# Guide To Djent Tone [Updated March 7 '13]



## noUser01

I wrote this up to (hopefully) cut the number of threads on this forum in half.  Please report spelling/grammatical errors so I can correct them, it's late and I wrote this in a few sittings so my train of thought may be weird. Also, if you want anything added to this guide or elaborated upon just give me a heads up and I'll try and help you out.

It's on my site, or you can just view it below.
Guide to Djent Tone



> A lot of people seem to be spamming up all the big guitar and metal forums asking about the newest "big thing" in metal music and guitar tone, which is djent. If you're reading this article I'm sure you must know what djent is, so we'll just move on to the important part of this article, and that's how to acheive the iconic and recognizable guitar tone so popularized by djent.
> 
> Before we get started there are a few things we need to address. The first is that these are general rules and guidelines, nothing is set in stone and rules are meant to be broken. You do not need the specific pieces of gear I've recommended, nor do you need to use the same methods. This is all based on my own experience and lots of information from both professional musicians in the genre and from fans like you and I. I've gotten a Telecaster to djent going through a Metal Muff into a Fender Blues Junior, tone is in the hands just as people always say, and the way you play has a big effect on whether or not your gear/setup will "djent". Because these are just principles and ideas, they can easily be applied to any setup even if you aren't using a real amp/cab setup. The reason I don't cover digital units**** like the AxeFX, POD HD, Eleven Rack etc. is because all the same rules still apply. The rules to picking an amp can be applied to picking a digital unit, and the rest is directly applicable to their digital counterparts. These methods still work with multi-effects units or with software plugins.
> 
> 
> 
> ****But for the record... yes, the AxeFX, POD HD, and Eleven Rack can all "djent".
> 
> 
> *The Basics:*
> "Djent" tone is actually quite simple to achieve, but most people get caught up on what gear will get them there. All you need to get this tone is relatively high gain or distortion levels, lots of midrange, a healthy amount of treble, a good amount of clarity, and the most important part: a boost in your EQ at 1.4kHz. It's really that simple, the problem most people have is how to achieve those things. We're going to look at the important parts of this tone and what can help you get there.
> 
> *Any guitar can djent. Let me say that again... any guitar can djent.* We will take a brief look at strings and pickups to help with the sound, but again these are just guidelines and nothing here is mandatory in getting a djent sound.
> 
> *Starting with the Amp: *
> The basis of your sound is going to come from your amp, and you'll want to use a distorted amp as a starting point. *If you wish to use a distortion pedal, you may*, but I will get to the details of that later. Let's not forget that this djent sound came from solid state amps to begin with, so using a solid state pedal is just fine. That being said, while tube amps are not necessary they are preferred most of the time for not only a warmer sound and increased dynamics, but you'll generally have more control over your tone using an amp's distortion channel instead of a distortion pedal. What you should look for in an amp is a very clear sound with lots of note definition. Progressive metal generally employs the use of bigger chords making clarity an important part of our sound more than other genres of music. The feel and response of the amp is also very important. You want a very tight, responsive sound that reacts quickly to your playing, as opposed to a more saggy, loose sound of an amp. Your settings should be fairly low on the bass, lots of midrange, and a decent amount of treble. Things like presence and resonance should be to taste, but it's worth experimenting with replacing bass with resonance, treble with presence, or the other way around.
> 
> 
> Here's some common amp choices to look at for this kind of music:
> 
> Peavey 6505
> Peavey 6505+
> Peavey 5150
> Peavey 5150 II
> Fender 5150 III
> ENGL Invader
> ENGL Savage
> Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier
> Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier
> Line 6 Vetta II
> 
> *Using A Distortion Pedal on a Clean Amp:*
> As nice as it would be to have a really nice amp, sometimes that's just not an option when it comes to cost. Using a distortion pedal is totally fine, and can yield great results, but as I stated earlier you may not get the warmth, dynamics and control over your tone you would get with a tube amp. You should be looking for pedals that give you a lot of control over your tone, and if it doesn't have a midrange knob it probably isn't going to be helpful to you, considering how important midrange is in this genre. As with choosing an amp, you want to go for lots of clarity in the sound of your distortion pedal as well, allowing you to hear every note in a chord with lots of definition. If you're using a distortion pedal on a clean amp, it's very important that you pick an amp that takes pedals well. Solid state amps are generally not good at taking gain pedals, mostly overdrive. A decent small tube amp might be better like a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (yes, really!) or a Blackstar HT-20. The choice is up to you.
> 
> 
> Here's a list of pedals that are very tweakable and include at least bass/middle/treble controls and possibly other cool features:
> 
> 
> AMT Electronics P-Drive (emulates a 5150/6505)
> Mesa Boogie Throttle Box (emulates a Rectifier-type sound)
> Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff
> Akai Deluxe Distortion (NOTE: This pedal has a selectable mid frequency, possibly eliminating the need for the EQ pedal explained later in this guide)
> Wampler Triple Wreck
> MXR FullBore Metal Distortion
> Radial Engineering Tonebone Plexitube
> Bogner Ecstacy Red Pedal
> Bogner Ecstacy Blue Pedal
> Bogner Uberschall Pedal
> Blackstar HT-DUAL Tube Distortion Pedal
> Hughes & Kettner Tubeman 3-Channel Tube Distortion Pedal
> 
> *Boosting with an Overdrive: *
> Using an overdrive in front of your amp is not only going to add a bit of gain, but it's going to give us more midrange, more dynamics, and can bring more clarity to a dark sounding amp. One of other major benefits of using an overdrive is tightening up an amp, especially in the low end. When using a 7 or 8 string in metal having a tight low end is extremely important to make things responsive and clear on your lower strings. With overdrives so many of them are based off the same circuit that most of the differences between pedals are fairly subtle. That being said the best place to start is with the standard Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer. I find that trying out the most common, classic tube screamer is the best way to figure out what you want in an overdrive, but take whatever route works for you. Once you try out the sort of "industry standard", figure out what you do and don't like about it and look up some demos of other similar pedals.
> 
> Again I'll give you a list of popular choices:
> 
> 
> Maxon OD808
> Ibanez TS9
> Ibanez TS808
> Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive
> Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive
> Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive MOD
> Keeley Mod Ibanez TS9
> Keeley Mod Ibanez 808
> 
> The most common setting for an overdrive in metal is using the Gain on 0, the Level on 10, and the tone to taste. This allows the pedal to really push the front end of your amp without adding too much gain or tone coloring from the pedal itself. Usually having the tone control a bit on the bright side is going to give you more cut and clarity.
> 
> *Sustain, Clarity and "Pop" Using Compression:*
> Compression is something rarely used in metal and other high-gain genres because of how distortion and overdrive already compress the signal naturally. In progressive metal it is used not only to compress the tone for more sustain, but it also helps fight the noise gates (which we will get to shortly) allowing you to have all the sustain you could want, despite having a lot of gating in your signal as well. The compression is also really helpful in bringing out clarity and note definition in chords. Lastly it helps even out your tone wherever you play on the fretboard, so if you're playing a riff that jumps from the low strings suddenly to the higher strings it'll make those notes "pop" a lot more.
> 
> It's worth going over how compressors work so you know how to set yours properly. Some compressors just have a Sustain and Level knob but a lot of the ones on the market (pedal or rackmount) are more detailed than that. Threshold is the volume at which the compressor starts actually compressing your signal. Your Sustain knob is obviously going to equal the amount of compression, and can also appear labeled as Ratio. Ratio basically the amount of input signal to the amount of output signal after your signal passes that threshold. In other words, if your ratio is 5:1 that means that if your signal goes 5db above your threshold, the compressor will reduce that to 1db above the threshold. Attack is how quickly the compressor kicks in after your signal passes the threshold. Release is how quickly the compressor stops working as soon as your signal drops below that threshold. Obviously your Level knob will control the overall output of the compressor.
> 
> Popular compressor models are quite few really, with the most popular model by far being the Keely 4-knob compressor. It has all the options you need and is generally regarded as the most transparent compressor. Transparency is generally what you want with a compressor, and the less it colors your tone the better. If you like how a compressor colors your tone though, feel free to use it. I also recommend the MXR M87 Bass Compressor, which also has a visual display of how the compressor is working, which is fantastic.
> 
> *Crucial EQ and "Djent Frequency":*
> There's two very important EQ adjustments that should be made, the first is the actual "djenty" sound itself. To enhance that "djent" sound (notice I said enhance, not get. More on that later...) a boost at around 1.4kHz is necessary. This is where that really scratchy, metallic sound is occuring in the frequency spectrum. Unfortunately this is not a frequency that can easily be boosted, because most EQ pedals are graphic EQ pedals, meaning the frequency bands are fixed and you can't change what frequencies you are controlling. All that being said, the best route to take is getting a parametric EQ pedal so you can select the 1.4kHz frequency and boost it as you wish. Remember that the more you boost frequencies, the more noise you are introducing into your signal as well. Of course any unit that can boost this frequency (or close to it) can be used, and it may even be worth buying a cheap multi-effects pedal and using its EQ parameters, if it is capable. Keep in mind it's around 1.4kHz, not exactly 1.4kHz.
> 
> 
> Here's a list of Parametric EQ's that have access to the 1.4kHz frequency:
> 
> 
> Boss PQ-4 Parametric Equalizer
> Boss SP-1 Spectrum
> Carl Martin 3-Band Parametric EQ
> Ibanez PQ-9 Parametric EQ
> Boss PQ-3B Bass Parametric EQ
> BYOC Parametric EQ
> Artec SE-PEQ Parametric Equalizer
> Catalinbread VariOBoost
> TC Electronic Dual Parametric Equalizer
> TC Electronic Sustain + Parametric Equalizer
> Empress ParaEQ
> 
> 
> The other EQ adjustment worth making is rolling off a lot of the low end in your tone. Most of the time this method is used in recording and not live, but I find it works just as well live and will really help your band's live sound. Using an EQ to roll off any frequencies below 80Hz-125Hz (Anything below 100Hz is usually a safe bet, but it all depends on your guitar, setup, and your own taste as well) will tighten up your low end, allowing more clarity on your lower notes. When playing with a band this also allows you to avoid clashing with the bass guitar, and you let the bass take up those frequencies. You can hear the bass more, and you can hear the guitars more. This can be done with a parametric EQ like one of the above, but there are also a lot more graphic EQ's on the market which can have the same effect.
> 
> *Tightening Up and Killing Noise: *
> A high-gain amp alone will cause unwanted noise in your signal, but with the addition of a compresser, an EQ and an overdrive we've got way too much noise in our signal. The noise gate setup we're going to use is rather unconventional compared to what has been done in the past, but it works well and kills two birds with one stone. The first is that we get rid of all this unwanted noise, the second being that we will be able to achieve really tight start/stop, stacatto riffing. Now, you don't need to use any specific number of gates, but I'll explain the best way to set up your gate(s) in several scenarios.
> 
> The basic setup is just a single noise gate. In this case the best thing to do would be sticking your noise gate in the effects loop of your amp. Your amp is contributing the most gain to your signal and is usually where you want to put your gate if you have noise. Now, some amps are either surprisingly quiet and don't need a gate, or don't have an effects loop, in which case you should also experiment with putting the gate first in your signal chain, or after your compressor and overdrive. I find most of the time it should be in the effects loop of the amp, but experiment for the best results. Your signal chain should look like this:
> 
> 
> Guitar > Compressor > Overdrive > EQ > Amp > Amp Effects Loop Send > Noise Gate > Amp Effects Loop Return
> 
> 
> For a two noise gate setup, one gate in the loop of your amp and one after the compressor and overdrive is best. This way you are gating noise from your guitar, compressor, and overdrive with one gate, your noisiest elements before the amp. Yes, your EQ pedal will cause a bit of noise to come into your signal as well, but trying to fight too much noise with just a single gate probably isn't going to yield the results we are looking for. But again, experiment with your second gate, it may work better elsewhere. Your signal chain should look like this:
> 
> 
> Guitar > Compressor > Overdrive > Noise Gate > EQ > Amp > Amp Effects Loop Send > Noise Gate > Amp Effects Loop Return
> 
> 
> And finally we have the three noise gate setup, which is the one used by all three guitarists in Periphery before they made the switch to the AxeFX. This ensures the tightest response from your guitar because you're gating different sources of noise separately, rather than trying to gate all your noise from several sources with a single gate. The three gates were placed as such:
> 
> 
> Guitar > Compressor > Noise Gate > Overdrive > Noise Gate > EQ > Amp > Amp Effects Loop Send > Noise Gate > Amp Effects Loop Return
> 
> 
> By far the best noise gate as recommended by professional and bedroom players alike is the ISP Decimator G-String. The G-String model has a loop where you put the pieces of gear you want to be gated, and a separate input and output for your guitar. This tracks the guitar signal directly, separate from the effects that you want to gate (which are in the loop), allowing for much better tracking. ISP also makes a Standard Decimator, which works like most other noise gates in that it only has an input and an output, and should be placed after the parts of your signal you want to gate.
> 
> 
> Here's a list of the more popular gates on the market:
> 
> 
> ISP Decimator G-String
> ISP Decimator (Standard)
> Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor
> MXR Smart Gate
> Rocktron Hush Noise Reduction
> 
> *String Gauges, Tension and Tone:*
> Strings are not an essential part of your tone, but are more like a small adjustment that can help you go the extra mile. Thicker strings are important for tuning down, and people usually stick with 10's or 11's for both 6 strings in Drop C and 7 strings in Standard, Drop A or Drop Ab. The thicker strings and higher tension are essential in getting the tightness and clarity you want from the low notes. If your strings are too loose as well, when you play your low string it will go very sharp before settling into the proper pitch. Now a little bit of this happens whenever you play a note, but the higher the tension the less sharp it will go, and because this genre requires stronger picking than most others it's important to make sure every note on that low string is in tune. It's also important to note that a lot of us do not like playing really heavy string gauges, in which case there is an alternative. I like 9's on my 7 string, but the lowest string isn't tight enough to get the clarity I want and goes too sharp when I play it, so I bought a 6 string pack of 9 gauge strings, and then bought a bunch of single strings that were a gauge higher. This offers the best of both worlds, the string gauges you want for playing leads and doing bends, but still a really tight, clear and aggressive response from your lowest string when riffing. You can buy single strings from most companies, but if you can't find what you want D'Adarrio has an amazing selection of single strings available.
> 
> *Pickups, Output and Clarity:*
> When choosing pickups, keep in mind anything will work, and this is just to give some helpful tips on polishing your tone a bit with your pickup choices. Most people have the idea that playing metal or high gain guitar requires a high output pickup. A high output pickup is great in many ways, they usually have less noise and will distort more readily than lower output pickups. For djent specifically, I would recommend medium output pickups. The reason for this is that lower output pickups tend to have a bit more clarity, and will have much better clean tones. These pristine sounding clean tones are another important part of djent, and having medium output pickups offers the best of both worlds. As far as active vs. passive, both work. For example, Misha Mansoor (Periphery) uses BKP Cold Sweats a lot, which are medium output passives. But on the other hand Tosin Abasi (Animals as Leaders) uses EMG808 high output active pickups. Both are considering major icons in the djent and progressive metal world, and both have clear, articulate, heavy tones. In general I personally find active pickups to be muddier, and so do others, but other people feel quite the opposite, and it is totally dependent on your tastes and your rig. If your tone is too weak sounding, try higher output pickups. If it's too distorted and muddy, try lower output pickups.
> 
> *The Most Important Part:*
> The most important part of getting a djent tone is technique, and most people overlook this. Tone is in the hands, don't forget that. The djent sound itself came from how you play a power chord in this genre (generally). A power chord in standard tuning is - from low to high - played (355xxx). In drop tuning (Drop D, Drop C etc.) that same chord is played (555xxx). In djent a power chord has an added note, making the chord shape into this (5557xx). For those who know theory, you're going to play (again, from low to high) a root, fifth, root, and another fifth. Playing this power chord in the open position (0002xx) is where the djent sound originally came from.
> 
> Picking hard and really scraping the pick through the strings while palm muting this open chord is the most important part of getting the tone you want. The palm mute should be in a location you might not have thought of. Usually we palm mute with our hand on the bridge, but resting your palm further away from the bridge (either on top of the bridge pickup or between the bridge pickup and the bridge) really helps fatten up your palm mute and tighten it up in the low end. When picking hard, keep in mind this is not like a hard strum like when you play chords normally. Think of it as more of a firm, concise picking motion that digs into the strings more. It's not a large motion, it's just a very firm and purposeful motion. The motion should come from your wrist, not your arm.
> 
> It's also very important that you pick with your pick AT AN ANGLE. Picking the chord with your pick parallel to the strings is fine most of the time, but when going for a really aggressive sound you should angle your pick. Anywhere between 35 degrees to 75 degrees works much better. When you angle your pick you're getting a lot of string noise, almost like a crunchiness added to your sound. You're letting the pick make more noise when it scrapes the string, basically. This is a huge part of heavy sounding guitar. Playing this way also naturally makes you take slightly longer to play a chord, puts you just ever so slightly behind the beat and gives you this sense of laid back groove that sounds extremely fat.
> 
> 
> 
> Well, that's about it! I hope this at least answers some of the questions people have been asking and clears up a lot of the confusion as well.


Yeah... so everyone shutup with the djent threads now maybe? Sweet.


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## K4RM4

I'm by no means saying i don't appriciate the effort, but this risks getting lost among all the other "how-to djent" threads. Good read though and i'll definately have to further scrutinize my own quest for the perfect "djent".


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## Stealthdjentstic

Mods please sticky this and ban people that ask how 2 djent for not reading this.


Also I will buy you multiple beers if this gets stickied gilks


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## noUser01

Stealthdjentstic said:


> Mods please sticky this and ban people that ask how 2 djent for not reading this.
> 
> 
> Also I will buy you multiple beers if this gets stickied gilks



I don't drink, so I'll buy you a beer if this gets stickied. 

I'm willing to take the hit in reputation and likes in order to stop all these annoying threads.

Thanks K4RM4, and good point. Fingers crossed.


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## Stealthdjentstic

buckets of chicken it is


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## noUser01

Stealthdjentstic said:


> buckets of chicken it is



I'm holding you to that.


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## K4RM4

question: whats the difference in putting your compressor before your OD? would that not defeat the purpose of...hmm, i can't think of how to word it. Guess i need to study up on signal chains too. I always thought the rule of thumb was TS > Gate > Comp. > Gate


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## noUser01

K4RM4 said:


> question: whats the difference in putting your compressor before your OD? would that not defeat the purpose of...hmm, i can't think of how to word it. Guess i need to study up on signal chains too. I always thought the rule of thumb was TS > Gate > Comp. > Gate



Putting the Compressor first cuts down on noise more, I find. You're compressing the guitar signal directly, instead of trying to compress the signal from the overdrive pedal, which is going to add more noise.


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## ihunda

Great djent thread, thanked!



> The most important part of getting a djent tone is technique, and most people overlook this. Tone is in the hands, don't forget that. The djent sound itself came from how you play a power chord in this genre (generally). A power chord in standard tuning is - from low to high - played (355xxx). In drop tuning (Drop D, Drop C etc.) that same chord is played (555xxx). In djent a power chord has an added note, making the chord shape into this (5557xx). For those who know theory, you're going to play (again, from low to high) a root, fifth, root, and another fifth. Play this power chord in the open position (0002xx) is where the djent sound originally came from. Picking hard and really scraping the pick through the strings while palm muting this open chord is the most important part of getting the tone you want.



Glad you included that last part about technique, IMHO you don't need a complex dual compressor / noise gate setup if you're just playing around, not recording your next album.


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## AlexWadeWC

The biggest technique that provides "djent" tone in my opinion is how you palm mute. Few people talk about this but palm muting in this certain way can make any guitar/high gain amp "djent".

Instead of placing your palm on the bridge, if you rest you palm in between the bridge pickup and the bridge, and pick really hard, that's how you achieve "djent" in my opinion. It tightens up the low end and provides a more percussive attack to the tone. The more you dig your pick into the strings, the more attack and punch the tone will have.

Palm muting on the bridge, and palm muting in front of the bridge and behind the bridge pick up are two completely different tones just by switching up where your palm rests.

Just my two cents!


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## Konfyouzd

Sticky!!!


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## Rick

AlexWadeWC said:


> The biggest technique that provides "djent" tone in my opinion is how you palm mute. Few people talk about this but palm muting in this certain way can make any guitar/high gain amp "djent".
> 
> Instead of placing your palm on the bridge, if you rest you palm in between the bridge pickup and the bridge, and pick really hard, that's how you achieve "djent" in my opinion. It tightens up the low end and provides a more percussive attack to the tone. The more you dig your pick into the strings, the more attack and punch the tone will have.
> 
> Palm muting on the bridge, and palm muting in front of the bridge and behind the bridge pick up are two completely different tones just by switching up where your palm rests.
> 
> Just my two cents!



This man is god.


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## Masc0t

AlexWadeWC said:


> The biggest technique that provides "djent" tone in my opinion is how you palm mute. Few people talk about this but palm muting in this certain way can make any guitar/high gain amp "djent".
> 
> Instead of placing your palm on the bridge, if you rest you palm in between the bridge pickup and the bridge, and pick really hard, that's how you achieve "djent" in my opinion. It tightens up the low end and provides a more percussive attack to the tone. The more you dig your pick into the strings, the more attack and punch the tone will have.
> 
> Palm muting on the bridge, and palm muting in front of the bridge and behind the bridge pick up are two completely different tones just by switching up where your palm rests.
> 
> Just my two cents!



Thanks so much for explaining that. I was focusing all on digging the pick into the strings until I realized my palm muting position was making more of an impact.


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## noUser01

AlexWadeWC said:


> The biggest technique that provides "djent" tone in my opinion is how you palm mute. Few people talk about this but palm muting in this certain way can make any guitar/high gain amp "djent".
> 
> Instead of placing your palm on the bridge, if you rest you palm in between the bridge pickup and the bridge, and pick really hard, that's how you achieve "djent" in my opinion. It tightens up the low end and provides a more percussive attack to the tone. The more you dig your pick into the strings, the more attack and punch the tone will have.
> 
> Palm muting on the bridge, and palm muting in front of the bridge and behind the bridge pick up are two completely different tones just by switching up where your palm rests.
> 
> Just my two cents!



I was lying in bed last night thinking about how I forgot pick technique.

Wait... I've always palm muted there... is that not common? For djent I mean I just did that naturally. For palm muted fast punk chords I back up a bit.

Thanks man I'll throw in your words along with what I forgot and add it to the guide.


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## Stealthdjentstic

I think it would not be obvious to noobs though. A lot of people dont realize how choking up on the right hand changes your mutes.


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## noUser01

Stealthdjentstic said:


> I think it would not be obvious to noobs though. A lot of people dont realize how choking up on the right hand changes your mutes.



I don't disagree, just surprised that wasn't already a thing, haha.


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## noUser01

UPDATE: Updated the technique section with AlexWadeWC's words on palm muting as well as my own words on the matter, picking technique and playing behind the beat. Also fixed some typos and grammatical errors.


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## noUser01

UPDATE: I've updated the guide with notes on choosing pickups and string gauges. Also fixed a couple typos. Big thanks to DDDorian for editing the post for me!


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## Chuck

Great read! I love the part where you say any setup can djent. I can make my Ibanez RG2EX2 into a spider IV in drop D djent just fine haha


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## noUser01

Misery Theory said:


> Great read! I love the part where you say any setup can djent. I can make my Ibanez RG2EX2 into a spider IV in drop D djent just fine haha



Thanks man. Yes I thought it was important to note just how much of it is in the technique and the general principles of tone, and not in specific amps from a specific run of a specific year, you know? Thanks for the kind words.


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## Chuck

ConnorGilks said:


> Thanks man. Yes I thought it was important to note just how much of it is in the technique and the general principles of tone, and not in specific amps from a specific run of a specific year, you know? Thanks for the kind words.



Yup, for sure. Obviously having all the fancy gear and whatnot will help, but the simple double octave power chord djent sound is all technique.


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## noUser01

Misery Theory said:


> Yup, for sure. Obviously having all the fancy gear and whatnot will help, but the simple double octave power chord djent sound is all technique.



Exactly, well said. If you found this helpful, pass it around.


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## that short guy

Well played good sir. Really enjoyed reading this. Hope it gets sticky'd


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## Chuck

ConnorGilks said:


> Exactly, well said. If you found this helpful, pass it around.



Yeah man will do.


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## noUser01

Cheers gentlemen, I hope it gets stickied as well, but more importantly I hope people see and learn from it.


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## BIG ND SWEATY

Misery Theory said:


> Great read! I love the part where you say any setup can djent. I can make my Ibanez RG2EX2 into a spider IV in drop D djent just fine haha



same here haha the spider IV can actually sound pretty decent once you really mess with the basic settings then use the built in gain boost and noise gate and wah-lah djent


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## noUser01

BIG ND SWEATY said:


> same here haha the spider IV can actually sound pretty decent once you really mess with the basic settings then use the built in gain boost and noise gate and wah-lah djent



Yeah I got my old Spider III 15 watt combo to djent with the built-in gate on the Metal channel too haha. Not a lot of note definition and pretty gnarly tone (in a bad way) but it did djent fairly well!


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## ihunda

I was just thinking, this a great thread and ConnorGilks is helping us avoid countless of how to djent threads but:

THis thread is missing samplES!


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## noUser01

ihunda said:


> I was just thinking, this a great thread and ConnorGilks is helping us avoid countless of how to djent threads but:
> 
> THis thread is missing samplES!



Hey man, thanks a lot.

Exactly what are you looking for as far as examples? You mean audio examples?


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## UntilTheAftermath

Any useful Comp settings? I find myself getting lost quite quickly with Compressors.

Anyway, a very useful and good read!  Thanks a lot!


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## noUser01

UntilTheAftermath said:


> Any useful Comp settings? I find myself getting lost quite quickly with Compressors.
> 
> Anyway, a very useful and good read!  Thanks a lot!



I don't blame you man, it's a confusing subject if you've never used one before. I'll try to help as best as I can. Read the part where I briefly outlined the different knobs/features on a compressor first so you know what everything does.

For what we want, we're not looking for infinite sustain and to over-compress our signal. We are already compressing our signal a lot by using distortion and overdrive on our guitar, both of these things add natural compression. If you over compress your signal, it's going to lack life and sound dull. I'd start with a ratio of 2:1 - 4:1. For attack, a lot of people set the attack as low as possible so that the compression kicks in right away... personally I think that's stupid for the same reasons as over compressing the signal. Go about half way on the attack knob and tweak from there. The goal is to still have your attack be dynamic, but right after the attack you want the compression to engage. This gives you the sustain you want but still keeps the attack of everything you play dynamic.

Can I ask specifically what compressor you're using?


----------



## switched

Great thread, lots of good info. 

You mentioned a couple of noise gate setups but I'm currently using an X connection with a gate (MXR Noise Clamp) to drastically reduce the noise from my amp when not playing. I am looking to add an OD (Way Huge Green Rhino) and a compressor (MXR Dynacomp) to the mix. But.... I'm not exactly sure where it makes sense to add these into the chain.

I was always a 'straight into the amp' kinda guy, so this is a bit of an experiment to me. The pedals are on their way, so I'm sure I can figure it out when they arrive (maybe...), but I thought maybe I'd get a head start this way. 

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.


----------



## noUser01

switched said:


> Great thread, lots of good info.
> 
> You mentioned a couple of noise gate setups but I'm currently using an X connection with a gate (MXR Noise Clamp) to drastically reduce the noise from my amp when not playing. I am looking to add an OD (Way Huge Green Rhino) and a compressor (MXR Dynacomp) to the mix. But.... I'm not exactly sure where it makes sense to add these into the chain.
> 
> I was always a 'straight into the amp' kinda guy, so this is a bit of an experiment to me. The pedals are on their way, so I'm sure I can figure it out when they arrive (maybe...), but I thought maybe I'd get a head start this way.
> 
> Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.



Hey man, thanks. Welcome to the forum!

Unfortunately I have no experience with the X connection/setup whatsoever, and have never owned a gate capable of doing that. I would experiment, but here's what I would suggest:

Compressor > Overdrive > Noise Gate in X connection to the amp > Amp

Most of your noise (or at least most of the gain) will be coming from the amp, so I would keep that part of your chain as is, considering you said it drastically lowered the noise level. When you get it all set up, let me know how it goes and if you're having issues I'll try and help as best as I can.


----------



## switched

Thanks for the quick reply. Two possibilities seem to be:

Guitar - Compressor - OD - Gate In - Gate Send - Amp In - Amp FX Send - Gate Return - Gate Out - Amp FX Return (which you have suggested here)

Guitar - Gate In - Gate Send - Amp In - Amp FX Send - OD - Gate Return - Gate Out - Compressor - Amp FX Return (I stumbled across this suggestion recently, but I'm not so sure about it)

As far as I can tell, the X is just including the amp's preamp in the gate's own loop. It's a little more complex than I anticipated, but I don't see a reason why to not give it a shot. I'll give them a try and let ya know how it turns out.

Thanks again.


----------



## noUser01

switched said:


> Thanks for the quick reply. Two possibilities seem to be:
> 
> Guitar - Compressor - OD - Gate In - Gate Send - Amp In - Amp FX Send - Gate Return - Gate Out - Amp FX Return (which you have suggested here)
> 
> Guitar - Gate In - Gate Send - Amp In - Amp FX Send - OD - Gate Return - Gate Out - Compressor - Amp FX Return (I stumbled across this suggestion recently, but I'm not so sure about it)
> 
> As far as I can tell, the X is just including the amp's preamp in the gate's own loop. It's a little more complex than I anticipated, but I don't see a reason why to not give it a shot. I'll give them a try and let ya know how it turns out.
> 
> Thanks again.



Took me a while to understand it, but I don't see how the 2nd one would be helpful at all. You've got the OD in the loop of the amp, so that alone confuses me. Give both a shot and let me know though.  I'll do some more research and try and get you some answers.


----------



## noUser01

UPDATE: Added a section on using a distortion pedal with a clean amp instead of using a distorted amp, added some pedal suggestions to the OD section, and made some general edits. Big thanks to DDDorian for editing the OP for me since I no longer have access to it.


----------



## silent suicide

I always seem to come back to this thread when I feel I need to work some on the tone..
I seem to be lacking a compressor in my setup.
The treble strings are doing gnarly things to my ears, so I would like them on the same volume as the bass strings
Any suggestions on other compressors, other then the Keeley 4knob?
Would a Boss compressor do the Trick or another that is rather easy to get in Europe ?


----------



## noUser01

silent suicide said:


> I always seem to come back to this thread when I feel I need to work some on the tone..
> I seem to be lacking a compressor in my setup.
> The treble strings are doing gnarly things to my ears, so I would like them on the same volume as the bass strings
> Any suggestions on other compressors, other then the Keeley 4knob?
> Would a Boss compressor do the Trick or another that is rather easy to get in Europe ?



Hey man, thanks for the kind words. 

Could you explain your issue a bit more? By gnarly do you mean too loud or just harsh sounding?

I would highly recommend _against_ the Boss compressor for this. It really saturates your tone and colors it quite a bit, in a way that is not pleasing for what we're going for. As I said in the guide, I cannot say enough good things about the MXR Bass Compressor. Don't let the bass label fool you as it doesn't color your tone (any more than a compressor should, at least) and sounds excellent on guitar. The LED meter also gives you a visual representation of the compression so you know what you're doing as you adjust settings.

Now, this pedal is still on the expensive side (around $200). Is this out of your budget? There's a ton of compressors out there so giving me an idea of your budget and/or needs when it comes to features would be helpful.  The Xotic Effects SP Compressor is also really nice and transparent... only $132 as well.

Keep in mind that before buying a compressor, take a look at your pickup heights. Angling your pickups to be closer on the treble side and farther on the bass side is going to naturally balance out the response of your strings. Be careful though, you want to make sure the pickups are at the right height for their purpose though. You can email most pickup companies and ask them what the optimal height is for their pickups, and they should be able to help you out if you explain your issue to them.


----------



## BaptizedBurning

Good guide


----------



## silent suicide

Yeah by gnarly I mean loud..
Currently I am switching from high gain channel to low if I decide to try some sort if solo and swapping to neck pup.

I can try and mess around with pup hight and see if I will still need it..
Well I don't mind getting 2e hand, but around 100 euro atm, gonna sell some gear, and see if I can squize out a few more bucks..
I just want the lows and the highs to be at the same volume, so I don't have to channel switch for that..
Maybe I just need a volume pedal of some sort, but preferably I don't wanna do anything but play instead of messing around with pedals.

Will look up the bass comp, thanks for the tip and reply


----------



## noUser01

silent suicide said:


> Yeah by gnarly I mean loud..
> Currently I am switching from high gain channel to low if I decide to try some sort if solo and swapping to neck pup.
> 
> I can try and mess around with pup hight and see if I will still need it..
> Well I don't mind getting 2e hand, but around 100 euro atm, gonna sell some gear, and see if I can squize out a few more bucks..
> I just want the lows and the highs to be at the same volume, so I don't have to channel switch for that..
> Maybe I just need a volume pedal of some sort, but preferably I don't wanna do anything but play instead of messing around with pedals.
> 
> Will look up the bass comp, thanks for the tip and reply



Gotcha. Are you using an OD? What are your settings on your amp/pedals? 

If you're willing to go second hand/sell some things as you said then yeah, the Xotic, MXR Bass Comp, Keeley 2-knob (much cheaper), or Maxon CP101 are all good choices. Feel free to try out some of the lower end stuff though like the MXR Dyna Comp and see if those do it for you without changing your tone too much. Remember, a little compression goes a long way, don't overdo it!


----------



## MyNameIsMax

Sticky please. I'm relatively new to the forum, and all the questions about djent tone and string tension are already pissing me of :/


----------



## noUser01

MyNameIsMax said:


> Sticky please. I'm relatively new to the forum, and all the questions about djent tone and string tension are already pissing me of :/



I feel your pain. And tell the mods, they should sticky it.  Thanks for reading man.


----------



## Zban

Great guide! It's worth mentioning, there is a graphic EQ pedal that can boost 1.4k and cut all frequencies below 100, as mentioned in the EQ pedal section. It's called the "ARTEC SE-EQ8", sort of hard to find, but there's a few floating around ebay for about $100. This is what I use, as I personally also like a small boost around 500/600 for some extra "snarl".


----------



## noUser01

Zban said:


> Great guide! It's worth mentioning, there is a graphic EQ pedal that can boost 1.4k and cut all frequencies below 100, as mentioned in the EQ pedal section. It's called the "ARTEC SE-EQ8", sort of hard to find, but there's a few floating around ebay for about $100. This is what I use, as I personally also like a small boost around 500/600 for some extra "snarl".



Thanks man! Looking at the pedal itself it looks like it does boost at 1.4kHz, but I don't see any way you could cut below 100Hz?


----------



## Zban

ConnorGilks said:


> Thanks man! Looking at the pedal itself it looks like it does boost at 1.4kHz, but I don't see any way you could cut below 100Hz?



My bad man, typo. I meant to say you can cut AT 100, which even though is a specific frequency, helps greatly to clean up low notes. Another method I've experimented with is cutting my 6505+'s Bass knob (which also boosts frequencies below 100), and slightly boosting the low-mid range on the pedal to make up lost bass frequencies I actually want in the tone.


----------



## noUser01

Zban said:


> My bad man, typo. I meant to say you can cut AT 100, which even though is a specific frequency, helps greatly to clean up low notes. Another method I've experimented with is cutting my 6505+'s Bass knob (which also boosts frequencies below 100), and slightly boosting the low-mid range on the pedal to make up lost bass frequencies I actually want in the tone.



Ah, I gotcha. Well thanks man, that's a big help and I'll be sure to add that to the guide in the next update. Cheers! Yeah, I always found that it was completely unnecessary to have the bass knob past 3 on any amp really, it doesn't sound as good on its own but what's more important is that it sounds awesome in a mix. Every can be heard clearly and that's way more important than how you think you sound by yourself.


----------



## funknotik

That's a good guide I think it's spot on.  Although I feel like boosting 1.1 which is I believe the middle of mid range for a guitar sounds better for a "Djenty" tone. Is this a matter of personal preference? Or maybe my dep settings on the pod naturally boost the mid range?


----------



## noUser01

funknotik said:


> That's a good guide I think it's spot on.  Although I feel like boosting 1.1 which is I believe the middle of mid range for a guitar sounds better for a "Djenty" tone. Is this a matter of personal preference? Or maybe my dep settings on the pod naturally boost the mid range?



Thanks man! I'll have to try later, I just found 1.4kHz to work for me. Maybe it's just my setup or perhaps it's just preference! Whatever works for you is what's important.


----------



## Brill

A question about noise gates. You said stuf about using multiples, does it matter if you use 3 different types/brands?


----------



## Devyn Eclipse Nav

Loxodrome said:


> A question about noise gates. You said stuf about using multiples, does it matter if you use 3 different types/brands?



Doesn't matter at all, as long as they're all good and do their job properly. You could use an MXR Smart Gate, ISP Decimator, and a Rocktron Hush (essentially an older version of the decimator) and you'd be fine.


----------



## noUser01

Loxodrome said:


> A question about noise gates. You said stuf about using multiples, does it matter if you use 3 different types/brands?



Not at all. Like Zeno said, a noise gate will do the job of a noise gate. The only thing that would be worth considering is the quality of your noise gate. I'd much rather have all ISP Decimators than a MXR Noise Clamp and two NS-2's. Higher quality ones will be built better, more reliable, suck less of your tone/be more transparent, and just flat out do their job better.

Keep in mind though that not all gates work the same way. For example, the ISP Decimator G-String model has one input/output for your guitar and the loop is for anything you want to gate. The guitar input and output DO NOT GATE ANYTHING. All they do is track your guitar signal directly (instead of after running through effects) for more accurate gating. The gating itself is only taking place in the loop. The ISP Decimator Standard model however is just a simple in/out gate. It gates everything before it, nothing after it.


----------



## noUser01

Just wanted to bump this asking for anyone who uses the Boss NS-2 in the X Configuration. If you use it, can you explain how it works, and how it would apply to a setup like the one I've described where you'd be using multiple noise gates?


----------



## Idontpersonally

Noise gates?


----------



## yellow

Cool tips.....now I wish there was a guide for posers, I mean players, to stop using that stupid word "djent"


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## noUser01

yellow said:


> Cool tips.....now I wish there was a guide for posers, I mean players, to stop using that stupid word "djent"



Without getting into the "djent" argument, unfortunately it is now a "thing" because of the connotations that come with the word. It's terminology we have to use now, heh.


----------



## vilk

I wish there were like an alternate version of this thread for people who don't have all this stuff and are playing out of some cheap multi-effector (like perhaps a korg pandora). I turn down the bass and turn up the mids and treble, turn up the noise reduction... but basically that's all I can do. Sometimes I wonder why I even bought a nice guitar considering my rig...

any tips for the budget djenter?

I don't have room for an amp and I can't really buy one considering I don't know how long I'll be living in this country. Is there any sort of all in one digital mechanism that gives you access to enough of the things we need to make a djent?

This thread is beautiful, though. I'm gonna get right on all that stuff the minute I step foot back in the states.


----------



## noUser01

baron samedi said:


> I wish there were like an alternate version of this thread for people who don't have all this stuff and are playing out of some cheap multi-effector (like perhaps a korg pandora). I turn down the bass and turn up the mids and treble, turn up the noise reduction... but basically that's all I can do. Sometimes I wonder why I even bought a nice guitar considering my rig...
> 
> any tips for the budget djenter?
> 
> I don't have room for an amp and I can't really buy one considering I don't know how long I'll be living in this country. Is there any sort of all in one digital mechanism that gives you access to enough of the things we need to make a djent?
> 
> This thread is beautiful, though. I'm gonna get right on all that stuff the minute I step foot back in the states.



Hey man, thanks for the kind words.

First thing to remember is that you need to pay money to get a good rig. Bottom line. Yes there are wicked budget models out there, but if you could get the perfect djent tone in a $400 box then no one would have AxeFX II's, 5150's, etc. 

That being said, this guide applies to multi-effects processors too. All the information you need is right there, you just need to apply it to your own rig. For a multi-effects processor all the talk about amp choices (or amp models) tube screamer settings, noise gate placement, EQ settings, compressors, pickup choice, string choices, and most importantly TECHNIQUE all apply to ANY rig. That's what I've intended this guide for, and I think that if you read it again with that in mind you should be able to achieve what you're looking for. If you can't, chances are you need some better gear. You won't get what you're looking for from a GT-8. 

Now, as for choosing a new multi-effects an HD500 would be your best bet. Solid amp modeling and all the tools you need to achieve this tone in a relatively cheap package.

Hope that helps man.


----------



## guill666

thanks for the help here, nice guide ^^


----------



## noUser01

guill666 said:


> thanks for the help here, nice guide ^^



My pleasure man, thanks for the kind words.


----------



## kamello

bumpity for this as people generally ask for this around


----------



## lewis

Great read this 

2 quick questions though

1) where would the EQ be placed?. Infront of the amp or the loop?

2) You say that a para eq works best as you can select specific freq but If you can find a Graphic eq that isolates 1.4khz for you (like the artec SE EQ8 Graphic EQ - EDIT my bad it only has 1.2khz not 1.4 but thats pretty close isnt it?) Is that the same and will do the same job?. Or would a Para still be better?

Thanks for this though, Im now using it to update my whole live sound and effects

EDIT I also want to get rid of fizz from my amp so Im even half tempted to buy a Parametric and a Graphic EQ for the efx loop (presumably the best place for EQs...or can 1 be used after the Maxon infront of the amp to remove anything nasty being created by the OD?). The Para boosting the 1.4khz to give me that Djenty tone and the other Graphic EQ to add some meat and remove the fizz

Does anyone know If this would work?


----------



## noUser01

lewis said:


> Great read this
> 
> 2 quick questions though
> 
> 1) where would the EQ be placed?. Infront of the amp or the loop?
> 
> 2) You say that a para eq works best as you can select specific freq but If you can find a Graphic eq that isolates 1.4khz for you (like the artec SE EQ8 Graphic EQ - EDIT my bad it only has 1.2khz not 1.4 but thats pretty close isnt it?) Is that the same and will do the same job?. Or would a Para still be better?
> 
> Thanks for this though, Im now using it to update my whole live sound and effects
> 
> EDIT I also want to get rid of fizz from my amp so Im even half tempted to buy a Parametric and a Graphic EQ for the efx loop (presumably the best place for EQs...or can 1 be used after the Maxon infront of the amp to remove anything nasty being created by the OD?). The Para boosting the 1.4khz to give me that Djenty tone and the other Graphic EQ to add some meat and remove the fizz
> 
> Does anyone know If this would work?



Hey man! So sorry for the late reply.

1) You'd be better off putting it in the loop. The reason being that distortion compresses your tone, so if you put an EQ before your distortion it'll be much less severe. If you put it in the loop you don't have that compression fighting against the EQ changes you've made.

2) Either one works. And like I said, it doesn't need to be 1.4kHz, you should always experiment when given frequencies as with different setups you may find that you can only get a good tone with it at 1.5kHz, or 13.8kHz. As long as you're getting the sound you want, then THAT is the best way to do it. 

When you say "fizz" can you be more specific? Are you talking about background noise and hiss when you aren't playing or are you talking about a specific frequency in your tone?


----------



## Billy Butcher

Hi, great post! I actually made a purchase based on this (the akai deluxe distortion). It's not bad..has a lot of variety to it. 

This thread seemed more geared for people running into amps (I might of missed something), I prefer direct line in recording. Do you have a recommendation for the chain going into the audio interface? Right now my chain is od>noisegate>distortion>audio interface. Then I have some okay-ish plugins that I use to get my compression. Anyways, I struggle like a son-of-a-****** dialing in for tone. I can't seem to get the clarity I really want. It's okay, I just wish it could be better. Any suggestions?


----------



## noUser01

Billy Butcher said:


> Hi, great post! I actually made a purchase based on this (the akai deluxe distortion). It's not bad..has a lot of variety to it.
> 
> This thread seemed more geared for people running into amps (I might of missed something), I prefer direct line in recording. Do you have a recommendation for the chain going into the audio interface? Right now my chain is od>noisegate>distortion>audio interface. Then I have some okay-ish plugins that I use to get my compression. Anyways, I struggle like a son-of-a-****** dialing in for tone. I can't seem to get the clarity I really want. It's okay, I just wish it could be better. Any suggestions?



Thanks man.

Not at all, these are all general guidelines and work the same way if you're using plugins. Just so I'm clear, you're going:

Guitar > OD Pedal > Noise Gate Pedal > Distortion Pedal > Audio interface? That's it? Nothing else?

If that is the case, you need to be running an amp simulation and cabinet simulation of some kind. Otherwise you're really just recording a DI signal with some stuff on it. I recommend checking out something like Amplitube, Revalver, POD Farm, etc. If you want something free check out the LePou series of plugins, which include a cabinet simulator and preamp sims as well. If you're not familiar with this kind of set up go to my website (link in my signature) and go to the blog section, I've written up a tutorial on Recording Guitars at Home which has all the necessary steps to download and set up these plugins.


----------



## Billy Butcher

ConnorGilks said:


> Thanks man.
> 
> Not at all, these are all general guidelines and work the same way if you're using plugins. Just so I'm clear, you're going:
> 
> Guitar > OD Pedal > Noise Gate Pedal > Distortion Pedal > Audio interface? That's it? Nothing else?
> 
> If that is the case, you need to be running an amp simulation and cabinet simulation of some kind. Otherwise you're really just recording a DI signal with some stuff on it. I recommend checking out something like Amplitube, Revalver, POD Farm, etc. If you want something free check out the LePou series of plugins, which include a cabinet simulator and preamp sims as well. If you're not familiar with this kind of set up go to my website (link in my signature) and go to the blog section, I've written up a tutorial on Recording Guitars at Home which has all the necessary steps to download and set up these plugins.



I have a tuner at the beginning and a delay at the end. But they get used so seldom, and they're true bypasses when turned off (I know that that's not perfect due to signal loss through more chord etc etc..)

I haven't had too much luck with the amp and cab plugins, tone-wise. My other guitarist has been using Guitar Rig, which isn't bad, but I'm not blown away from it. I have an additional plugin I can use it's the Poulin LeCto v1. It just simulates a Mesa Boogie rectifier. I'm not really feeling it though. It's real buzzy sounding. 

If you had to pick one amp simulator, which one do you think would wield the best results?


----------



## noUser01

Billy Butcher said:


> I have a tuner at the beginning and a delay at the end. But they get used so seldom, and they're true bypasses when turned off (I know that that's not perfect due to signal loss through more chord etc etc..)
> 
> I haven't had too much luck with the amp and cab plugins, tone-wise. My other guitarist has been using Guitar Rig, which isn't bad, but I'm not blown away from it. I have an additional plugin I can use it's the Poulin LeCto v1. It just simulates a Mesa Boogie rectifier. I'm not really feeling it though. It's real buzzy sounding.
> 
> If you had to pick one amp simulator, which one do you think would wield the best results?



Unfortunately you need to use an amp and cab plugin unless you are going to reamp your DI's later. But at the end of the day if you're recording direct without reamping you NEED to be running into an amp simulator and a cab simulator in your DAW or it's not going to work.

Do you know how to EQ guitars for recording though? Did you try a low pass and high pass filter on the guitars first? Honestly the LePou amps are hard to beat. 

If after the high and low pass filters you're still having issues, upload a clip and we can go from there.


----------



## enuenu

I have a Dual Rectifier, OD9 Pro+, Flashback X4, Fuzz War, Voodoo Wah, G String Decimator gate and an Empress Parametric EQ. I cannot for the life of me get the G String to work in the loop. When placed in the loop all sorts of bizarre noises are created and the amp sounds like it has a massive problem. This is regardless of loop level and mix settings (although changing these settings alters the weirdness).

I think the G String is made for serial loops so perhaps the parallel loop in the Recto is the problem and I can only use the G String out front.

So at the moment I have the G String out front acting as an umbrella over my OD, EQ, Wah & Fuzz. This then goes to the front input. Then I have my delay in the loop. This works but I wonder if I am making the most of the G String's capabilities.


----------



## noUser01

enuenu said:


> I have a Dual Rectifier, OD9 Pro+, Flashback X4, Fuzz War, Voodoo Wah, G String Decimator gate and an Empress Parametric EQ. I cannot for the life of me get the G String to work in the loop. When placed in the loop all sorts of bizarre noises are created and the amp sounds like it has a massive problem. This is regardless of loop level and mix settings (although changing these settings alters the weirdness).
> 
> I think the G String is made for serial loops so perhaps the parallel loop in the Recto is the problem and I can only use the G String out front.
> 
> So at the moment I have the G String out front acting as an umbrella over my OD, EQ, Wah & Fuzz. This then goes to the front input. Then I have my delay in the loop. This works but I wonder if I am making the most of the G String's capabilities.



I hope I don't insult, but I just want to make sure you're running it properly. I don't know about parallel/serial loops and how they would impact it, but you should be running your guitar into the Guitar In, then the Guitar Out to your pedalboard. The Decimator In/Out should be connected to the loop of your amp. Is that how you had it set up? 

Another thing to remember is that the the delay pedal should go AFTER the noise gate in your signal chain, or else the gate might freak out a bit and you'll have no delay, heh. That might be causing some weird noises for you. 

Can you give me the entire rundown of your signal chain in order so I can try and help you better? Audio/video clips of the strange noises might help as well.


----------



## enuenu

Thanks. I have made some progress. Now the main question surrounds placement of my Para EQ and the G String. I will post a diagram when I can, meanwhile here is a description of the situation. I have a 3 Ch Dual Recto, G String Decimator, Empress Para EQ w/boost, Flashback X4 delay, Maxon OD9 Pro+, Wahzoo Wah, tuner and a Fuzz War. 

The Decimator G String is supposed to be used in conjunction with the loop apparently, so I wanted to do this. I used to have it set up like the diagram at top right of the manual;
http://www.isptechnologies.com/manuals/Decimator G String Pedal 5-13-092.pdf
but that doesn't make use of the FX loop so I thought maybe I should change the layout to make the most of the G String&#8217;s capabilities.

I recently read this thread and in it saw what looked like a good layout diagram (see 7th post for diagram);
Guitar Forums: Effects Pedals: Decimator G-string cable layout?

This post suggested putting the EQ and delay in the loop (making use of the G String's FX loop functionality) and setting the mix to 100% (as the DR's loop is parallel not serial) This didn't work at first. I was getting some horrific noises out of the amp before I quickly turned my guitar volume to 0. 

Then through a process of elimination I realized it was the Para EQ being in the loop that was causing the problems, so I took it out of the loop and put it out front, leaving the delay and G String in the loop. This all worked OK it seemed.

However I did notice that when I had the Para EQ in the loop it had very significant effects on the tone. This was a good thing. I was getting some great tones, very extreme and varied. The EQ had way more effect on tone when in the loop as opposed to when it was out front. 

However I had to be careful when the EQ was in the loop. I had to set the EQ's input pad to -12dB and keep its boost setting at 10dB or below. Once the boost was over 15dB horrible feedback and squealing occurred. Anything over 20dB and the amp sounded like it was going to die, making all sorts of squealing, thumping and stuttering tones. I turned the EQ's boost back down immediately. Changing the EQ's input pad level had a similar effect. When switched from -12dB to 0dB the amp freaked out again.

So I thought maybe having the EQ in the loop could damage the amp, even with the boost down low and the input pad maximized. Have I already damaged the amp? Could prolonged use of the EQ in the loop damage the amp, even with boost and input pad settings set to avoid the amp freaking? 

Maybe even the fact that certain frequencies are boosted can cause damage even though it all sounds OK? I am not a technical person but my guess is that the boost to the signal carried out by the EQ is something the loop can't handle, to some extent anyway.

I then took the EQ out of the loop and put it back out front. I could then max out the EQ&#8217;s boost even when chained with the OD9 on maximum boost. Input pad setting could also be anywhere. However the EQ was no longer having the massive effect on tone that was so much fun when I had it in the loop. It still changed the tone a lot when out front, just nowhere near as radically.

Should I leave this EQ in the loop or take it out and leave it out front?
Here is the manual;
http://www.empresseffects.com/manuals/paraeq.pdf

Maybe I should revert to having the G String completely out front, covering all my pedals except delay (no loop involvement, as per the diagram at top right of the G String manual) and put the delay in the loop by itself? However maybe the G String is &#8220;working better&#8221; when in the loop with the delay?

As far as having the delay after the noise gate as you mentioned, I refer to the diagram second from top on the right side of the G String manual. I am guessing that when the G String is in the loop with the delay, that the delay would sit between &#8220;Dec Out&#8221; on the G String and &#8220;Return&#8221; on my amp. Sorry to state what is probably obvious, that's how I have had it and it works (plus it makes sense to me.)

Sorry for such a long post, but the devil is in the detail.


----------



## noUser01

I appreciate the detail, I think I can help.

Firstly the boost feature on the ParaEQ is just that, a volume boost. You really have no reason to set it to anything except 0db (which turns off the boost). It's just for amplifying the signal, which seems pointless in your case. So with that boost on, plus adding EQ boosts it's only natural that the amp won't take it well, you're adding a LOT of signal that way. If you wanted to boost the signal that's going into the front of the amp then maybe you'd want to use it, but you're already doing that with an overdrive anyways. Bottom line, you don't need the boost.

Secondly, an EQ will always have a much more drastic impact on your distorted tone when you put the EQ in the loop. The reason being that distortion compresses your signal, meaning if you made some EQ boost before you hit the amp, the distortion the amp creates will also compress those EQ changes you've made, making them less severe. There are benefits to putting an EQ before the amp (as discussed briefly in the ParaEQ manual) but for our purposes you probably want it in the loop.

The input pad shouldn't be necessary, so I would turn the pad off and also turn the boost off. The EQ isn't the part of your chain that's freaking out, it's your amp. But the reason your amp is freaking out is because you're sending a TON of signal to your power-amp (through the effects loop return) because of the boost in your EQ. Like I said, turn the boost OFF. You should now be able to make the necessary EQ changes without the amp freaking out from too much signal.

For the delay pedal, I would stick it exactly where you've mentioned - after the "Dec Out", before the amp's effects loop "Return". That way it is the last thing in your signal chain and the gate won't cut off the repeats. I doubt you've damaged your amp, and you mentioned everything sounds and works fine so I don't think you have to worry about that at all. 

Does that help you out? Let me know if there's anything else.


----------



## enuenu

Thanks a lot. Great help. So I just keep the EQ in the loop but take care to keep the boost at zero and no amp damage will occur? 

When the EQ was in the loop, the problems with the EQ providing too much signal also seemed to be soothed a great deal by also setting the input pad at -12dB. Is that because this decreases the signal going to the power amp, just as keeping the boost down low does?


----------



## noUser01

enuenu said:


> Thanks a lot. Great help. So I just keep the EQ in the loop but take care to keep the boost at zero and no amp damage will occur?
> 
> When the EQ was in the loop, the problems with the EQ providing too much signal also seemed to be soothed a great deal by also setting the input pad at -12dB. Is that because this decreases the signal going to the power amp, just as keeping the boost down low does?



You turning on the input pad to -12db helped because you had the boost turned on - as you said - as high as +10db. So really, if you keep the boost off you can also keep the input pad off.  Input pad is when there's too much signal coming INTO the pedal, so it lowers your signal gain. But you just ended up boosting it using the boost knob anyways at the end of your chain, so one is just cancelling out the other! 

It's not so much about damage, it's just that you have no reason to boost your signal with the boost knob period. And when you do use the boost knob you're just getting a lot of feedback anyways. You're not boosting your signal in a desirable place, really.


----------



## enuenu

Thanks so much! Friendly Canadians rule  I'll post a diagram for analysis when I get to it. 

The G String manual says the G String should be the last pedal in the chain. However if I have it correct this isn't always the case. For example, we have decided the delay should go in *after* the G String in the loop section.

The other region where I would question this "put the G String last" instruction is with regards to the placement of the dirt pedals out front. I have the dirt pedals between the G String's "Guitar Out" and the amp's input. 

The way I read it, if I were to follow the manual's advice the dirt pedals (OD, Wah & Fuzz) would be between the guitar and the G String's "Guitar In" (thus the G String would be last). I'm probably interpreting the manual incorrectly as this layout would contradict post No. 7 here, which I'm guessing is correct (and I have copied).

I've got to say for all the work ISP put into building the pedal, they seem to have scratched out the manual on the back of a coaster at the pub after work one day. The diagram relating to loop usage in the manual doesn't even show a single effects pedal. Why not provide half a dozen possible layout diagrams and save people like me a lot of confusion? It would only take them an hour or so to knock something like that up. Hard to understand. I guess they don't cater to tech newbs.


----------



## noUser01

enuenu said:


> Thanks so much! Friendly Canadians rule  I'll post a diagram for analysis when I get to it.
> 
> The G String manual says the G String should be the last pedal in the chain. However if I have it correct this isn't always the case. For example, we have decided the delay should go in *after* the G String in the loop section.
> 
> The other region where I would question this "put the G String last" instruction is with regards to the placement of the dirt pedals out front. I have the dirt pedals between the G String's "Guitar Out" and the amp's input.
> 
> The way I read it, if I were to follow the manual's advice the dirt pedals (OD, Wah & Fuzz) would be between the guitar and the G String's "Guitar In" (thus the G String would be last). I'm probably interpreting the manual incorrectly as this layout would contradict post No. 7 here, which I'm guessing is correct (and I have copied).
> 
> I've got to say for all the work ISP put into building the pedal, they seem to have scratched out the manual on the back of a coaster at the pub after work one day. The diagram relating to loop usage in the manual doesn't even show a single effects pedal. Why not provide half a dozen possible layout diagrams and save people like me a lot of confusion? It would only take them an hour or so to knock something like that up. Hard to understand. I guess they don't cater to tech newbs.



My pleasure, buddy.

The placement is entirely dependent on what you want to gate with the noise gate. In this case we decided to gate the entire signal before the power amp except the delay (for reasons we've already discussed). The reason being (as discussed in the guide) since you've only got one gate you want to gate your entire signal since you've got noise coming from several sources and only one gate, so putting it at the end means it'll handle the noise from ALL parts of your signal path (your drive pedals, your amp, and any noise from other pedals, cheap cables, poor power supplies etc). I honestly don't know why they recommend putting it last, especially when it's just going to confuse people when you consider it isn't a straight in/out pedal, it has a loop too.

Anyways... best way I can explain it is that whatever is in the loop of the G String is what will actually be gated. The Guitar In and Guitar Output are so the pedal can actually track your signal right at the source - after the guitar but before any pedals. So the pedal will gate your signal after whatever is in the loop, but will track it accurately based on the signal straight from the guitar, completely unaffected. As you know, when you pile on pedals (especially distortion) it gets harder for a gate to react to when you ACTUALLY stop playing. That's the point of having a separate loop and tracking signal, so they can be spot on when it comes to stop/start stuff.


----------



## enuenu

Best explanation I've read. Cheers!


----------



## noUser01

enuenu said:


> Best explanation I've read. Cheers!



Anytime.


----------



## Billy Butcher

ConnorGilks said:


> Unfortunately you need to use an amp and cab plugin unless you are going to reamp your DI's later. But at the end of the day if you're recording direct without reamping you NEED to be running into an amp simulator and a cab simulator in your DAW or it's not going to work.
> 
> Do you know how to EQ guitars for recording though? Did you try a low pass and high pass filter on the guitars first? Honestly the LePou amps are hard to beat.
> 
> If after the high and low pass filters you're still having issues, upload a clip and we can go from there.



Whoa there! Sorry it's been so long. I've been super busy writing and learning how to use the plugins to my advantage. Got to go back on what I said about the LePou; you were spot-on, absolutely, positively right about the LePou plugins! The Le456 (ENGL emulator) is hands-down one of the greatest plugins I've used. Mixed with a single impulse in the LeCab, so so nice! Well, I'm still running my pedals direct into the audio interface, and I then run the Le456 clean with some eq, and PRESTO! Glorious tone! Can't thank you enough, brother!


----------



## noUser01

Billy Butcher said:


> Whoa there! Sorry it's been so long. I've been super busy writing and learning how to use the plugins to my advantage. Got to go back on what I said about the LePou; you were spot-on, absolutely, positively right about the LePou plugins! The Le456 (ENGL emulator) is hands-down one of the greatest plugins I've used. Mixed with a single impulse in the LeCab, so so nice! Well, I'm still running my pedals direct into the audio interface, and I then run the Le456 clean with some eq, and PRESTO! Glorious tone! Can't thank you enough, brother!



Glad everything worked out for you man, post some clips if you get a chance. Would love to hear what you came up with.


----------



## Billy Butcher

ConnorGilks said:


> Glad everything worked out for you man, post some clips if you get a chance. Would love to hear what you came up with.



Will do. Probably be a month or 2. We got a song out, but it came before the power of the plugins, and we were (still are) learning tone and recording, so tone-wise, not near as good as what we're pushing now. Feel free to listen though  It's simple, but we dug it when we made it. Newer stuff is blowing this away


----------



## noUser01

Rad stuff man! Can't wait to hear what else you come up with. Vocalist reminds me of a slightly deathcore/black metal influenced Jens Kidman, I love it!


----------



## Billy Butcher

ConnorGilks said:


> Rad stuff man! Can't wait to hear what else you come up with. Vocalist reminds me of a slightly deathcore/black metal influenced Jens Kidman, I love it!



Cheers!


----------



## noUser01

Billy Butcher said:


> Cheers!



You bet man!


----------



## wowspare

Or you could get an EQ pedal and cut off most frequencies below 200hz, slightly boost 800hz and put a noticeable boost around 1400~1600hz?


----------



## noUser01

wowspare said:


> Or you could get an EQ pedal and cut off most frequencies below 200hz, slightly boost 800hz and put a noticeable boost around 1400~1600hz?



200Hz is a bit on the extreme side, in my opinion. As for 800Hz depends on what you want. And as I said 1.4kHz is a great starting point, but as with any of these numbers they are merely a suggested area, and should be experimented with. But there's a lot more to it than just the EQ.


----------



## TheWarAgainstTime

wowspare said:


> Or you could get an EQ pedal and cut off most frequencies below 200hz, slightly boost 800hz and put a noticeable boost around 1400~1600hz?



When I was running a 31 band EQ in my chain, I'd have a bit of a dip at 100hz, and a slight boost around 60hz to add back some low end punch without getting flubby. Heard about doing that from an interview with Devin Townsend and I really liked the result.


----------



## noUser01

TheWarAgainstTime said:


> When I was running a 31 band EQ in my chain, I'd have a bit of a dip at 100hz, and a slight boost around 60hz to add back some low end punch without getting flubby. Heard about doing that from an interview with Devin Townsend and I really liked the result.



Nice tip dude, thanks for sharing.


----------



## Garband

I hate asking such a stupid question, but... When talking about the OD settings, you say the common set up is for the level to be 10. Is that 10 o'clock, or 10 as in maxed out (unless Marshall makes an OD pedal ;] )?

Thanks for the guide.. Hopefully this will help me get a tone I like out of my Mesa!


----------



## JustMac

Garband said:


> I hate asking such a stupid question, but... When talking about the OD settings, you say the common set up is for the level to be 10. Is that 10 o'clock, or 10 as in maxed out (unless Marshall makes an OD pedal ;] )?
> 
> Thanks for the guide.. Hopefully this will help me get a tone I like out of my Mesa!


 He means 10 as in maxed out  Don't worry about it


----------



## noUser01

Garband said:


> I hate asking such a stupid question, but... When talking about the OD settings, you say the common set up is for the level to be 10. Is that 10 o'clock, or 10 as in maxed out (unless Marshall makes an OD pedal ;] )?
> 
> Thanks for the guide.. Hopefully this will help me get a tone I like out of my Mesa!





JustMac said:


> He means 10 as in maxed out  Don't worry about it



Righto! Not a stupid question at all man.


----------



## funknotik

I had a look at the bulb preset for the AXE FX (which I don't own unfortunately.) I noticed there is one amp option where the 1200 area is boosted and here within the drive block emulation (ts808) we see the 1.4 area boosted quite a bit. Do any of you have experience with the axe fx in confirming this is what's going on? I've been experimenting with both areas slightly boosted and it seems to be sounded much better particularly for staccato parts. What do you guys think thought I'd share.

Also notice his use of the level/output at around 80 and the tone about 57.


----------



## Kullerbytta

Question for the Axe FX-users: 

What cab/stereo cab and mics do you use for your recording tones? 
I use a Recto 1 and a 4x12 V30 with no mic, because it sounds fairly good recorded... But it sounds artificial as hell  

Any tips?


----------



## noUser01

funknotik said:


> I had a look at the bulb preset for the AXE FX (which I don't own unfortunately.) I noticed there is one amp option where the 1200 area is boosted and here within the drive block emulation (ts808) we see the 1.4 area boosted quite a bit. Do any of you have experience with the axe fx in confirming this is what's going on? I've been experimenting with both areas slightly boosted and it seems to be sounded much better particularly for staccato parts. What do you guys think thought I'd share.
> 
> Also notice his use of the level/output at around 80 and the tone about 57.
> 
> View attachment 42317



Not sure what you're asking here, man. I've got an AxeFX and have looked at those patches before but I think you've answered your question, they are boosted there in the patch so yeah... what more confirmation is needed? Haha. 

I can almost guarantee the position of the drive's level and tone knobs are just done by ear, and not like his EQ boost which he's probably learned "Oh I like this about here". He probably just tweaked them to where they sounded good, rather than a standard thing he always does, I would imagine.

It's also worth noting that the firmware the patch was made on is important, as the sound does change between updates so I can pretty much guarantee this patch would look quite different on the current firmware.



Kullerbytta said:


> Question for the Axe FX-users:
> 
> What cab/stereo cab and mics do you use for your recording tones?
> I use a Recto 1 and a 4x12 V30 with no mic, because it sounds fairly good recorded... But it sounds artificial as hell
> 
> Any tips?



I think you'd be better off asking on the Fractal Forum. Really depends on the sound you're going for and how you're dialing things in. I will say though that your recording tone probably won't be the same as your live tone, at least I've never experienced that where one tone is optimal for both.


----------



## funknotik

ConnorGilks said:


> Not sure what you're asking here, man. I've got an AxeFX and have looked at those patches before but I think you've answered your question, they are boosted there in the patch so yeah... what more confirmation is needed? Haha.
> 
> I can almost guarantee the position of the drive's level and tone knobs are just done by ear, and not like his EQ boost which he's probably learned "Oh I like this about here". He probably just tweaked them to where they sounded good, rather than a standard thing he always does, I would imagine.
> 
> It's also worth noting that the firmware the patch was made on is important, as the sound does change between updates so I can pretty much guarantee this patch would look quite different on the current firmware.




I phrased it incorrectly but Yeah you answered my question inadvertently lol. I don't actually own an AXE FX so I couldn't really tell what parts of the patch are tweaked and what parts just come like that as soon as you open up the program or load a preset. I got to mess with it more and figured out most of what I wanted to know. Thanks for your response though, and your total right everything really is to taste, I've played through other peoples rigs and they eq things completely differently but still got a good tone. It's always interesting to see other peoples recipes for a good sound.


----------



## noUser01

funknotik said:


> I phrased it incorrectly but Yeah you answered my question inadvertently lol. I don't actually own an AXE FX so I couldn't really tell what parts of the patch are tweaked and what parts just come like that as soon as you open up the program or load a preset. I got to mess with it more and figured out most of what I wanted to know. Thanks for your response though, and your total right everything really is to taste, I've played through other peoples rigs and they eq things completely differently but still got a good tone. It's always interesting to see other peoples recipes for a good sound.



No worries. Yeah totally, crazy how much things can change between players! Thanks for sharing.


----------



## SilentCartographer

Awesome!! thanks for the info.. Was never to sure about the compressor and EQ settings but I do have a parametric EQ that I've never had much purpose using so thats a plus.. anyway I know Im late to the thread but thanks again homeskillet


----------



## noUser01

SilentCartographer said:


> Awesome!! thanks for the info.. Was never to sure about the compressor and EQ settings but I do have a parametric EQ that I've never had much purpose using so thats a plus.. anyway I know Im late to the thread but thanks again homeskillet



Glad it was helpful to you man. With compression I personally like a medium-slow attack depending on what type of music you're playing and what kind of riffs you tend to play. For really rhythmic stuff like chugs you want to emphasize the attack so give it some time before the compression comes in to let the transient through and it'll smooth things out after that initial hit. Feel free to experiment, I'm sure I'm no expert when it comes to this.


----------



## SilentCartographer

Yeah I tried playing around a compressor before but didnt feel the need for it with previous bands as it was more deathcore type shit and just used block letter 5150 w/ a teeny bit of gate. But will for sure need a tighter, fatter tone. Btw I use POD farm at home for practice and what not.. would the same rules apply ei with the dual/triple noise gate? or is that more with analog?


----------



## noUser01

SilentCartographer said:


> Yeah I tried playing around a compressor before but didnt feel the need for it with previous bands as it was more deathcore type shit and just used block letter 5150 w/ a teeny bit of gate. But will for sure need a tighter, fatter tone. Btw I use POD farm at home for practice and what not.. would the same rules apply ei with the dual/triple noise gate? or is that more with analog?



Everything in this guide can be translated to any analog or digital equivalent.


----------



## porksisig

pardon my necrobump, just a quick question. the part about the distortion pedal, usually when i play gigs i'm not allowed to bring amps (or atleast i can't because of the space) so i'm stuck with random solid state amps, so heeding your advice i used a distortion pedal (its actually an ms50g) now the question is, about its chain, do i still need to add an overdrive before the distortion or is it too much?


----------



## LiquidNoise

porksisig said:


> pardon my necrobump, just a quick question. the part about the distortion pedal, usually when i play gigs i'm not allowed to bring amps (or atleast i can't because of the space) so i'm stuck with random solid state amps, so heeding your advice i used a distortion pedal (its actually an ms50g) now the question is, about its chain, do i still need to add an overdrive before the distortion or is it too much?



It depends on your tone/your personal taste. As for me, I would not use distortion pedal at all, only a TS as a booster. I hope that helps.


----------



## noUser01

porksisig said:


> pardon my necrobump, just a quick question. the part about the distortion pedal, usually when i play gigs i'm not allowed to bring amps (or atleast i can't because of the space) so i'm stuck with random solid state amps, so heeding your advice i used a distortion pedal (its actually an ms50g) now the question is, about its chain, do i still need to add an overdrive before the distortion or is it too much?



It's up to you. Sometimes it's nice but an overdrive pedal is really meant to be used with a tube amp, thus the name "tubescreamer". I'd start by finding a distortion pedal you really love, and then borrow an overdrive if you want to try out the two together. It's one of those things you really have to decided for yourself.


----------



## porksisig

LiquidNoise said:


> It depends on your tone/your personal taste. As for me, I would not use distortion pedal at all, only a TS as a booster. I hope that helps.



I tried that, it's just not enough, i forgot to state that i cant depend on some random amps gain channel, somehow bar amps are too battered to even have a defined distorted sound, so just the clean channel

@ConnorGilks


Hmmm i tried it, i dont know what happened but i dont't think anything changed, not that monumental though, i just noticed increase in saturation. I might just use a lone dist pedal

But i have a new question, in the chain where you'll use a dist pedal, where do you think a para eq best linked after? the distortion in front of a clean channel or in the effects loop?

Sorry for bad english


----------



## noUser01

porksisig said:


> I tried that, it's just not enough, i forgot to state that i cant depend on some random amps gain channel, somehow bar amps are too battered to even have a defined distorted sound, so just the clean channel
> 
> @ConnorGilks
> 
> 
> Hmmm i tried it, i dont know what happened but i dont't think anything changed, not that monumental though, i just noticed increase in saturation. I might just use a lone dist pedal
> 
> But i have a new question, in the chain where you'll use a dist pedal, where do you think a para eq best linked after? the distortion in front of a clean channel or in the effects loop?
> 
> Sorry for bad english



Not quite sure what you're asking, but I'll try and answer. If you're asking about an EQ pedal, I would try both. Try the distortion before the EQ, then try it after the EQ and see which you prefer. Typically I would put the EQ after the distortion pedal though. As for the distortion pedal, don't put it in the effects loop, use it in front of the amp.

Some pedals are meant to go right into the power amp through the effects loop, but most distortion pedals aren't meant for that.


----------



## porksisig

ConnorGilks said:


> Not quite sure what you're asking, but I'll try and answer. If you're asking about an EQ pedal, I would try both. Try the distortion before the EQ, then try it after the EQ and see which you prefer. Typically I would put the EQ after the distortion pedal though. As for the distortion pedal, don't put it in the effects loop, use it in front of the amp.
> 
> Some pedals are meant to go right into the power amp through the effects loop, but most distortion pedals aren't meant for that.



yes i was asking about the eq placement, if its going to do me any good in the fx loop or just put it after the distortion, i will try both though thanks for the advice!


----------



## Ericjutsu

I was wondering if anyone had suggested settings for the keeley 4 knob compressor? I just got one and would like a starting point.


----------



## noUser01

Ericjutsu said:


> I was wondering if anyone had suggested settings for the keeley 4 knob compressor? I just got one and would like a starting point.



Totally depends. Don't use settings just because someone tells you too, especially with compressors. Check out some online guides on how compressors work, what all the knobs do etc., and the manual for the Keeley 4-knob so you thoroughly understand compression and your specific compressor. I know this sounds like a very "I'm not going to tell you, you have to learn it like everyone else" high-and-mighty response, but compression is done incorrectly the vast majority of the time because so few people ACTUALLY understand it. Once you read up on how compressors work and what all the different parameters do (attack, release, ratio, threshold etc.) then it'll become more obvious to you how to use it.


----------



## Ericjutsu

Thanks for the reply. I know how compression works but I haven't used it in this context before. I don't understand the need for people to have this attitude when asking about compressor settings. People ask for amp settings as a starting point all the time even if they know how eq works and how it affects the amp. I'm just looking for a starting point and am just curious what Misha or other people are doing in a djent/metal context.


----------



## noUser01

Ericjutsu said:


> Thanks for the reply. I know how compression works but I haven't used it in this context before. I don't understand the need for people to have this attitude when asking about compressor settings. People ask for amp settings as a starting point all the time even if they know how eq works and how it affects the amp. I'm just looking for a starting point and am just curious what Misha or other people are doing in a djent/metal context.



For starters, compression is a much more complicated topic than a 3-band EQ. On top of that, compression is one of the most commonly misunderstood and abused audio tools out there. It's not an attitude of condescension, it's an attitude of trying to help you understand it because it's _really_ important.

Your compression settings depend on tons of factors. Do you want to emphasize the attack and transients, or squash everything evenly? Do you want to have rather extreme compression settings, or something lighter to just even things out a bit? What's your technique like? Do you have a quick attack or a long attack? How fast are you playing? How do you want the compression to react to different types of riffs? Do you want to change settings for different songs or want something that just works decently for all applications? Even with djent there's a range of compression choices to choose from so it really depends on what you want. 

If you know how they work, and you know what you want it to do for your tone, then you should be fine!


----------



## Dannyrachmad

Im really sorry for 2016 bump BUT you really helped me a LOT connor
And i knew i had to sign up to thank you on your thread
Made my first boutique pedal purchase which is wampler triple wreck from your thread

Previously im using a boss ml2 metalcore , dont blame me im kinda broke and had to use what i got,after saving a bit im able to buy wampler,and Holy .... my 2010 gibson les paul standard can djent like mark holcomb 
Im using my gibson on 7 string tuning tho ebgdaA hahaha which is like 7 string guitar but missing the #6 string
Just with a boss ge-7 (eq) + wampler + ....ty standard solid state amp, i won the best djent sounding guitar award categories in some band competiton lol . i have 5150 but i cant just bring them to stage that is when i read your guide

Once again thanks connor ! Now all my friends are reading your thread and getting few ideas like saving for bugera tri rec+ts + eq or used 5150 + compressor
I really need to study about compressor and noise gate from you thread but for now im happy with what i have now i still cant believe i cant get that djent sound from simplest rig possible
Thanks mann


----------



## noUser01

Dannyrachmad said:


> Im really sorry for 2016 bump BUT you really helped me a LOT connor
> And i knew i had to sign up to thank you on your thread
> Made my first boutique pedal purchase which is wampler triple wreck from your thread
> 
> Previously im using a boss ml2 metalcore , dont blame me im kinda broke and had to use what i got,after saving a bit im able to buy wampler,and Holy .... my 2010 gibson les paul standard can djent like mark holcomb
> Im using my gibson on 7 string tuning tho ebgdaA hahaha which is like 7 string guitar but missing the #6 string
> Just with a boss ge-7 (eq) + wampler + ....ty standard solid state amp, i won the best djent sounding guitar award categories in some band competiton lol . i have 5150 but i cant just bring them to stage that is when i read your guide
> 
> Once again thanks connor ! Now all my friends are reading your thread and getting few ideas like saving for bugera tri rec+ts + eq or used 5150 + compressor
> I really need to study about compressor and noise gate from you thread but for now im happy with what i have now i still cant believe i cant get that djent sound from simplest rig possible
> Thanks mann



Thanks for the kinds words man, I'm glad I could help you on your tone quest.


----------



## JohnTanner

Great write up man. Answered a lot of questions I had. But now I'm kinda kicking myself for selling off my Peavey 6505+..


----------



## noUser01

JohnTanner said:


> Great write up man. Answered a lot of questions I had. But now I'm kinda kicking myself for selling off my Peavey 6505+..



Thanks man, I'm glad it was helpful. Ah, yeah, those amps are killer. They're the standard for a reason, but you can still get a good tone without one. What's your setup these days?


----------



## JohnTanner

ConnorGilks said:


> Thanks man, I'm glad it was helpful. Ah, yeah, those amps are killer. They're the standard for a reason, but you can still get a good tone without one. What's your setup these days?



Currently have an Blackstar HT-Metal 60 and it actually kicks so much ass. That along with an Ibanez TS-9. Just need a compressor and EQ and i'll be set. I dialed in some of the setting you suggested and it can actually "Djent" quite well lol


----------



## noUser01

JohnTanner said:


> Currently have an Blackstar HT-Metal 60 and it actually kicks so much ass. That along with an Ibanez TS-9. Just need a compressor and EQ and i'll be set. I dialed in some of the setting you suggested and it can actually "Djent" quite well lol



I've got the HT20! Used to own an HT-60 combo as well, killer amps. Glad to hear the guide helped you out man.


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