Various Tones with Effects?

[Hamner1]

I always seem to struggle with getting my effects set to mimick any particular tone I am after. For instace say a GL or Demartini rythm or lead tone. Do any of you have some settings that hit some good tones early VanHalen, Ratt, GL, etc.

Is there a site similar to the MTS Tone Settings page but includes settings for Reverb, Delay, Chorus, etc?

Maybe I just need to play around more.

 

[Mattfig]

Just thinking out loud here but if you have access to a PODxt or something similar you can link it to your MTS setup as well as your computer...If you use the free program Line 6 Edit, you can actually search specifically for DeMartini or whomever you like their tone and get your PODxt setup with the proper effects and settings...All with just a few clicks...

 

[m0jo]

What works for me very well for that 80s lead tone (in general) is setting my delay up at 256ms (yes.. that exactly hehe) at 80% mix or something and a feedback of 2 delays (with a 3rd barely audible).

For me this works perfectly for that metal lead sound, combined with my XTC and modded SD-1..

The problem you might have with mimicking the tones of those guitarist is the entire rig..
For instance GL plays quite light guitars with not that high output pickups, Dimarti might be in the complete other corner on that part.

Personally I like to find a tone that works well for me and then play in the style of those dudes (or.. try to :lol: ) .. close enough for me.
You'll never get the same sound, I wouldn't waste my time on that if I where you..

 

[Hamner1]

What works for me very well for that 80s lead tone (in general) is setting my delay up at 256ms (yes.. that exactly hehe) at 80% mix or something and a feedback of 2 delays (with a 3rd barely audible).

For me this works perfectly for that metal lead sound, combined with my XTC and modded SD-1..

I'll have to try that delay setup.

The problem you might have with mimicking the tones of those guitarist is the entire rig..
For instance GL plays quite light guitars with not that high output pickups, Dimarti might be in the complete other corner on that part.

Personally I like to find a tone that works well for me and then play in the style of those dudes (or.. try to :lol: ) .. close enough for me.
You'll never get the same sound, I wouldn't waste my time on that if I where you..

I agree, I will not be able to nail the sounds these guys had/have. There are to many factors that go into tone. Not to mention eqing & mixing at the board.
Essentially I am wondering say for a similar sound to Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, what effects are being used & what settings would elicit the same or similar results.
Delay (time, decay, mix)
Phaser (pan, depth, rate, resonance)
Is he also using Reverb or other efects as well? If so what settings. This is kind of what I am getting at. I remember years ago (early 90s) there was a magazine called Guitar Shop. It would review current &/or past & live &/or Studio rigs. I seem to recall on occasion they would also have a song & list the setup & settings for the effects to achieve a similar sound.

 

[m0jo]

What works for me very well for that 80s lead tone (in general) is setting my delay up at 256ms (yes.. that exactly hehe) at 80% mix or something and a feedback of 2 delays (with a 3rd barely audible).

For me this works perfectly for that metal lead sound, combined with my XTC and modded SD-1..

I'll have to try that delay setup.

The problem you might have with mimicking the tones of those guitarist is the entire rig..
For instance GL plays quite light guitars with not that high output pickups, Dimarti might be in the complete other corner on that part.

Personally I like to find a tone that works well for me and then play in the style of those dudes (or.. try to :lol: ) .. close enough for me.
You'll never get the same sound, I wouldn't waste my time on that if I where you..

I agree, I will not be able to nail the sounds these guys had/have. There are to many factors that go into tone. Not to mention eqing & mixing at the board.
Essentially I am wondering say for a similar sound to Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, what effects are being used & what settings would elicit the same or similar results.
Delay (time, decay, mix)
Phaser (pan, depth, rate, resonance)
Is he also using Reverb or other efects as well? If so what settings. This is kind of what I am getting at. I remember years ago (early 90s) there was a magazine called Guitar Shop. It would review current &/or past & live &/or Studio rigs. I seem to recall on occasion they would also have a song & list the setup & settings for the effects to achieve a similar sound.

Well actually google is your friend
A lot of this info is to be found on the web, mostly at websites/message boards devoted to that artist.

 

[alboz28]

For these tones - I will comment on Ratt first

Plexi or Mr Scary module - Delay 256ms (if you have stereo delay 256ms Left channel and 400ms give or take on the right channel) This will create a post prodution ambience. Warren used a Duncan JB bridge pickup in Charvel's with a Floyd...This always will be a bright tone.. So Celestion Greenbacks or WGS ET-65's will darken it up a bit. As always with 80's metal tones a slight chorus with not a whole lot of mix to thicken up the tone. Since a lot of effect was added post production and not generated from their gear you have to be careful of the amount of mix you use or it will color the tone too much. These guys ran pretty dry signals when recording.

Lynch - Pretty much the same except typically use like a duncan 59 or similar which has a little less output and a little more bottom end

as far as Ain't talkin about love - a Plexi Module with a slight boost - Phase shifter at less that 25% sweep and a plate reverb effect that is "buried" in the back (so watch the amount of mix) ..Also PAF type low output pickup

also keep in mind it is difficult to get these types of tones at bedroom volumes...but the key is keep all of your time based effects in the effects loop and keep your boosts in your signal chain

 

[robespierre]

I've been delving deep into all the posts on this forum, such great info!

This post I liked particularly because it deals with the tones that many guitarists (like myself) strive for.

Anybody care to add their 2 cents for that Van Halen-Ratt-Dokken-80s tone?

 

[rhequiem]

My Salvation Dr. Feelgood (Salvado Deluxe) is a good place to start for those hair metal tones. I also imagine that the Gigmods Slodano would be great, too. My new Stonerverb can also produce some awesome hair metal tones... The Gigmods Modern is awesome, too... I haven't had a stock module yet that got me those hair metal tones the way I like them, yet.

 

[m0jo]

My Salvation Dr. Feelgood (Salvado Deluxe) is a good place to start for those hair metal tones. I also imagine that the Gigmods Slodano would be great, too. My new Stonerverb can also produce some awesome hair metal tones... The Gigmods Modern is awesome, too... I haven't had a stock module yet that got me those hair metal tones the way I like them, yet.

I'd agree on the Dr. Feelgood / Salvado, mine's calles "Sloogie".
But for pure hairmetal tones my XTC comes close when boosted.
The XTC has some easyer harmonics too when boosted
But this is mostly at home, at full volume the Sloogie absolutely murders the stock XTC

 

[JD]

My stock Mr. Scary does a great job for some 80's tones. Although, I think it would be hard for one module to cover all the 80's hair tones. I spent my teenage years in the late 80's listening to anything and everything and there were some great recorded tones that sound very different from one another.

 

[robespierre]

Thanks for the input guys!

I'm still new to this stuff and have yet to purchase a modded module.

So far, my SL+ and Brahma (each boosted with a Boss SD-1) make some awesome sounds. I think I actually prefer the less-gainy Brahma of the two.

 

[Hamner1]

What works for me very well for that 80s lead tone (in general) is setting my delay up at 256ms (yes.. that exactly hehe) at 80% mix or something and a feedback of 2 delays (with a 3rd barely audible).

For me this works perfectly for that metal lead sound, combined with my XTC and modded SD-1..

I'll have to try that delay setup.

The problem you might have with mimicking the tones of those guitarist is the entire rig..
For instance GL plays quite light guitars with not that high output pickups, Dimarti might be in the complete other corner on that part.

Personally I like to find a tone that works well for me and then play in the style of those dudes (or.. try to :lol: ) .. close enough for me.
You'll never get the same sound, I wouldn't waste my time on that if I where you..

I agree, I will not be able to nail the sounds these guys had/have. There are to many factors that go into tone. Not to mention eqing & mixing at the board.
Essentially I am wondering say for a similar sound to Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, what effects are being used & what settings would elicit the same or similar results.
Delay (time, decay, mix)
Phaser (pan, depth, rate, resonance)
Is he also using Reverb or other efects as well? If so what settings. This is kind of what I am getting at. I remember years ago (early 90s) there was a magazine called Guitar Shop. It would review current &/or past & live &/or Studio rigs. I seem to recall on occasion they would also have a song & list the setup & settings for the effects to achieve a similar sound.

Well actually google is your friend
A lot of this info is to be found on the web, mostly at websites/message boards devoted to that artist.

I have got to be the worst internet search user on the planet. I have had very little luck finding the type of info I am looking for. I did use your guys suggestions that were posted here. Some pretty good stuff there. I still need to tweak it more, as a multi-effects unit gives you alot more options to tweak (most of the time) within a given effect.
If anyone has some links to the type of information I am looking to find, please post them.

 

[Hamner1]

Resurrecting a dead post.

I still suck at internet searches. But other than that The SL+ is killer for 80s rythm tone. I think alboz is right some of my problem might be the mix ratio, for rythm tone, on the effects unit. I think it might be best to just go SL+ and a little verb for rythm. It seems to loose some of that crunch with the effects.

Lead sound - Mr Scary with the suggestions from alboz is **** killer.

 

[Daryl]

Dial in the fundamental tone with the right eq and gain structure then add effects one by one until you get the sound you are looking for. I know you are looking for a magic short cut and I totally feel you on that. You don't want to spend all day screwing around with knobs, you want to fuqing rock out. However, careful listening to your guitar, amp, and effects can be a tedious process, but a vital one. You will learn how to develop an ear for what a tone needs and be able to decipher what adjustments need to be made to get the desired results. It's like typing. At first you may have to look at your fingers to find the notes, but with a little practice you will find a whole other level of freedom when you can type as fast as you can think. I guess what I'm saying is there is no substitute for raw experience and persistence. In the process you will unlock the tools to find any tone using almost any gear. At first it sucks, but it gets easier the more you do it.
Or...download artist presets. :lol:
Peace.

 

[robespierre]

Resurrecting a dead post.

Hah! My favorite thread!

I just purchased an MXR 10 Band Graphic Equalizer. Although I only fiddled with it for an hour so far, I think it has great potential.

I like mojo's suggestion that you should find the tone you like first, then play in the style of the guitarist you like.

The problem of sounding like Warren Demartini is that RATT never issued a live album, and the bootlegs I've heard sound, well, like bootlegs. -But I did find this link:

http://floydupgrades.com/catalog/images/GW0510-Dimartini.pdf

It takes a while to load, but some of you might find it interesting.

 

[Hamner1]

Dial in the fundamental tone with the right eq and gain structure then add effects...

Or...download artist presets. :lol:
Peace.

Step 1 always. Infact if I am just screwing around at the music store on a new or different amp, no effects are pluggged in & I make sure any onboard effects are also off (including verb). I always want to hear the unadalterated tone 1st before adding anything.

With that being said I tend to grow impatient when coloring my tone/tone searching... so artist presets heck yeah, although the Rocktron expression does not have any online to download. I guess that means no shortcut. :lol:

robespierre cool article. I guess I wasn't reinventing the wheel when I thought of putting the wireless receiver with the pedals on the pedal board. Oddly enough for the same reason, less cable running to the board & screwing with the tone.

 

[wakeguitar]

I've been struggling to find great fx also. So far in my limited experience though I think what I'm seeing is that so many of those 'character' fx I'm hearing in great rock records that there is no substitute for the actual vintage units that were popular in the years those songs were produced.

So many units out there I can't try them all so I have to settle with what I can find... but impulses can be a nice substitute though as I often use my DAW as a virtual fx rack .

 

[Hamner1]

I would agree. I don't care how awsome a digital unit is, I have yet to here one replicate an old tape delay or an outboard spring reverb to a tee.
Another thing came to mind as well the other day. Unfortunately I do not remember where I read it, probably was in this topic, but alot of the tones we here are the dry signals recorded, probably layered, & the effects are added/mixed in after the fact.

Alas I am still tweaking. It would probably help not to be so tone schitzophrenic. 1 day I like the stereo dry/wet sound. The next day I don't & I like both sides wet. Then there are days even the overdrive from the amp just doesn't seem right.

 

[To-student]

I really think if you want to go after tone. Copy live tones.
To me IMO those are the true sounds. I am much more impressed with guitarists I like that are able to get great live tones. Much more obtainable.
Like mentioned above there is so much production and layering and multiple amps etc I think it is very difficult to get recorded tones.

 

[Hamner1]

Generally that may be a good idea, but I have heard some live tones that just sucked ***. Even Warren is subject to bad tone nights. I saw Ratt about 10 years ago & the tone that night still haunts me. I think it was the sound man. The guitar tones were so treble heavy it was like icepicks on my ears.