The Weak Link

RKF

RKF

Inspired
Often times I find that even when copying the exact settings or downloading patches from guys like Leon, Rocco and others here, the tone isn't at all like what's heard on their clips. Yeah, yeah I know...it's in the fingers. But even hitting power chords the tone seems way off. Same thing happens when auditioning IR's from Ownhammer, ML & Celestion that everyone seems to love. They just don't sound right thru my setup. Either too boomy or too harsh. Trying to find out if there's some weak link in my chain...

Chapman ML-1 BEA --> AX8 --> Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 --> JBL LSR305's via direct monitoring.

I play in a relatively small carpeted room (12' x 12') with acoustic foam covering most of the walls.

Is there a huge difference in interfaces? I wouldn't think it would factor too much if I'm just passing the signal directly thru to my monitors. Are the JBL's a poor choice? I could always spring for a pair of 7" Adams or Yamahas but that's quite an expense and a large sized monitor for such a small room.

And input greatly appreciated.
 
9 times out of 10 it’s the guitar. Different pickups etc make a very different tone.

If other stuff sounds good through your monitors then you know the monitors sound good. If everything sounds boomy etc through them, then you know it’s them and/or your room.

If someone made a patch using a really dark sounding guitar with low output pickup, and I play with a bright guitar with hotter pickups, I might think it sounds horrible when I play it, and vice versa.

Overall I find it’s usually easier to just make my own stuff than trying to adjust others patches because so many things just don’t translate well.
 
Yes. Interface and monitors do matter. A lot. I noticed a bigger difference than I thought I would going from my presonus 192 to slaving it to my apogee Rosetta for DA. BIG difference too between my KRK VXT8 to my Adam A7.
 
Bruce Sokolovic said:
Yes. Interface and monitors do matter. A lot. I noticed a bigger difference than I thought I would going from my presonus 192 to slaving it to my apogee Rosetta for DA. BIG difference too between my KRK VXT8 to my Adam A7.
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If you hear a clip of someone else playing through the same monitor though and it sounds great, but then when your play it sounds “off” it’s unlikely the monitor

If anything and everything sounds boomy etc, then it’s the monitor and/or room


I download and try Leon’s patches as well, I sure don’t sound like him either, but it’s not because he has a different monitor on his desktop than I do.
 
lqdsnddist said:
If you hear a clip of someone else playing through the same monitor though and it sounds great, but then when your play it sounds “off” it’s unlikely the monitor

If anything and everything sounds boomy etc, then it’s the monitor and/or room


I download and try Leon’s patches as well, I sure don’t sound like him either, but it’s not because he has a different monitor on his desktop than I do.
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I can agree with this. I just noticed huge leaps and bounds when I got decent stuff. An AX8 is like picking out premium paint, canvas and brushes, but prosumer interface and monitoring is like trying to paint with cheap sunglasses on covered in mud.
 
Have you tried plugging the AX8 directly into the monitors to see how much the interface may, or may not be influencing the sound? Do yo have other guitars/pickups to try?

Also try recording your tone, and comparing the recording with the video to eliminate any bias.
 
Moke said:
Have you tried plugging the AX8 directly into the monitors to see how much the interface may, or may not be influencing the sound? Do yo have other guitars/pickups to try?

Also try recording your tone, and comparing the recording with the video to eliminate any bias.
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Thanks for the replies everyone!

Good idea, Moke. I'll have to try that to at least eliminate one possibility.
 
RKF said:
Chapman ML-1 BEA --> AX8 --> Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 --> JBL LSR305's via direct monitoring.
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Shouldn't be anything wrong in this signal chain. System reset for the AX8? You may have something weird in the I/O settings.

I haven't tried that guitar but to be honest, don't expect a huge night and day difference when switching pickups. People over-hype this way too much in my opinion. Are you tickling red with your input settings? (have you heard of this before?)

Have you tried recording yourself and comparing your recorded sound to the preset videos you're talking about? Sometimes with these interface loops you get some delay and it completely changes the feel and sensation of playing guitar and you may be reacting to it even though the sound is good. Just a thought.
 
I want to mention for example hearing Moke's presets.
His JCM800 or VH presets. I heard them on his site, and was like, Man that is what I want!
And that is what I got. Really love his stuff. Very Very happy with the tones.
 
A few times this has frustrated me. But after playing different guitars/pickups and tuning (ex. - Leon Todd's Drop C) I have noticed a difference. My main guitar is loaded with Suhr Aldrich pickups and #2 is the stock Tokai PAF Vintage MK2 pickups and other guitars with different pickups.

Some patches need a slight tweak to match the pickup output.

Signal path = Guitar - AX8 - UA Arrow - Presonus Eris E8 - sometimes the Headrush FRFR cab.
 
Habuman said:
Some patches need a slight tweak to match the pickup output.
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I find this to be the issue 9 times out of 10. Drives, amps, compressors, etc. are hugely influenced by the level they get hit at. A quick fix is to throw in a Null Filter or Volume block all the way at the beginning of the chain and use that to boost or cut the input level coming from your guitar until it sounds about right.
 
Foam on the walls will make everything boomy. It kills the highs but allows lows to stack up. Ditch the foam.
 
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