Is there a way to increase the amp gain without changing scenes?

C

CWit28Gg

Member
Hello there, I'm new to the Fractal universe and of course have questions. Right now what I'm trying to figure out is if I can have a switch to increase the gain on an amp within a scene, or do I have to switch scenes to do this? I usually run two amps in stereo and besides using just drive pedals in front of the amps I would also like to be able to toggle the amp gains up and down without switching scenes if possible.

And if this is possible can I also have the gain toggle show up on the effects layout per preset?
 
You can put a modifier on the gain control(s) of any amp (or drive) and control it with a switch or expression pedal within current scene. When I do this on Ax3, I also attach the same modifier to the block's output level, when necessary, to compensate for volume differences when changing gain - works great.

I don't use FC - maybe someone else can chime in on the layouts part of your question.
 
As mentioned - you can use Control Switch (with Modifier) to enable "Input Boost" - although some amps don't have it. You can also do a "hold function" on your scene switch to enable a Drive Block.
 
LCW said:
As mentioned - you can use Control Switch (with Modifier) to enable "Input Boost" - although some amps don't have it. You can also do a "hold function" on your scene switch to enable a Drive Block.
Click to expand...
What amps don't have an 'Input Boost'?
 
Moke said:
What amps don't have an 'Input Boost'?
Click to expand...
I thought I read somewhere (but can't find right now) that the USA MKIV (or maybe was MKIIC+??) that the input boost does nothing... Maybe i'm not remembering that correctly...
 
LCW said:
I thought I read somewhere (but can't find right now) that the USA MKIV (or maybe was MKIIC+??) that the input boost does nothing... Maybe i'm not remembering that correctly...
Click to expand...
Hmmm. I haven't actually tested it on every model, but assumed that it worked on all?
 
Many ways to approach this:

  • Control Switch on Input Gain or Input Trim
  • Control Switch on Amp Boost
  • Control Switch on Saturation switch
  • Expression pedal on Input Gain or Input Trim
  • Kick in a boost Drive block
  • Switch to Amp 2 (dialed in as you wish)
 
unix-guy said:
Many ways to approach this:

  • Control Switch on Input Gain or Input Trim
  • Control Switch on Amp Boost
  • Control Switch on Saturation switch
  • Expression pedal on Input Gain or Input Trim
  • Kick in a boost Drive block
  • Switch to Amp 2 (dialed in as you wish)
Click to expand...

+1 For amp boost assigned to a control switch. This is my go to for seamlessly increasing gain - so much so I have it in almost every preset with the same footswitch assigned to it. In some presets I have the bypass of a delay with a level boost attached to the same control switch for an instant lead boost. Probably one of my most used switches during a gig.
 
Thanks everyone. I need to take the time now to start messing with these options to figure out what will work best. Just gotta stop playing long enough to experiment but there are so many cool factory presets that I keep ending up just jamming instead of learning.
 
As noted above there are many approaches - you just need to find what works best for your tones/workflow/repertoire.

For most of my presets, I have CS1 assigned to engage the preamp boost (and I have an external switch assigned to CS1 as a stand-in switch, so I can toggle it on/off any time regardless of the layout), and then my 2nd expression pedal is assigned to the preamp boost amount - so, for example, I could have a vox style amp selected in the amp block, CS1 engages the preamp boost to go from jangly clean to edge of breakup (and for any given scene it may default to on or off), and then the expression pedal will sweep it from edge of breakup to full on dirty. And of course I can also change EQ, master levels, etc. at the same time (with the same switch/XPDL) if desired. I love having the gain on an expression pedal not only because I can go from clean to dirty and anywhere in between, but it also makes for very smooth transition between the gain settings.
 
I've never tried the approach of linking gain to an expression pedal but can see the potential benefits. Do you find you have to assign a slight volume boost too as the increased gain compresses the tone?
 
Davus PG said:
I've never tried the approach of linking gain to an expression pedal but can see the potential benefits. Do you find you have to assign a slight volume boost too as the increased gain compresses the tone?
Click to expand...

It really depends on the amp model and the other parts of the signal chain as well as how I'm using the particular preset. If it's a song-specific preset where I'm using the gain boost for a solo, I may also have it increase the level and/or boost mids on it as I increases the gain. But for my 'generic' presets I typically have a separate control for level boost (typically CS2 is assigned to boost the amp level by 3-4dB...) and the preamp boost just controls the preamp boost amount. But that's one of the great things about the Fractal platform - it's so flexible that I can do whatever works for that particular preset.
 
From another discussion, but I think that it also applies here too..

Sometimes I like to do gain, volume, pre-EQ, and post-EQ, outside of the Amp block, mostly to keep things seamless. But it comes in handy if a client wants to use a 'global' Amp block in multiple per-song presets.

You can use the same identical Amp model, but with very different sounds in different presets and scenes.

Multiple channels of a Filter, PEQ, or GEQ block in front of the Amp block to reduce or add gain, and also shape the pre-EQ as desired, at no extra CPU cost. Some examples...
  • Channel 'A', reduce the Level to -16 to -20 dB, add some girth with a low-shelf filter set to +4 to +8, at around 300 Hz, Low cut at 75 Hz, High Cut if needed, etc..
  • Channel 'B', reduce the Level to -8 to -10 dB, add less (or no) low end? and less (or no) High Cut?
  • Channel 'C', Add around 12 to 18 dB, add a peaking filter boosting at around 600 to 800 Hz by 4 to 10 Db, Low Cut around 100 to 200 Hz, High cut around 3000 to 4000 Hz.
Multiple channels of a Filter or PEQ block after the Amp block as 'make up' volume, and also shape the post-EQ as desired, at no extra CPU cost.
 
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