The Tone Thread

[TripleM]

Been messing about with a new bass tone this evening. Its up way loud so you can here it in the first clip - what do you think?
New Bass Tone.mp3
And in a mix
Bass in a mix.mp3

I thought it sounded great. Strong low end without being boomy or muddy. Worked very well in the mix too.

[TripleM]

Here's the raw guitar from the mix clip I just posted...The mix clip has reverb, but this doesn't, no fx...


Signal chain: Strat Hardhead bridge HB > Mini Tubescreamer> Mini JCM 800 > Greenback >SM57

• TS9:
  Level:...................10
  Gain:.....................0
  Tone:....................6

• Mini 800:
  20w mode
  Presence:..................6
  Bass:.......................8
  Mid:........................7
  Treble:.....................4
  Master Volume:........2.5
  Gain:......................10

Strat bridge HB-TS9-Mini 800-GB-SM57 10-26-2019.mp3

This clip was recorded with the volume at 2.5, & I honestly believe I could play a gig with it at this volume...This is a loud little amp...The more I play through the Lil' 800, the more I wanna play...I know I'm still jizzin' in my panties over it, but it's a killer little amp...

Sounds very tight. I like the amount of distortion you have dialed in.

[Greg_L]

6550 vs EL34

Testing two similar amps, set the same, one with 6550s, one with EL34s.

Gibson Les Paul Custom - Bare Knuckles Riff Raff bridge
Marshall Super Lead 100 - 6550s
Marshall 1959 SLP - EL34s
Both amps set the same.
Presence - 5
All tone controls - 7
Hi input ch 1 only
Ch1 vol - 4
Ch2 vol - 0
Marshall 1960B 4x12 - Celestion G12-65
MXL R144 on axis, 3" off grill, dead center + SM57 on axis, 3" off grill, dustcap/cone seam
50/50 blend, no FX or EQ

SL100 6550.mp3

SL100 EL34.mp3

[ocnor]

6550 vs EL34

Testing two similar amps, set the same, one with 6550s, one with EL34s.

That had to be pretty fucking loud. Those 6550s really compress and saturate when you dig in. I prefer the EL34s because they are not quite as scooped in the mids.

[rayc]

I've been doing a little testing too. Testing Greg's Impulses!
All the guitars and the bass are DId on this track - there's BIAB generated drums and organ. I've used a variety of Greg's cab impulses on the guitars & organ. I set all at the -18 thing but still had to pull back the levels a tad.
I think they sound really cool - enough for me to consider whether it's worth the effort of recording mic'd amps for their replacement as I'd originally planned.
OH, the solo is BIAB Baritone guitar - I didn't bother with it as it won't be staying.
What do you folk think of the guitars? Do they sound amped?

Late October4 (2).mp3

[mention]Greg_L[/mention]
Here's the mix prior to adding the IRs

Late October3.mp3

The IR selections are...
Arp gtr L - GBMXLR144 Centre
Constant Rhythm Vin30 Audix C on G
Chorus GB MXR cone
12 string MXR 144 cone
Arp R GB MXR Centre & dustcap

[rayc]

I like the 6550s at around the 39 second mark - really heavy in the old sense.

[JD01]

6550 vs EL34

I prefer the 6550s by quite a lot actually.
I think they sound thicker... just like there's more there - bigger, more full sound.

[JD01]

I've been doing a little testing too. Testing Greg's Impulses!
All the guitars and the bass are DId on this track - there's BIAB generated drums and organ. I've used a variety of Greg's cab impulses on the guitars & organ. I set all at the -18 thing but still had to pull back the levels a tad.
I think they sound really cool - enough for me to consider whether it's worth the effort of recording mic'd amps for their replacement as I'd originally planned.
OH, the solo is BIAB Baritone guitar - I didn't bother with it as it won't be staying.
What do you folk think of the guitars? Do they sound amped?
Late October4 (2).mp3

Nothing wrong with these guitars at all, Ray. Can't see any point in replacing them.

[JD01]

Yup, that is an improvement. I like it.

That's my usual Bass - still fixed using a mini-cable tie.
Into my Behringer bass DI box, but then in Reaper I have the "Spanky Bass" Reacomp on it (which I normally use) and a bit of ReaEQ with I normally use. But then I stuck the "Camel Crusher" one of my favourite distortion VSTs that I normally use for vocals on it.

[Greg_L]

I've been doing a little testing too. Testing Greg's Impulses!
All the guitars and the bass are DId on this track - there's BIAB generated drums and organ. I've used a variety of Greg's cab impulses on the guitars & organ. I set all at the -18 thing but still had to pull back the levels a tad.
I think they sound really cool - enough for me to consider whether it's worth the effort of recording mic'd amps for their replacement as I'd originally planned.
OH, the solo is BIAB Baritone guitar - I didn't bother with it as it won't be staying.
What do you folk think of the guitars? Do they sound amped?
Late October4 (2).mp3

That sounds fine to me Ray. What impulses did you use? And how did you "amp" them?

[Greg_L]

[mention]ocnor[/mention] [mention]rayc[/mention] [mention]JD01[/mention] thanks guys. There are things I prefer about both tubes. The 6550s certainly sound "bigger", more "3D". The EL34s have more focus and mids. I didn't adjust any mic preamp level or normalize output levels in the DAW. Those clips are just as the sound hit the mics. The volume output is pretty much identical between the amps, but the 6550s in the room sure seemed noticeably bigger and louder than the EL34s.

So all of this tells me one thing....I need to try a set of KT77s in something. Those tubes are supposedly a little bit 6550, a little bit EL34. I think I'm gonna order a pair for my 50w Plexi. They are a direct replacement for EL34s and bias the same.

[rayc]

That sounds fine to me Ray. What impulses did you use? And how did you "amp" them?

The spangly arpeggio guitar tracks were through my Mel9 signal chain - comp pedal (one that adds a little top end too), a GDI21, (original Sansamp clone - a clone of a cloner), set at tweed into a spring reverb pedal then interface.
The constant rhythm guitar is comp, ACTONE and interface.
The 12 string acoustic is comp & BBstomp to interface
The chorus only guitar is the same as the spangly.
I can't recall which impulse for which. I used about four so I could suss out how they sounded.
I'll list them tomorrow.
I've been practising the spangly part - the recordings were my 1st couple of attempts after coming up with the part - as comp - spring to clean Marshall.
As I need to get that part right & will be rerecording it I def. will go through the amp as originally planned.
The other parts, if they seem OK with the impulses, I'll probably leave.

[Minerman]

6550 vs EL34

Testing two similar amps, set the same, one with 6550s, one with EL34s.

Gibson Les Paul Custom - Bare Knuckles Riff Raff bridge
Marshall Super Lead 100 - 6550s
Marshall 1959 SLP - EL34s
Both amps set the same.
Presence - 5
All tone controls - 7
Hi input ch 1 only
Ch1 vol - 4
Ch2 vol - 0
Marshall 1960B 4x12 - Celestion G12-65
MXL R144 on axis, 3" off grill, dead center + SM57 on axis, 3" off grill, dustcap/cone seam
50/50 blend, no FX or EQ

I can hear the differences in these clips much better than the previous set you posted dude...The 6550's seem to have a bit more high end, & a little more "oomph", for lack of a better description...The EL34 clip sounds a little more neutral/flat compared to the 6550's...

I'd happily take either/or, but if I had to choose, the 6550's win in this set of clips...

I've been doing a little testing too. Testing Greg's Impulses!
All the guitars and the bass are DId on this track - there's BIAB generated drums and organ. I've used a variety of Greg's cab impulses on the guitars & organ. I set all at the -18 thing but still had to pull back the levels a tad.
I think they sound really cool - enough for me to consider whether it's worth the effort of recording mic'd amps for their replacement as I'd originally planned.
OH, the solo is BIAB Baritone guitar - I didn't bother with it as it won't be staying.
What do you folk think of the guitars? Do they sound amped?

Ray, I think this sounds really really good, both through my monitors & headphones dude...

Nothing at all wrong with these guitars...If you're on the fence about replacing 'em, re-track/re-amp 'em & post an A/B thing for comparison...

Again, I think this sounds great....

[Minerman]

So all of this tells me one thing....I need to try a set of KT77s in something. Those tubes are supposedly a little bit 6550, a little bit EL34. I think I'm gonna order a pair for my 50w Plexi. They are a direct replacement for EL34s and bias the same.

I've read a few guys using KT77's in their Mini-Marshall amps like I have & they supposedly sound great, but I have no idea myself...It'd be cool for me to try them out maybe, but I'm not sure I'd benefit because my amps are cathode biased....

I am gonna have to order another set or two of power tubes for backup though since I've added another amp to the stable...

All my amps currently have the stock tubes they came with & I'm happy with 'em...I do have a small stash of older, different pre-amp tubes, but the differences are so subtle, for me anyway, current production tubes do the trick...

[ocnor]

I do have a small stash of older, different pre-amp tubes, but the differences are so subtle, for me anyway, current production tubes do the trick...

I'll bet if you stuck a hot vintage tube like a Sylvania 12AX7 in the phase inverter slot it wouldn't be so subtle.

[rayc]

That's my usual Bass - still fixed using a mini-cable tie.
Into my Behringer bass DI box, but then in Reaper I have the "Spanky Bass" Reacomp on it (which I normally use) and a bit of ReaEQ with I normally use. But then I stuck the "Camel Crusher" one of my favourite distortion VSTs that I normally use for vocals on it.

It's a good sound James.
My latest tweaking is comp pedal, (becasue I don't play evenly enough), into the BDI21 then into Reaper. I create a send from the bass track to a track with a VST TS type of effect which I then blend with the bass track. I've moved to this becasue a) I can never tell how much drive I'll need in the mix and b) I don't lose the bottom end that a drive effect or pedal will slice away, (unless it's an expensive bass specific real pedal).

[TripleM]

6550 vs EL34

Testing two similar amps, set the same, one with 6550s, one with EL34s.

Gibson Les Paul Custom - Bare Knuckles Riff Raff bridge
Marshall Super Lead 100 - 6550s
Marshall 1959 SLP - EL34s
Both amps set the same.
Presence - 5
All tone controls - 7
Hi input ch 1 only
Ch1 vol - 4
Ch2 vol - 0
Marshall 1960B 4x12 - Celestion G12-65
MXL R144 on axis, 3" off grill, dead center + SM57 on axis, 3" off grill, dustcap/cone seam
50/50 blend, no FX or EQ

SL100 6550.mp3

SL100 EL34.mp3

I think I prefer the EL34's by a nose. The low end is tighter. The upper mids sounded pretty similar to me.

[WhiskeyJack]

[mention]Greg_L[/mention] The 6550's. Hands down. I like the detail of it. It's just sounds and feels like a polished EL34. Really like that.

[WhiskeyJack]

I've been doing a little testing too. Testing Greg's Impulses!
All the guitars and the bass are DId on this track - there's BIAB generated drums and organ. I've used a variety of Greg's cab impulses on the guitars & organ. I set all at the -18 thing but still had to pull back the levels a tad.
I think they sound really cool - enough for me to consider whether it's worth the effort of recording mic'd amps for their replacement as I'd originally planned.
OH, the solo is BIAB Baritone guitar - I didn't bother with it as it won't be staying.
What do you folk think of the guitars? Do they sound amped?
Late October4 (2).mp3
@Greg_L
Here's the mix prior to adding the IRs
Late October3.mp3
The IR selections are...
Arp gtr L - GBMXLR144 Centre
Constant Rhythm Vin30 Audix C on G
Chorus GB MXR cone
12 string MXR 144 cone
Arp R GB MXR Centre & dustcap

The IR'd tracks are ace buddy! Weird little flutter articafts and stuff and i am really unsure of the timeline of things i have been commenting on here, but the Late October track you posted in the BiAB thread, sounds better all around than this one?

[Greg_L]

@Greg_L The 6550's. Hands down. I like the detail of it. It's just sounds and feels like a polished EL34. Really like that.

Yeah I'm liking them too. The response has been pretty split. Different strokes for different things.