Using A Plugin With an Axe Preset At The Same Time- It Sounds Better?

[TSJMajesty]

You know when you do a unison bend on the G & B strings, and you barre the E & B, and kinda rake across all 3 notes?

I try to roll my finger so the 2 notes on the B & E don't ring together, cuz I swear there's a different type of distortion in a modeler that makes those 2 notes not sound right. It's not a thing when playing thru an amp.

So just now, I was using a blank preset, and playing thru the NSDP Petrucci plugin, and for sh!ts & giggles, I decided to switch to the Petrucci Rig preset, and play through both that, and the plugin at the same time, and I swear I noticed right away, that those 2 notes sounded fine, even "creamy-like."

I have no idea why this is, but because overlapping notes is a thing that drives me crazy, and as such, I try very hard to make sure I don't let those notes (when changing to a different string) ring together, I really don't think this is some kind of "confirmation bias," because I noticed it immediately.

I'm wondering why this is. Has anybody experienced any of this? Not necessarily using a modeler preset at the same time as a plugin, but hearing an unpleasant dissonance when using a modeler/Fractal, that you don't hear when using an amp?

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Haven plugged into a Fractal in eons but what you’re describing is intermodulation distortion.
IOW if you don’t know, the combined tones resulting in adding more overtones.

So if you have say e on the g string and e and a on the top 2 strings.
If the notes would all be fretted and in tune (if we assume equal tempered stuff to be in tune.
E is 329.63Hz (let’s call it 330hz and a 440hz
This gives you subtraction and combustion tones of 110hz and 770hz.
The 110 is fine that’s just a but the 770 is a slightly higher g (15th fret e string) that’s doing the wolfing.

All this is not taking account the inharmonic information of the bend going to pitch.
Starting with the d note 293,66 let’s call it 294.
That now adds 624, 734, 1064 which is Eb, F# that’s 14 cent flat and C that’s 29 cent sharp.

And then we have the question of the overtones being produces in phase or not. Which is what I’m guessing is the difference.

 

[2112]

Intermodulation distortion is one of THE things that makes distorted electric guitar sound the way it sounds IMO.

It's also one of the reasons why playing a sampled guitar sound on a keyboard sound can utterly vibeless.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Intermodulation distortion is one of THE things that makes distorted electric guitar sound the way it sounds IMO.

It's also one of the reasons why playing a sampled guitar sound on a keyboard sound can utterly vibeless.

I’m not sure it’s that as much as the difference in attack.
Cause IMD is just added frequencies, and that should be 1:1 reproduceable

Alternatively it should logically also be missing on profiles. But you might be onto something