Stratzrus
Roadie
- Messages
- 806
I always wonder what's going on when a person who recently joined a forum goes on and on with multiple posts bashing a product from a particular brand. That's why I never jumped in.
Are tubes the answer?
- Thread starter Boudoir Guitar
- Start date
I always wonder what's going on when a person who recently joined a forum goes on and on with multiple posts bashing a product from a particular brand. That's why I never jumped in.
2.5-3 master volume. If I dont use eq it's just all midrange. Might sound good in the mix but sucks ass played in the room
Boudoir Guitar
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,047
My first direct rig was a Studio Preamp with an Alesis Quadraverb GT in the loop; speaker cab simulator on in the Quadraverb and used speaker emulated outs of the Studio Pre -- running those two (really shitty) analog cab sims in series seemed to kinda work, I'm guessing because it effectively steepened up the EQ cutoffs significantly. So yeah, the Studio Preamp will probably sound alright using it the way you propose.
I occasionally get a pang for that rig, but then look at prices and remember that I paid $119 for mine on ebay in 1997 when all of that stuff was going for super cheap since racks were uncool. I DID splurge on a Syn-2 and a few modules but . . . it was a pretty big splurge that I almost regretted when an unexpected $3k medical bill landed in the mailbox a couple months after I bought it...and I'm, not to be rude, pretty gainfully employed.
As a value proposition -- if you've got plugins that you think sound good, and you're going to be stuck playing at super low volumes or with headphones, AND you already have a Kraken preamp, AAAAANNNNNDDD you are currently unemployed...just chill for a bit. Maybe consider selling the FM3 if you don't love it and snagging a super cheap audio interface (I happily used a Behringer for many years alongside Fractal, etc. and don't consider the Universal Audio Solo I have now to be a huge sonic upgrade).
I occasionally get a pang for that rig, but then look at prices and remember that I paid $119 for mine on ebay in 1997 when all of that stuff was going for super cheap since racks were uncool. I DID splurge on a Syn-2 and a few modules but . . . it was a pretty big splurge that I almost regretted when an unexpected $3k medical bill landed in the mailbox a couple months after I bought it...and I'm, not to be rude, pretty gainfully employed.
As a value proposition -- if you've got plugins that you think sound good, and you're going to be stuck playing at super low volumes or with headphones, AND you already have a Kraken preamp, AAAAANNNNNDDD you are currently unemployed...just chill for a bit. Maybe consider selling the FM3 if you don't love it and snagging a super cheap audio interface (I happily used a Behringer for many years alongside Fractal, etc. and don't consider the Universal Audio Solo I have now to be a huge sonic upgrade).
Mongillo19
Rock Star
- Messages
- 5,364
/thread
Or whatever the cool kids say to signify a good point that sums everything up
Or whatever the cool kids say to signify a good point that sums everything up
If you refer to me Im not bashing anything. It's my experience with my unit and others have different opinnions. I never said Fractal sucks. I said I cant make it sound good enough for me
Jarick
Rock Star
- Messages
- 3,443
I tested a bunch of monitors a few years back and was most impressed with a small pair of Genelecs (especially for the size) and the Yamaha HS8's. I remember really liking the Yamahas but they seemed so big. The HS5's sounded a lot more call it boxy or harsh, just way less low end and more high end/midrange push. The HS7 were in between, but the HS8 seemed really big sounding with a good midrange. Most of the other monitors were quite scooped in comparison and the Yamahas were really good about providing the mids, especially in the guitar frequencies.
So when I splurged on new monitors a year back I went with Genelecs but just haven't been very impressed with the sound. The Yamaha HS8's are massive but they sound quite good, meaning they have a wide spectrum of sound and seem to have good detail.
Previously I had JBL 305's and while those had a lot of low end for a small monitor, they seemed to lack midrange detail. I also got a pair of cheap 306's to compare and those are really impressive for low end but kind of rolled off in the highs. That's what spurred me to just jump in with the HS8's.
TL/DR - I think the HS7's are probably a fine speaker but the HS8's are really good for the budget level and the HS5's are just a very different sound
Agreed, cabs seem to be the answer for the OP
That money for preamp is covered. I get it back when I decide what to sell. It's not that I cant pay bills because of it. And If I sell my fm3 eventually, I'll get 2nd hand audio interface for sure. I buy all my gear 2nd hand so I dont lose money
Boudoir Guitar
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,047
It sounds like you know what you're going to do, so good luck with it all. Cheers.
laxu
Rock Star
- Messages
- 5,542
That sounds very weird. You don't have excessive low/high cuts in the cab block, right?
Maybe you could share your best effort preset here so we can check it out? And maybe a clip of what kind of tone you are aiming for? Or a song by some artists who has the kind of tone you love?
Last edited:
Usually I limit cab maybe something like 75-11500hz. I dont have time now to do anything guitar related, but I love petrucci's tone on images&words record. It was recorded using mesa quad preamp. Live he used triaxis back then. If you watch Leon's video of petrucci tone in 5mins and compare it to petrucci testing his signature mesa there is SOME difference. I know things would be different if I had a power amp and 2x12 mesa cab. But thats not gonna happen. I know that set up would work for fm3 but it's not possibility for me now.
Mongillo19
Rock Star
- Messages
- 5,364
You probably know but so much goes into a recorded guitar tone. Having the same gear is just the very tip of the iceberg. Also, a guitar tone that sounds good to you alone may not hold any weight in a mix. JP isn't playing in isolation. Many factors go in to make that sound.
Have you tried the NDSP JP plugin?
Trying to sound like JP sounds like an endless adventure to frustration
laxu
Rock Star
- Messages
- 5,542
The Mesa Mark and Triaxis models on the Fractal are very good though, so I don't see getting those tones out of it shouldn't be some insurmountable task.
How familiar are you working with the Mesa Mark series amps with the knobs vs graphic EQ?
Will Chen
Roadie
- Messages
- 234
Tubes are never the answer and always the answer depending on one's perspective. There's no shortage of people who will swear up and down that their way is the only way to achieve a goal.
IMHO...if you can't get damn close to your tonal goal with very modest gear AND then be able to exactly explain what it is about one's signal chain that needs upgrading (not terms like "warm" or "more juice". like my noise floor is too high, I can hear a spike at 5K that is difficult to remove, etc) then you are wasting money on a problem you will never solve and spend years on a gear carousel chasing grails rather than making music.
IMHO...if you can't get damn close to your tonal goal with very modest gear AND then be able to exactly explain what it is about one's signal chain that needs upgrading (not terms like "warm" or "more juice". like my noise floor is too high, I can hear a spike at 5K that is difficult to remove, etc) then you are wasting money on a problem you will never solve and spend years on a gear carousel chasing grails rather than making music.
- Messages
- 1,444
Digital Press - All About Amps Vol. 23
Everything You Need to Know About Tubes! The sonic secrets of power tubes, how tube rectifiers work, and smart tube swapping. Plus, the history of high-gain amps
Personally, I managed to get good tones out of my Axe2 when I had it.
The problem for me was that I don't enjoy the workflow of sitting in front of my computer to dial in my tone. I prefer hands on with physical dials and switches and so far, a real amp is the only thing the provides that. While the Axe3 might have improved upon the physical interface over the Axe2, it's still WAY too complicated with a lot of menu diving with small rotaries.
If Axe4 can improve this, I'm all for getting back into the Fractal world!
Currently, I have my hopes for the BluGuitar AmpX but Axe4 is also a contender if they improve the UX substantially.
The problem for me was that I don't enjoy the workflow of sitting in front of my computer to dial in my tone. I prefer hands on with physical dials and switches and so far, a real amp is the only thing the provides that. While the Axe3 might have improved upon the physical interface over the Axe2, it's still WAY too complicated with a lot of menu diving with small rotaries.
If Axe4 can improve this, I'm all for getting back into the Fractal world!
Currently, I have my hopes for the BluGuitar AmpX but Axe4 is also a contender if they improve the UX substantially.
- Messages
- 5,839
Yeah that’s the knock-on effect of digital, everything morphing to a computer/software based interaction. There is a certain dorkification of gear with a lot of these solutions. (Noting I am a dork) The simplicity of an amp makes it a relatively pure and fun experience. Flip a switch, twist three or four knobs, hit an A chord and enjoy the roar.
Precisely this. And do note that I'm a huge tech dork as well! Love to tinker with computers, I have my own homelab server, I even work as a software engineer. But when it comes to music, I want to do precisely what you described! I'm a guitar player, not a sound engineer!
- Messages
- 1,680
T00bz.
Stratzrus
Roadie
- Messages
- 806
Tube amps are the answer...sometimes. Other times, modelers may be the better choice.
Recently I've been working on my chops and in that situation, plugging into a tube amp with no effects makes a lot of sense and has been a nice change of pace from using my Fractal gear.
Other times I want to fire up my Fryette or Rivera 100 watt full stacks and let it rip. As wonderful as my Axe III/dual CLR rig is, it's not the same thing.
But most of the time, the FM9 is my #1 choice with the tube amps providing a great alternative when the situation calls for it.
Recently I've been working on my chops and in that situation, plugging into a tube amp with no effects makes a lot of sense and has been a nice change of pace from using my Fractal gear.
Other times I want to fire up my Fryette or Rivera 100 watt full stacks and let it rip. As wonderful as my Axe III/dual CLR rig is, it's not the same thing.
But most of the time, the FM9 is my #1 choice with the tube amps providing a great alternative when the situation calls for it.
Similar threads
