Output block level vs. Amp block level vs. Cab level

[LeonC]

I'm looking for threads (or direct replies here) that discuss the advantages / disadvantages of controlling your overall level via these various blocks.

The one strategy that I can easily understand is when you have a preset with "hot" amp block, you may want to use output block or cab block levels to keep the overall level down so that you don't wind up having to knock the amp level so far down that there's little room for adjustment.

I'm just wondering what other rationale there is for various approaches and/or why there are so many places to adjust your overall level.

 

[chris]

so that you don't wind up having to knock the amp level so far down that there's little room for adjustment.

there's no issue doing this. use the Amp Level control. you have -80 to +20, a huge range. in my experience, most amp blocks are set somewhere between -24dB to say +4dB, usually averaging around -12 or so. but the Drive and other settings completely change this number. the resulting number doesn't really matter.

 

[LeonC]

Chris - any insights into why there are all these other places to adjust the level?

 

[chris]

Chris - any insights into why there are all these other places to adjust the level?

so you can adjust the level there if you don't use an amp block for example.

 

[LeonC]

Yeah, that makes sense...I've never produced presets w/o amp blocks so that didn't even occur to me, lol. But having the overall flexibility is nice.

I can think of one other scenario where you really need the scene level control, and that's when you want to use the same amp and cab block in multiple scenes, varying the level of drive / master volume from scene to scene. To get the ideal sounds might result in levels that work in one scene but not in another...so having the option to control output level from scene to scene solves that one.

 

[jefferski]

Just keep in mind that changing the level of the entire scene will also raise or lower your delay and reverb levels, so it's best to keep output levels relatively close to each other. (another good reason for using the other block levels when needed).

 

[Smittefar]

You cannot attach a modifier to the amp block level. I use a scene controller attached to the cab block level to adjust my scene levels.

 

[geetarplayer]

You can put a drive block, for example, right after the amp, right after the cab, etc... so the level of the previous block is going to affect the tone, not just the output level.