Tips for dialing live tones with PA versus desk monitor bedroom tone

cragginshred

Fractal Fanatic
I finally got my rig dialed in for live PA tone that is very very close to my real amps. I used to be so fixated on my FRFR tone that I never was happy with the PA tone. Last week I went into my studio without the FRFR (CLR neo) and dialed in a killer tone using my QSC monitors and Turbosound IP 300 PA.

I took the same preset back to my bedroom volume desktop monitors and it did not sound anything like it -more distorted and not as defined. We aware of the Fletcher factor, but I just opted to have different presets for each setting with needed tweaks to make each setting sound good

How have you all approached this?
 
Does either room have acoustic treatment?
My studio has a lot of foam and hanging 4 x 4 wall coverings to dampen tone. The bedroom does not and is very bright but I notice it more from a less tight and almost distorted way for lack of better description than overly bright which is what I would expect.
 
As many have already chimed in, use the reference chart @Admin M@ posted. It is always useful to keep these things in mind. Every room sounds different, period, full stop. Test your bedroom vs your studio vs your backyard with an acoustic guitar to see that this is not something exclusive to Fractal Products.

To add: I always use a reference song/mix/tone when I'm trying to dial in guitar tones in a variety of rooms/venues. If you can hear what the room and Sound reinforcement system is doing to your reference mix/song then you can compensate in your AxeFXIII in the global EQ.

The songs I use. Note, these are not my favorite songs per se, but just what allows me to really hear instrumentation well in a room. So for example, if I'm playing a gig with a corporate band, during sound check I'll play these tunes through the PA, then walk out with a wireless (or loop a section) and listen to what the band sounds like and try to match the mix of these songs, while also listening for what the room is doing. I pump these tones both through my monitors at home where I dial in my tones as well as whatever rehearsal room. You can easily hear that, for example a very dead, small room really crushes the top end of the song mixes, or a bright untreated bedroom really hypes up the top end of the songs and/or adds a bunch of low end bass that can trick your ear into thinking your tone has more low end than it really does. This can also translate to venues with concrete floors, or if you're playing the marriot ballroom with a corporate band. If you hear the PA crushing the top and bottom of these songs, and it sounds boxy, then you know what that is also going to do to your guitar tone.

Vicarious - Tool - I use this for rock reference tones. The arrangement of the first couple minutes of the song allow you to hear each instrument and combinations of each instrument. For example, the intro is guitar and bass only, the verses have Bass and vocals and drums. It's a good song to hear each individual instrument and what they sound like in a context. Also, listen for the intro once the drums come in. That crispy "bacon frying sizzle" you hear on the top end of the guitar is what will help your guitar tones cut through live

Misery Business - Paramore - This one is similar to the tool one, just with female vocals. Again, listen to how sizzly/crispy the top end of the guitar is. It's a little less prevalent than the Tool song, but I still use it as a reference if I need to have a little tamer top end. The drum mix is also something I try to keep in my head for what drums should sound like in a room.

Steal My Girl - One Direction - Same idea, the arrangement allows you to hear difference combinations of instruments. I use this one more for pop mix, since theres not a lot of guitar, but I try to keep this in mind if I'm playing with a piano/keyboards. You'll get a lot of funny looks for using this through a PA but it helps, especially with a lot of gigs I do, We're doing a ton of Journey songs and current pop (dua lipa, T swift etc,.). Also The low sub bass hits help trigger the subs

Angel - Massive Attack - This one is more for the low end / sub bass. I use this mainly if I'm doing a more R&B/Hip-hop oriented gig where the Bassist is doing a more subby bass thing or even use a Moog Synth.
 
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