The power of a Tube Screamer on a 2 ch. Dual Rec (And, new interface = better tonez!)

[Metaltastic]

Hey guys, this was my first test with my new interface (Mackie Onyx 400F), and I have to say, I'm amazed at how much better it sounds IMO than my old (Mackie Onyx Satellite, may it RIP ). Even though they supposedly have the same preamps, the converters are a bajillion times better in the 400F, and who knows what other analog stuff as far as op-amps for the outputs and stuff has been improved. Anyway, yeah, I recorded the DI's using my Redeye into the 400F, and then re-amped them through my rig as normal, but they just sound much better to my ears than any of my older stuff, so I'm a happy man!

The main point of this, however, was to illustrate the power a Tube Screamer (my $40 TS7, to be precise ) has on the Rectifier. As far as post-processing goes, I have my usual HP/LP and narrow 3 dB cut at 6k, and a multiband comp taking off around 3-4 dB on the palm mutes. So...

With TS.mp3
Without TS.mp3

And since people seem to like my DI's, here they are! And for those who recognize the riff (Hypocrisy's "Scrutinized"), yes I know I played it too slow, but those on-beat gallops are my fucking achilles heel (really anything based on fast downpicking), so 175 BPM was the best I could do! Oh well, at least I think me and my 2x GClip and Elephant setup made a better master than that fucking abomination!

EDIT: And here are the guitars (with TS) by themselves, and here they are without the 3 dB 6k cut (just HP/LP)

EDIT 2: THE EDIT STRIKES BACK: And for those who think the gain and/or mic position is the source of my 6k fizz woes, I recorded clips with less gain and the mic farther from the dustcap: here's the mix, here's the guitars themselves (and there's no 6k cut here, just HP/LP)

EDIT 3: RETURN OF THE EDIT: Hopefully Lasse won't mind me posting it, here's a test he re-amped through his 2 ch. Dual Rec, Recto cab, and 1x 57 using DI's that he supplied, and once again the 6k fizz is present!

 

[ATLA]

sounds awesome dude! i think mesa just needs to start building tubescreamers inside the recs! i know i didnt love mine half as much as i do now until i got my maxon!

 

[ahjteam]

I am using pretty decent headphones (Sennheiser HD25) but I can only hear a really subtle indifferent difference, but since it is really so minimal I couldn't tell if it would be on or off in a record. With monitors it might be a different thing...

 

[Dylan S]

I can hardly hear a difference at all...if any.

Good tones though Marcus btw.

 

[Pot]

i can´t ear s... on headphones akg141

 

[FIXXXER]

i can't hear a real difference (DT770)
the TS clip seems just to be a little more, hmm..."saturated"
(oh, the wavform just shows me the opposite)

 

[Metaltastic]

I agree the difference is subtler than I was expecting, but still, on my system the "without TS" clip is woofing like crazy on the palm mutes, is a bit less saturated as Soultrash mentioned, and feels just a bit raunchier/nastier IMO. Thanks a lot for the comments guys!

 

[Unavailable]

Whoa, I notice a rather large difference. Those palm mutes without the TS are garbage. TS clip sounds good though, and congrats on the new interface Marcus.

 

[Erik Monsonis]

My attempt with your DI's: http://files.getdropbox.com/u/425433/shit pickle test.mp3

 

[P-E]

As a whole at first it doesn't seem to make much difference, but when you focus on it, it makes it really apparent that the Rectifier's low end screams to be tightened by the Tube Screamer IMO.

 

[Metaltastic]

My attempt with your DI's: http://files.getdropbox.com/u/425433/shit pickle test.mp3

Umm, ok, interesting contribution Erik - but what'd you think of my clips? Anyway, yours is pretty cool, though is a bit nasally and has a nasty metallic "clang" to it that brings back traumatic memories of my JSX; I think the SoloC-as-boost might be the culprit...good saturation though!

Unavailable, thanks dude, I'm loving it! Phil, yeah man, it really pops out to me with my setup!

 

[BrettT]

The only difference is in the higher frequency portion of tone, only evident (barely, at that) in the palm mutes. It sounds like the TS7 doesn't high-pass as much as some of the other TS-type boxes, if at all. I wouldn't call the tone any "tighter" with the TS7...the added high end just kinda gives it that illusion. I use a Digitech Bad Monkey in front of mine (the only Digitech product I vouch for...$35), and the fact that it has seperate bass and treble controls makes it quite flexible. Dialing the bass knob down to 11 o'clock really cuts out the woofiness perfectly. Nice tone, nonetheless.

 

[Metaltastic]

Thanks Brett, though I would nominate that the difference is actually very apparent in the palm mutes - dare I ask what you're listening back to the clips on?

 

[BrettT]

Thanks Brett, though I would nominate that the difference is actually very apparent in the palm mutes - dare I ask what you're listening back to the clips on?

Listening on cans.

 

[P-E]

Unavailable, thanks dude, I'm loving it! Phil, yeah man, it really pops out to me with my setup!

Yeah, unarguably your setup is way better than my toneport and 2.1 Labtec speakers.

 

[ParsonsMatt]

Both clips sounds excellent in my opinion, sounds like a matter of taste more than actual improvement to me.

 

[lolzgreg]

The clip with the TS is definitely decreasing the mud-factor a bit, but this is NOT one of my favorite tones coming from you Marcus, I actually liked one of the ones you posted much earlier on, but I doubt I could trace it down (It would be very hard to find considering your 13,000 post count). This tone lacks the "sheen" and "glassiness" of a tube amplified power section to my ears, and has the wrong kind of iffy mids.

If it makes things easier, my favorite tone from you was from a clip where you played a riff that was in dropped C going 0--0-0-0-0----0-1-0-0-0-- and then had a riff that played with and without harmony on the repetitions. That's the clip that inspired me to pick up my Dual Rec.

 

[Metaltastic]

Hmm, well I keep all of my clips that I've made in a specific folder Greg (organized by cab), and listening back to all the Recto cab ones, they're all very similar though I feel this one is unquestionably the best, as with each evolution I tweaked the amp settings until I settled on the best! (IMO) So I'm quite positive that to my ears, this is the best tone possible from this amp into this cab into this mic into this interface (and with the 3 db 6k cut). I know what clip you're talking about, that was back with my Stiletto cab - here it is, though honestly, I think you'll find in comparison all the stuffy woolly mids come back with a vengeance! Also, my pitch-shifted guitar/bass in this clip (there's none in the Stiletto one) muddying things up might be swaying your view, though that's why I let the riff on the left side play after everything drops out.

But yeah, one only need search for threads started by me in this sub-forum to know how much tweaking I've done with this setup, and again, I really don't think it could get any better; I like it, but it's still not quite there for me, and that's where I think either a 3 ch. Recto or a Roadster will come in (and I just talked to my buddy with the Roadster, and he's totally down to get together with me and record some comparison clips, so stay tuned!)

EDIT: However, this clip was recorded with an 81 @ 9v (I can't fit a second battery in the compartment, but since I much prefer running it at 18v I have to take off the control cavity cover and have the batteries dangling when I do it, and I didn't bother to this time), whereas the old was with an 85, so that's why this is slightly harsher

 

[Metaltastic]

Both clips sounds excellent in my opinion, sounds like a matter of taste more than actual improvement to me.

Thanks man!

 

[Arsnova]

Both clips sounds excellent in my opinion, sounds like a matter of taste more than actual improvement to me.

+1 Hard to decide which of the two I actually like...but im leaning towards the one without the tube screamer

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