HB/HBE. how much gain for live use

kevrock

kevrock

Experienced
I use these amps sims a lot live I'm just wondering where you like your gain set. Please let me know if you are using passive or active pickups if it even makes a difference.
I just wanna see if I'm in the ballpark. As some of the guys here. I play hair metal to Metallica kinda stuff live. Some days I think my gain is good others I don't.
I get a sound like clicking when I play leads. Most noticeable on the high e. Kinda hard to explain high pitch clicks when I pick and chimey. Thanks.
 
It's a personal taste thing. Kind of like asking, "What's the best shade of blue?" Different tones need different gain. It also depends on where you have Master Volume set, and what pickups you have. You really have to go with your ears on this, in a mix, at the volume you'll be playing at. On the days when you don't like your gain, ask yourself whether you want more or less, and tweak accordingly. Mess with both knobs until you until you get something you like better.

As for clicking when you play leads, check your CPU usage. If you're up into the 90s, find something you don't need and kill it.
 
kevrock said:
I use these amps sims a lot live I'm just wondering where you like your gain set. Please let me know if you are using passive or active pickups if it even makes a difference.
I just wanna see if I'm in the ballpark. As some of the guys here. I play hair metal to Metallica kinda stuff live. Some days I think my gain is good others I don't.
I get a sound like clicking when I play leads. Most noticeable on the high e. Kinda hard to explain high pitch clicks when I pick and chimey. Thanks.
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Both BE and HBE : Master 5 Gain 5 . On "ideal"/Off Sat on foot if désired . My pickups are Paf low output humbuckers 7.7k/8.3k A5
I have the last real one BE100 Friedman (full options) since yesterday , after tweaking and TM : same sound with the Axe XL !
 
I would say use as little gain as possible. Too much gain masks your guitar sound and playing dynamics and results in quick feedback. With high gain all your guitars sound sort of the same. Have to admit I am not a metal guy and you probably want much more gain than me. But still I would say use as little as possible.
 
Bodde said:
I would say use as little gain as possible. Too much gain masks your guitar sound and playing dynamics and results in quick feedback. With high gain all your guitars sound sort of the same. Have to admit I am not a metal guy and you probably want much more gain than me. But still I would say use as little as possible.
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Doesn't it all have to do with what you are playing? I know the pre-packaged answer to this question is always, "turn down the gain" but something is telling me that we've got a bunch of guys playing blues standards giving advice to folks who are playing stuff like Godsmack, White Zombie and Metallica.
 
Godsmack, White Zombie and Metallica don't use that much gain. In the studio it's typically overdubbed to give the sound that "girth", which we tend to lather with gain to compensate when we play alone. Listen to them live and you'll hear the difference, particularly Metallica.

Second to that, listen to those "my first talent show" style teenage metal bands to hear what gain actually sounds like live.

My tip for my fellow metal guys is always twofold as a result: less gain, more mids.
 
Wolfenstein98k said:
Godsmack, White Zombie and Metallica don't use that much gain. In the studio it's typically overdubbed to give the sound that "girth", which we tend to lather with gain to compensate when we play alone. Listen to them live and you'll hear the difference, particularly Metallica.

Second to that, listen to those "my first talent show" style teenage metal bands to hear what gain actually sounds like live.

My tip for my fellow metal guys is always twofold as a result: less gain, more mids.
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So, you are assuming that the guy playing the heavier stuff can't dial a decent tone in? My point is that the dude playing Mustang Sally with a tele in the corner of a small bar is always going to think the guy who is in a hard rock/metal band uses "too much gain". Even if **gasp** the metal guy dials in a decent tone.
Believe it or not--some of us playing heavier stuff are actually in bands and not waiting for that first talent show...
 
I use them a lot also. I favor the HBE. I found that the gain setting can vary quite a bit depending on the CAB I pair them up with. I use mainly user cabs and they are a mixed bunch indeed.
 
tallcoolone said:
So, you are assuming that the guy playing the heavier stuff can't dial a decent tone in? My point is that the dude playing Mustang Sally with a tele in the corner of a small bar is always going to think the guy who is in a hard rock/metal band uses "too much gain". Even if **gasp** the metal guy dials in a decent tone.
Believe it or not--some of us playing heavier stuff are actually in bands and not waiting for that first talent show...
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I assumed nothing of the sort. You know as well as I do (ie, not at all) what his tone sounds like. So the information is either useful to him or not, and he can judge that for himself.

To OP: if you can, listen to your tone in a live context. That little ice-pick sound you get can be irritating if you stare at it, but I find it is great and percussive in a live context, and gives the tone a literal "cut" through the mix.
 
I've got my BE at Input Drive 5.82 and Mast Vol 8.5. No drive block and no noise gating.

Sounds quiet and nice and gainy through my Burstbucker 2 bridge pickup. It also retains not definition.

Mind you, I'm into Sabbath-at most rock tones.
 
tallcoolone said:
Aren't you saying here that anyone who plays metal always dials in too much gain and not enough mids? IMO that is quite an assumption.
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I don't think he's saying that at all. He's not bashing metal players—he plays metal himself. He's just pointing out a common mistake among guitarists of all genres: using too much gain. And he's not saying that all metal players are inexperienced kids. He's just pointing out a truth: if you've spent much time at "my first talent show"-type events, you've heard a lot of young metal bands whose tone has been turned to mush by using too much gain, as a way to illustrate what too much gain can do in a way that lots of people can relate to.
 
Rex said:
I don't think he's saying that at all. He's not bashing metal players—he plays metal himself. He's just pointing out a common mistake among guitarists of all genres: using too much gain. And he's not saying that all metal players are inexperienced kids. He's just pointing out a truth: if you've spent much time at "my first talent show"-type events, you've heard a lot of young metal bands whose tone has been turned to mush by using too much gain, as a way to illustrate what too much gain can do in a way that lots of people can relate to.
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Of course there are players who fall into the too much gain camp but you can say the same for inexperienced players who are using amps (go into a GC after school is out). No one has ever suggested that John Petrucci uses too much gain but I guarantee if someone posted his settings in a preset most here would jump on him for having too much of it. He may not be "bashing" anyone but IMO in order to make a suggestion about someone's tone you should at least hear it in context first. Mark Day LOVES gain and can dial in a heavy preset that won't get lost...that's a skill and it isn't always a matter of lowering the gain knob.
 
Thanks for the answers.
I'm running frfr and I'm quite happy with my tone. I get compliments all the time. Lol I do play metal. All kinds. Classic rock hair metal to thrash to modern metal. I use various Amps for certain genres.
It is funny how metal player do get stereotyped it like a shock to some of the non metal players in the crowd. When they compliment my tone. Lol like "wow how can a metal dude dial in a good tone".
 
Generally, less than you would think. But it also depends on the song, the band, the genre really. I'm the only guitarist in a prog metal band so I can generally get a way with a little more, but even then, it's not saturated, I keep it tight. It cuts through the mix more and locks in with the others better. It's also good for your playing as it's a lot less forgiving. :)
 
kevrock said:
I use these amps sims a lot live I'm just wondering where you like your gain set. Please let me know if you are using passive or active pickups if it even makes a difference.
I just wanna see if I'm in the ballpark. As some of the guys here. I play hair metal to Metallica kinda stuff live. Some days I think my gain is good others I don't.
I get a sound like clicking when I play leads. Most noticeable on the high e. Kinda hard to explain high pitch clicks when I pick and chimey. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Turn up loud. Keep backing off the gain until you dont like the sound anymore. Bump up the gain a notch or two and there you are. Less gain as possible will give you a more articulated sound.
 
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