excessive drive, he lowered gains in SSD preamp bloc and in VOX Amp1 bloc
To get a sweeter sound (less trebles) he raised the High Cut value in the Basic page of the VOX amp1 bloc.
He also changed the XFormerMatch value in the Speaker page of the VOX amp1 bloc (don't know what it does...)

Now the tone is good. At bedroom levels, still some muddiness but it can be fixed by lowering the low mids in the GEQ page of the VOX amp1 bloc. At gig levels, it shouldn't be necessary.

So a big Thanks to Edo !

What I learned from all that is the huge difference pickups (and wood...) can make in the final tone ...

I suggested that Edo does some tutorials for those who buy his presets packs :
1. add some informations about the way he sets his Axe-FX to get his tones with his presets (useful for noobies who don't master the I/O settings yet)
2. do a little tutorial to explain general rules to follow in order to correct tone variations due to the difference between guitars that are the same models but not the same series.
 
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