ahjteam
Anssi Tenhunen
I think myself mainly as a live engineer (done about 1000 gigs as FOH/monitor engineer) more than anything, and I would say that too much gain is what ruins the sound, and combined with excess presence and treble is the killer live, not the mids. Mids are actually the only area that sounds super nice when distorted. Also too much bass gives you this really flubby sound, which isn't nice either. If you want clarity, do this:
Before you start, choose one riff (preferrably with palm mutes) and one melodic lick, no more. Doodling is nice, but we want some consistancy and efficiency. Preferrably something from your own song and from the range you use the most, for example if you would be KsE, the verse from Rose of Sharyn is nice because it has some nice variety. Then your goal is to make the amp sound as good as possible by itself on a naked ear. Aim for just a sound that might sound a little muffled sound at 2 meters away, because when you put the SM57 on the grille, it gets those highs and mids quite a lot.
Start so that you have all the dials down and begin with the clean channel. Bring up the volume so that you have the the clean sound at usable level. Usable level is when you can hear it from 2 meters away with earplugs on and drums and bass playing in the background. It doesn't matter if you use the clean channel at all, just do it for reference level. When you have the comfortable level, turn it down 1 step. If the level is at 6, turn it down to 5. I will explain this later on. Then take the plugs off so you can hear how the amp really sounds.
Then switch to the distortion channel, gain at zero, bass at 7-9 o clock (You don't really need it that much, honestly; You have a bass player) and everything else at EQ on 12 o clock. Then start to turn up the master volume so that the level is aproximately at the same level as the clean channel and then again, turn it down 1 step. Then bring up the gain, so that it distorts nicely and again turn it down 1 step. If the sound is screeching, turn down the presence/treble. Then compare the level with the clean channel, if its quieter, keep it that way and let it be. Otherwise turn it down. Then in the end also try chords (other than powerchords that is). If they sound really blurry/smeared/unclear, turn down the gain half step a time until they sound nice.
That "turn it down 1 step" thing is what I like to call "comfort zone" that I've come familiar with what the band wants to their monitorwedges... When the drummer asks for more kick to their monitor, I turn it up, then they listen for a while and when they show "its ok", I turn it down a step because in 90% of the cases they can do without that extra step. It's just when they are super comfortable, but it might affect their performance on the long run with fatique.
But do note that these are just pointers, but in the end everything depends from everything. When you have found "your tone", you will know what you are aiming for and how it will sound outside.
Before you start, choose one riff (preferrably with palm mutes) and one melodic lick, no more. Doodling is nice, but we want some consistancy and efficiency. Preferrably something from your own song and from the range you use the most, for example if you would be KsE, the verse from Rose of Sharyn is nice because it has some nice variety. Then your goal is to make the amp sound as good as possible by itself on a naked ear. Aim for just a sound that might sound a little muffled sound at 2 meters away, because when you put the SM57 on the grille, it gets those highs and mids quite a lot.
Start so that you have all the dials down and begin with the clean channel. Bring up the volume so that you have the the clean sound at usable level. Usable level is when you can hear it from 2 meters away with earplugs on and drums and bass playing in the background. It doesn't matter if you use the clean channel at all, just do it for reference level. When you have the comfortable level, turn it down 1 step. If the level is at 6, turn it down to 5. I will explain this later on. Then take the plugs off so you can hear how the amp really sounds.
Then switch to the distortion channel, gain at zero, bass at 7-9 o clock (You don't really need it that much, honestly; You have a bass player) and everything else at EQ on 12 o clock. Then start to turn up the master volume so that the level is aproximately at the same level as the clean channel and then again, turn it down 1 step. Then bring up the gain, so that it distorts nicely and again turn it down 1 step. If the sound is screeching, turn down the presence/treble. Then compare the level with the clean channel, if its quieter, keep it that way and let it be. Otherwise turn it down. Then in the end also try chords (other than powerchords that is). If they sound really blurry/smeared/unclear, turn down the gain half step a time until they sound nice.
That "turn it down 1 step" thing is what I like to call "comfort zone" that I've come familiar with what the band wants to their monitorwedges... When the drummer asks for more kick to their monitor, I turn it up, then they listen for a while and when they show "its ok", I turn it down a step because in 90% of the cases they can do without that extra step. It's just when they are super comfortable, but it might affect their performance on the long run with fatique.
But do note that these are just pointers, but in the end everything depends from everything. When you have found "your tone", you will know what you are aiming for and how it will sound outside.
