thinkpad20
Inspired
A while back I posted that I was very frustrated getting good high gain tones on the Axe-FX. Well I've come a long way since then (and thanks for all of the help, both here and at HCAF). Anyway I thought I might share some tips and tricks for those similarly frustrated... seeing as more and more high gain thrashers/death metallers/etc are using the Axe-FX these days, I feel like I could extend a (hopefully) helping hand.
My thoughts on a good high gain tone
First of all... the kind of sound I like might not be your kind of sound. I tend to like a very organic sound, but not to the point of mushiness - a very thick, warm tone, with copious mids (not a big fan of the modern scooped sound) and overall a lot of aggression that is simultaneously a bit restrained and refined. I like a balance that doesn't sound so raw as to restrict me to only playing brutal chug power chords or tremolo picking, nor is it too weak to be able to handle that kind of stuff, should I want to play it. I also place a lot of value on chord clarity - the ability to hear all notes of a chord - and saturation - the ability to have even single notes sound intense and present.
I should also note that I am MUCH more picky when it comes to rhythm tone compared to lead tone... so pretty much all of my tips are geared towards ideal extreme metal rhythm sounds, not necessarily your favorite singing leads. Which isn't to say that the two are mutually exclusive.
Finally, to see if anything I have to say is worth listening to for you, feel free to check out my soundclick for many examples of my tone(s) - and note how much it has evolved in the time I've owned the Axe-FX. Of course the ultimate tone is always a work in progress, and I don't know if I'll ever be really satisfied, but I definitely am pleased with the results I've been getting. Best part is, with almost every recording I feel like I'm getting a little better than before.
So, with that out of the way, let's get to the technical stuff. I won't go into every detail, but hopefully some of what I say might be useful.
Amp models
My favorite high gain amp models are most likely as such: IIC+, Das Metall, Energyball, SLO, 5150, X99, and depending on what mood I'm in, a JCM800 (almost always with a boost in front). Each amp has its own character of course, and each is good at different things. I often find that with one of these or a combination of two of these, I can get pretty much any high gain flavor I want.
I tend to use two, most often though not always. Usually one provides the "beef" and one provides the "edge." I just made those terms up, but basically the beef is the thick fat meaty tone and the edge is the sharper more cutting tone. When you add up the two, you get the sound I described earlier - huge and heavy for massive chords with a lot of punch and juicy harmonics, but with enough precision and cut to pull off single-note Cynic style riffs and generally get a sweet aggressive bite.
My favorites for the "beef" are the Das Metall the Energyball, and the 5150. For the "edge" I like the Mark IIC+, Soldano X99 or SLO, boosted JCM800. It's important to get a nice balance between the two - just 50/50 mix of each will not necessarily get you where you want to be, in fact you might find that one or the other is clearly dominant - but that doesn't mean the quieter one is any less important.
Of course I don't always use two amps. For single amp patches, I tend to use the IIC+ as my main go-to amp these days since it's so unbelievably versatile and sounds so excellent in pretty much whatever form you use it. Pretty much all of the Mesa amps when dialed in right can sound great - so can others as well - the Diezel and the SLO being my other two favorites. Again, there's no single right answer.
Cabs
Just flicking through the cabs makes it obvious that they are a huge factor in the tone - but what to use? Naturally there's no "right" answer, but here's what I do. I tend to most commonly mix the Cali 4x12 and the 4x12 V30 to get a nice balance between sharp and in-your-face (Cali) and more thick and full (4x12 V30). The German 4x12 is also good, it's a darker cab sim but it can complement a brighter cab like the Cali very well. Again, it's the same concept of balancing the two sides. Also note - you don't need to use a mic sim! In fact, I rarely do. Back when I used to experiment a lot more with cabs, I would get frustrated because I would feel that every mic sim took something away or added something unpleasant, and none of them were QUITE "right." I realized it was pretty much my own "principles" or whatever that made me feel the need to use mic sims, and so I stopped, only using a mic sim when I specifically felt it needed it, and rarely on both cabs.
Amp settings
Obviously this is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. Well the first thing you look at is EQ. Honestly I rarely spend THAT much time on EQ since I tend to use extra EQ effects to fine-tune my sound. Furthermore exactly what to use really depends on the amp. But as some general guidelines - I often run with low-ish bass (rarely past 1:00) and high treble (usually 3:00 or so). I nearly always have the "treble bright" switch ON. As for mids, use your ears - but when in doubt, go for MORE rather than less. More mids can sometimes sound unpleasant to those used to listening to Fear Factory and Rammstein, but take my word for it, in a full mix you'll be much happier if you have more mids than if you don't have enough.
A common mistake - DON'T use too much gain. If your amp isn't sounding "brutal enough" it's a common mistake to up the gain, but often times this leads to a mushy digital-sounding tone that is not particularly pleasant to listen to or to play to (unless that's what you're going for).
But of course, in a high gain application, you need a lot of gain. So, how do you get it? Well boosting is an option, though I only use a boost if I really feel like the amp needs one - often times I think it can be detrimental to the overall tone. For me I've found the answer lies in tweaking page 2 of the amp settings. Damping, Master Volume, and Sag - in roughly that order - have a huge impact on the ability to get a lot of aggression without losing the "organic" sound that I like. My "trick" that I do almost on every patch is I crank the Damping to almost full, and turn down the Sag (rarely to zero; usually 9:00 or lower). The Master volume I can't prescribe a universal rule for, but it's very important. On the IIC+ I find that it sounds great wide open, whereas on the JCM800 I find that diming it can lead to some unpleasant tone. So, I can't tell you exactly what to do, but don't neglect it, OR presume that what worked for one amp will work for another! Then I move onto page 3, where I take down the warmth (usually to around 1.5 or so), boost the thump (usually about 3.5 or so) and, if I feel like it, try fiddling with the hi cut and low cut frequencies.
EQ
Last but definitely not least, never underestimate the power of the EQs - their tone-shaping capabilities can turn your sound from "OK" to "AWESOME!" with just a little fiddling. I nearly always have a parametric EQ or two in my signal chain, either right before or right after the cab sims. I usually leave the bass and low mids alone but often I'll add a bit in the upped mids and treble, and take a little away from the "mid" mids. This is all ear-based, but know it's a great and powerful tool.
For the graphic EQ - I used to use this a lot more but I don't so much nowadays, although of course you can - I just prefer the PEQ's ability to choose the frequencies and the Q instead of just the gain. The one thing I do use the GEQ for though is tone shaping BEFORE the amp. If the tone sounds too flubby or muddy and amp settings don't seem to be fixing it, I'll often try putting a GEQ before the amp and cutting some bass frequencies. If it's not sounding aggressive enough or it feels weak, I might add some treble frequencies. Etc. The effects may or may not be subtle, but like anything they can make or break a great tone. Also, a GEQ before the amp can be great for "spicing up" a rather ho-hum guitar. You can think of it like customizing the pickups - taking away bass tightens up the amp, adding treble imitates a hotter or more aggressive pickup, etc. Of course there's no substitute for really great woods and pickups but I've made some very satisfactory tones with some pretty non-impressive gear using a little pre-amp GEQ.
Further stuff
In my use of the Axe-FX so far I haven't delved into details like multi-band compression, filters, user IRs, etc - but they are all there to be used if wanted. I don't have any tips, but others have lots of experience in this area. If you find yourself frustrated and nothing I mentioned seems to be working for you, there are always some other tricks to try.
Hope this has been helpful for some. Happy tweaking, and more importantly, happy playing!
My thoughts on a good high gain tone
First of all... the kind of sound I like might not be your kind of sound. I tend to like a very organic sound, but not to the point of mushiness - a very thick, warm tone, with copious mids (not a big fan of the modern scooped sound) and overall a lot of aggression that is simultaneously a bit restrained and refined. I like a balance that doesn't sound so raw as to restrict me to only playing brutal chug power chords or tremolo picking, nor is it too weak to be able to handle that kind of stuff, should I want to play it. I also place a lot of value on chord clarity - the ability to hear all notes of a chord - and saturation - the ability to have even single notes sound intense and present.
I should also note that I am MUCH more picky when it comes to rhythm tone compared to lead tone... so pretty much all of my tips are geared towards ideal extreme metal rhythm sounds, not necessarily your favorite singing leads. Which isn't to say that the two are mutually exclusive.
Finally, to see if anything I have to say is worth listening to for you, feel free to check out my soundclick for many examples of my tone(s) - and note how much it has evolved in the time I've owned the Axe-FX. Of course the ultimate tone is always a work in progress, and I don't know if I'll ever be really satisfied, but I definitely am pleased with the results I've been getting. Best part is, with almost every recording I feel like I'm getting a little better than before.
So, with that out of the way, let's get to the technical stuff. I won't go into every detail, but hopefully some of what I say might be useful.
Amp models
My favorite high gain amp models are most likely as such: IIC+, Das Metall, Energyball, SLO, 5150, X99, and depending on what mood I'm in, a JCM800 (almost always with a boost in front). Each amp has its own character of course, and each is good at different things. I often find that with one of these or a combination of two of these, I can get pretty much any high gain flavor I want.
I tend to use two, most often though not always. Usually one provides the "beef" and one provides the "edge." I just made those terms up, but basically the beef is the thick fat meaty tone and the edge is the sharper more cutting tone. When you add up the two, you get the sound I described earlier - huge and heavy for massive chords with a lot of punch and juicy harmonics, but with enough precision and cut to pull off single-note Cynic style riffs and generally get a sweet aggressive bite.
My favorites for the "beef" are the Das Metall the Energyball, and the 5150. For the "edge" I like the Mark IIC+, Soldano X99 or SLO, boosted JCM800. It's important to get a nice balance between the two - just 50/50 mix of each will not necessarily get you where you want to be, in fact you might find that one or the other is clearly dominant - but that doesn't mean the quieter one is any less important.
Of course I don't always use two amps. For single amp patches, I tend to use the IIC+ as my main go-to amp these days since it's so unbelievably versatile and sounds so excellent in pretty much whatever form you use it. Pretty much all of the Mesa amps when dialed in right can sound great - so can others as well - the Diezel and the SLO being my other two favorites. Again, there's no single right answer.
Cabs
Just flicking through the cabs makes it obvious that they are a huge factor in the tone - but what to use? Naturally there's no "right" answer, but here's what I do. I tend to most commonly mix the Cali 4x12 and the 4x12 V30 to get a nice balance between sharp and in-your-face (Cali) and more thick and full (4x12 V30). The German 4x12 is also good, it's a darker cab sim but it can complement a brighter cab like the Cali very well. Again, it's the same concept of balancing the two sides. Also note - you don't need to use a mic sim! In fact, I rarely do. Back when I used to experiment a lot more with cabs, I would get frustrated because I would feel that every mic sim took something away or added something unpleasant, and none of them were QUITE "right." I realized it was pretty much my own "principles" or whatever that made me feel the need to use mic sims, and so I stopped, only using a mic sim when I specifically felt it needed it, and rarely on both cabs.
Amp settings
Obviously this is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. Well the first thing you look at is EQ. Honestly I rarely spend THAT much time on EQ since I tend to use extra EQ effects to fine-tune my sound. Furthermore exactly what to use really depends on the amp. But as some general guidelines - I often run with low-ish bass (rarely past 1:00) and high treble (usually 3:00 or so). I nearly always have the "treble bright" switch ON. As for mids, use your ears - but when in doubt, go for MORE rather than less. More mids can sometimes sound unpleasant to those used to listening to Fear Factory and Rammstein, but take my word for it, in a full mix you'll be much happier if you have more mids than if you don't have enough.
A common mistake - DON'T use too much gain. If your amp isn't sounding "brutal enough" it's a common mistake to up the gain, but often times this leads to a mushy digital-sounding tone that is not particularly pleasant to listen to or to play to (unless that's what you're going for).
But of course, in a high gain application, you need a lot of gain. So, how do you get it? Well boosting is an option, though I only use a boost if I really feel like the amp needs one - often times I think it can be detrimental to the overall tone. For me I've found the answer lies in tweaking page 2 of the amp settings. Damping, Master Volume, and Sag - in roughly that order - have a huge impact on the ability to get a lot of aggression without losing the "organic" sound that I like. My "trick" that I do almost on every patch is I crank the Damping to almost full, and turn down the Sag (rarely to zero; usually 9:00 or lower). The Master volume I can't prescribe a universal rule for, but it's very important. On the IIC+ I find that it sounds great wide open, whereas on the JCM800 I find that diming it can lead to some unpleasant tone. So, I can't tell you exactly what to do, but don't neglect it, OR presume that what worked for one amp will work for another! Then I move onto page 3, where I take down the warmth (usually to around 1.5 or so), boost the thump (usually about 3.5 or so) and, if I feel like it, try fiddling with the hi cut and low cut frequencies.
EQ
Last but definitely not least, never underestimate the power of the EQs - their tone-shaping capabilities can turn your sound from "OK" to "AWESOME!" with just a little fiddling. I nearly always have a parametric EQ or two in my signal chain, either right before or right after the cab sims. I usually leave the bass and low mids alone but often I'll add a bit in the upped mids and treble, and take a little away from the "mid" mids. This is all ear-based, but know it's a great and powerful tool.
For the graphic EQ - I used to use this a lot more but I don't so much nowadays, although of course you can - I just prefer the PEQ's ability to choose the frequencies and the Q instead of just the gain. The one thing I do use the GEQ for though is tone shaping BEFORE the amp. If the tone sounds too flubby or muddy and amp settings don't seem to be fixing it, I'll often try putting a GEQ before the amp and cutting some bass frequencies. If it's not sounding aggressive enough or it feels weak, I might add some treble frequencies. Etc. The effects may or may not be subtle, but like anything they can make or break a great tone. Also, a GEQ before the amp can be great for "spicing up" a rather ho-hum guitar. You can think of it like customizing the pickups - taking away bass tightens up the amp, adding treble imitates a hotter or more aggressive pickup, etc. Of course there's no substitute for really great woods and pickups but I've made some very satisfactory tones with some pretty non-impressive gear using a little pre-amp GEQ.
Further stuff
In my use of the Axe-FX so far I haven't delved into details like multi-band compression, filters, user IRs, etc - but they are all there to be used if wanted. I don't have any tips, but others have lots of experience in this area. If you find yourself frustrated and nothing I mentioned seems to be working for you, there are always some other tricks to try.
Hope this has been helpful for some. Happy tweaking, and more importantly, happy playing!
