Scooping.

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screamingdaisy

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I'm looking for some tips on scooping a guitar. I'm going from almost all mid-boosted punk to playing alot of thrashy type metal rhythm, and as much as I try I can't get the dirt tight enough with the mids in there.

I've tried scooping on the amp, but it sounds like ***. I've found I get better results from using slightly boosted mids and scooping with an EQ in the loop (I have a serial loop).

The amp is a Rectifier, and I'm using a Furman PQ-3 Parametric EQ for this. I tried using a Boss GE-7, but it 1) didn't have the headroom, and 2) was too broad a sword for this delacate a carving.

Basically, if you have any tips on what freq(s) to cut and by how many db.....and what freq(s) to boost and by how many db.....well, it would be much appreciated. :)


P.S. - If it's any help, I'm using James Hetfield as my starting point.
 
Try cutting 2 or 3dB at 250Hz...while hardly a mid scoop it will really tighten up the amp. If you take all your mids out you will never cut thru the rest of your band. Try front-ending your EQ. This will change the character of overdrive. In the loop it changes the entire feel of the amp.
 
The middle slider of the built-in geq's on the Mark series is 750 hz. 250 is closer to the 2nd (left to right) knob, and is more for the low-mids. Either way would be close.

I set my geq with the 750 at about (out of +/- 5) -2, and it really helps.
 
Weird Result....after a few hours of f*cking about with scooping, I actually have more mids.

After messing about with the GE-7 (mentioned above), I put the Furman PQ-3 in the loop. I set the boost to +15db, narrow bandwidth, then moved the Q knob back and forth until the tone sounded as bad as possible (around 750hz), then I reversed the EQ's gain and cut that frequency -15db, and tweeked the Q a little more (ending at around 775hz).

After that, I messed about with the amps EQ and started dumping more treble and mids into the signal, but because that one frequency was cut, it wouldn't get all noisy and sloppy on me. I also raised the presence a slight bit for more sizzle, and reduced the bass a little to take out the boomy-ness I started getting when I upped the mids, then I bumped the lower midrange (~375hz) up +3db on the Furman which added more crunch to the palm mutes.

I have a new found respect for parametric EQ's once again. The ability to zero in and slice out a very narrow frequency band while leaving the rest of the midrange in tact has given me a much, much tighter, crunchier, more thrashy rhythm tone without sounding like a hollow as hell Metal Zone. This has added a whole new level of agressivness to an already agressive sounding amp....and to think, I was about to sell the thing. :oops:

Contragulations to anyone who read all that. :)

Current settings below. I'll be doing some more tweeking tomorrow, including experimenting with cutting a few db at 250hz. I ran out of time as I don't like to run the amp too loud after dark, and these new settings actually let me run the amp louder than normal before the power tubes go all mushy on me. :shock:

Amp

Gain 10:00 (Modern)
Treb 13:00
Mids 13:00
Bass 11:00
Pres 13:30
Mast 12:00

Furman

+3db @ ~375hz (2.2 on bandwidth)
-(infinity)db @ ~750hz (2 on bandwidth)
 
NoGlassNoClass said:
Try cutting 2 or 3dB at 250Hz...while hardly a mid scoop it will really tighten up the amp. If you take all your mids out you will never cut thru the rest of your band. Try front-ending your EQ. This will change the character of overdrive. In the loop it changes the entire feel of the amp.

I tried that and ended up cutting -4db at ~195hz (1 on bandwidth). It really tightened the palm mutes up and for some reason it eliminated about 90% of my feedback.

After that tweek, I set my guitar (Les Paul) to it's middle position;

EMG 60 (neck) V-5, T-10
EMG 81 (bride) V-8, T-7

and the rhythm tone was sick as ****.
headbang.gif
There's this new middy crunch that I didn't have before. It's super tight and articulate, yet it still has that saggy Boogie feel to it.....it felt so much like a modern version of Iommi I had the earge to bust out every Sabbath Riff I knew.

Thanks dude. I never would have thought about cutting down there.

hail.gif
 
Think I'm gonna have to try a parametric. I'm using an MXR 10-band, the next slider below 250 being 125. If I cut there the lows just disappear. Something else to try if you like the rectifier sag...throw some GZ34/5AR4 rectifier tubes in there. All the "sing" without the mush.
 
NoGlassNoClass said:
Think I'm gonna have to try a parametric. I'm using an MXR 10-band, the next slider below 250 being 125. If I cut there the lows just disappear.

I'd definatly recommend one. After using a graphic I found that using a parametric was like using a scalpel instead of a broadsword.


Something else to try if you like the rectifier sag...throw some GZ34/5AR4 rectifier tubes in there. All the "sing" without the mush.

I would if I could, but my power amp (2:100) does have a tube rectifier. I just find that even with the SS rectifier they sound saggy when compared to amps like Marshall, ENGL, ect....
 

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