How do you boost signal for solos?

First post...

I have a pretty basic setup (Green Day Tribute Band) so I just need a Drive, Delay and a Flanger (Bang Bang from their newest album) as fx.

I have 3 scenes in my main preset: Clean, Rhythm, Lead. The Lead Scene activates a GEQ Block at the end of the signal chain with a +4 DB Boost. I have a second GEQ Block which I can activate manually that has a slight boost around 1,5 DB if I need to stand out in the mix in certain rhythm parts. I have both GEQ blocks set to foot switches so I can easily change the boost level just in case during soundcheck the sound engineer tells me to lower the solo level for example.

I might try slightly boosting the mid frequencies as mentioned before, maybe I can use a lower level for my leads.

Footswitch used:

Upper Row: DRV / FLG / DLY / GEQ1 (Soft Boost)
Lower Row: S1 / S2 / S3 / GEQ2 (Loud Lead Boost)
 
I just assigned a filter boost to an external footswitch for all presets. No matter what preset or scene, i can get 3db more. That also freed up the onboard switches for more effects and stuff. Worked great for this past Saturdays gig.
 
Sonofiam said:
Lots of options, Scene Controller, Control Switch, Filter block, EQ block, Drive X/Y etc.... I using the Control Switch because I can select the specific parameters I want to change (volume and gain on amp and drive, level of delay or compressor etc...) and it doesn't require using another block. Other methods boost the whole preset, which I realize is the same as a SOLO feature on an amp, but the ability to control certain parameters has given my solo tones a different feel than simply boosting everything that's on in the chain.
Click to expand...

Love the idea of controlling various parameters for the boosted signals. I have to check this out.
 
I like the 5 Band GEQ w/3.5db volume boost as a rule. Just started also inserting a null FIL block with about 2-2.5db boost for a short burst of volume or an add to the lead preset w/GEQ if it needs a bit more. If I have extra CPU for the null FIL, I’m happy having both options available.
 
Depends on the strategy, using the Y amp for lead and making false clean/crunch channels or using it for doing the opposite. For a fake lead I prefer to rely on master, trim, and sat modifiers.
 
speedloader said:
Depends on the strategy, using the Y amp for lead and making false clean/crunch channels or using it for doing the opposite. For a fake lead I prefer to rely on master, trim, and sat modifiers.
Click to expand...

Please explain “false clean/crunch channels” and “fake lead”. Don’t what those terms mean. Thanks.
 
curious said:
Does that cause any issue going to FOH since you level would be changing a lot?
Click to expand...

I always give them my hottest and weakest output during soundcheck. I start with my rhythm soft sounds. Then give them my "lead" volume next.

They probably expect guitar players to have a boost for leads, but I like to walk through the levels during soundcheck and discuss it anyway.
 
chris said:
Perhaps it’s more simple. I also tend to not use Filter blocks for anything else, while I might use the EQ blocks for other things.

I put a GEQ after the amp block to change my Friedman HBE amp from a bassy, chunky rhythm tone to a mid boosted, lows and highs cut lead tone with a boost. So that scene is always a louder lead tone with the same amp block/type, since the AX8 only has 1 amp block. I use the other GEQ block for something similar for the Clean amp of that preset. Then all I have left is the Filter for an overall boost.
Click to expand...

@chris do you always have a clean version of the amp in every preset?
 
I have 5 band GEQ block set to a slight mid boost and a filter block set for a 3+ dB boost with the filter block assigned to F8 so I can use the filter block to boost little rhythm parts or fills without the mid bump.
 
Last edited:
Like others i have used a few different approaches. And the beauty with this box is there are a zillion ways to skin a cat!

I use scene controllers on all my presets with one scene controller solely attached to the cab block. I use that controller to match the levels of my clean, crunch, heavy crunch scenes and then bump it the required amount for my lead scene.

My lead scene always also includes a 5 band passive EQ or a filter block with a mid hump. Before the AX8 I always used an EQ pedal in the FX loop of my amp for that.

For moments in songs when I want to cut through for a lead fill, but don't want the delays or reverb boost my lead scenes might give me, I use an EQ or filter with the same mid bump, but with the level of the block set to the amount of boost I want. I have that set that as a momentary switch, so just hold the button down for as long as I want to be louder in the mix.

I'm also a big fan of control switches and have one tied to the boost in the amp block. I use that to fatten the sound on my heavy crunch and lead scenes (using the controllers tab one AxEdit), but also have it as a switch on the AX8 so if I'm playing on my crunch scene or clean scene and want a bit more grunt, I just have to hit the switch.
 
Being the single guitarist in my band, I do not need a great deal of boost. Long before I had an AxeFX, I always used the old standby Boss GE7 eq pedal as my go to solo boost device. Now that I have the AxeFX, I still feel that an eq setup for the boost is still (for me) the best choice. Like others have said, I use a bump in the mid range plus a touch of volume increase. I'm a sucker for delay though so I always have some form of underlying delay on my solo tones. I also should say that I do not care for large leaps in volume for solos. Even when I was in a band with another guitar player, I strived to not have the solo boost be a tremendous leap. Rather, a subtle increase.
 
I want to thank everyone who responded to this thread again. This thread has been tremendously helpful in giving me ideas on how to boost. I just came back from a gig where I used some of the presets which inccorporated some of the ideas I got on this thread. I ended up using both filter and a GEQ and got good results with both. I found with some presets GEQ works better and with others the filter works great. I even have one preset where I have both. It seemed to me that presets with an amp with less gain responded better to a GEQ boost and my high gain amp presets responded well to a filter boost. Has anyone else found this to be true?
 
curious said:
I found with some presets GEQ works better and with others the filter works great. I even have one preset where I have both. It seemed to me that presets with an amp with less gain responded better to a GEQ boost and my high gain amp presets responded well to a filter boost. Has anyone else found this to be true?
Click to expand...

Yes.

If your preset is already mid heavy, more mids via a boost can push it into "spiky". For a preset like that, its not surprising you prefer just a level boost.
 
I keep things simple, just a filter block with +3db of boost or thereabouts. I dial my lead tones in *very* midrange-y and tight from the get-go and use a different amp model from my other tones, so the straight level boost is all that’s really necessary for me.

You may need more of a db boost as well, I just (a) don’t like being *that* much louder than the rest of the mix when soloing and (b) as mentioned dial my lead tone to be super-aggressive in the mids so it doesn’t take as much boost as other sounds might.

That said, the other methods mentioned are certainly equally valid. You can use a GEQ or PEQ, you could just boost the output of a particular scene or preset, you can set up a global boost mapped to a button on your MIDI controller, etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom