Overdrive Before Amp Distortion?!
Barthandelus
Nov 5 2014, 11:01 AM
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Hi guys,
Im just experimenting with EQ'ing, and quite a few people are saying an overdrive (Tubescreamer) at the end of the chain can tighten up distorted tones and 'pre-EQ'.

Can someone let me know what this is all about? Why would i want to put extra distortion before my amp distortion? Surely that would cake my tone in mud, and ruin everything?

EDIT - cutting the drive on the pedal and cranking the output - Is that gonna fry anything inside the amp? Will i end up with my tubes being toasted and blown?

Thanks,

-B

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This post has been edited by Barthandelus: Nov 5 2014, 11:08 AM
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SpaseMoonkey
Nov 5 2014, 12:40 PM
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QUOTE (Barthandelus @ Nov 5 2014, 06:01 AM) *
Hi guys,
Im just experimenting with EQ'ing, and quite a few people are saying an overdrive (Tubescreamer) at the end of the chain can tighten up distorted tones and 'pre-EQ'.

Can someone let me know what this is all about? Why would i want to put extra distortion before my amp distortion? Surely that would cake my tone in mud, and ruin everything?

EDIT - cutting the drive on the pedal and cranking the output - Is that gonna fry anything inside the amp? Will i end up with my tubes being toasted and blown?

Thanks,

-B


When I owned a Mesa Triple Rectifier I ran Guitar > Boost (Ibanez TS9) > NoiseGate > Amp. Then the settings on my boost was drive off, tone noon, volume full on. It tightened it up a lot. It actually sounded the way you heard it in records and such this way.

A boost can be dirty or even sparkly clean. It could add more tonal options. Like say your cleans you toss it in, might make it brighter. You can add some distortion to it and give it a nice fuzzy blues rock sound. Add in some gain and dial the fuzz out get a nice classic rock sound. Go full blown gain on the amp take the drive down get a nice chug, add a bit of drive mud up the tone for a lead while having some super high gain.

If you ran the amp at 100% it could as you would be distorting the speakers which is bad. But then again you shouldn't really ever push an amp to 11. That goes with any electronics, it will heat everything up on the boards and cause issues after long periods of use.

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This post has been edited by SpaseMoonkey: Nov 5 2014, 12:40 PM


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Cosmin Lupu
Nov 6 2014, 04:02 PM
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Travis nailed it wink.gif

I also use my Suhr Shiba Drive to boost my riff tone into a lead tone whenever I have to play leads as it gives the tone a creamier texture which will improve it and make it sound more lush and juicy - if I may use these words. Hard to describe really, but the whole idea is that you shouldn't turn everything up to eleven - experiment a bit, by having your amp gain around 12 o clock - 1 o clock and then see how much drive you can use from the OD/booster in order to keep the tone clean and add the necessary creaminess smile.gif

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Yash
Nov 6 2014, 05:44 PM
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I do turn amps in my TH2 upto 11. Just the Marshalls, and then give them a little boost with a tube screamer. And have the other half of the tone coming from a mid-scooped Mesa Dual Rectifier and voila - amazing rhythm tone. I haven't been able to achieve a good lead tone yet though.

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Mertay
Nov 6 2014, 08:20 PM
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Although from another point of view(not totally but closely related), we actually shared info about this at this topic; https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...c=53302&hl=

A new practice studio opened where I live, I didn't visit yet but today 2-3 guitar players were discussing how the Mesa Mark V was so (too) full sounding and how they tried to balanced it with their pedals.

What was interesting was (these guys go to gigs regularly and have some students, one has pretty much everything petrucci has in his rig smile.gif ) while I was listening noticed they tried more dist. pedal settings than eq's (on amp or pedal) to balance their tones.

This is actually more of a guitarist thing than studio, and usually though recommendations are the best starting points, experiment+experience is the best teacher.

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This post has been edited by Mertay: Nov 6 2014, 08:20 PM


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Todd Simpson
Nov 7 2014, 01:34 AM
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Great questions! smile.gif Folks use a TUBE SCREAMER or similar pedal as a "Clean Boost" sort of thing before the primary gain/distortion stage. Eg. Before you go in to your amp for distortion. You typically turn the dist. knob on the pedal all the way down, the volume to noon or better and tone to noon or better to taste. This "drives" the distortion section of your amp harder AND acts as a "Pre eq" to "tighten" the distortion. The Tubescreamer removes a bit of the overall bass from your guitar signal so that it's not too boomy/boofy when it hits your distortion stage.

Make sense?

Todd

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Cosmin Lupu
Nov 7 2014, 10:20 AM
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It will also add a comfort factor to your playing, as the tone will become a lot friendlier to the hands smile.gif By all means, taking all the suggestions in this thread into consideration, experiment and find a few settings that deliver a tone to your liking - that's how I'd approach things anyway - and let us know how it all feels in a few audio/why not video recordings, if you feel like it wink.gif

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Mertay
Nov 7 2014, 04:07 PM
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Been doing some clean boost test for a few days, what I liked most before hitting the distortion was the neck humbucker sounded pretty close to an bright+edgy acoustic guitar like tone.

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Barthandelus
Nov 7 2014, 06:24 PM
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Thanks for all your suggestions. I guess im paranoid im gonna pop my tubes prematurely, but it seems its a pretty standard thing. Its not as if i play at deafening volumes anyway, so i presume ill be ok smile.gif

The reason for this is that im trying to simplify my rig as far as i can. Less is more is what i am aiming at. I have a new amp that i am really, really liking at the moment, and quite honestly, for what i need as an intermediate practicing player, its all i need. So iv just thrown a delay and reverb in the loop, now im happy. Now the POD HD500X rack is gathering dust!

Another problem i have is that for some reason the neighbours dont like the sound of a screaming Marshall at 3AM. Weirdos...

Thanks again guys!

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Todd Simpson
Nov 8 2014, 03:38 AM
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The HD500x is the floor unit right? Isn't the Pod Pro X the "rack" unit? Either way I'm glad to hear you have found your tone!! smile.gif It's a big and sometimes daunting quest smile.gif But it's a journey worth taking.

QUOTE (Barthandelus @ Nov 7 2014, 01:24 PM) *
Thanks for all your suggestions. I guess im paranoid im gonna pop my tubes prematurely, but it seems its a pretty standard thing. Its not as if i play at deafening volumes anyway, so i presume ill be ok smile.gif

The reason for this is that im trying to simplify my rig as far as i can. Less is more is what i am aiming at. I have a new amp that i am really, really liking at the moment, and quite honestly, for what i need as an intermediate practicing player, its all i need. So iv just thrown a delay and reverb in the loop, now im happy. Now the POD HD500X rack is gathering dust!

Another problem i have is that for some reason the neighbours dont like the sound of a screaming Marshall at 3AM. Weirdos...

Thanks again guys!

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


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Barthandelus
Nov 8 2014, 04:52 PM
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QUOTE (Todd Simpson @ Nov 8 2014, 02:38 AM) *
The HD500x is the floor unit right? Isn't the Pod Pro X the "rack" unit? Either way I'm glad to hear you have found your tone!! smile.gif It's a big and sometimes daunting quest smile.gif But it's a journey worth taking.


Cheers bro. Still perfecting it, but im on the right track now.
This is the POD i used: http://l6c-acdn.line6.net/data/6/0a0643391.../jpeg/file.jpeg

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Cosmin Lupu
Nov 10 2014, 09:05 AM
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QUOTE (Barthandelus @ Nov 7 2014, 05:24 PM) *
Thanks for all your suggestions. I guess im paranoid im gonna pop my tubes prematurely, but it seems its a pretty standard thing. Its not as if i play at deafening volumes anyway, so i presume ill be ok smile.gif

The reason for this is that im trying to simplify my rig as far as i can. Less is more is what i am aiming at. I have a new amp that i am really, really liking at the moment, and quite honestly, for what i need as an intermediate practicing player, its all i need. So iv just thrown a delay and reverb in the loop, now im happy. Now the POD HD500X rack is gathering dust!

Another problem i have is that for some reason the neighbours dont like the sound of a screaming Marshall at 3AM. Weirdos...

Thanks again guys!


I totally understand you mate - speaking of less is more - at the current moment, I only use the amp - Crate Blue Voodoo 120 with a Marshall 1936v 2x12 cabinet and a few pedals:

- in front, in this order - Korg Pitch Black tuner, Suhr Shiba Drive as a booster, MXR Phase 90, the ISP Decimator noise gate
- fx loop - Hardwire Reverb and Delay units

These babies do the job for me nicely, but I am having serious thoughts about trying a Kemper - it will undoubtledly complicate my existence laugh.gif but I am willing to try it.

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Todd Simpson
Nov 10 2014, 10:10 AM
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That's one of the best units they make so your in good shape smile.gif You can always run a booster in front of it and it will let you reduce the gain setting on the distortion for the rack unit and keep more clarity on your signal. But you can always use the boost pedal inside the fx unit as well smile.gif keep going your making great progress!

QUOTE (Barthandelus @ Nov 8 2014, 11:52 AM) *
Cheers bro. Still perfecting it, but im on the right track now.
This is the POD i used: http://l6c-acdn.line6.net/data/6/0a0643391.../jpeg/file.jpeg

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