Should tone controls be set at noon on overdrive & distortion pedals?
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- The lost episode! In this video I'll discuss tone controls on overdrive and distortion pedals, and how you might not assume and/or expect setting the tone controls on an overdrive or distortion set at "noon" to be a neutral or good sound. The truth is, a lot of it has to do with the guitar you're using and the amp settings.
As a side note, apparently, we uploaded this in December of 2016 and it never got set to "live". So, there's a bit more quick cuts in this one compared to what we do now.
#overdrive #distortion #pedals #guitarpedals
![How To Set Your Overdrive & Distortion Pedals [In A Band]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dfPOt7V9YR0/mqdefault.jpg)
The universal and always correct answer to all pedal settings questions.....”Depends”.
yes
no, its get a telecaster!
And not even pedal-settings, actually. It counts for amplifier-settings, which tubes, speakers, cables, strings, pickups, cabinets, cabinet placement, and so on and so forth. Even apart from preference, there are so many freaking variables everywhere. - Most demonstrations and tests don't even matter unless they're in some sort of context. You can get a general idea of a character, sure, especially if you listen to multiple samples of the same equipment in very different settings (you kinda "profile" it in your mind/ear), but in the end you're going to be in a different room and in a different position from the speakers and so on and so forth, it will NOT be the same. - Which is also th beauty of it, or it would become boring.
Even outside of guitar and music stuff, say something like photography, I've watched videos on that like we watch videos on guitar-equipment here. It's the same story in an alternate dimension. All the discussions about "What are your settings?", after all these years it has boiled down to "it depends" indeed. Nobody is going to be in the exact same situation with light or sound.
@@michaelangeloh.5383 if the cab was in an isolation cabinet then there would be less variables, also, a lot of people say that cables don't affect tone, i noticed that a high quality cable makes a huge difference, also, picking velocity is a variable you didn't mention
I start by figuring out which frequency controls I like the sound of on the amp and the pedal/pedals. I cheat though too, I use an EQ in the effects loop, lol. I dial in the pedal and the amp together, and the settings would look pretty weird to the Average Joe. I cut all the bass and treble and boost the midrange to usually around 2:00 on the amp tone stack. I also use the built-in boost and turn the gain as low as it goes, which actually produces a mid-gain crunch sound. On the overdrive, I crank the volume, set the tone at 12:00, and cut the gain all the way. Then I dial the tone in, that usually winds up around 10-2:00 depending on the brightness of the pedal. Sometimes I have to turn down the volume if the pedal has a lot of boost, sometimes I have to turn the gain all the way up to 9:00, never usually past that. Once I got that where I want it, then I will roll in low end on the EQ, Boost the mids, and slowly add treble. Then I also boost the volume on the EQ a bit too. I know this sounds like a really f’d up EQ curve, but I just follow my ears, and that’s where it takes me. It’s definitely a system, they sound like shite individually, but awesome all together for a high gain anyhow. I have another EQ just for cleans, then I run all this through a couple true bypass loopers, one in front, one in back. Basically a really complicated way to have a lot of control over your sound, lol.
Not trying to insinuate,,,but I can't help but notice your Black Berry Smoke type of licks. It's all about the individual and the sound that's right for them. I thought the different sounds of each petal and guitar was very unique. Great lesson,great video.
I am way late to this video. It helps immensely as I use pedals and multi fx , but with many tones, and the tubescreamer can be all over the place as can other pedals. Great with the multi fx as I can program each pedal dependent on the preamp model.
MAN THAT BOSS PEDAL SOUNDED KILLER I HAVE WASTED A LOT OF MONEY!
A DS-1 before a BiMuff and you're in there. You can just bang out power chords all day and listen to em ring out, sounding badass.
Important point; pedals are different, as are guitars and amps. Sometimes the level knob also affects the tone, who'd a thunk? Sometimes, the gain knob affects the tone, too. Keep turning the knobs, 'til it sounds good. If one amp/pedal/guitar did everything, you'd only ever need one, and where's the fun in that?
I like how you put something different for a brightness in your amplifier. But considering using it as a dynamic setting, like you explained with different pedals, it would be nice to have something of a controller (like MIDI or TRS) for it to not have to walk back and do it by hand. Might seem like whiny nitpicking, but imagine having to switch a little more than just two pedals (in which case, a loop switcher could be used) and having to switch a setting on your amp on top fo that. Especially if you're doing it during songs. It would be great to have a more dynamic/adaptive amplifier, but that would be more usable if it switched along theough footswitching. (I don't know if it has such a feature, by the way.)
I love the TS and RAT. Still not crazy about the DS-1.
SandalwoodBros I didn’t like the DS1 for a long time. When I started running the tone at around 9:30 I really started to like it.
I like subtle breakup but find a lot of pedals, if the the distortion is turned down, tend to be tone robbers with the exception of the tube screamer, MXR Timmy and the clarksdale. But the other pedals here are good if you are looking for a lot of distortion. Not my kind of music. I like to jokingly say I want it to sound like billy gibbons and Stevie Ray dialed a bit back towards B.B. King
Killer tone
Might be time to go dig out my Rat again...
Tube Screamers do not work with a Les Paul.... no, they do not!
Love your videos but... do people really need a video explaining them how to use a tone knob? don´t they have like ...common sense?
Read through the comments 😊
Use your ears. Setting a level is stupid. There is no where should we start. This guy has the classic pedals but on all of em there is really only one setting. There is no new found knowledge. They are the three classic pedals. Set them to the level that all guitarists say to.
This video is further proof that I need a RAT!!
Greg Gaspard was thinking the same thing...
Hell....the RAT is a g.a.s. maker ...really is the best distorsión
Not all RATs made equal though!
Yes and best thing about the RAT is fully cranked it's a flat out fuzz pedal
@@jamesf5963 That's my least favourite thing about it! Ever tried a modded LED one? They're really great. I hate to say it but... 'transparent'
Just an observation...I started getting WAY better tones from my gear when I literally stopped looking at the knobs. I'll grope my way thru or have somebody else dial up or down by my call, no clue what the values are on controls. Using a visual interface in an audio application is a really bad idea, I had predispositions I wasn't even aware of. Turns out I love mids....who knew?
I hear that! I was trying to get a queens of the stoneage type tone. But I didnt want to cheat and see how his pedalboard looks.
Failed. Cheated anyway.
A bass boost?! Not the tone control on the guitar!
Now I have a predisposition for bass heavy eq
This is the exact reason why a person needs every pedal ever made.
Glenn Winburn And every guitar as well!! 😊
Don't forget amps
That feeling when someone has the same RAT settings as you... ❤
You watch your tone, young man!
Nothing worse than uppity tone!
good one!
So I'm considering buying a Rat 2 just because of this video. That tone got me, it has the perfect "color" and with each guitar too, love it.
I love my RAT, best distortion pedal I ever bought. I use almost the full range of the filter whereas on other overdrives/distortions I'll only use about half the tone range. I like to stack the pedals and play around with the tone controls. I also find myself using less and less distortion, the stacking makes the tone thicker and makes up for the lack of distortion.
The RAT is just like... you set your amp where you want it bud, hey use a different guitar, it’s okay! I’m just gonna keep sounding great every time
Serris Daylor I don’t know why I’ve never had a Rat. Every time I’ve gotten to play through one they sound killer.
@@erictoniaschwab1009 I actually went to pick one up right after this video haha
Yeah man, even on a bass...the rat sounds pretty darn good honestly.
Wow, I'm a genius! Without professional instruction in overdrive and distortion pedal settings, I figured out all by myself that I should set my tone controls where they sound good.
Dude you should seriously start your own channel so you can tell us even more of your secrets!
@@SimpleManGuitars1973 beat me to it. Word for word damn near.
I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or egotistical
And compensate with an amps bright switch...
wow- kitty has claws, what a snarky bitch you are!
I wish more pedal makers would actually describe the knobs, and where to start with them. Like to use it better how it was designed to use. Im glad i saw Brian told me to start with presence down on my Pantheon!
I agree. those knobs are filters and the cut off frequency should be specified. This would help users when combining them together and with amps.
you should get an "Ironfinger" axel ritt signature distortion pedal then. it comes with a manual that describes what all the toneknobs do (it has 3 different mid knobs, treble, bass, level and gain) and gives 10 setting suggestions with sounds similar to those of popular artists.
Dont yall just love the sound of a tele breaking up.....thats rocknroll
Good video. Around 6:00, he worked with the DS-1. It sounded harsh, so he turned the tone control down. He tested the new setting at 6:05. Did anyone else think it sounded too dark or muddy after he turned it down? I would have preferred the initial setting to the dark/muddy one. Seems like the initial setting would have pushed through the mix better too. Its all personal preference, so no biggie. Could be my headphones??? :-)
Great video.
Forgotten how good the RAT is! I must dig mine out of storage :)
Also do I need a bravado amp ...mmm...let me think......
I like to set my tubescreamer with a lot of brightness as a Neck pickup pedal...and the Tumnus deluxe is set for the brigde pickup! Just the way I roll 🤷♂️
Very clever way to showcase your new amp line w/ 3 flagship pedals (you sly dog, you).
If I use my MXR Dist+ I’m fine.
Is it "politically correct" to call it a Fender "Blackface" in the political climate we live in today? Shut it all down. Pick a different name. Hmm. Well Ill be. It DOES sound stupid when I say it out loud. :/
I have a Maxon OD808 boosting my Splawn Nitro and I probably have it 100% most of the time. I got used to using it that way with my 6505+ and it just carried over to my Splawn.
The DS-1 makes for great target shooting.
“We’re back with a Strat”. My whole philosophy of guitar playing in a nutshell.
CC says "waffler". Please create a sub-brand called waffler.
Ds 1 is good into a cranked overdriven amp
I don't know, on a good day I'll take anyone of those on a bad day I will hate them all.
Gigging regularly with the covers band I need a very wide range of tones/sounds.
I have always just set my amp controls and left them alone, using pedals for the sounds.
This has given me the confidence to trust my ears a bit more and tweak the amp tone controls to suit.
The moral is everything depends on everything else. ;-)
Fuken A bro, eloquent as hell, couldn’t agree more!
Have you ever thought of multi effects?
I’m thinking about getting a line 6 hx, because I play in church and need a bunch of different sounds..but I’m old school...thought..?
Helix wins the day for cover band stuff.
I have and use occasionally a Boss GT100, but I can't get on with the standard patches and the thought of programming things like Helix, Kemper etc leaves me cold.
Unfortunately small amps are the 'now' and the 'future'.
Multi-effects offer way too many choices IMHO.
For a half-wit like me, if you mention I.R. (what ever that is!) I run a mile.
TBH If I had 3 different levels of gain and a couple of clean sounds I could add a bit of chorus to, plus a boost with grit for solos, that would get me through most everything. Reverb and a couple of delays of course.
Something I can plug in to a clean amp or even straight in to the PA.
A 'not too many' Multi- Effect' pedal for the common man. :-)
David Ainscough thanks for your input brother!
I always start with the drive off and find unity gain for level and tone to get a good starting point. Then, I find the drive setting I like. Finally, I tweak everything using my ear.
I have both the DS-1 and a vintage big box Rat. I actually like both. Each one gives you very different types of distortion tones. I suggest if you want a wider range of tones, maybe get both. I use my DS-1 more for a smoother distorted sound with just a slight bit of sizzle and I use my Rat for a more full throated heavier distortion.
Brian did you run that poor Tubescreamer through the dryer with bags of bolts or what?
Was that before or after kicking it down several flights of metal/concrete stairs 🤣.
Now that's a rat I wouldn't mind find hiding in the corner.
Put some cheese in the corner.
Mr. Wampler, Can you please do a Video on Audio vs Linear Taper Pots for Volume, Its Pros and Cons In a Gigging Situation. Its Effects on Clean and Distortion, with Pedals or Amp Distortion. Thank you :)
I only use a tube screamer for boosting leads. And it is awesome. OD808. Love the DS-1 and the Rat, too.
Sooo..........this was pretty much an infomercial for your Wampler amp!🤔😏
James Skaggs at least this information is helpful for other amps unlike a lot of other videos made by amp/pedal companies on UA-cam
That's content marketing. It's all over the internet and tv
Don’t tell my wife I use tone controls, I’ll have to buy her more shoes... 🤘🏼
And bags
The key thing Im hearing is how good your rig is. The DS-1 and Rat fit so well in this tone scenario and sound awesome!
Don't just set every knob on 12....ok let set everything at 12. WTF? lets jerk of the tone controls and never use different gain setting!
I'm a long time fan of the Rat. I've never rolled the distortion down like Brian did there around 12:30. Really got an Audley Feed tone by doing that
Really like your videos Brian, very informative. I have to say though I’ve got a different method for setting the tone on my pedals. I set my amp up how I like it and on the edge of breakup with a bit of crunch when I dig in with the pick, then I set the Tubescreamer with low gain and high level to push into sustain. I set the tone knob so that the sound is as close to my sound when the pedal is on or off, which is usually about 11 0 clock. I don’t go back to the amp to adjust to make the pedal sound good.
But hey, there is no right or wrong way.
All the best
Your ears and mine are the same...I could hear muck and too much sizzle at times. I've found a way to get around all the tweaking of knobs. I'm in 2 bands, one original and one high energy dance. Requires 2 different tones, guitars and attitudes. I also do a duo which I use a different rig, guitars and a different approach. I have no time to tweak on the run..I also run sound and lights so I found the answer, at least for me. It's a Line 6 M13 stomp box modeler. It's the only Line 6 product I like. I can set up a pedalboard for my Strats, one for my Les Pauls, my Carvins or my Sheraton. I can set one up for my Marshall or my Carvin amps. It changes with a push of a button and if I have to mess with the settings there are no menus to access...it's all analog knobs and it remembers the settings without a save button. All the changing of knobs and testing is great but when I go from humbuckers to single coil there isn't time to change an amp setting.....so I just let my other tools do the work....by pushing a button to another pre-programmed pedalboard but if I have to tweak it's a one time thing and won't affect the other guitars.
did you say lineshit?
Hey man I know its totally unrelated but great job on the Abasi Pathos Pedal. It sounds and looks amazing and thanks for all you do in the guitar community. You make some of the best pedals of all time and wish I Had enough to buy them all. Just had to tell you that. Thanks dude!
I'm lost here, maybe it's the alcohol. Which pickup are you using...sounds like bridge. I can make those same sounds with same pedals in different amps with different guitars with different pickup configurations. Not sure what I'm supposed to be learning...throw me a bone. I use my tubescreamer differently for every configuration. Is there one I'm supposed to use always?
Ok.... that intro alone sold me on your channel.
Funny how we're always trying to make dark-sounding guitars and amps sound brighter.
I just got Wamplered! :)
Damnit all, I thought that by this time in history everyone, I mean every guitar player in the world would know by now that you do not move tone knobs. Jesus H Crist, you set them at 12 and that is where they are meant to stay forever.
Manufacturers are in the process of removing all tone controls from current production overdrives, but there will still be a lot of old ones, and those controls are meant to stay right at 12, do not move them, do not even think about moving them, in fact cover them wit black tape so you cannot see them anymore, you must not ever move them, the resulting sound may leave you tone deaf for life.
You can also get a hammer and just beat the tone knobs off the pedal this effectively removes the tone 'control' from the circuit. Helps if you secure the pedal in a huge steel vice and use the largest hammer you can wield(fuck safety this is guitar tone were talking about).
youve been warned.
I don't like the ds1 with the strat. To messy. No balls. Rat always sounds cool 😎 if you want that sound. Tube screamer always sounds like a tube screamer. Thank you Mr. Wampler.
A large part of the problem is that people refer to 'the tone control' as though they were all the same design. Some cut and boost: some only cut. Some are global in terms of frequency: others operate on a very specific band of the sound, which may be wide or narrow. Some of them are independent of the gain control: others are interactive with the gain control. Without knowing these things in advance, 'explore and trust your ears' is the only sensible advice.
your analysis is right. the issue there is virtually nothing explained with the manual coming with the different pedals. If the bandwidth and gain were shown, one would understand how the pedal works first, and then how it works when combined with others. "explore and trust your ears" is a time consuming and inefficient process in my opinion.
If I reset my pedals at high noon everyday since Nov 7, 2018. And I have reset my pedals for 748 days, how many days did I forget to reset my pedals at high noon.
Bu bbbu bbbuut - you didn't start by playing the three pedals with everything neatly at noon?
The Guitar Geek I know, right? The DS-1 is at eleven o'clock.
@Wampler Pedals What's the best budget amp that sounds great and takes pedals well ? ...btw you seem to be able to get great tone out of
any amp !
Considering that all distortion pedals will have a different sound at "noon"...i don't understand the premise of this video. "Noon" is arbitrary when you compare even different copies of the SAME pedal.
ive had a ts9 & a RAT on my board for 20 years..the MXR DISTIII is a nice compromise... really great..plus a Greer Lightspeed
This video has been up for over four years. You'll still find people dissing every OD and distortion pedal on the market because they're "too this" or "too that". Too many people too lazy to mess around with the knobs to find out what the pedal is capable of doing. (These are the same people who are spreading disinformation about this or that because they can't be bothered to fact check statements from their information sources/gurus.)
Tube screamer is heavy mid boost. that rat pedal can get serious chunk monkey. You do understand that the filter control on the rat is basically a low pass filter. The more you turn it up, the more you cut the high end. For high end end up is down. For low end filter up.
The RAT sounds pretty righteous. Especially with the Strat.
Proof that no one pedal works with every gtr....however, the dual fusion seems at least allow me to get a great sound with any amp/gtr and situation.
Ron Zabrocki I find the same with the Strymon Sunset. Although it’s probably because it’s 6 circuits, 3 per side.
Having a shootout at high noon. Eh?
My tone on my tubescreamer mini is off stacked into ds1 tone at 11o clock. With my dyna comp before both I get a massive stadium rock tone.
And I'm using a Tele
Thought he was gonna play 'Walk all over you' by AC/DC at '4.30!
Doesnt matter where ya set em. The live sound guy or the studio engineer just gonna change it all with their stuff.
I love watching your videos thinking " I already know the answer" before I watch and then still picking stuff up. Thanks for the cool, mango.
Hey Brian. Can you make something similar to the EHX Freeze pedal but make it play nice with other pedals/ power supplies, make it not noisey as hell, and make it true bypass. I’d pay good money for that!
Me too!
Great video but because the active tone controls on my Tumnus Deluxe are so flexible I find myself using it as an "always-on" pedal to shape my clean tone. I guess I need to buy another to stack and actually use it as an OD. :)
Damn! I have a Tele and a Flying V. I'm now needing a RAT besides a Pantheon.
Most excellent video of the usage of the all important tone knob and the synergy with Amp tone controls.
Now we have guitar tone ctrl, pedal tone ctrls, and amp tone ctrl... What next, a cable tone ctrl? :)
I have a DS-1. Glad to see you struggle to make it sound good too. Time to find a Rat.
I have both. Very different but usable sounds. Get both and use them for the type of sounds you need.
Lol the thumbnail is my front of amp(before preamp) dirt pedals...
How does one mic up fuzz? My shure 57’s cant even handle a ds2 in fuzzy territory. It just sounds like mush
Rusty Undercarriage I’ll try that thanks
Be sure to have more than just a ts. They are great, but not great in all situations.
I like the sizzly sound of the Rat and the Paul. 🎸
That crispy and beautiful ds-1 ❤
I don’t buy any pedals that have more than 3 buttons
I really like your idea on the present control settings - great innovation! Can I control them with midi from my pedal board?
I think part of the fun in playing electric guitar is tweaking the knobs. My Tubescreamer's tone knob has almost no discernible difference no matter where it's set. But the tone knob on my Holy War distortion pedal is very sensitive and the slightest bump can change the entire character of the distortion, from grainy growl to ear-splitting hiss. But I like playing with pedals and seeing what happens when I just start twisting knobs.
so how is the holy war pedal i was gonna buy it, but i wanna know a few opinions about it, is it a heavier distortion thats what i was going for, good for metal? or more like a ds1?
I almost always set the tone at 9 or 10 o'clock.
Why the hell do I need to crank the gain on my DS-1 to get it to sound like that?
Samuel Emmett because your amp is way to clean
I'll always watch when it is Brian. Thank you. Aloha from Hawaii.Darrell
Thank you!
meow
Uni-Vibe
purrr
I set mine at tea Time
This just shows you how different pedals sound into the same amp. So the question isn't what does a pedal sound like, it's what does a pedal sound like into a particular amp. So get your amp first, then find the pedal that pairs best with it...I know, duh right?
Exactly
Just use your ears. Ffs
Wish i had knob control 🤘
Ahhhhh a relic tube screamer.
Gravity kills on intro? (song name - breakdown)
Green Xd Chicago band, right? I had their album back in 96.
this video gives no answers besides: "turn everything a little and it depends". Why are you doing such a video?
i am truly an unexpiernced player but i believe the most obvious reason why they place tone control on the pedal is to stick to the pedalboard and dont compensate on the amp. So that during the gig you dont need to turn anything but just dig in playing and turn on/off something with your feet easily
This was from 2016, ah! Explains your comment of how we have not seen the Bravado yet, but we will :)
yep, somehow I forgot to make it live lol
@@wampler_pedals it happens! I am sure the list in your creator studio is lengthy, easy to overlook!
You're interesting. You never discuss what you've titled your videos.
Sure I do.
What is the intro song?! :o
Liked the rat. I ll give a try
why do i smell taco bell