Some thoughts on preset programming

fremen

Axe-Master
Vendor
These days I'm busy programming sounds for Quantum 2.0 firmware. The whole process has me thinking about my approach, and I wanted to share a few thoughts about it with you. I've just read that on the Brown sound guide thread :

When I try to match every last detail of those final recorded tones that were carved into vinyl, down to the final EQ shape, etc, it becomes a very unnatural experience from a guitar-playing perspective,and at the end of the day, I'm still just a guitar player. I can get REAL close by carving out even more low end, tweaking the highs, adding some preamp EQ in the cab block, and messing with a multi-band compressor afterwards. And there are times when I can get to 97% of that original tone -- it's so damn close! -- but the attempt to gain that additional 7% comes at a loss of playability, and to an extent a loss of fun.

Bingo ! This mirrors exactly my experience. Trying to nail a recorded sound exactly is often detrimental to the feel, probably because of the extreme settings necessary. There's an explanation for that, it may be not universal but it's what I feel about it. "The systematic mixing guide" by Ermin Hamidovic has a great explanation about that. When we play guitar, we often crave for the biggest, largest sound possible, and we do the same when recording. However during the mixing stage we need to poke holes in the guitar sound, to make space for other instruments and vocals. So the recorded, mix-ready guitar sound (and all the stems we download) is not the original sound at all, it's a post-production processed sound. It's how I approach preset programming : instead of making record-ready sounds, I always try to make sounds that feel and sounds great. Most of the time, my presets have too much low end and not enough sizzle, but I don't care - live, I'll tweak the GLOBAL EQ 1 for the FOH, cutting the lows (but not boosting the highs because mos FOH here in Mauritius have an unpleasant high end). I use OUT 2 to monitor myself so I'll tweak GLOBAL 2 EQ according to what I want to hear/feel.
This is one of the reasons why I almost never try to nail a recorded sound exactly (some people are good at tonematching recorded sounds from specific artists, however the resulting presets never works for me - the feel isn't there imho). When covering a specific song, I'll make a preset which is in the ballpark, and which suits me, rather than using the exact amp model with the same settings with the same IR with the same effects etc etc of the original. So, not 100% authentic ? I don't care, for what it's worth, I've lost count of times that after a gig I was told by someone from the audience "dude, you have nailed the sound from [insert song name here]" - I know it's not true, but if the audience buys it ;)
 
Totally agree, with my band were actually in such a process and I confirm it actually feels like you're pushing yourself in a corset without any slack available. Have to stop it because it totally takes the fun out of playing if you constantly have to worry if you're doing things right.
 
I agree, it's more important if you have your playing down than an exact tone. It drives me nuts when the artist themselves alter timings and phrases of their own stuff, doesn't matter how well they played, it's just not the same when you've had something etched into your memory.

Effects are probably more important than amp tone to the listener, at least when that is a signature part of a song IMO
 
These days I'm busy programming sounds for Quantum 2.0 firmware. The whole process has me thinking about my approach, and I wanted to share a few thoughts about it with you. I've just read that on the Brown sound guide thread :



Bingo ! This mirrors exactly my experience. Trying to nail a recorded sound exactly is often detrimental to the feel, probably because of the extreme settings necessary. There's an explanation for that, it may be not universal but it's what I feel about it. "The systematic mixing guide" by Ermin Hamidovic has a great explanation about that. When we play guitar, we often crave for the biggest, largest sound possible, and we do the same when recording. However during the mixing stage we need to poke holes in the guitar sound, to make space for other instruments and vocals. So the recorded, mix-ready guitar sound (and all the stems we download) is not the original sound at all, it's a post-production processed sound. It's how I approach preset programming : instead of making record-ready sounds, I always try to make sounds that feel and sounds great. Most of the time, my presets have too much low end and not enough sizzle, but I don't care - live, I'll tweak the GLOBAL EQ 1 for the FOH, cutting the lows (but not boosting the highs because mos FOH here in Mauritius have an unpleasant high end). I use OUT 2 to monitor myself so I'll tweak GLOBAL 2 EQ according to what I want to hear/feel.
This is one of the reasons why I almost never try to nail a recorded sound exactly (some people are good at tonematching recorded sounds from specific artists, however the resulting presets never works for me - the feel isn't there imho). When covering a specific song, I'll make a preset which is in the ballpark, and which suits me, rather than using the exact amp model with the same settings with the same IR with the same effects etc etc of the original. So, not 100% authentic ? I don't care, for what it's worth, I've lost count of times that after a gig I was told by someone from the audience "dude, you have nailed the sound from [insert song name here]" - I know it's not true, but if the audience buys it ;)
Fremen thanks for the concept! In addition, I greatly appreciate your presets. I tried tried tweaking myself, but I find your presets more evolved.
I am not a "gigging" musician, however I play quite a bit. Once again many thanks, you have saved me countless hours and frustration.
 
You're welcome ! Here's a teaser of what I'm working on btw


Fremen you have outdone yourself once again! Hopefully, they will be available for purchase at some point. I realize with all the updates it is time consuming. Good luck and I look forward to "rockin" some more of your presets. Cheers..
 
You're welcome ! Here's a teaser of what I'm working on btw



Awesome playing and great tones! I'm working my way through your Quantum 1 presets now which is taking longer than expected because many of them are sooo much fun to play :D. And I'll be buying your Amplifire presets whenever the heck they update their firmware.
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Austin
 
Fremen you have outdone yourself once again! Hopefully, they will be available for purchase at some point. I realize with all the updates it is time consuming. Good luck and I look forward to "rockin" some more of your presets. Cheers..
Yes I'm waiting for the official firmware to release them
 
Will your updated presets be available for Mark ll or only for xl generation?
Your presets are really impressive. You bring the whole thing to an amazing level... Thanks.
 
Will your updated presets be available for Mark ll or only for xl generation?
Your presets are really impressive. You bring the whole thing to an amazing level... Thanks.
Judging from the Axe-Edit screen in that video, It looks like he is still rocking his old trusty Axe-Fx ll.....:)
 
@fremen love the teaser vid.

Jumping around like that really showcased the differences between the amps character.

Also showcased you playing the shit out of some great legato licks!!!
 
Since I didnt hear many, I hope you have as many clean and "rock" tones as you do metal in this collection.
Yes I do, don't worry, here's how my presets are organized :

Bank A : my live presets, 5 scenes presets, fun and special presets

Bank B : high gain (sorted by amp model), high gain starting pack, blues/fusion

Bank C : Marshall, Vox, cleans, special effects.
 
I have to agree with you 1000%.
I have many back and forth discussions with people in regard to what you are actually hearing when it comes to the Axe FX. There are many Tube amp purists that have said, when they play a modeler like the Axe Fx, they don't feel that it truly sounds and feels like an amp in the room to them. I have argued the point many a times that this is because it is not modeling the tone of an amp in the room, it is modeling the sound of a mic'ed amp, which sounds NOTHING like a amp in the room.
I have had modeling guys tell me that when running through FRFR cabs that to them it sounds like an amp in the room, and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a JCM800 through a cab live, and the AXE on a JCM800 setting through FRFR live. But in my mind I keep saying, of course you would, because the real amp through a cab live would sound like a real amp through a cab, and the Axe through FRFR live would sound more like what you would hear through your monitors live, a mic'ed amp, which will carry with it, the color of the mic used to mic it. Now from the FOH perspective you would probably be right on.
Your approach for have global eq running on to chains would be the best approach because you can do things like increase bass response for your on stage rig to make it feel closer to a real amp in the room, and running the other eq to what a mix ready guitar would sound like so it fits the mix better. But people need to make no mistake, those two things sound VERY different.

To me the bottom line is, the Axe is recreating a Mic'ed cab, and when you start trying to tone match a tone from an album you are taking the mic'ed cab thing and manipulating the tone so far away from what the amp would have sounded like in the room, that you have now butchered the sound. This may work for recording, but for live in the room playing it would only work if you have your drums tone matched, your bass tone matched, and your singer tone matched, lol But guaranteed it would end up sounding like horse shit in the room.

I can pretty much guarantee that had Eddie Van Halen been hearing the tone as it was in the final mix, he probably would have hated to play on it, and it probably would have altered the way he played those songs quite a bit. The reality is, there is normally so much post production on 99% of the guitars you hear on an album that you would never actually want that real tone to use isolated or live.
 
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