Salvation Angel, SG MK22, Diablo & Fisch Hi Gain clips!

Hey Guys,

I wrapped up mixes on a few tracks that showcase the Salvation Angel, Sacred Grooves MK22 and Fisch and thought I'd share. Same signal chain as always (Bogner Cube>Mojave 201>Vintech 273>Apogee>Nuendo). Enjoy!

SG MK22 - Gain on full, Warmoth Charvel Clone (JB/Jazz/German Floyd Rose): www.mikeplas.com/mlib/mr/sackup.mp3

Salvation Angel (Verse) / SG Diablo (Rhythm & Octaves) - Les Paul with Burstbucker Pro: www.mikeplas.com/mlib/mr/nodirection.mp3

Salvation Angel - Les Paul w/Burstbucker Pro: www.mikeplas.com/mlib/mr/ridethewave.mp3

SG Fisch - Les Paul w/Burstbucker Pro: www.mikeplas.com/mlib/mr/racetheman.mp3

LOVE the clips

Great Clips (hey - that's where I get my hair cut) . . . I especially like that MK22! 8)

Great as always. You can really hear the differences in the modules unlike my youtube clips that all pretty much sound the same.

True but it also goes to show that there is LESS difference between modules than you think and that we are always trying to feed our GAS for something new. I mean to an extent , most amps followed in the Marshall vein and there is only so many ways you can make gain sound good. MikeP will probably argue with me but at the end of the day. A 5150 set to crunch, a JCM800 set to crunch, and a MK22 set to crunch will all sound slightly diff but all sound good if you have someone who knows what he is doing like Mike.I just know flicking between my modules that there are subtle differences in voicing and response. Still thought, that subtle difference is a difference nonetheless.

Just an Edit: the highgainers sound considerably different obviously but even between them there are similarities. Anyway you guys get the point. They all sound great!

Mike P said:

SG MK22 - Gain on full, Warmoth Charvel Clone (JB/Jazz/German Floyd Rose): www.mikeplas.com/mlib/mr/sackup.mp3

SG Fisch - Les Paul w/Burstbucker Pro: www.mikeplas.com/mlib/mr/racetheman.mp3

Click to expand...

I loved both of these. Great job Mike.

Kapo_Polenton said:

True but it also goes to show that there is LESS difference between modules than you think and that we are always trying to feed our GAS for something new. I mean to an extent , most amps followed in the Marshall vein and there is only so many ways you can make gain sound good. MikeP will probably argue with me but at the end of the day. A 5150 set to crunch, a JCM800 set to crunch, and a MK22 set to crunch will all sound slightly diff but all sound good if you have someone who knows what he is doing like Mike.I just know flicking between my modules that there are subtle differences in voicing and response. Still thought, that subtle difference is a difference nonetheless.

Just an Edit: the highgainers sound considerably different obviously but even between them there are similarities. Anyway you guys get the point. They all sound great!

Click to expand...

I agree. Great clips. Great playing. But, as we all know, the tone is truly in the fingers. Even listening on good IEMs, I can hardly spot a difference between modules. There is a subtle difference, but nothing drastic. The composition and style lend to very similar sounds.

As a player, I appreciate subtle differences in tone and feel, but series of clips as these also quell my GAS lust!

Love those mk22 tones, I have one en route as Im typing this.

Hamner1 said:

Mike P said:

SG MK22 - Gain on full, Warmoth Charvel Clone (JB/Jazz/German Floyd Rose): www.mikeplas.com/mlib/mr/sackup.mp3

SG Fisch - Les Paul w/Burstbucker Pro: www.mikeplas.com/mlib/mr/racetheman.mp3

Click to expand...

I loved both of these. Great job Mike.

Click to expand...

I second those thoughts!

Love those mk22 tones, I have one en route as Im typing this.

Click to expand...

Seriously.... I love my stock Brahma for plexi/JMP tones and I think it sounds better than the JCM800 combo I have sitting beside my lynchbox now. That said, the MK22 and the RR59 set to JMP is really and I mean REALLY making me want to pull the trigger there as well. In fact I never thought I'd say this but for the first time ever I'm considering selling my JCM800 and paying off some bills OR buying a good mic and some acoustic foam for recording. I never thought I'd say that but since finding some good tubes (svetlana) and running greenbacks with Super V's, I simply don't play the JCM at all. I keep thinking i am going to save it for live use but hell, I'll pickup a pocket pod and go through the board if that happens. Live, nobody really cares or notices except other guitar players.

Hey Mike P, do you record with the bright switch off? I've been playing with this.. smooths out lead tone and takes some of the hardness out of the tone.

Hey guys, thanks for the kind words.

eyeball987 said:

You can really hear the differences in the modules unlike my youtube clips that all pretty much sound the same.

Click to expand...

Kapo_Polenton said:

True but it also goes to show that there is LESS difference between modules than you think

Click to expand...

Perception is everything, isn't it?



I have my own "tone". As Wes mentioned, tone is in the fingers but to further that, it's also in the brain. I want my guitars to sound a certain way, regardless of the gain or distortion involved.

To me, there are huge differences in the guitar sounds of the clips. The MK22 sounds more "80's", with the Charvel guitar and the Marshall in Standard Tuning. The Angel and Les Paul in Dropped D sound way more modern and "tighter", with a scooped sound. The Fish nearly jumps out of the speakers, but it's "warmer" on the top end and the bottom is far less defined than either the Angel or Diablo.

If I have an opportunity in the future, I'll record a track with all of the high gainers for comparison. But these modules/amps were chosen because of the way they sat in the track. "Sack Up", for example, would have had a completely different vibe had I used the Rectifier or Angel. I tried several modules for "Race The Man", with the Rectifier and Engl far too edgy and modern. The MK22 didn't have nearly enough gain but the Fisch was perfect.

In my experience, the MK22 and Fisch are awesome for Marshall type tones in Standard tuning but they "fall apart" in Dropped D. The bottom becomes "mushy" and the tight sound of the Angel and/or Rectifier just isn't there, making those tracks sound weak. For me, that totally makes sense since the music created during that period featured very little (if at all) dropped D tunings. Amplifiers evolved over time.

The bottom line for me is that I use the module best suited for each track in an effort to get "my tone". We're all very fortunate that we have so many options with the MTS Modders. They're awesome!

Kapo_Polenton said:

Hey Mike P, do you record with the bright switch off? I've been playing with this.. smooths out lead tone and takes some of the hardness out of the tone.

Click to expand...

I use the Bright switch on nearly every module but the MK22 in 2203 mode. Keep in mind that turning the Bright switch off also removes a gain stage, so the module is quite a bit cleaner with it off.

Thanks for the explanation Mike. I know that personally, though I try to mitigate it as much as possible, I have a persistent "twang" in my playing, no matter the guitar or rig. Yet, somehow, with each rig, I can notice various differences that fit certain songs better than others. I believe that as talent increases, gear matters less.

wesarvin said:

I believe that as talent increases, gear matters less.

Click to expand...

I agree but at the same time, disagree. Nice of me, eh?



I LOVED EVH's tone on VHII and Fair Warning but beyond that, it became "worse", IMO. And as his tone "worsened", for lack of a better word, so did the songs and end product, at least to me.

George Lynch's tone was, IMO, at it's greatest on "Wicked Sensation". Since then, his playing and his tone have gone downhill, although I felt the last Lynch Mob record was better overall than the one featuring Robert Mason or the silly Dropped D record.

I think that tone is inspirational to all of us, whether it's playing clubs, making records or doing library tracks like I do for a living. For the most part, no one would care if I used Guitar Rig 4 or the Randall MTS or a rack of vintage amps, as long as the end product was master quality and the cues were good. In the end, it's all about being happy as a guitarist and I think that when the guitar tone is "right", the music is usually more enjoyable to the player and the listener.

If that makes any sense.

Kick *** clips as always!
I would love to hear as much of the Salvation H-Watt features as you're willing to record!
:shock:

audiomidijace said:

Kick *** clips as always!
I would love to hear as much of the Salvation H-Watt features as you're willing to record!
:shock:

Click to expand...

Thanks, Jace!

To date, because of work orders and whatnot, I only have one clip, which I posted in October. Both gains are on full.

www.mikeplas.com/mlib/rr/thatchick.mp3

**** Mike P you set the benchmark high for clips.They sound friggin awesome!

It makes perfect sense. I think that we also chase tones through the same rig, when power sections, cabs, mice, pres, and converters also all form part of tonal differences. Each clip, while subtly different, is of very similar style using much of the same rig.

I have a feeling that this is the reason behind some of the criticism received. Please pardon if this sounds off-topic or trollish. I was simply making an observation based off of first impressions.

*mics, darned autocorrect!