Def Leppard Tone

A

AlexGuitar

Inspired
I am working on a Def Leppard tone, and I think I'm getting pretty close. I just wanted to post it and see what everyone's thoughts were - any advice on how to make it even better?

Note: I am using York Audio M25 IRs. If you don't have them, just choose your favorite greenback cabs for mid-gain marshall tones.
 

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AlexGuitar said:
I was going for the Hysteria / Pyromania era. I was originally inspired seeing them on the stadium tour, and they sounded massive. They sounded far better than the other bands, and I decided to try and copy the tone.
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Their recorded and live sounds are light years apart, especially from the era you’re chasing. Im betting what we hear on those records is radically different from what was tracked. Great sounds.
 
Bruce Sokolovic said:
Their recorded and live sounds are light years apart, especially from the era you’re chasing. Im betting what we hear on those records is radically different from what was tracked. Great sounds.
Click to expand...
Definitely - I used some live recordings to try to chase the tone in the preset. They just sounded incredible on the stadium tour - it was exciting to hear that they were using fractals. Talk about purchase validation!!!
 
Here's a preset I came up with a while back based on the recent live tones
https://axechange.fractalaudio.com/detail.php?preset=8061

There's a thread on Def Lep using III's where AdminMatt said what IR's they were using at the time. I can't remember if this preset has them, but I'll double check tomorrow when I have some time.
Either way, it'll give you a head start in the right direction.
Phil got me into guitar in the first place and him and Viv are huge influences on me
 
I've been using that patch... JMPre-1 OD1 with low cut at 714 Hz. That is a lot of low cut but it seems to work. Your changes are closer.

These tunings sound right to me...
432, which is -31.8 ct detune, for Photograph
445, which is 19.6 ct detune, for Switch 625 and No No No
 
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AlexGuitar said:
I was going for the Hysteria / Pyromania era. I was originally inspired seeing them on the stadium tour, and they sounded massive. They sounded far better than the other bands, and I decided to try and copy the tone.
Click to expand...
Hysteria has Rockman all over it (studio recordings that is). Colen mentioned it in an interview. So aim for modeling the Rockman tone. Here you go... "98% was a Rockman."
 
And most of the playing was done on a 70s Fender strat with a humbucker from Phil's old Ibanez Destroyer, even Steve used it a lot from what I understand
 
AlexGuitar said:
I was going for the Hysteria / Pyromania era. I was originally inspired seeing them on the stadium tour, and they sounded massive. They sounded far better than the other bands, and I decided to try and copy the tone.
Click to expand...
I was in a successful Def Leppard tribute band for 7 years. At the time I used the Ultra (early days) after that, I got the II. As you probably know, Mutt Lang heavily produced them to get that ‘wall’ of sound. Also, we know their sound changed thru the years. While they’ve been using FAS for a while now, they sound quite different from the albums... heavier tones is what I hear IMO.
 
FusionFanatic said:
I was in a successful Def Leppard tribute band for 7 years. At the time I used the Ultra (early days) after that, I got the II. As you probably know, Mutt Lang heavily produced them to get that ‘wall’ of sound. Also, we know their sound changed thru the years. While they’ve been using FAS for a while now, they sound quite different from the albums... heavier tones is what I hear IMO.
Click to expand...
Agree with you completely. Studio tones by great producers are tough to recreate, but the Rockman does get you most of the way there. I have an x100 and the pre-amp distortion professional version. Someday I'll invest the time to model it super accurately in the Axe without matching.
 
Who can recommend a stand-out live video of Def Leppard to hear the Fractals? :)

I tried one a week ago and got quite disappointed. I suspect I may not like their repertoire after the first album. I have the first one and was a big fan of that, but never followed up. Do they still play anything from that?

In what I saw, Vivian sounded ok, but I didn't like Phil's sound. He kinda sounded as playing through... a modeler ;) — like lacking the needed fizz to sound "live" or something... I gave up after 3 or 4 songs as the repertoire and Phil's tones didn't appeal to me, but I want to give it a second chance.

Should I rather watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIUzWhCKneE ...? (can't find back which one I tried before)
Tones seem better here.

Part of the 80ies for me was defined by hearing a weekly one-hour hardrock broadcast on the radio. They played the great first Def Leppard album, Van Halen, ACDC, Pat Travers (Snortin' Whiskey), ...
 
Brewce said:
Who can recommend a stand-out live video of Def Leppard to hear the Fractals? :)

I tried one a week ago and got quite disappointed. I suspect I may not like their repertoire after the first album. I have the first one and was a big fan of that, but never followed up. Do they still play anything from that?

In what I saw, Vivian sounded ok, but I didn't like Phil's sound. He kinda sounded as playing through... a modeler ;) — like lacking the needed fizz to sound "live" or something... I gave up after 3 or 4 songs as the repertoire and Phil's tones didn't appeal to me, but I want to give it a second chance.

Should I rather watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIUzWhCKneE ...? (can't find back which one I tried before)
Tones seem better here.

Part of the 80ies for me was defined by hearing a weekly one-hour hardrock broadcast on the radio. They played the great first Def Leppard album, Van Halen, ACDC, Pat Travers (Snortin' Whiskey), ...
Click to expand...

They've gone Fractal post 2018 when Phil was introduced to the III via John Petrucci

They're my favourite band and I've seen them many many times in England and I do think the live tones are better "in the room" than on a recording. They performed Hysteria in it's entirety the last time I saw them and it was the best tones I'd heard from them.
In the studio they use pluggins so they haven't recorded with the Fractals.

The only time they'll play anything really really early is they'll do Wasted every so often. But a few of the guys have been quoted saying the majority of folks are there to hear the songs that really made them big, so whenever they've dug out something old it usually passes most of the audience by, so they stick with the successful stuff.

TBH I tend to find Phil's tone's a bit too hi-gain for me
 
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