# Peavey xxx settings



## markbolwell54 (Oct 20, 2010)

Can anyone reccommend some good settings for a Peavey xxx head?

I'm looking for a metal/metalcore sound, i like a nice tight sound but with plenty of low end chug.

I have a Schecter 7 string with active pickups.

Only looking for a start point really.


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## Rook (Oct 20, 2010)

Put the mid just below half, crank the treble to about 3:00 (oclock) but the bass where you're happy with it but the lower you go the tighter. You probably want quite a bit of gain, and (depending on what speaker setup you're using) use the presence control to counteract the treble. Make sure the switch on the back is set to tight.

That should be a fair starting point. You have to push XXX's pretty hard to really get them going.


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## meisterjager (Oct 20, 2010)

^There is no presence control on a Triple X.

Firstly I'd definitely use the Crunch channel for your rhythms - It's the bigger sounding channel, IMO.

OK, you have an active EQ on your amp, so definitely start with everything at 12 o'clock (which is 0 - anything higher is boosting the signal, anything lower is cutting), and don't move the knobs about too much at first. My settings generally have nothing over 2 o'clock and nothing under 10 o'clock, other than... The gain, which i keep really low, barely needing to go about 9 o'clock, and I usually keep the channel volume at around 10 o'clock and use the master for volume control. This should give you great clarity in a live situation (far too many people use too much gain and have an indistinguishable sound).

These amps really are very special, and once you learn their little quirks and features they're great to use. I've found for a lead sound, I put the same settings into the Ultra channel, with TAD more volume and a bit more mids, and that works for me.

Also as far as the dampening switch goes, I can't remember where I have it set without looking (not with my amp right now), and I usually keep the effects send/return levels at 10, though I've read that having the return set to 1 instead of 10 gives a better sound.. but I've yet to test it. 

Also, if you're just using one channel, adjust the volume of the other channel (i.e., use the Crunch channel and fiddle with the Ultra channel volume knob) - You'll get a change in sound this way too (I keep the opposite channel dimed for more punch)


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## Toshiro (Oct 20, 2010)

Just because the switch says "loose" don't write off that setting out of hand. Try all three settings in the back, and decide which you like best with your ears, not eyes.

I typically run my 3120/xxx rhythm channel with the treble on 4, mids on 4, bass on 6, gain on 5. This is a pretty thrashy rhythm tone, that sounds good with a lot of tunings.

Like meisterjager said, you want to start with everything on noon, and don't set any EQ control very high or low.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Oct 20, 2010)

Also, are you running an OD Pedal in front of the amp?


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## meisterjager (Oct 21, 2010)

Toshiro said:


> Just because the switch says "loose" don't write off that setting out of hand. Try all three settings in the back, and decide which you like best with your ears, not eyes.


 
I haven't checked yet, but I'm almost certain I run mine on loose.. the other two seem to take away some of the massiveness of the amp. But yeah, definitely judge that setting with your ears, it doesn't necessarily do exactly what you'd expect!


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## markbolwell54 (Oct 21, 2010)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> Also, are you running an OD Pedal in front of the amp?


 
No but i might in the future as I've heard it can tighten the sound up a lot.


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## markbolwell54 (Oct 21, 2010)

Well, just went and picked up my new Peavey xxx head!

ooo, its awesome. Pretty much anything i dial in sounds awesome haha.


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## Rook (Oct 22, 2010)

I was thinking of the JSX front panel, my bad.

I always liked the XXX, a little more discreet than the JSX which (tbh) as good an amp as it is, I'm pretty bored of :-S


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## warlock7strEMG (Oct 22, 2010)

for the best chuggy metal tone from a XXX, u wanna use the Rhythm channel for sure. as others have stated, it sounds the thickest. the main thing with these amps, to get a really full sound, is to dime the global master volume and use the channel volume to control how loud it is. diming the master gives the most power tube saturation and the least amount of fizz. after doin this make sure the dampening isset to "Loose"(wont sound loose particularly, just give the amp better low end) set the bass at 7, mids at 6, treble at 5 and gain at 3.5- 4 and u will have a good chuggy modern metal/metalcore tone. i also recommend gettin an OD like a BBE Greenscreamer or Maxon OD9/808 for super tight palm muting and that modern "bouncy" feel. if u do this tho, set the pedal as a "clean" boost(drive:0, tone:6. level:8-9) and turn the amp gain down to no higher than 3.


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## markbolwell54 (Oct 22, 2010)

What does dime mean?

I played my new xxx for the 1st time at practice last night but I was a little dissapointed! It sounded a bit dull! I was playing through a Marshall 1960 (single 16ohm input).

I tried it on our other guitarists valve king cab and it did sounds a lot brighter so is it just an issue with the cab?


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## PirateMetalTroy (Oct 22, 2010)

markbolwell54 said:


> What does dime mean?
> 
> I played my new xxx for the 1st time at practice last night but I was a little dissapointed! It sounded a bit dull! I was playing through a Marshall 1960 (single 16ohm input).
> 
> I tried it on our other guitarists valve king cab and it did sounds a lot brighter so is it just an issue with the cab?



Diming (to Dime a setting) refers to turning that knob to it's absolute maximum (typically written as "10". Which is, conveniently the amount of cents an american (or canadian) dime is worth in their respective countries. But you already knew that. 

MAX THE FUCKER OUT!!!

EDIT: Too much bass. I never had the bass on my XXX past half...Ever...for any reason. In fact, u cut a lot of bass with a graphic eq in the loop. Mids help to counteract the dullness. I like 2hkz a lot, so I try to dial in arund there, (this is not possible without a graphic EQ...i have no idea what the width or target frequency Peavey chose for the mid control on the XXX) You'll need to puc hte mids past 12:00, though, I think.


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## viesczy (Oct 22, 2010)

As I'm @ work and my XXX is @ home, I can't recall my settings, but they're dialed in to bring out the mids/upper register (as we play guitar and not bass) and I use the Crunch channel for all my lead guitar lines and the Ultra for all my none shredding lines as I feel the mid voice of the Crunch is PERFECT for lead gutiar god work. 

If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that i have my mid/treble @ about 2-3 o-clock and bass @ about 1 on Crunch and on Ultra treble is about 2 o'clock, mids @ about 1 o'clocks and bass @ 3 to 4ish o'clock. It has been so long since I had to dial that in, I can't recall the exact #s. I'm running in the a GB2x12 G Flex and long with the combo's speakers. 

Gain is about 12 to 1 on Ultra and 12.30 to 1.30 on the Crunch. 

Derek


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Oct 22, 2010)

warlock7strEMG said:


> for the best chuggy metal tone from a XXX, u wanna use the Rhythm channel for sure. as others have stated, it sounds the thickest. the main thing with these amps, to get a really full sound, is to dime the global master volume and use the channel volume to control how loud it is. diming the master gives the most power tube saturation and the least amount of fizz. after doin this make sure the dampening isset to "Loose"(wont sound loose particularly, just give the amp better low end) set the bass at 7, mids at 6, treble at 5 and gain at 3.5- 4 and u will have a good chuggy modern metal/metalcore tone. i also recommend gettin an OD like a BBE Greenscreamer or Maxon OD9/808 for super tight palm muting and that modern "bouncy" feel. if u do this tho, set the pedal as a "clean" boost(drive:0, tone:6. level:8-9) and turn the amp gain down to no higher than 3.



This is almost my EXACT setup. I endorse this post


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## PirateMetalTroy (Oct 23, 2010)

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> This is almost my EXACT setup. I endorse this post



Just add the amp's initial purchase price in tubes and mods, and you'll have Drak's tone too!


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## nightlight (Mar 8, 2021)

Resurrecting this old thread because I came across a Triple XXX in good condition with new tubes. This is a 2x12 combo version, 120 watts. I figure I could just plug into one of my other cabs or maybe put the electronics into a new shell and maybe sell off the combo shell for some bucks, unless I dig the stock speakers.

Price is good too, but I've heard mixed reviews about this amp. Some people love them, some people say that they sound like a solid state amp.

The fact that Exodus used them while touring, and it also featured on a couple of their records, is a big attraction.

Any advice would be welcome.


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## RevDrucifer (Mar 8, 2021)

I used one (as well as it’s tubeless little brother, the XXL) for about 15 years. Damn good amp for the chugga chugga stuff. Clean channel wasn’t my favorite but it was usable with some extra EQ, depends on what you’re going for (I wanted that ultra-scooped, glassy 90 Petrucci clean tone, or an Eric Johnson kind of clean). Really, the clean channel is my only gripe about it, for being a tube amp you’d think it’d have a bit more thwack to the clean stuff but man is that channel ever flat sounding. 

It’s not an amp you can get a huge range of tones from, it does a couple things really well, hard rock/metal, but as long as that’s what you’re going for then you should be good to go. Solid bastards, too. Never had an issue with either one in 15 years.


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## Captastic (Mar 8, 2021)

This is the largest thread ever created for the XXX and tones. Lotsa good info on it:

https://www.harmonycentral.com/forums/topic/1199810-peavey-xxx-lounge-enter-here/


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## xchristopherx (Mar 9, 2021)

I was very pleased with the triple XXX as my main tone and my 6505+ as my filler amp to add a bit more meat. Whenever I wanted to add dynamics I’d drop the XXX out (for like a pre break down single guitar part) and then kick it back on for all my “heavy” stuff. 

I got my XXX with a Randall XL cab for like $350 on Craigslist. And it really out performed my 5150 and 6505+ Exponentially better in my opinion. 

only amp I regretted getting rid of when I went to the kemper. 

I was using a SCT607b (emgs) at the time, which was physically very heavy. I used the tight setting, and everything pretty much close to noon. I had the horizon precision drive in front of it, with close to their middle of the road recommended settings. Little tweeks got me something I was very happy with.


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