Looking for feedback on my preset

jbigg21

Inspired
Hey folks,

I'm wondering if any of you here would take a look and listen to my Tremonti inspired preset and give me some feedback on what I could improve. I've loosely based this of the most recent rundown video of Mark's rig that I could find on YT. Am I on the right track? Does it suck? Opinions are appreciated and I won't be offended.

Thank you!

Jon
 

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  • 006_JB Tremonti Rig.syx
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I think my ears are bleeding. There are some really harsh frequencies that need to be dialed out.
 
I'm trying to work with the PEQ block to dial out the harshness after watching one of Leon's videos, but I'm totally new to that block.
 
Best way is to put a looper after the Input1. Record a small section of music similar to what you normally play for that preset.

Now I can't stress this enough, turn the volume on the Axe down quite low.

Add a PEQ after the cab, add a low cut around 80 to 120hz (or do this on the cab block for the selected cab). Best way with low end is remove it slowly, when you hear the sound thin out, add a little back in.

Subtractive EQ

Now turn the Q value on the compressor channel up full, then turn up the gain to full (so you have a peaking spike). Now adjust you Axe volume so you can hear comfortably. Now use the frequency knob to sweep the eq spectrum. If you hear any sounds you dont like such as boxy sound or whistling, use the gain know to reduce that frequency by about 3-6db.

Do this across all the PEQ channels. Then disable the PEQ to see what effect it has had.

Compression.

General rule of thumb is this: if you are going to compress, EQ first as the compressor will exaggerate any annoying frequencies, if you have rumble in the low end, a compressor will make it worse, remove it first.

Additive EQ

Once you have added EQ, then compress, it is sometimes good to add another EQ but this time to not remove frequencies but to add them back in where applicable.

Before you EQ, get the sound the best you can using the Amp EQ, Input and Output EQ and the Cab EQ section. It will make it easier to EQ later.

I hope that helps.

Mike
 
Made a few minor tweaks. The preset is not all that bad as it is but as mentioned is a bit bright and thin depending upon what you're monitoring with. Without a reference tone it's all personal preference trying to remember his basic tone. Clean tone sounds pretty good. For the Rhythm and Lead scenes, don't forget about the Input Boost, I changed both amps to TS808 and increased their levels. Attach them to a control switch for easy amp boost.

Adjusted Amps levels
Turned off PEQ, made adjustments in the Amps Output EQ.
Added Definition in the Input EQ.
Added Feedback compression and Input Dynamics in the Dynamics page.
Changed cab alignment by @10ms.
Added Hi Cut to both cabs.
Tweaked the Graphic EQ in the Drive block.
Added more high cut to Reverb.
 

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  • JB Tremonti Rig Tweak.syx
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Thanks Joker. I downloaded your file and attempted to import it with the Preset Manager in Axe Edit, but it ends up displaying as an empty preset. Am I doing something incorrectly?

Jon
 
Thanks Joker. I downloaded your file and attempted to import it with the Preset Manager in Axe Edit, but it ends up displaying as an empty preset. Am I doing something incorrectly?

Jon
What firmware are you running? Sounds like the preset was saved on a newer firmware version....
 
Best way is to put a looper after the Input1. Record a small section of music similar to what you normally play for that preset.

Now I can't stress this enough, turn the volume on the Axe down quite low.

Add a PEQ after the cab, add a low cut around 80 to 120hz (or do this on the cab block for the selected cab). Best way with low end is remove it slowly, when you hear the sound thin out, add a little back in.

Subtractive EQ

Now turn the Q value on the compressor channel up full, then turn up the gain to full (so you have a peaking spike). Now adjust you Axe volume so you can hear comfortably. Now use the frequency knob to sweep the eq spectrum. If you hear any sounds you dont like such as boxy sound or whistling, use the gain know to reduce that frequency by about 3-6db.

Do this across all the PEQ channels. Then disable the PEQ to see what effect it has had.

Compression.

General rule of thumb is this: if you are going to compress, EQ first as the compressor will exaggerate any annoying frequencies, if you have rumble in the low end, a compressor will make it worse, remove it first.

Additive EQ

Once you have added EQ, then compress, it is sometimes good to add another EQ but this time to not remove frequencies but to add them back in where applicable.

Before you EQ, get the sound the best you can using the Amp EQ, Input and Output EQ and the Cab EQ section. It will make it easier to EQ later.

I hope that helps.

Mike
This ^^^^^^^^^^

Sweeping EQ like that is super handy. And please heed the advice about turning down first, you will be boosting some very shrill sounds (speaking from bitter experience 😂)

The tip about EQing before compression is a good one, I’d never thought of that. I usually run compression first and EQ last… would you suggest PEQ -> Comp -> Amp?
 
This ^^^^^^^^^^

Sweeping EQ like that is super handy. And please heed the advice about turning down first, you will be boosting some very shrill sounds (speaking from bitter experience 😂)

The tip about EQing before compression is a good one, I’d never thought of that. I usually run compression first and EQ last… would you suggest PEQ -> Comp -> Amp?
Hi

Generally with the Axe, you have so many eq options before you need to do anything surgical, I don't put one before the amp unless I am using a distortion pedal, and I want to sculpt a particular pedal sound. Plus the overdrive/distortion pedals have there own EQ. It's good with real amps too, put an eq in the loop and you have so many sculpting option, feels like changing the Cab if you do it right.

My main reason though is I want the best sound before this type of eq, and before I start to do any modulation. I find cleaning up the frequencies in this way allows the delays for example, to sound crisper and have less build up. If you don't remove low end and you use a Gibson for example, the delays will eventually build up a lot of low end frequency and sound muddy. That's why it's common, even with reverbs, to use ones that come with an EQ.

This is just how I do it. I treat the Axe like I would if I was mixing. Get a great amp sound, then eq in the DAW, compress if needed then add modulation. But with the Axe I do everything up to modulation so I have more control and it puts less stress on the DAW.

Mike
 
The problem with sweeping EQ is, if you boost the Q and gain to maximum, virtually every frequency will sound weird.
Apologies, I was not at my PC to check. That's why I clarified that you will end up with a peak rather than a slope

You can also find the frequencies with a wider Q value, but I see how my wording could confuse.
 
Very true, but the worst offenders are always the loudest i find, so still kinda easy to find them
Apologies, I was not at my PC to check. That's why I clarified that you will end up with a peak rather than a slope

You can also find the frequencies with a wider Q value, but I see how my wording could confuse.
I'm just not a fan of sweeping EQ, as boosting the Q and gain generally makes every frequency jump out and sound weird in isolation. I tend to use a spectrum analyzer to home in on frequency related issues. For example, fizz is easy to locate and surgically remove without guesswork.
 
I'm just not a fan of sweeping EQ, as boosting the Q and gain generally makes every frequency jump out and sound weird in isolation. I tend to use a spectrum analyzer to home in on frequency related issues. For example, fizz is easy to locate and surgically remove without guesswork.
Each to there own bud. For me it works and I have mad no issues doing it this way. As long as you get a positive result, the method doesn't matter.
 
Each to there own bud. For me it works and I have mad no issues doing it this way. As long as you get a positive result, the method doesn't matter.
It might work fine for you and that's great, but boosting Q and gain to the max will literally make practically every frequency you sweep jump out, which can be confusing for a lot of people.
 
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To me initial post, can of you, especially the user that said "my ears are bleeding" tell me where I went wrong originally. I didn't think I did anything vastly different from what I've seen Leon do, particularly with his videos about dialing in Rectos. I didn't think I went overboard with gain, treble or presence. For the drive block I though that was the pretty standard gain and tone all the way down and level all the way up?

Is it possible that my monitors tend to run darker and I overcompensated? I'm using Adam Audio T5Vs. I want to get better and dialing in my own tones, so I'd like to know where I went wrong.
 
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