Your Every-Preset Moves

[Jbmetal]

Howdy,
I was just thinking about how I setup my patches (set levels, what effects I include,what cab, etc.) in all my patches and I was curious as to what you all do.

Do you ever try creating a patch differently than normal as something to get the creative juices flowing? Do you have one cab you use across all presets, or do you try to stick to what the original amp used? How do you organize your presets? Do you save a lot of global presets for effects so you can create your own virtual pedal drawer or just kind of tweak from scratch every time?

Some examples of things I always do is put in my global FXL and VOL blocks, I almost always use the same cab, and I usually the same Lg Wooden Room reverb.

Just trying to see if there's anyway I can improve my preset management and general approach to the digital beast.

 

[unix-guy]

About 90% of my presets are built using the same template (literally a template in Axe Edit).

They are all built around a "clean"(ish) amp or amps with everything else the same, although in some cases I change the Drive block settings to better suit the particular amp.

The template is a "kitchen sink" layout that works for me with my original band.

 

[Jbmetal]

About 90% of my presets are built using the same template (literally a template in Axe Edit).

They are all built around a "clean"(ish) amp or amps with everything else the same, although in some cases I change the Drive block settings to better suit the particular amp.

The template is a "kitchen sink" layout that works for me with my original band.

I don't use templates enough. I guess I end up wasting a lot of time building the same preset every time from the front panel.

 

[unix-guy]

Also, I forgot to mention that the template makes use of a lot of global blocks, too. About 75% of the blocks are global.

 

[Jbmetal]

Also, I forgot to mention that the template makes use of a lot of global blocks, too. About 75% of the blocks are global.

So, is this template based around what you need for your live act or what? Because it sounds like you have a very specific, nailed-down sound you're going for.

 

[unix-guy]

So, is this template based around what you need for your live act or what? Because it sounds like you have a very specific, nailed-down sound you're going for.

Yep... I can play several hours of original music with a single preset using 8 scenes... I alternate between presets depending on which one I'm vibing with although I also sometimes switch presets for certain songs where another amp better suits the song.

That being said, I'm not a massive user of effects. I have compressor, Drive 1 & 2 (both X/Y), delay (X/Y), Chorus (X/Y), Reverb, Wah, Whammy, Rotary...

I do have a few "specialty" presets...

 

[SteveW]

I use maybe 4-5 amp variations, including a Mesa DR, a Friedman and a Marshall 100 watt...with Recto 57 and Marshall cabs. And I have several patches with very different sounds, but using same amps and cabs. Some tweaking gets you dramatically different tones across same equipment!

I usually dial it in from scratch on the front panel...and less than 2 minutes. Then I spend weeks fine tuning them here and there as I play.

 

[1234]

It's good to have a 'level setter' preset stored, that you know is at the right level for you.
If you're making a new preset, when you're done you can flip between it and the new one, stops my levels going all over the place.
I use different amps etc, but my 'bread and butter' are the Legato 100 and Euro Red, I've actually got these and their respective cabs saved as blocks, so if I find a trippy/effect-laden preset someone else has made, I can quickly slot my own amp/cab in and replace the amp/cab that are already there. Also, have a couple of clean amp blocks if the preset does not get on well with hi-gain.
I tend to use the same reverb/delay when making presets, so again, I've got these saved as blocks, along with a few different drives, saves time when you're making a new preset.
Yek's Amp and Drive guides are excellent when checking out a new amp, providing great background info and dialling in tips.
I just use mostly factory cabs, I would suggest just go by ear on this and some good sounds can be created by using unusual cabs for the particular amp.
Because there aren't thousands of factory cabs, it's very easy to flick through a lot of them and audition many different selections.
Also be aggressive with the B/M/T, sweep them through the whole range, don't be afraid of diming anything or turning it close to zero.
And try swapping preamp/poweramp tubes, tonestacks and putting up or down input trim, e.g. you like the amp but wish it had more oomph.

 

[Clockwork Creep]

I use only one preset, that I constantly improve or reset over time.
It does all I need it to do.

 

[Jbmetal]

I use only one preset, that I constantly improve or reset over time.
It does all I need it to do.

That's interesting. Is it that you have it configured thoroughly throughout the scenes, or is it that you just have a simple sound that you need and that's it?

Because I could see a lot of metal players having just one preset that does everything they need it to do. Or Jazz. Every time I take my pedalboard out to a jazz gig I regret it because I only use the volume pedal.

 

[Geezerjohn]

I only use a couple of amp presets. I set up a bank for single coil guitars, and another bank for humbucker equipped guitars. Presets are the same, but tweaked to compliment each type of guitar. I use amps that tend to clean up really well with the guitar volume backed off. I have been playing that way since long before there was a FAS. Guess you could say I am a heature of crabit.

 

[Clockwork Creep]

That's interesting. Is it that you have it configured thoroughly throughout the scenes, or is it that you just have a simple sound that you need and that's it?.

I have three scenes in there.
Clean, Rythm, Lead.
Lead is just a boosted Rythm.
Then there are plenty of effects there. Wahs, whammy, tremolo, delay, reverb, filter, volume... All of which I use and they are there because that's how I composed my songs. Since all of them still fit into that one preset, I have no need for having multiple presets. Still, most of the time I'm just playing though an amp block and a cab block. Keeping it simple and straightforward.
All scenes and stomp changes are made via Midi from a DAW during live.

One wise man once said "If you need 40 amp sims just to get through a gig, you are not a good guitarist. You are an asshole".
I see how using many presets makes sense for tribute bands that want to sound as authentic as possible, but an artist that has different tones for all different songs is probably a pain for the sound guy.

 

[Jbmetal]

I have three scenes in there.
Clean, Rythm, Lead.
Lead is just a boosted Rythm.
Then there are plenty of effects there. Wahs, whammy, tremolo, delay, reverb, filter, volume... All of which I use and they are there because that's how I composed my songs. Since all of them still fit into that one preset, I have no need for having multiple presets. Still, most of the time I'm just playing though an amp block and a cab block. Keeping it simple and straightforward.
All scenes and stomp changes are made via Midi from a DAW during live.

One wise man once said "If you need 40 amp sims just to get through a gig, you are not a good guitarist. You are an asshole".
I see how using many presets makes sense for tribute bands that want to sound as authentic as possible, but an artist that has different tones for all different songs is probably a pain for the sound guy.

Yeah, I agree. Haha. I'm definitely in the same boat as you. When I play musicals though, they usually require so many different sounds that I end up using around 4 different presets. I'll have one main one for clean/OD stuff with the Carr model, one for rock/lead stuff, one acoustic sim, and sometimes if I need another, I'll make one. I used to have to make another preset for a wah because I only had one expression pedal which was always on volume duty, so I had to switch to the wah preset and just use my volume knob. That was always a hassle.

 

[Eric T Amble]

Me, I have a "glob" of global blocks: a crossover after the amp, going to two global CABs: the highs to a greenback, and the lows to a dephased 75-watter... so you get creamy smooth highs and tight lows. After that, there's a filter that boosts the "guitar area" (~2000 - 4000 Hz) for solos, with a scene controller that, when you switch to the "solo" scene, ramps up the filter +6 dB over 1000 ms.
These globals go after the amp, which I choose based on the band I'm covering. So the overall EQ for the FOH is consistent from preset to preset, but the response and character of the amp is still there.
Hope this helps,
Eric

 

[Jbmetal]

Wow, that's super cool. I haven't messed around with the crossover block since I first got the Axe. I'll have to try it out again. What crossover frequency do you use? I'd guess ~250-300?

 

[bishop5150]

I have about 20 presets I use in my Ozzy tribute. Most are song specific but a few cover multiple songs. I have about 4-5 Scenes in each preset. I use the same amp and cab for it all. The fx very from preset to preset.

 

[Eric T Amble]

jbmetal, thanks! I think I have it at 800 Hz, if I remember right. It's a global block, and I set it by ear, so it's a "set and forget" kind of thing...

 

[Muad'zin]

One wise man once said "If you need 40 amp sims just to get through a gig, you are not a good guitarist. You are an asshole".

Does that wise man happen to be that guy from Spectre Sound Studios?

I see how using many presets makes sense for tribute bands that want to sound as authentic as possible, but an artist that has different tones for all different songs is probably a pain for the sound guy.

It's not the job of an artist to make the life of a sound guy easy, but the job of the sound guy to make the life of an artist easy. All the artist should have to do is be creative. Even if that means having to deal with a different guitar tone for every song. And I say this as a former sound engineer.

That being said, unless you have your own dedicated sound engineer, using 40 amp sims in a gig will probably be self defeating as most sound engineers will probably not know how to deal with it, or simply be too much of an amateur, or simply an ass (the job seems to attract more then its fair share of socially inepts). Better to stick with a few amp and cab sims that you know sit well in your band mix then be constantly all over the place with every song.

I basically only use two amp sims and two cab sims, all based on my former rig. Overdriven Marshall for dirt and Fender Twin Reverb for cleans and fuzz tones all into a Marshall cab. With my amps/cabs basically the same my presets all differ in the number of effects, as I do like my songs to sound different from another. I have some template presets that I can adapt, but mostly I use global blocks. All my amps/cabs/FX are saved as global blocks so I always call on my favorite sounds without having to reinvent the settings each time. Global blocks are awesome!

 

[StickMan]

It's not the job of an artist to make the life of a sound guy easy, but the job of the sound guy to make the life of an artist easy. All the artist should have to do is be creative. Even if that means having to deal with a different guitar tone for every song. And I say this as a former sound engineer.

Even putting aside personality issues, I imagine that making the sound guy's job difficult is nothing more than a short cut to sounding like crap.

 

[solo-act]

Howdy,
I was just thinking about how I setup my patches (set levels, what effects I include,what cab, etc.) in all my patches and I was curious as to what you all do.

I create one preset from scratch for each song I do. And if 2-3 songs share a nearly identical tone, I'll use same rig for each. As a result I use a lot of different amps and cabs. The result is each song has it's own thing going, which I like.