Does this Guitar Chain sound right to you?+ thoughts on PRS DI

[*KeepControl*]

Hi guys noobie here,

close to posting some of my first mixes but people like cartharsis and gubbkuk have blown me away so i'm going back to the drawing board.
I work out of Protools 8 Le on a mac g5 tower.
I have all the stock plugins plus waves C1 and C4.

This is my current guitar chain.

TSS(using a mac so im using the greener pedal in Revalver)
EQ(using the big stack preset)
Revalver MkIII(6505 with minor tweaks and either Cartharsis or guitarhack impulses)
EQ (another big stack preset but with a high pass filter)

*i usually quad track mains at 100% pan and the other 2 at 80%

Im using the waves Guitar prs interface i got with gtr3. Plugging directly into that and then an xlr to my mbox 2 mic input. I get some heavy tones but no where near the heaviness i have heard from some of the revalver users here.

I have a few questions?

*what do u think about this setup chain? Where should, if at all, use c4 and c1 in my chain?

*is the prs interface really helping me get that tone? am i using it to its full potential or should i just plug directly into the mbox 2 and pad it?

* using a mac, i dont have access to any good impulse loaders except for SIR2 which for some reason doesnt work (my download pc is different to my music computer, maybe has something to do with it) Im loading these impulses into the revalver cab sim, is that a large portion of my huge metal sound gone by doing that? should i try something else?

It would make my day if some of you guys could shed some light on this situation. Im only interested in getting the best sound from what i already have. And i know i dont have any recordings for you to assess as of yet, but just a decent nudge in the right direction would help so much.

thanks in advance,

Tobi

 

[P-E]

If you want to use C4 the way most people do, it'd be to tame out some excessive low-mids, in the 300k-400k area, if you downtune a lot then you might use it, if you play in standard then you probably souldn't care for it.

For the prs interface... just A/B it with your Mbox IMO.

You could try out LAConvolver if you wish to bypass internal Revalver impulse loading.

Maybe Gareth could help you at a bit more, he's a real Revalver wizard!

 

[*KeepControl*]

If you want to use C4 the way most people do, it'd be to tame out some excessive low-mids, in the 300k-400k area, if you downtune a lot then you might use it, if you play in standard then you probably souldn't care for it.

For the prs interface... just A/B it with your Mbox IMO.

You could try out LAConvolver if you wish to bypass internal Revalver impulse loading.

Maybe Gareth could help you at a bit more, he's a real Revalver wizard!

can you use convolver with a mac?

also by A/B do u just mean stereo it? (sorry ive been teaching myself about all this so far) theres only one output on the the prs interface. I plug a xlr from the prs to the mic input of the first mbox channel.

Thanks man

edit- i play in drop c tuning

 

[Sweetnothing]

can you use convolver with a mac?

also by A/B do u just mean stereo it? (sorry ive been teaching myself about all this so far) theres only one output on the the prs interface. I plug a xlr from the prs to the mic input of the first mbox channel.

Thanks man

edit- i play in drop c tuning

I use LAconvolver ( in logic though, since it's AU) but my mac is a 8core intel, don't know if it works on a ppc

A/B means try both and compare

 

[*KeepControl*]

so is the revalver cab sim not reccomended. what disadvantages does it have?

 

[deLuther]

Did you try plugging PRS interface into line input, not mic (PRS switched to line, of course)?
Or, in that situation, level is to low?

 

[GarethSE]

Haha cheers phil

Post a clip dude, maybe I can help some.
And yeah, I don't dig Revalver's cab loader, purely because I don't want to be fucking with speaker distortion or any more shit on top of whatever impulse I'm using.
Ryan's fredman impulses are good enough that you don't need to fuck with them. I like to keep things as simple as humanly possible.

But yeah, gief clips and pics of your TSS, Revalver and EQ settings and I'll see what I can do.

 

[Charles J]

You're doing everything right by the sounds of it.

Your DI is fine, Revalver MKIII is badass and although people say they don't like the IR loader in it, I don't see any problem with it and I quite like it.

Using a compressor (C1) or a multiband compressor (C4) is not, in any way going to magically give you a heavy tone.

If anything, both of those plugins, used in properly, will make a decent tone SHIT. The C4 is not always needed and usually is only needed in the case of mic'ing up real amps where resonances and such can be more of a problem, in the context of a FULL MIX!

If you can't get a heavy or crushing tone, turn to a couple things first:
1. Your playing/hands
2. Your guitar
3. Your mixing ability

Are you trying to get a heavy tone in context of a mix? Your bass guitar better be gnarly as fuck if you're going for an ultra heavy tone!

Just food for thought, dude... There's nothing wrong with what you have. TWEAK TWEAK TWEAK.

 

[Fox Mulder]

so is the revalver cab sim not reccomended. what disadvantages does it have?

I don't dig Revalver's cab loader, purely because I don't want to be fucking with speaker distortion or any more shit on top of whatever impulse I'm using.

Any cranked up amp would generate speaker distortion, and while using impulses you must remember that convulsion cannot generate distortion.

 

[GarethSE]

Any cranked up amp would generate speaker distortion, and while using impulses you must remember that convulsion cannot generate distortion.

Of course.
But amps and amp sims are different and thus benefit from different approaches.

I'm one of those guys who subscribes to the KISS method.
Keep It Simple, Stupid

I love the sound of ryans fredman IR's and I just don't wanna fuck with them, even subtley, but that's just me and what works for me may not work for others and vice versa.
Not saying "don't use the revalver IR loader" is gospel or anything

 

[Deadstar]

The low end of ryan impulses is so huge i can't really use them without some comp in the lows since i'm playing in drop B flat but I guess that using them with standard tuning means instant godly tone

 

[*KeepControl*]

here is a track i made over the weekend. any tips regarding the discussion in this thread?

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/2402398/Elton John vs Sabertooth Tiger monday bounce.mp3

 

[GarethSE]

Don't be afraid to overgain Revaler, it seems to really like it when pushed.
Turn the high gain knob and turn the gain up until its creamy smooth when you play a big chord.
Turn the mids down a bit and turn the bass up to about 7
I also put the volume on 10 of the 6505 sim and ive found the knobs respond a bit differently that way

High-pass as usual and you should have a nice, mega thick, heavy tone.

 

[*KeepControl*]

Don't be afraid to overgain Revaler, it seems to really like it when pushed.
Turn the high gain knob and turn the gain up until its creamy smooth when you play a big chord.
Turn the mids down a bit and turn the bass up to about 7
I also put the volume on 10 of the 6505 sim and ive found the knobs respond a bit differently that way

High-pass as usual and you should have a nice, mega thick, heavy tone.

thanks dude, Ill try it out tonight and give u guys an updated mix.