Matching of Master Volume and Preamp Gain

Anyway, thanks to everybody joining in...the answer I was looking for was raising the input trim...the reaction between MV and preamp gain had not to be tweaked to achieve the desired results.
Can anybody explain why I had to raise my input trim? Is the output of my PUs weaker than the ones used by the author of the preset?
 
lj045637 said:
well this is subjective...I know...correct amount of MV which corresponds to correct amount of preamp gain.
Click to expand...
subjective, sure. but "correct" is more than subjective, it's situational.

lj045637 said:
Can anybody explain why I had to raise my input trim? Is the output of my PUs weaker than the ones used by the author of the preset?
Click to expand...
probably. the guitar is a huge, HUGE part of any tone. it's not just the amp settings.
 
if you're playing a Suhr modern i doubt the pups are weaker. input trim isn't really where i'd start. get the eq right, and yes MV can affect overall tone but start with eq, especially presence on high gain amps.
 
chris said:
subjective, sure. but "correct" is more than subjective, it's situational.


probably. the guitar is a huge, HUGE part of any tone. it's not just the amp settings.
Click to expand...

True, true, true :) Any explanation why I had to raise the input trim ? Just would like to understand...as it seems my PUs are not weaker...
 
jlynnb1 said:
if you're playing a Suhr modern i doubt the pups are weaker. input trim isn't really where i'd start. get the eq right, and yes MV can affect overall tone but start with eq, especially presence on high gain amps.
Click to expand...
The hint with input trim is working very well as starting point...will have a look at eq as well. Thanks !!!
 
lj045637 said:
True, true, true :) Any explanation why I had to raise the input trim ? Just would like to understand...as it seems my PUs are not weaker...
Click to expand...

Who's to say you had to raise the input trim though ?

Know I get of course that you find it sounds subjectively better increased, but that is simply your opinion of things.

What if I plugged my guitars in and found that maybe I felt the input trim needed to be cut a little bit, and what if I even had weaker output pups than you did ?


Things like input trim, preamp gain, master volume et al, do not have a "correct" setting, they simply having settings, and should to tweaked to taste. If things like MV, input trim etc were NOT meant to be adjusted, they wouldn't be a knob, but instead fixed variables.

Why bother making something range 0-10 if its only 'supposed' to be left at "4" and never touched, right ?

In short, you didn't have to raise the input trim, there is nothing wrong with your guitar or your pups, you simply like it better with it increased. I'm usually the opposite, cutting it back with most of my HB guitars, because my taste tend to be a little more towards edge of breakup and classic 70's tones.
 
lqdsnddist said:
Who's to say you had to raise the input trim though ?

Know I get of course that you find it sounds subjectively better increased, but that is simply your opinion of things.

What if I plugged my guitars in and found that maybe I felt the input trim needed to be cut a little bit, and what if I even had weaker output pups than you did ?


Things like input trim, preamp gain, master volume et al, do not have a "correct" setting, they simply having settings, and should to tweaked to taste. If things like MV, input trim etc were NOT meant to be adjusted, they wouldn't be a knob, but instead fixed variables.

Why bother making something range 0-10 if its only 'supposed' to be left at "4" and never touched, right ?

In short, you didn't have to raise the input trim, there is nothing wrong with your guitar or your pups, you simply like it better with it increased. I'm usually the opposite, cutting it back with most of my HB guitars, because my taste tend to be a little more towards edge of breakup and classic 70's tones.
Click to expand...

Well it was my ears who said it was right...:) I tried to match this user preset with his recordings and raising the input trim was the right choice for my setup...you are absolutely right, there are no correct settings !!!
 
The input trim does not interact with the bright cap like the input drive control does; the input trim can be used to change the gain without affecting the tone like the input drive control does.
 
I personally wouldn't use the term "weaker" pickups. Pickup tone is a complex thing, and output level of a pickup can be a function of the power of the magnets used and the number of winds on the bobbins. But, as an example, lots more winds tends to mean lots more midrange, which isn't always a good thing.

"Vintage" voiced pickups tend to be lower output because that's how pickups were made way back when. A lot of old pickups have a ton of character. "Gold Foil" pickups, which are all the rage right now, have pathetically low output compared to just about any modern pickup but they just drip with character. That character just happens to come through best at moderate low drive levels.

Calling a pickup "weaker" implies it's somehow lesser. It's not that simple, weaker can be way better and it's a matter of taste.

The Preamp Gain control adds more treble as the gain is turned up. I think the MV does the same. That's why I suggested adjusting the input trim, as it allows you to adjust the amount of preamp gain without affecting the tone.

The MV control in the amp block, while it does affect the output level, is primarily designed to control the gain in the power amp section. In the amp block, this is mostly used to control the amount of power amp distortion. The amount of that distortion is also controlled by the level of the input to the power amp - in other words the output of the preamp which is controlled by the Preamp Gain knob. You could set the MV to nearly 10, but still get very little distortion if the preamp gain is set to 0.1. But as you turn up the preamp gain, you'll start to get both preamp and power amp distortion.

Of course, in a real amp, when you turn up the MV to get power amp distortion, it's going to get really loud. One of the cool things about the modeler is that you can crank up the MV without getting the volume.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom