Why is my tone so dark???

Karl Houseknecht

Power User
Was my question last night at rehearsal. In the moment, I cranked up the treble turned the high cut on the AC30 all the way off and just played. During a break, I noticed that the high cut in the individual cab slots in my cab block were all set to 2000.00 hz!!!!!

2K high cut! Default should be 20000. I’m assuming the latest firmware update did this because I didn’t have that problem last week before the update.

Here’s the weird part. The adjustments I made to the amp sounded freakin great with that aggressive roll off. So thick and natural. Other guitarist and I both really liked the tone, until I noticed it was “wrong” and I changed it to what should be “right”. Now I’m chasing the way my higher strings sounded and felt with those “wrong” settings.
 
The default values are 20,000. Not sure how they would've got set to minimum like that. Are you using global cab blocks? That could explain it.

That said, I often use aggressive high cuts in the cab block. Not as low as 2K but 4K sometimes. Depends on the IR. Close mic'd IRs can have lots of high end.
 
What was your previous installed firmware version? In my experience the introduction of new features, such as Low-Cut and Hi-Cut per IR, can cause some havoc in existing global blocks. Rare cases only.
 
That sounds logical. Low and high-cut got introduced and they came with default settings.
But these blocks were linked as global blocks, so the blocks got their data for the new parameters from empty sources.
 
Did anyone notice a big difference in the latest power amp modelling change?

Well, I THOUGHT I noticed a HUGE difference. LOL! But it was just my cab high cut parameters being messed with by the update. I've re-dialed everything in and even added a hefty dose of cut at 4K-ish. I normally kept it around 8-10K but I may have seen (or heard) the light. I love the way it makes my high strings sound and feel. So thank YOU, weird firmware update gremlin!
 
Touched on one of my favorite topics here, so I did want to chime in about cuts. Something I discussed a good bit in my AxeFest clinic. Nothing wrong with sometimes very aggressive cuts in the cab block, especially with close mic IRs, as Cliff said. Close mic IRs bring in so much of that amazing depth and complexity we love in the upper mid-range of a tone but often introduce too many other frequencies for a balanced mix. In my experience it comes as a surprise to many how narrow the frequency band of guitar tones is much of the time in pro mixes, whether live at front of house or at the board in a studio. What sounds rockin' to you solo isn't always very relevant to what sits well in a mix. Cutting down to 4-5k and up to the mid or even high 100s not only isn't unheard of but would more be described as common practice. There are a lot of instruments in a band. Concentrate on letting the guitar speak where it speaks best! Just one of the inumerable strengths of the Axe-Fx is that we have the ability to sculpt with this kind of detail with the click of a mouse. Something standard amps can only dream of!
 
@ ccroyalsenders I'm glad you hit on this subject. Looking at pretty much all Celestion guitar speakers not FRFR solutions specs show they all have a high end of 5k. So that begs the question of why would you want an IR to be higher than that? In a case where you might be using a synth thru an IR I can understand it being above 5K but for a guitar amp tone I would think one would want to set the high at 5k and add any highs you need in the amp block.

I've been on a FRFR buying binge as of late trying to see what works to get as close to a real tube amp and V30s as possible. I have two passive Xitone wedges and a matrix GT1000FX. Atomic CLR and two Friedman ASM-12. So far I think I'm closest with the Friedman's and cutting to 5K in the IR block.

Another question I have is exactly what is Cliff and those who created factory presets for the Fractal products monitoring through. I understand the modeling part is done on paper but as far as reproducing that amp what speakers power amp so on is the standard?

Have my eye on some Meyer Sound 12's pretty cheap but would that really be an answer for live? Thanks in advance.
 
Another question I have is exactly what is Cliff and those who created factory presets for the Fractal products monitoring through. I understand the modeling part is done on paper but as far as reproducing that amp what speakers power amp so on is the standard?

Have my eye on some Meyer Sound 12's pretty cheap but would that really be an answer for live? Thanks in advance.

Cliff will weigh in to correct me if I'm off, but IIRC, he dials with JBLs. I know for my part, the factory presets I did were dialed on Genelec Ones and tested at gig volume with Mission Geminis. Others will chime in I'm sure. @austinbuddy @javajunkie @yek @chris etc.
What sounds good to your ears is usually good enough. Fwiw, Meyers are ridiculously good if you can get your hands on em. Matrix power amps have historically been my go to for when a standard cab is being used. Love my Mission FRFRs for that cab-like response though.
 
Another question I have is exactly what is Cliff and those who created factory presets for the Fractal products monitoring through. I understand the modeling part is done on paper but as far as reproducing that amp what speakers power amp so on is the standard?
Cliff will weigh in to correct me if I'm off, but IIRC, he dials with JBLs. I know for my part, the factory presets I did were dialed on Genelec Ones and tested at gig volume with Mission Geminis. Others will chime in I'm sure. @austinbuddy @javajunkie @yek @chris etc.
Tannoy Reveal 501As are what I used dialing in the factory presets here. And a Xitone MBritt for live and loud testing.
 
I was just fooling around today and stumbled upon the 4x12 Sorcerer 414 IR. With no low or high cut it's nothing special. Bring the high cut down to 4-5 kHz and it sounds awesome (to me). Works with a wide variety of amp models. Almost everything I threw at it sounded great.

I took the Plexi 6550 model and did the EVH upside-down smile EQ with a GEQ block before it and it was rockin'.
 
I don’t know why, but I’ve always had this aversion to high cutting my cabs. There was something that didn’t sound natural about it. But for whatever reason, it works well with this IR.
 
I was just fooling around today and stumbled upon the 4x12 Sorcerer 414 IR. With no low or high cut it's nothing special. Bring the high cut down to 4-5 kHz and it sounds awesome (to me). Works with a wide variety of amp models. Almost everything I threw at it sounded great.

I took the Plexi 6550 model and did the EVH upside-down smile EQ with a GEQ block before it and it was rockin'.
This is a super tip, Cliff, and I stumbled across a great way to easily recreate it..the recentLT Kitchen Sink preset by @2112 Leon http://axechange.fractalaudio.com/detail.php?preset=7085
is a really great template for testing setups and amps, and it has the post-amp PEQ in the leonesque frown config ready to go.. just switch out amp 1(a) with the plexi or the amp of your choice, same with IR, adjust cuts and rawk.
 
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