How to get warm round high end

8k on the high cut is really high, you can bring that down a lot.. all the way to 5k in some cases.. I usually set it around 6.5k. Also remember the lower you set it you can get away with cranking up the treble & presence a bit more on the amp..
Another thing you can do is turn up the Master Volume, a lotta amps will smooth out the top end once the power amp section kicks in more & more. And as already mentioned Dynamic Presence can be turned down.
 
@Keith Loch Try this at louder (gig level) volumes... Add a PEQ block last in the chain. Set the Freq of band 5 (which should be set to Shelving) to 1000 Hz, and reduce the Gain by 3.3 dB - 3.8 dB, or thereabouts(adjust to taste). Give that a shot.
 
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@Keith Loch Thanks for this thread. I was experiencing the same thing this weekend. We were playing a wedding but only vocals and a little kick and snare were through the FOH so stage volumes were higher than our usual. I noticed the same characteristics you are talking about. The high notes during solos seemed harsher with no warmth or 'give'. Almost like they were being fed clean into the power amp. I am running FRFR and leaning mostly on Badger and AC20 emulations. I was very happy with my tone overall, it was just single notes in higher registers.

I was thinking maybe is was the sheer volume or where I was standing that was so different. I am going to try out the dynamic presence and see what that does in the higher volume situation for myself. Thanks for this thread as I was just contemplating what to try.
 
Thanks again to everyone for their input. It is really appreciated. I messed around today with all the things suggested and just cannot get the warmth I want with the Matrix and power amp emulation. So I guess I am just going to use the Axe as a preamp/FX and lug my heavy VHT around. Although, I am not opposed to trying a different solid state power amp. Suggestions?
 
Hello all, I had this problem with my AXE FX XL+, but it seems to be worse with my new 3, which I just bought new last moth. The more I turn it up the harsher the high end gets. I know about the fletcher munson curve and all that. Never had this problem with anything else I have ever owned from ADA-MP1, JMP1, Rocktron Prophesy or Digitech 2101 thru 2120. Yes, allways been a rack gear guy. No matter what I do, with any amp mode, the highs are just too harsh and sharp. By comparison, I have an old Johnson Millennium that I use for small gigs and I am able to get a real nice warm round sound when soloing.

So far I have tried it direct through the PA, also tried with the FRFR Oraginc Timbre speakers and have also tried it turning off the cab sims and used my Mesa Recto with V30s and list night gigged with a Marshall 2/12 with GT12-75s. I have cut back 8k and above on the global eq and last night had do really dial back the high, "super high -forgot what this is really called" and the presence to 2 on the amp models. I also have para eq blocking the hights after the amp block. I just cannot seem to figure out how to get a rounder warm high end creamy lead sound. It is just so bright, harsh. I have not tired an eq or para eq in front of the amp block but will be doing that later today. Maybe that is the trick.

Yes I know the terms, harsh, bright, warm round, etc are all subjective. Thanks advance for the tips.

What volume and tone pot values are you using? Also what pickups are those?
 
Thanks again to everyone for their input. It is really appreciated. I messed around today with all the things suggested and just cannot get the warmth I want with the Matrix and power amp emulation. So I guess I am just going to use the Axe as a preamp/FX and lug my heavy VHT around.
still strange that you can't get it sounding how you want. people use the matrix combo all the time.

have you used this in a live band situation yet? sometimes that extra high end is needed to cut through the band. it'd be sad to lug that around then need to add highs at that point.

if all highs from all amps are too much, there should be a way to simply reduce highs.

what happens if you use the Input EQ in the amp block to reduce highs going into the amp? maybe cutting it from the input can do it.
 
still strange that you can't get it sounding how you want. people use the matrix combo all the time.

have you used this in a live band situation yet? sometimes that extra high end is needed to cut through the band. it'd be sad to lug that around then need to add highs at that point.

if all highs from all amps are too much, there should be a way to simply reduce highs.

what happens if you use the Input EQ in the amp block to reduce highs going into the amp? maybe cutting it from the input can do it.
Chris, I did try the Input EQ in the amp block. I don't know if cutting the highs is the right way to say what I am trying to do. The best way to say it is remove the harshness from the highs. The more I turn up the Matrix, the more the highs get sharp, shrill, harsh, almost like a pinch harmonic and I only have the gain on 5 of the Splawn Qrod. I just don't get it, the VHT doesn't do this. It has been like this since I bought it and used it with XL+. Next thing to do is take it to the band room and show it to a friend of mine who had a Matrix and every single Axe version that has come out and see what he thinks.
 
Chris, I did try the Input EQ in the amp block. I don't know if cutting the highs is the right way to say what I am trying to do. The best way to say it is remove the harshness from the highs. The more I turn up the Matrix, the more the highs get sharp, shrill, harsh, almost like a pinch harmonic and I only have the gain on 5 of the Splawn Qrod. I just don't get it, the VHT doesn't do this. It has been like this since I bought it and used it with XL+. Next thing to do is take it to the band room and show it to a friend of mine who had a Matrix and every single Axe version that has come out and see what he thinks.
ok. i know i keep harping on EQ but i understand what you're trying to accomplish.

maybe the matrix just isn't for you? and that's ok. or maybe a different model of their amps would work? i only play through Full Range speakers so i don't have much experience with power amps specifically.
 
A possible quick fix:

When things get shrill, the offending frequencies are often between 3 KHz and 6 KHz. Put a Filter block in front of the Output block, set to Peaking. Set its gain high, and sweep it between those frequencies until it sounds as bad as possible. Then turn the gain down until it doesn’t sound bad anymore.
 
I have not messed with the sag. At first, I was just trying to tweak some of the default presets like the Splawn Qrod and the 5153 in hopes to the the roundness I am after

This is all great information. Maybe it is the Matrix? I did not think of this as the owner of Matrix told me it would not "color" the Axe at all. But clearly something is changing as I turn up the volume. I happens on every amp model, but mostly been trying the 5153, HBE and Splawn QRod

I used a Mesa 2:90 for a while with my ultra . They can be had for 700 and I think they tend to be dark sounding
 
Yes, Matix if past 1. "Put a Filter block in front of the Output block" I have not tried a filter block, but I have a Par EQ after the amp block and swqashed freqs that way. I have also play around with speaker compression. What FRFR speakers have you all been using or suggest? I was using Organic Timbre's but recently disabled Cab emulation and went back to just my other cab with V30s.
 
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