My quick and fast tips:
1) Get rid of the Input Gate (if it's too noisy without it, you're using too much gain... or your room situation sucks. If you need it, use the minimum threshold, and use the sidechain feature on a Gate block, placed at the end of the chain, but "seeing" the start of the chain, to optimise)
I'm not sure what this means? do you mean turning the levels all down ? sidechain feature? I'm completely lost there.
What bands do you like and what amps have the type of gain you like?
I'm getting so many killer high gain sounds using Mark IIC+, the SLO, the XTC, the JCM800, The Herbert.
I like a wide range, but stuff like Killswitch engage, dream theater, fear factory, devildriver, metallica, parkway drive, and most recently nekrogoblikon.
I like the 6505/5150 because I get the best tone out of them. I can't get a decent tone out of the mark IIc+ tho some clips I've heard are great!, I like the rectos, Engl and JVM amps too.
yes, that was the next thing i was going to say. the axe isn't the only part of the signal chain. run some checks on the guitar - tone control wide open? pickups at the right height? guitar cable good? how are you monitoring? what speakers are you using? variables, variables.....
I have 15 guitars, all different styles, single coils, humbuckers, actives, passives, vintage, modern, the guitars all set up correctly. Although I have been using the same cables... I will test with other cables.
I use an Atomic active CLR.
i've found that having the master up quite high and the level low in the amp block on the latest firmware has got me some great tones lately. In previous firmwares I did the opposite - Master lower and boosting the volume with the level.
This is interesting. I have traditionally tended to have the master at noon or lower generally when I was getting great tones in previous firmware, I wonder if I should try what you suggest, I've always been weary of cranking master. Will report back with testing results!
ok. here's me playing some chords through the factory preset called "Brit JVM OD1"
https://www.dropbox.com/s/j6336y17q41epx6/TEST.mp3?dl=0
do the same and see if it's close. i'm using a dimarzio air zone, which is a warm mid output pickup
record it and post the result here
we need to rule out some variables
I don't know how to record to an audio file to the PC hahah, I reviewed your sample and tested my preset with my Gibson les paul traditional. Tone was very similar.
I don't struggle getting these sort of rock tones, I'm moreso trying to get something a bit more saturated and focused, like a devildriver, dream theater or nekrogoblikon tone. a tight, focused, clearly articulated, and saturated tone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk1WCupiHOI is a sample guitar tone I would be very happy with. Probably heavily post processed I imagine.
In regards to the intelligent gate, I meant i can't get it to work as a noise gate should. When I use it I get weird sound artifacts when muting/gate closes. I can't get it to work very well, I switch to classic, and straight away it works! lol
Thanks again for the responses, I'm inspired to persevere!