Video: AustinBuddy Builds a Jimi London '67 Preset Step by Step

[austinbuddy]

Hi fellow Fractal-lovers!

AustinBuddy is starting to produce some helpful video tutorials, and this is the first release for AX8/Axe-Fx Users. The first video is how to nail that Jimi tone from his first album in London circa 1967 in your Fractal.

It walks you through, step-by-step, the multiple tweaks to the amp block's pages, some key effects, plus mixing a Cab IR (using a Redwirez library) to get that exact tone. Note: Just use one amp block if in an AX8.

It's 17 minutes long to cover everything you need to know -- but it covers it all. Check it out! Here's my video Blog link with full info and some other videos (like using Axe-Edit to load and manage presets).

YouTube channel link (hey, please like and subscribe if you like it!):



More info is on my new website www.austinbuddy.com where I will be blogging regularly about useful tips and tricks I've learned. For seven years I've been a beta tester for Fractal and put in thousands of hours using Fractal Products. I believe in the democratization of great guitar tone, and the Fractal makes that possible!!!

 

[sheky]

Great video, thanks.

 

[Hubi]

It sounds very good - and very intersting tricks !

You´ve forgotten to mention the proximity paramter on null and about 2!

Is this the old redwirez big boxes IR? I´ve got them, but have totally forgotten them..........

 

[austinbuddy]

You´ve forgotten to mention the proximity paramter on null and about 2!

Is this the old redwirez big boxes IR? I´ve got them, but have totally forgotten them..........

Yes -- it's weird because I have the Cab block low cut on, usually between 80Hz to 100hz. But I sometimes use that at the end to add a little bottom to fatten up an IR in the final tweaking. Some IRs were shot pre Cliff Chase inventing the Ultra-Res format, so the proximity/null can help compensate to get a chunkier bottom.

It's from the RedWirez Big Box collection. RedWirez very kindly did legally agree to let me release my four mic IR mix to anyone who buys the 700+ Naked Amp TonePack now for sale on my website (that package has a Bonus pack where presets 26-40 are each designed for a specific Jimi song from the first album, and this video preset is the base preset for that work, tweaked by song.



This preset is really a RECORDING preset. It's bright but sits and cuts through a mix. If you wanted to use this live, you might dial in more bottom and ease back the Presence and Treble and Bass -- but not so much that you lose that gritty crunchy stuff.

I will say -- having a '64 50th Anniversary Strat (or mid-60's) with 7.25 radius, thin vintage frets, with high action on the high E and B (so it's wont' fret out), pure nickel strings gauged .38 to .10 and tuned to eB for super easy bending really DOES make a difference in the sound to my ears -- if you want to get as close as possible to the sound. Then again, no one plays like Jimi!

 

[scottburrow]

I enjoyed this alot. Thanks Austinbuddy!!! For us guys who have been creating presets for years now, It's great to get into the weeds with this stuff, seeing how you approach it versus how I approach things. You do a great job explaining on what you did and why you did it. Thank you!

 

[chris]

great video! if i may, i have a few comments for those new to the Axe-Fx who watch this:

first off, it's a great video! the tone he gets is truly amazing

i just imagine people watching this video and feverishly taking notes, writing down every parameter he mentioned and its resulting value. but remember, this is how to get a specific tone - this isn't what to do for every amp tone. i've done 1-on-1 sessions where we go for a particular tone, and then my client says "oh ok, so i should set the gain to 8.00 and the bass to 4 for every amp..." no! haha.

because he's going for this very specific sound, he is going through many parameters and it might seem overwhelming. but again, this is an example of ONE tone, and this particular tone benefits from the changes he made. if you are trying to create another tone, you might not need all or any of the advanced parameters he discussed in this video.

it's always important to have a GOAL when dialing in tones, otherwise you are just changing things willy-nilly and don't know why. again, this video shows his choices for this particular tone. so definitely note down the things he adjusted and their effect that he described. but don't stick yourself to particular settings from this video as an approach to the axe in general.

also remember that the guitar is a huge, huge part of the tone. even if you follow along step by step, but are using a PRS hollowbody, it probably won't sound the same. as austinbuddy mentioned at the top of the video, not only is he using a particular strat with particular pickups, he's also suggesting specific strings to get even closer to the tone. and something else that many forget: you do have to play like the original artist if you're going for a specific tone. not just the notes, but how hard to press the strings, how hard to strum, etc.

along the same lines, starting out with the right amp is incredibly important as well. remember that just because you like mesa amps, the mark ii c+ might not be the right amp for the clean tone you are going for so spend some time sampling all the amps at default settings and play with the Master and Gain to hear its basic tone.

so again, for those new to the Axe-Fx or modeling in general, this is a great video! just keep in mind it's an example of a particular tone. for general learning about the Axe and amps, it's not about the results, but the reason for changing each parameter.

 

[JT2]

Thank you for this. More please.

 

[Gregmang]

Very nicely done - thank you !

 

[lqdsnddist]

Great video, very entertaining to just watch it (when I saw the original time I was thinking "oh boy...this is going to be boring lol") and also a wealth of information on tons of different aspects of the Axe. Very well done

 

[TG3K]

Great video. This might just push me over the edge and get me to purchase Cab-Lab.

 

[musicman0001]

great video! if i may, i have a few comments for those new to the Axe-Fx who watch this:

first off, it's a great video! the tone he gets is truly amazing

i just imagine people watching this video and feverishly taking notes, writing down every parameter he mentioned and its resulting value. but remember, this is how to get a specific tone - this isn't what to do for every amp tone. i've done 1-on-1 sessions where we go for a particular tone, and then my client says "oh ok, so i should set the gain to 8.00 and the bass to 4 for every amp..." no! haha.

because he's going for this very specific sound, he is going through many parameters and it might seem overwhelming. but again, this is an example of ONE tone, and this particular tone benefits from the changes he made. if you are trying to create another tone, you might not need all or any of the advanced parameters he discussed in this video.

it's always important to have a GOAL when dialing in tones, otherwise you are just changing things willy-nilly and don't know why. again, this video shows his choices for this particular tone. so definitely note down the things he adjusted and their effect that he described. but don't stick yourself to particular settings from this video as an approach to the axe in general.

also remember that the guitar is a huge, huge part of the tone. even if you follow along step by step, but are using a PRS hollowbody, it probably won't sound the same. as austinbuddy mentioned at the top of the video, not only is he using a particular strat with particular pickups, he's also suggesting specific strings to get even closer to the tone. and something else that many forget: you do have to play like the original artist if you're going for a specific tone. not just the notes, but how hard to press the strings, how hard to strum, etc.

along the same lines, starting out with the right amp is incredibly important as well. remember that just because you like mesa amps, the mark ii c+ might not be the right amp for the clean tone you are going for so spend some time sampling all the amps at default settings and play with the Master and Gain to hear its basic tone.

so again, for those new to the Axe-Fx or modeling in general, this is a great video! just keep in mind it's an example of a particular tone. for general learning about the Axe and amps, it's not about the results, but the reason for changing each parameter.

And as its a recorded tone the cab block settings but specificly the IR used is a big factor in the equation. Its stated in the video, but especially when you are new: when using the cab block and the proper IR you have already introduced a big tone shaper in place. And also the change to vintage is giving a slight different (tonal) behaviour.

Great vid @austinbuddy.
Thanks for sharing!!

 

[aens]

I've been messing with Jimi tones for well, quite a while already so I find this really interesting and inspirational.

A few questions for @austinbuddy (or someone else) if you don't mind

- Why did you choose to use the SM57 mic for the IR? Did they really use it at the studio at the time? I've read that they mostly used the M160 and U667 (something like 12 feets away from the amp). Or this just a trick to emulate the original sound or make the IR sound better?
- What do you think about diming all the amp controls in Marshalls? Can you get it to sound authentic Hendrix? Did Jimi do that constantly on his Marshall's or did he do that occasionally? This seems to be the "secret Jimi sauce" for many people.
- What tweaks would you do to get the sound on the later records? Change the amp to Super Lead at least? All I know about the later records is that Kramer used more closed-miking, direct feeds, compression and lot of EQ.

I also found this really interesting (quote from "Not Necessarily Stoned, But Beautiful: The Making of Are You Experienced") but haven't yet achieved anything special messing with it:
"I'd also given Jimi a treble booster that actually went in front of some of the fuzzboxes as well."

We can exchange PM's if you don't want to tell your every secret about the Hendrix tones. This is really a topic that I'm interested in.

 

[austinbuddy]

Good questions. I'm not keeping any secrets, am sharing all I know or learned for the Fractal community to benefit!

1. Eddie Kramer did a video several years ago and he specifically laid out that four mic formula; it included the SM57. Whether he used it London I can't say, but to my ears, it worked. Sometimes the English studio engineers used SM58s which give a nice mid-lift to Strats (Robtin Trower still does this reportedly). But no question the M160 and Room mic U67 dominate (at zero db) on the Board; the MD421 on cone at -3db give sit some mid focus, and he blended the SM57 at -10db. If you lost the Sm57 it probably would not change the sound much.

2. You can dime the JTM 45 controls, but I wouldn't dime the bass on a JTM45 because it gets mushy; other plexis did not have as much bass. I dialed them up high until it sounded right to my ears. This is not about 100% replicating every setting, it needs to meet the ear test more than the eye test for me. That may compensate some for board EQ tricks we don't know about they may have used.

3. I haven't tackled the later records one-by-one tone wise (yet!) -- but you are on track -- EQ and compression are big. The Bonus TonePack attempts to nail most every track on the first album in presets 26-40 -- not all are 100% but most are very, very close and at least have the feel/inspiration of the original tone.

If I used later plexi models, I would be careful about them being too bright. True if you turn them up the darken, but a lot of the album sounds are pretty clean. I did find that with jumpered plexis, lowering the master volume could help get great Marshall cleaner tones he used on those albums.

Somewhere I have a picture of the board/console that was in Electric Ladyland studio (now on display at the Experience Hendrix museum) and the EQs are on it...the low is 120Hz, not 100 for example... I'll find it and post it sometime.

4. For treble booster -- Jimi would just click on that wah sometimes! Into a darker sounding or bassy Marshall (like a JTM45) that really acts more like a light fuzz to my ears...

Good luck!

 

[Stratoblaster]

Great video and awesome tones; I'm inspired to revist the Redwires IR's (I have them all) as this mix really nails a fantastic Strat/Jimi tone.

I love the JTM45 amp and am definitely going to experiment with the IR mix; can you provide the exact IR's (cap edge 1" vs 2", etc. can be a fairly big change), but if not no worries I have enough info to go from here.

Love your contributions, thanks for the hard work and passing the results on...

 

[Stratoblaster]

Great video. This might just push me over the edge and get me to purchase Cab-Lab.

I can say Cab Lab is worth every penny if you're into experimenting with IR's. Most of my presets use custom IR mixes I've crafted, mainly the FAS Audio IR packs. You can really dial in a perfect IR for your needs...Cab Lab is a very powerful and useful tool. Since IR's/CAB block contributes so much to guitar tones I feel this tool is essential to unlocking the full potential of the AFX/AX8.

 

[austinbuddy]

Great video and awesome tones; I'm inspired to revist the Redwires IR's (I have them all) as this mix really nails a fantastic Strat/Jimi tone.

I love the JTM45 amp and am definitely going to experiment with the IR mix; can you provide the exact IR's (cap edge 1" vs 2", etc. can be a fairly big change), but if not no worries I have enough info to go from here.

I did the actual IR several years ago, so I don't remember precisely... pretty sure everything was 1" away...R121 was Cap-edge, MD421 was on the cone, Sm57 was probably off-axis...U67 room mic.

 

[lqdsnddist]

Kind of unrelated, but, really makes you wonder if when they were in the studio tracking those guitars and making the album if they ever could of imaged that many, many, years into the future whole generations of guitarist would consider those iconic tones and strive to study and reproduce every little trick they did.....

 

[Stratoblaster]

I did the actual IR several years ago, so I don't remember precisely... pretty sure everything was 1" away...R121 was Cap-edge, MD421 was on the cone, Sm57 was probably off-axis...U67 room mic.

Thanks for the reply; am going to mix up this cab since I really like what I heard in the video.

 

[austinbuddy]

Thanks for the reply; am going to mix up this cab since I really like what I heard in the video.

Cool. The actual Jimi Cab IR is included my 700+ Naked Amps TonePack - it comes with it.

The folks at RedWirez were quite kind enough to let me include it legally, so all TonePack buyers can enjoy it spot-on. It's part of the Bonus preset part, goes with presets 26-40 (First Jimi album songs)

But am sure the RedWirez guys are thrilled some folks are spending the $9 bucks to buy that Greenbacks G12-20M Big Box collection and giving that product another look!

 

[aens]

Good questions. I'm not keeping any secrets, am sharing all I know or learned for the Fractal community to benefit!

1. Eddie Kramer did a video several years ago and he specifically laid out that four mic formula; it included the SM57. Whether he used it London I can't say, but to my ears, it worked. Sometimes the English studio engineers used SM58s which give a nice mid-lift to Strats (Robtin Trower still does this reportedly). But no question the M160 and Room mic U67 dominate (at zero db) on the Board; the MD421 on cone at -3db give sit some mid focus, and he blended the SM57 at -10db. If you lost the Sm57 it probably would not change the sound much.

2. You can dime the JTM 45 controls, but I wouldn't dime the bass on a JTM45 because it gets mushy; other plexis did not have as much bass. I dialed them up high until it sounded right to my ears. This is not about 100% replicating every setting, it needs to meet the ear test more than the eye test for me. That may compensate some for board EQ tricks we don't know about they may have used.

3. I haven't tackled the later records one-by-one tone wise (yet!) -- but you are on track -- EQ and compression are big. The Bonus TonePack attempts to nail most every track on the first album in presets 26-40 -- not all are 100% but most are very, very close and at least have the feel/inspiration of the original tone.

If I used later plexi models, I would be careful about them being too bright. True if you turn them up the darken, but a lot of the album sounds are pretty clean. I did find that with jumpered plexis, lowering the master volume could help get great Marshall cleaner tones he used on those albums.

Somewhere I have a picture of the board/console that was in Electric Ladyland studio (now on display at the Experience Hendrix museum) and the EQs are on it...the low is 120Hz, not 100 for example... I'll find it and post it sometime.

4. For treble booster -- Jimi would just click on that wah sometimes! Into a darker sounding or bassy Marshall (like a JTM45) that really acts more like a light fuzz to my ears...

Good luck!

Yeah I just started to google the Kramer micing technique and found out the same results as you posted. Funny how the SM57 nor MD421 are mentioned on the "Making of Are You Experienced?" book at all.

1. Thanks for the recipe. I must try this combination with the OH IR's.

2. Oh yes, you definitely can't dime the bass on a JTM45. Although I like it where things get just a little too bassy. It's a huge and cool sound but works more with stoner rock stuff than Hendrix. With Super Leads you can dime the amp without much problems.

3. Wow, I must try your Preset Pack when I get home to my Axe FX. Right now I'm 2000km away from it in Budapest for almost a month to come.

I was messing with the Super Leads and it definitely helps to lower the bright cap to 100-500pF (or take it off completely). Not sure if Jimi's amps were modded like that, but from what I've read he changed to Super Leads because of a more tighter bass response and more brightness. And from what I've read they've changed the transformers to a more powerful(?) one. Thanks for the master volume trick.

@austinbuddy have you ever tried to mod the JTM/Super Lead to make a JTM100? The one we have on Axe FX is 30 watt and I guess it sounds/behaves a little different. I've tried it several times but I'm not sure how authentic it is because I'm not that experienced with JTM100's.

I think you have two options:
1) Change the tone stack in Super Lead to JTM45, then tweak the negative feedback and power amp settings to match the JTM (no idea how they should be in JTM100)
2) Crank the transformer and power settings in the JTM45 model

Anything else you could try? Or any advice how I could achieve close to the real world JTM100? I would love to hear the amp in the AFX.

4. Wah definitely works! But could they've been using some Mayer-made treble boosters? I think the Mayer modded Fuzz Face had a little treble boost in it so this might be the reason why they modded it in the first place.