How to tweak

S

Saturn

Member
I imagine this has been done, so if it has , please point me in the right direction to find the answers.

Scenario:

Someone posts a youtube clip of a sound you like. They kindly attach (or you even pay for) the link and download the preset.

Through your* guitar and AX8 it doesn't sound as good. You play with the bass, middle and top end settings, but still don't get there.

What's the next steps?

Is there a list of tips somewhere which users have kindly complied? Things that worked for them?



* (I know it's different. But sometimes not THE difference)
 
Not really sure what you want but I suggest you try the lo and high cut on the cab block. You can also try the output dynamic on the amp block. Try setting it at 2.

Cabs have a big impact on how the preset will sound. You can try a different cab and see if you like it better.
 
Honestly, anytime I've ever downloaded someone else's presets they don't sound the same through my gear. (through a variety of amplification methods)

I agree with the High and Low cut advice on the cab block. This is a very dynamic and easy tone shaping tool on the AX8. With that, you can start experimenting with different IRs.

Depending on the amp, you have brightness, presence, depth, gain, bright switch, etc.

On the deeper editing end of things you can change tubes in the amp.

Then there are effects... start changing stuff. Experiment.

Save an original of the preset and copy it to other spots so you can experiment without ruining the original.

This whole thing is still trial end error for me too. But don't be discouraged that someone else's presets don't sound quite right to you. I've found that to be the case, almost without exception. I have no doubt that everyone would say the same thing about my presets.
 
Can depend on a ton of different things, is it frequency response, gain, are there certain modulations, delay, reverb? Are you hearing a post processed track compared to raw guitar ?

No 1-2-3, one size fits all approach in my opinion
 
I agree that most don't sound as good through your own system. But I use them to get ideas on different amps, cabs, settings, and effects blocks that I've never used. So it's usually still helpful. And maybe your 70%-80% there and with some tweaking get to something you like.
 
hbucker said:
Honestly, anytime I've ever downloaded someone else's presets they don't sound the same through my gear. (through a variety of amplification methods)

I agree with the High and Low cut advice on the cab block. This is a very dynamic and easy tone shaping tool on the AX8. With that, you can start experimenting with different IRs.

Depending on the amp, you have brightness, presence, depth, gain, bright switch, etc.

On the deeper editing end of things you can change tubes in the amp.

Then there are effects... start changing stuff. Experiment.

Save an original of the preset and copy it to other spots so you can experiment without ruining the original.

This whole thing is still trial end error for me too. But don't be discouraged that someone else's presets don't sound quite right to you. I've found that to be the case, almost without exception. I have no doubt that everyone would say the same thing about my presets.
Click to expand...
This ^^
I've found fx settings that were useful, but my experience with other peoples amp settings has not worked. If you like the overall sound of the preset, leave the fx alone and reset the amp/cab blocks and start from scratch there.
 
Geezerjohn said:
Not really sure what you want but I suggest you try the lo and high cut on the cab block. You can also try the output dynamic on the amp block. Try setting it at 2.

Cabs have a big impact on how the preset will sound. You can try a different cab and see if you like it better.
Click to expand...
Firstly, thank you all, so far.

Sometimes it is close and easy enough to tweak, but sometimes I can't describe the difference. 'Boxy' 'Grainy' etc

What I wanted to know was if we collectively on here have a list of what they've tweaked, when trying to get a preset they've heard elsewhere sound like it should when used through their set up.

E.g.:
'When I use other people's presets, they are always too shrill, so I dial down the presence'
'When I download other people's presets, they can be muffled, because my guitar is ... so I go into the xxx settings'


That sort of thing.
 
I had this problem and it took me forever to figure out. May not be the same issue you’re having but it helped me.

I paid for a preset from @Marco Fanton and it sounded great in his videos, but sounded too shrill and empty when I got it. I put it away for almost a year. Then it dawned on me....it had a wah pedal in the chain that was “on”. Only when I actually plugged in my expression pedal and turned it off did I get the sound I was looking for. It’s a preset I love now.

Get familiar with what’s in the chain and the controller assignments. That may be your fix. It was for me.
 
The biggest differences will come from your guitar and from your fingers. The AX8 will not be able to adjust for the latter.

For the guitar, the biggest differences will be in level and EQ (plus a million, less dominant differences). So this is where I start when using someone else's presets. I start by adjusting the Input Trim in the AMP block to address the level differences, and add an EQ in the beginning of the chain for the EQ differences.
 
Thanks for clarifying @Saturn, that helps. Personally, I do not have a specific tweak path. I tweak with a specific sound outcome in mind. What I am trying to get determines what I gotta tweak. Sorry I cannot be more helpful.
 
Sound is entirely subjective as to what sounds good, and also also everyone has different hearing, what sounds shrill to one persons ears may sound muddy to another’s who can’t hear the highs very well, so they dialed it in to sound good to them. Person with better hearing thinks it’s like ice picks.

Some tones I find I just don’t like either. Sounds great to the person who made it, but maybe what they like and I like simply are different, and it’s just not worth bothering with some stuff, better to start fresh
 
There really is no substitute for doing it yourself. I've forced myself to not rely on past presets I've built, even for the same song. I've been rebuilding them from scratch over and over, and they get better and better. I will say (and this is mostly for Class-A amp-based presets, which is all I know) I first start looking at the Gain and the Bass knobs on the Amp. I turn them both down. Both of these can contribute to farty breakup. Then I turn on the Bright switch, and bump up treble a bit. I may increase speaker compression and/or power supply sag. On the cabs, I always add low/high cuts of about 90/8000. Add a compressor block. See this for good settings to start with: https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/afx-compression-tips-including-the-new-9-02-features.25398/

Of course, you may here me play through my presets and actually hate it! But some anecdotal info is better than none... so have at it!
 
The PanMan said:
I had this problem and it took me forever to figure out. May not be the same issue you’re having but it helped me.

I paid for a preset from @Marco Fanton and it sounded great in his videos, but sounded too shrill and empty when I got it. I put it away for almost a year. Then it dawned on me....it had a wah pedal in the chain that was “on”. Only when I actually plugged in my expression pedal and turned it off did I get the sound I was looking for. It’s a preset I love now.

Get familiar with what’s in the chain and the controller assignments. That may be your fix. It was for me.
Click to expand...
This! Guitar differences usually can be solved to get real close with eq settings, but controller settings or a preset that called for a external controller that I did not have usually are the ones that sound really off for me when I first load them.
 
Mutha Goose said:
The biggest differences will come from your guitar and from your fingers. The AX8 will not be able to adjust for the latter.

For the guitar, the biggest differences will be in level and EQ (plus a million, less dominant differences). So this is where I start when using someone else's presets. I start by adjusting the Input Trim in the AMP block to address the level differences, and add an EQ in the beginning of the chain for the EQ differences.
Click to expand...

geetarplayer said:
There really is no substitute for doing it yourself. I've forced myself to not rely on past presets I've built, even for the same song. I've been rebuilding them from scratch over and over, and they get better and better. I will say (and this is mostly for Class-A amp-based presets, which is all I know) I first start looking at the Gain and the Bass knobs on the Amp. I turn them both down. Both of these can contribute to farty breakup. Then I turn on the Bright switch, and bump up treble a bit. I may increase speaker compression and/or power supply sag. On the cabs, I always add low/high cuts of about 90/8000. Add a compressor block. See this for good settings to start with: https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/afx-compression-tips-including-the-new-9-02-features.25398/

Of course, you may here me play through my presets and actually hate it! But some anecdotal info is better than none... so have at it!
Click to expand...

Thank you all. These are the sort of things I was asking about. I will have at it (geetarplayer :)) and try these.

Cheers and a happy 2019 to all.
 
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