General Music Chat

Hey guys, got a question for people.

I got some audio from the last show my band played and in listening to my lead tones I noticed it's much dryer than I really want it to sound. With the appropriate boost I can cut through the mix fine, but the overall tone just isn't where I want it to be.

I've kept my effects on my lead channel really simple because I was worried about going overboard and sounding overprocessed. But after listening to the first audio tracks I'm not pleased with the sound (may actual playing is another matter, LOL)

I'm wondering what you folks do who play live - what effects are you using to give your lead tones a better, fuller, richer sound? I have one lead channel that is pretty dry, and another that has a dual delay on it (for leads where I need to stretch long notes with lots of sustain; it works for that, but again, sounds dry).

Any recommendations?

Chris if you have time at home, set up that delay for a very slight delay, say 10-20 ms and see how that sounds and feels, it will kinda fatten up the notes.

Sometimes the setting i have for rythym doesnt work so well for leads.

Rythym you are typically playing 2,3,4 or more strings and that in itself fattens it up on rythyms where you dont notice it.

A typical lead you are only using 1,2 strings and ussually the G, B, or hi E, so its a smaller string to sound off in the first place.

My Line 6 Delay Modeler I have a preset that is an analog delay, set very tight like I mentioned and it can really fatten the guitar tone up to my ears anyway. That being said thou Im pretty happy with just rolling up the volume on my guitar most of the time, I prefer a dryer tone, cause whenever you start adding old school reverb in a live situation you kinda lose it anyway, lots of freq cancellations is the only way I can put it, so the guys that use a lot of reverb tend to sound thin to my ears.

You dont ever mention what amp you are using, or either I forgot, so what guitar, amp and effects are you currently using?

Live are you micing your amp or just using an amp, I do add slight delay in the PA mix, not much just a touch.

Good guitar & a good amp.
Set up volume wise to run at about 3/4 - 4/5 of the volume pot.

Turn it up for leads, turn it down for softer rhythms or to play " ambiance " behind the rest of the band as required.

Other wise I just play it at that 3/4 - 4/5ths setting.

Hey guys, got a question for people.

I got some audio from the last show my band played and in listening to my lead tones I noticed it's much dryer than I really want it to sound. With the appropriate boost I can cut through the mix fine, but the overall tone just isn't where I want it to be.

I've kept my effects on my lead channel really simple because I was worried about going overboard and sounding overprocessed. But after listening to the first audio tracks I'm not pleased with the sound (may actual playing is another matter, LOL)

I'm wondering what you folks do who play live - what effects are you using to give your lead tones a better, fuller, richer sound? I have one lead channel that is pretty dry, and another that has a dual delay on it (for leads where I need to stretch long notes with lots of sustain; it works for that, but again, sounds dry).

Any recommendations?

I want to add a Q; Assume the gear settings are correct... Does Humidity/lack of humidity in a room effect the sound quality as well? If so...how does one compensate or adjust for it?

Hey guys, got a question for people.

I got some audio from the last show my band played and in listening to my lead tones I noticed it's much dryer than I really want it to sound. With the appropriate boost I can cut through the mix fine, but the overall tone just isn't where I want it to be.

I've kept my effects on my lead channel really simple because I was worried about going overboard and sounding overprocessed. But after listening to the first audio tracks I'm not pleased with the sound (may actual playing is another matter, LOL)

I'm wondering what you folks do who play live - what effects are you using to give your lead tones a better, fuller, richer sound? I have one lead channel that is pretty dry, and another that has a dual delay on it (for leads where I need to stretch long notes with lots of sustain; it works for that, but again, sounds dry).

Any recommendations?

I want to add a Q; Assume the gear settings are correct... Does Humidity/lack of humidity in a room effect the sound quality as well? If so...how does one compensate or adjust for it?

Of course I cannot answer this question scientifically nor can I add any concrete evidence to my statements but

I absolutely feel humidity and temperature affect "tone" a great deal.
Of course we know via physics that humidity and temperature affect the speed of sound. I also believe it effects the shape ( for lack of better terminology ) of the waves.
The same way temperature and humidity affect internal & external ballistics of a bullet in the barrel / flight.
A shooter must compensate for shots lets say over a thousand meters by a temperature change as little as 10 degrees F.

It seems to me that an adjustment in the mid range of your standard 3 band EQ compensates for these effects.
It also seems to me that the colder dryer air requires the mid range to be cut while a boost if ever so slight makes the sound fuller at higher temperatures and higher humidity.
High temperature and low humidity is not something we see much of here in East Texas so I'd not venture to postulate on such.

Paper maybe Im lazy but every 6 monthes or so I get out the manual on my Mesa and go over settings, once Ive got my basic eq settings set, I tend to leave them alone and basically just change the overall levels.

Temp, humidity does change the sound, but to me its such a small change that I dont think its that big of a deal.

Im sure someone here will say different, the only issue I ever have with temp is getting my guitars to settle in if its way out of whack, you know tuning issues more than anything.

Chris you have to start with a guitar you love and then find an amp you love.

I've played other Les Pauls and they are not my old ax.

The amp I love is a MESA STILETTO. I've used Peavey amps and they are pretty good also. I may just be stuck up, but it has to be a tube amp. I know there is that one high end digi amp that Vai uses, but I'm not that fancy, and it isn't cheap.

Once you find a combo, guitar/ amp that works for you be careful about adding pedals. They can destroy the very thing you like about your guitar/amp combo.

I love it when I take a crummy amp and pull all the pedals off and suddenly it sounds so much better. Then I hear HMMMM,,,, must be the guitar.

This may sound silly to some, but with the mesa on the same settings, the very way I play will change the tone and demeanor of my rig. No pedals no channel switching. Just digging in with a pick more or gently caressing a chord. Even where I place my finger on the fret can give me a different tone.

Oh, Speakers and cab combinations make a huge difference. I have a 4/12 mesa cab that I can't use any where live, It's too,,,, bitey .

JM2Fcents.

If you want Richer and Fuller... try a dab of stereo Chorus on the lead channel.
I have one channel that has a short Delay and one with a sprinkle of Chorus - I'm tending to use the Chorus channel more.
I also flip the switchy thing to the middle pup, but I'm not sure what your pickup configuration is.

I assume you have some sort of Reverb on the signal