Tone trouble..

[holy_reality]

I've owned my ultra for a little over a month now (been browsing these forums for about twice as long) and i've just been striking out when it comes to creating any decent patches. Admittedly, I am a rookie when it comes to tone and my ear is probably a little underdeveloped, but i never imagined i'd be this terrible. Especially considering that I've always been able to manage getting pretty decent tone out of tube amps.

The presets sound fine as far as i can tell, but everything i personally put together sounds incredibly thin and sometimes almost UNDERdriven (if that makes any kind of sense).

So today I decided to download some other user patches and see if i could pinpoint what exactly i have been doing wrong, namely these two:

YouTube - Axe FX Peavey 5150 Test

YouTube - Axe Fx Engl Powerball - Metal (download preset)

After i load them and adjust the cab block so that it isn't using the usercabs, i get the SAME results. The tones are incredibly thin and sound as if there is almost no distortion at all. if you watch the videos, you'll see this shouldn't be the case.

so this has me wondering... is there something wrong with my ultra? could it possibly be my pickups? I have a newer s series ibanez with the stock infinity pickups which i already know, are not the greatest. could it be that these pups just dont have enough output to push the tones or is there something else i am overlooking?

sorry for the long post, and hopefully i've included enough information so this wont be confusing. looking forward to any advice!

 

[Rex]

The presets sound fine as far as i can tell, but everything i personally put together sounds incredibly thin and sometimes almost UNDERdriven (if that makes any kind of sense).

Then there's some major difference between the presets and what you're dialing in. Compare a preset that's working with one of your patches that's not, and look for differences, especially in levels.

So today I decided to download some other user patches and see if i could pinpoint what exactly i have been doing wrong...After i load them and adjust the cab block so that it isn't using the usercabs, i get the SAME results. The tones are incredibly thin and sound as if there is almost no distortion at all. if you watch the videos, you'll see this shouldn't be the case.

It sounds like you're not hitting the Axe-FX with enough signal. Have you got your input level dialed in correctly? Also, check to make sure the Axe's Bypass light isn't lit.

so this has me wondering... is there something wrong with my ultra?

Probably not, if the factory presets sound right.

could it possibly be my pickups? I have a newer s series ibanez with the stock infinity pickups which i already know, are not the greatest. could it be that these pups just dont have enough output to push the tones or is there something else i am overlooking?

The Infinity pickups should have enough output to get you in the ballpark.

 

[holy_reality]

haha man, im failing so hard i guess

 

[Rex]

Don't sweat it. Check out the things I posted (input level, bypass light...), and let me know what you find.

 

[antcarrier]

Keep in mind that the clips in those videos are used in a full band context. It isn't unusual for heavy guitar sounds that sound good in recordings to sound thin on their own. Less bass = tighter sound. The bass and drums are supplying a lot of the beef from those clips. The guitars are also heavily layered. This completely changes the way the sound is perceived and can make us think that there is more distortion when in fact there are actually just more guitars. Remember that more distortion does not necessarily equal beefier tone. Lower distortion levels cut through a mix far better, which can make your sound 'bigger'. Cab choice and EQ are also extremely important, possibly moreso than the amount of distortion used. Try using 2 cabs that compliment each other (personally I will never under any circumstances only use one), and go through the mics to find one that comliments the cab chosen (I find if I need more beef, the R121 or U87 mics are handy. If I need more cut, the SM58 seems to do that rather well. For aggressive grind, try the D112). Avoid scooping mids out too much as this is where your meat comes from. Also don't boost them too much or your guitar will become like a duck