So Input Trim Can Essentially Render My Use of a Tubescreamer Useless?

LKnight4949

LKnight4949

Inspired
So I picked up an old school Tubescreamer trick a while back from someone for some gnarly thrash/metal tones. Bascially setting the Drive and Tone to 0, and the Volume all the way up to 10.

Would turning up my Input Trim result be the same? Or does the Level Knob on the Tubescreamer with the Drive/Tone set to 0 still color the sound differently than the Input Trim alone?

Will try this out later tonight, but I was wondering if anyone knew off hand?

Thanks.
 
ALaz502 said:
So I picked up an old school Tubescreamer trick a while back from someone for some gnarly thrash/metal tones. Bascially setting the Drive and Tone to 0, and the Volume all the way up to 10.

Would turning up my Input Trim result be the same? Or does the Level Knob on the Tubescreamer with the Drive/Tone set to 0 still color the sound differently than the Input Trim alone?

Will try this out later tonight, but I was wondering if anyone knew off hand?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

While it will do something similar, the Tubescreamer also has an EQ to it and it will color your sound. I notice the tube screamer cuts out a bit of low end and also tends to compress the mids a bit
 
Using the tubescreamer will also add some mids and remove a bit of lows from your sound (the classic "sad face" EQ curve). It helps cut through the mix typically. I still like to use a drive pedal for this same purpose (not just the TS pedal) sometimes and use something like the Input Trim other times. Use what sounds best to you..
 
Cool, thanks guys. That's pretty much what I figured but I wanted to confirm it. Will mess around with this tonight.

I freaking love Tubescreamers, but was also considering simplifying my patches a bit, and the more stuff I can cut out the better. :) Damn, all I can think about is my freaking Axe FX, even when I'm not in front of it.
 
So if I want the added oomph that a drive padal adds without the color I can get this by increasing the "Input Trim"?
 
Warrior said:
So if I want the added oomph that a drive padal adds without the color I can get this by increasing the "Input Trim"?
Click to expand...

That's part of it (the boost). The drive pedal also changes the EQ, as mentioned previously. The primary part of the EQ that most guys use is the tightening of the lows, which really is nothing more than just cutting some of the lows before the signal hits the amp. I frequently just raise the low cut in the amp block to do the same thing without coloring the tone as much.
 
Warrior said:
So if I want the added oomph that a drive padal adds without the color I can get this by increasing the "Input Trim"?
Click to expand...

Yes sir. Thats why this question came up for me. I was watching Scott Petersons presentation Taming The Monster from Axe Fest West and he mentioned input trim and how it could be used as an alternative to having a drive pedal in front of the amp. It seems to be a good option if you want the oomph without coloring the sound.
 
I found the Eternal Love drive to be a bit more transparent than the tube screamer.
sometimes I want that low cut mid boost (like when I use a recto or a the Powerball with my 7 string) but other times like with the USA Lead 1+ or the Brit Super I dial in my patch exactly how I want it tonally but I just want more sustain. and I want the drive to add as little color as possible and just add slam the front end. I find the Eternal Love works really well for this.
the input trim will also do this but it does (IMO) alter the tome of the amp as you turn it up (which it should)
 
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