Clips of DI's using real tubescreamer

[drew_drummer]

Hey,

Are there any clips of DI's with a real tube screamer on them. I never really know how to use a TS to boost an amp. There are some sick tones around here that do it, but anytime I do it, I just tend to think it sounds shit.

I expect it's to do with how I dial in the amp and the TS - so I wanted to hear something using a TS, but without the amp.. so I can give recreating it a go.

 

[zildjianmatt]

Couldn't you just run your DI's out into a TS? Like,

DI>TS>AMP?

Im not 100% on this but I don't think you can record a DI with a TS?

Hope someone that has tried this chimes in, im curious to know!

 

[John_C]

you can record a DI with a TS. Guitar -> TS -> DI -> interface

I think most people keep the drive very low with gain and tone to taste, 12 0'clock is a good starting place.

 

[abt]

Guitar -> DI -> interface. Anything else is not really a DI. Put the TS in the chain as per usual when reamping or use a TS plug for ITB. That's probably not what you were asking but I thought I'd add it anyway.

 

[drew_drummer]

Guys, I'm just asking for some recordings of DI'd guitars with a TS in the chain. Guitar > TS > Hi-Z input of soundcard.

For comparisons sake

 

[aortizjr]

Umm... this won't really work. I mean you can add some of the grit that the TS adds, and that may help some of it that is what you want.

What I use a TS for is to boost the front end of my amp. This gives it more distortion but only of certain mid-range frequencies. So I have the "Drive" all the way off. I might have it at 9 O'Clock max for some amps where I want more fizz. Then the Volume typically all the way up, but less than 3 O'Clock, then Tone to taste. Think of it as turning up your volume knob to the point of clipping.

So if you were to do:

Guitar->TSS->HiZ

On an interface, you would overdrive the HiZ input into Clipping. Which would be harsh and sound like crap. You are purposely clipping the input which is typically bad for recording interfaces, you want to avoid clipping at all costs unless you know what you are doing (ie. mastering with high end converters).

But for this application it is a no-no.

With a tube amp, or analog electronics in general, distortion is coming from clipping. Tube amps are designed to clip, which is what causes distortion, well at least designed to clip in a way we like to hear.

This, IMO, is a big reason why modeling and such is a huge challenge. Models can be really accurate if you keep the component in their specified range. But in real life analog land we are actually abusing the components and pushing them way way way out of their specified range.

Personally I wouldn't sweat it too much, it isn't the TubeScreamer that is make or breaking the tones guys are getting around here. It helps, but if they didn't have it, I bet their tones would still be quite crushing.

 

[AllanD]

Umm... this won't really work. I mean you can add some of the grit that the TS adds, and that may help some of it that is what you want.

What I use a TS for is to boost the front end of my amp. This gives it more distortion but only of certain mid-range frequencies. So I have the "Drive" all the way off. I might have it at 9 O'Clock max for some amps where I want more fizz. Then the Volume typically all the way up, but less than 3 O'Clock, then Tone to taste. Think of it as turning up your volume knob to the point of clipping.

So if you were to do:

Guitar->TSS->HiZ

On an interface, you would overdrive the HiZ input into Clipping. Which would be harsh and sound like crap. You are purposely clipping the input which is typically bad for recording interfaces, you want to avoid clipping at all costs unless you know what you are doing (ie. mastering with high end converters).

But for this application it is a no-no.

With a tube amp, or analog electronics in general, distortion is coming from clipping. Tube amps are designed to clip, which is what causes distortion, well at least designed to clip in a way we like to hear.

This, IMO, is a big reason why modeling and such is a huge challenge. Models can be really accurate if you keep the component in their specified range. But in real life analog land we are actually abusing the components and pushing them way way way out of their specified range.

Personally I wouldn't sweat it too much, it isn't the TubeScreamer that is make or breaking the tones guys are getting around here. It helps, but if they didn't have it, I bet their tones would still be quite crushing.

Just turn the gain down on the interface and it should be fine.

 

[John_C]

There seems to be some confusion here.

The overall change in tone you get with a TS is a combination of the tonal change and the volume boost. The volume boost bit is nothing special, your reamp box can do that (better in fact). The tonal bit is unique to the TS.

Basically, there's no technical reason not to track guitars through a tube screamer into a DI, except that of course you're stuck with it!

 

[Trevoire520]

There seems to be some confusion here.

The overall change in tone you get with a TS is a combination of the tonal change and the volume boost. The volume boost bit is nothing special, your reamp box can do that (better in fact). The tonal bit is unique to the TS.

Basically, there's no technical reason not to track guitars through a tube screamer into a DI, except that of course you're stuck with it!

+1

The benefit of a TS is the focusing of the guitar tone into the mid frequencies before it hits the amp, as distortion in the mid frequencies sounds better than distortion in low and high frequencies.

You don't necessarily use it for a volume boost. In fact on my XXX I use my TS to LOWER the volume before it hit's the amp.

 

[drew_drummer]

Yeah exactly. Which is why I wanted some DI's from other people, with the TS built into the signal already. So I could bypass my amp sim, and use a TS-sim in software... and try to get the signal similar to the DI I would be given by you guys, before I even think about the amp.

I was just curious... moment has passed now anyway.