TUTORIAL:
THE AMP MODEL “ADVANCED” PAGE –
THE FULL MONTY GEEK-OUT
** PT. 1**
Next in our tutorial series, we are going to start in on the mother of all
micro-tweak menu’s. The “Advanced” page of the Amplifier models.
First, let me say, I’ve heard it commented that small changes don’t seem
to have a greatly audible affect on many of our billions of tweakable
parameters. If you ask any great pro guitarist about their unique sound, he’ll
tell you its no “one thing”, but rather, a series of small tweaks, all working
together in concert. So, for example, if you wanted to program a Brian May-style,
quacky, mid-centered, ultra focused, distortion tone in the Axe, there is no one ‘button’
to push to make that happen. But there are 20-30 different parameters you can tweak,
all contributing to that ultimate goal. That’s the way is in the analog world, and in
our Black Box. So if these tutorials have any central message to them, its “Know Your Tool Kit”!
The Amp model advanced page is so vast, we’ll do this in installments.
OK, straight down the Advanced page, parameter by parameter:
INPUT TRIM: A straight gain control at the Amp block’s input. The manual specifies that
this is a different type gain than the amp’s ‘Drive’ control, which alters the amp’s frequency
response as you turn up the wick (just like real tube amps). Use this Trim to punch up
an anemic amp sound, or clean up an overly fat one. Control goes from 0.10 to 10, with 1.0
being default, and provide a huge amount of gain or cut. I have used extreme amounts
of ‘cut’ on some of my patches when used in tandem with a Synth block to tame the
massive, fat signal generated by certain Synth settings. NOTE: this is the only one of
the amp block’s 28(and counting!) "advanced" parameters that can be attached to a controller.
So you could attach this to a floor pedal for a nifty little solo gain boost.
LOW CUT FREQ: Controls the amount of lows the amp sim sees AT THE INPUT.
Ranges from 10-1000Hz, with the lowest setting basically letting all the lows you
feed it in. The main practical use for this is to tighten up a tubby bass end.
Somewhere between 10-150Hz is generally where it will sound best for standard
guitar tones. I sweep this by ear in that range to get a good balance of bass punch
and defined string snap.
HI CUT FREQ: A low-pass filter positioned at the end of the preamp section that will
Chop all frequencies above the value you select. Ranges from 2000-20000Hz. This
Will make your top end sound smooth and silky, the lower the value, brilliant and
defined, the higher the value. Try changing values from stock when you want to fine tune
a sound. I have found it useful for putting a vintage sounding ‘sheen’ on overly crisp
patches (dropping the stock setting down).
BRIGHT CAP: Most amps have what is referred to as a ‘bright cap’ or ‘treble bypass’ cap.
A capacitor that creates a very noticeable increase in upper treble response. Our virtual bright cap has
a vast range. From 10-10000 picofarads (pF). In most amps the value is between 100-500pF.
You’ll find these little caps soldered to the hot lug and wiper lug of a real amp’s volume control.
It has forever been a standard tweaker mod to either clip these, to get a warmer sound, or change
the value to something else. In real amps this functions mainly to compensate for the loss of
highs at low amp volume, having progressively less effect as the volume goes to 10. Not so in
our Black Box. You can dial in teeth chattering brightness at any amp “Master” setting.
TONESTACK TYPE: First off, a “tone stack” is a tone control circuit, usually passive filtering to
the audio signal, generally positioned directly after the preamp stage. OK, major pet peeve here.
Why?! Oh Why?! When Cliff has carefully modeled THIRTY THREE separate, and distinct tonestack
voices do I see almost no one using anything other than default, “PASSIVE” setting??!!
There are so many different flavors of tonestack models available on this Parameter. Very many of
my personal patches use atypical/non-stock tonestack models to help me get a special or unique tone
I’m after (‘Vintage’ is one of my favorites). Since so many members don’t seem to be aware of these
tonestacks in the Advanced page, I’m dragging everyone thru all the Tonestack models
waiting for you in Axe II:
ACTIVE – seldom found on real amps, this tonestack option turns the BASS/MID/TREB dials on
Amp block pg. 1 into active tone controls, allowing you to boost or cut Hi/Mid/Lo
bands up to 12dB’s (that’s a lot – enough to get you in trouble, add/cut judiciously)
PASSIVE –default setting, that automatically assigns the 'default' tonestack for the amp model
selected. Be brave! Try something unique instead!
BROWNFACE- warm Fender early 60’s sounds
BLACKFACES- crisp Fender late 60’s sounds
BASSGUY- fat and gain-y Fender Tweed Bassman
TOPBOOST- AC30 Top Boost - warm and chimey
PLEXI- classic rock late 60’s Marshall fat, dense gain
BOUTIQUE- Matchless - brilliant and crisp
HI POWER- Hiwatt, which had a very unique tonestack design - clean/punchy
USA CLEAN/USA RHYTHM/USA LEAD- Mesa Boogie “Mark” series - warm, smooth gain
RECTO ORG/RECTO NEW ORG- Boogie Rectifiers
RECTO RED/RECTO NEW RED- Boogie Rectifiers
SKYLINE- Dumble amps had a specially voiced tonestack after the mid-‘80s called “Skyliner”
GERMAN-Dark voiced stack for mega-gain German-made amps (Energyball, Das Metal)
BLUES JR.- modern Fender 1x10 combo
WRECKER-the late Ken Fisher’s legendary “Trainwreck” amp
VINTAGE-a mid-heavy stack great for fat, small tweed amp-type sounds
CA3+SE-Bob Bradshaw’s CAE preamps
FREYER D60- VHT/Fryette
MR Z 38 SR- Doctor Z
EURO UBER-Bogner Uberschall - the loudest, and most hi gain tonestack
PVH 6160- Peavey 5150
SOLO 100- Soldano SLO
CORNCOB- British-made Cornford amp
EURO-Bogner Ecstacy
CAROLANN- Alan Phillip’s boutique masterpiece - tons of mids, hi gain
CITRUS- modern Orange Rockerverb - classic rock gain with tons of mids
BRIT JM45- Marshall JTM 45, Marshall’s 1st amp model. fat and sweet
SHIVER CLEAN- Bogner Shiva
CAMERON-Mark Cameron amp model
Homework assignment: Take a couple of your favorite patches and move the tonestack
setting around. Listen to the amazing variations in sound you can get from changing this one parameter.
OK, that’s enough torture for one day. Much more to come.