Steve Lukather TOTO Sound - Need help!

F

Felge der Nacht

New Member
Hi!

I'm a big fan of Toto. I already got the MusicMan Luke and spent some evenings to get Steve Lukather's solo sound:

at 4:30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok6PuL4nKGQ

I know he uses the CAE 3, so I used it, too. I already got quite close to it, but something's still missing. His tone sounds full, a bit fuzzy or dirty (I'm German, so I'm not so good in describing sounds), but mine sounds rather thin.

So, does anyone know, how I can get his tone with the AxeFX?

Luke's website says that he uses the CAE3 (without a fuzz-effect/Bass and Treble pushed, middle turned out a bit) with 3 cabs. One without any effects and the other ones with effects. So I tried it with two CAE 3 + CAB in parallel. I also experimented with an EQ behind it. When I lowered the higher frequencies (above 2k), it helped me to get closer, but there's no way to get such a full sound than Luke's just by adjusting the tone knobs or the EQ.

Thanks!

Yours,
Johannes
 
The CAE sims are being reworked as far as I know right now, so that may be part of the problem. As far as I remember, Lukather always used some sort of TubeScreamer in the back of his rack as well, so maybe that might be another option for you to try as well...
 
Btw...his setup described above is a typical WDW setup. No real need for that in the Axe since you can just run the wet effects in parallel and that's pretty much what that setup is all about in the real world.
 
The CAE crunch is one of my favorites. I like how clear and articulate it is. But I know what you're saying about Steve's sound. It has that beef to it, which is not really there in the CAE.

Try my dumble/trainwreck patch I just posted. It has the beef. Or you may want to try mixing a more beefy amp with the CAE.

EDIT: I tried mixing the dumble and the CAE + lead, and it sounds fantastic. All the clarity & sizzle of the CAE with the added beef of the dumble. Tried the CAE+ crunch as well, but prefer the lead with the dumble.
 
VegaBaby said:
Btw...his setup described above is a typical WDW setup. No real need for that in the Axe since you can just run the wet effects in parallel and that's pretty much what that setup is all about in the real world.
Click to expand...

It's actually a stereo setup with an added dry cab in the middle.
 
VegaBaby said:
The CAE sims are being reworked as far as I know right now, so that may be part of the problem. As far as I remember, Lukather always used some sort of TubeScreamer in the back of his rack as well, so maybe that might be another option for you to try as well...
Click to expand...
I think he uses a Radial Tonebone
 
hole said:
VegaBaby said:
The CAE sims are being reworked as far as I know right now, so that may be part of the problem. As far as I remember, Lukather always used some sort of TubeScreamer in the back of his rack as well, so maybe that might be another option for you to try as well...
Click to expand...
I think he uses a Radial Tonebone
Click to expand...

Nope, he uses a T-Rex Spin Doctors. At the time of that clip though, it was a Tubescreamer, but he didn't use it in the clip.
 
I'll try to upload a patch with CAE crunch and a drive i use.. Extremly deep and fat sound. Not tuned as a Luke sound, but it can be a good start...
 
Edge59 said:
Check out this clip, does it sound close to what you are looking for?
http://www.myspace.com/goforthsound
click onto the Axe FX CAE SE 3+ with Red Wirez Marshall Cab 1960A
Please tell me your thoughts.
Thanks
Ed
Click to expand...

It really sounds like Luke's Solo sound on the older Toto-Albums but maybe that's just due to the wet effect settings.

Unfortunately, I couldn't check your ideas yet, because I have no MIDI interface working with Windows 7. Tomorrow, my M-Audio fast track pro should arrive and then I'll start experimenting :D
 
I was there.

Right in front of the mixing desk.
It was so loud and fizzy I couldn't make out anything Luke was playing. :evil: It got better during the evening, but I went home ever so slightly disappointed.
Best Toto I've been to was the Past to present tour. Must have been my age then, I was 22. Still, Animal is my favorite Luke solo. There's that falling down and landing on his feet thing in there that's just so... different and out of the ordinary. It's not just fingergymnastics.

I haven't gotten round to trying for the tone yet. Don't have an MM Luke either.
 
Edge59 said:
Check out this clip, does it sound close to what you are looking for?
http://www.myspace.com/goforthsound
click onto the Axe FX CAE SE 3+ with Red Wirez Marshall Cab 1960A
Please tell me your thoughts.
Thanks
Ed
Click to expand...
I really like that tone (and great playing too!)... can you share that patch? Even though I don't have the Redwirez cabs yet, I'm sure the patch is quite usable with stock cabs.
 
Lukather_08b_rack2.jpg


Lukather_08_rack1.jpg
 
Thank you Dpoirier :) Yes! I think this pic is the closest we will really get to Luke's tone :) I am in the middle of a move right now, but I will try to share the patch soon as I can figure out how to do that on the exchange site, and yes the stock cabs will work good too, I like the 4x12 30 watt with Royer 121, a slow chorus, just enought to get that doubling sound. The Luke patch on the exchange site used German 4x12 cab I believe.
Ed
 
Cool, one of the better pictures of Luke's rig I've seen.
Thanks for sharing!

Cheers!
- jonah
 
Felge der Nacht said:
Hi!

I'm a big fan of Toto. I already got the MusicMan Luke and spent some evenings to get Steve Lukather's solo sound:

at 4:30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok6PuL4nKGQ

I know he uses the CAE 3, so I used it, too. I already got quite close to it, but something's still missing. His tone sounds full, a bit fuzzy or dirty (I'm German, so I'm not so good in describing sounds), but mine sounds rather thin.

So, does anyone know, how I can get his tone with the AxeFX?

Luke's website says that he uses the CAE3 (without a fuzz-effect/Bass and Treble pushed, middle turned out a bit) with 3 cabs. One without any effects and the other ones with effects. So I tried it with two CAE 3 + CAB in parallel. I also experimented with an EQ behind it. When I lowered the higher frequencies (above 2k), it helped me to get closer, but there's no way to get such a full sound than Luke's just by adjusting the tone knobs or the EQ.

Thanks!

Yours,
Johannes
Click to expand...

I once had a "TOTO rig" and I found the most important thing to get the Lukather sound to be the DBX 160A compressor. Put that in there with a CAA SE 3+ or a Soldano X 88R or X99 add a little delay, verb and chorus and your golden.
The DBX160A has the effect your talking about, if you use it sparringly it´ll just fatten up your tone and sound like classic Luke/TOTO.
When I was into his tone I felt that the DBX160A gave the rig that last 10 %, and that it sounded wrong without it.
To me the best tone (and playing) Luke ever had was the Paris concert october 1990, that rig was based on the Soldano X88R preamp, VHT slave, DBX160A and lexicon´s
I´ve owned 2 CAA 3+, 1 X88R and 2 X99´s at the same time, experimented with tubes in all of them in an utterly anal way, and to me the X99 was without a doubt the best sounding of the pres, and I still own one of them - the rest I´ve sold on a quite a bit back.
My point being that you should try to use the compressors which are very good and powerfull in the Axe - if you have an Ultra I would go with the MBC othervise the studio compressor, also experiment with the X99 sim, SLO sim, the Corncob sim (I did a very nice TOTOish preset with that one) and the Plexi sims with and OD pedal in front and you´ll get some very nice Luke tones.
Hope it helps
RB
 
ok, i had a listen to his sound on the vid and had a quick mess about with the CAE lead. i've attached the preset.

it's close, but maybe no cigar, i dunno...sounds pretty cool on my tannoy reveals, though

i used my ears, rather than my eyes or what we think his settings might be...always the best way, imo. there's no drive (i tried the 808 mod and it was way too bright). speakers are marshall 1x12 and 2x12

bear in mind i'm not using a music man, i'm using a custom strat with a dimarzio in the bridge, so you may have to adjust the gain a bit...!

anyway, see what you think

sim
 
Rocket Brother said:
Felge der Nacht":1t9clfa2]Hi! I'm a big fan of Toto. I already got the MusicMan Luke and spent some evenings to get Steve Lukather's solo sound: at 4:30 [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok6PuL4nKGQ said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok6PuL4nKGQ[/url]

I know he uses the CAE 3, so I used it, too. I already got quite close to it, but something's still missing. His tone sounds full, a bit fuzzy or dirty (I'm German, so I'm not so good in describing sounds), but mine sounds rather thin.

So, does anyone know, how I can get his tone with the AxeFX?

Luke's website says that he uses the CAE3 (without a fuzz-effect/Bass and Treble pushed, middle turned out a bit) with 3 cabs. One without any effects and the other ones with effects. So I tried it with two CAE 3 + CAB in parallel. I also experimented with an EQ behind it. When I lowered the higher frequencies (above 2k), it helped me to get closer, but there's no way to get such a full sound than Luke's just by adjusting the tone knobs or the EQ.

Thanks!

Yours,
Johannes
Click to expand...

I once had a "TOTO rig" and I found the most important thing to get the Lukather sound to be the DBX 160A compressor. Put that in there with a CAA SE 3+ or a Soldano X 88R or X99 add a little delay, verb and chorus and your golden.
The DBX160A has the effect your talking about, if you use it sparringly it´ll just fatten up your tone and sound like classic Luke/TOTO.
When I was into his tone I felt that the DBX160A gave the rig that last 10 %, and that it sounded wrong without it.
To me the best tone (and playing) Luke ever had was the Paris concert october 1990, that rig was based on the Soldano X88R preamp, VHT slave, DBX160A and lexicon´s
I´ve owned 2 CAA 3+, 1 X88R and 2 X99´s at the same time, experimented with tubes in all of them in an utterly anal way, and to me the X99 was without a doubt the best sounding of the pres, and I still own one of them - the rest I´ve sold on a quite a bit back.
My point being that you should try to use the compressors which are very good and powerfull in the Axe - if you have an Ultra I would go with the MBC othervise the studio compressor, also experiment with the X99 sim, SLO sim, the Corncob sim (I did a very nice TOTOish preset with that one) and the Plexi sims with and OD pedal in front and you´ll get some very nice Luke tones.
Hope it helps
RB[/quote:1t9clfa2]

1990 rig was not VHT, it was a HH V800 poweramp. He also NEVER used a compressor in dirty sounds.
Click to expand...
 
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