B. Patch-building Tips

I divide my tone hunt into several groups: amp selection, cab/mic selection, pre-EQ'ing, gain staging, amp EQ'ing, post-EQ'ing, amp DEP's, cab DEP's, and effects. I usually approach any patch in that order, but as the patch comes together I start jumping around and making various improvements.

I start by choosing what I think is the ideal amp model - that also clues me in to whether I want to pre-EQ the amp, and how I want to do so. For instance, I know if I want a really warm tone, I'll use a Tube Drive, and if I want it to have a nice crunch I'll use a Marshall amp. Try to familiarize yourself with how each amp is affected by pre-EQ'ing using EQ's, the Tube Drive, and the Screamer effects - those are the main filter/boosts you're likely going to use, and they have more impact on tone than the Amp or Cab DEP's, post-EQ'ing, or other effects. If I'm going for an artist's tone, I try to match his rig as a starting point.

For a direct tone, if you need a lot of effects (or expensive effects like pitch shifting or spring reverb), you probably won't have enough DSP to do a dual amp setup, so you can use dual cabs. Otherwise, I recommend you try a dual cab configuration. It takes a bit more time to dial in, but the tone is worth the payoff. See here for instructions to set that up. If you are running to a real amp or using external IR's, don't worry about dual cabs, or dual amps in general.

I add effects to my patch in the order of importance. That way if I run into DSP limit errors, I don't need to rebuild my patch. Be aware of how expensive each effect/amp is DSP-wise. You can find that info here. Be aware of common substitutions or other ways to save DSP.

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C. High-Gain Amp Roundup

For more detail on amp models, see the Distortion/Amp Tone page.

Plexi Bright

Think early Van Halen - classic Marshall tone. Great amp model with few pitfalls. Sounds even better with a Tube Drive in front. All the distortion is coming from the power section, so the way you EQ it will affect the distortion tone.

Park 75

Similar to the Plexi, but with a bit more of a vintage vibe - it's hard to a djent palm mute out of it. Makes for a good AC/DC tone. Again, all the distortion is in the power amp, so watch your EQ, especially the presence. Too much presence sounds like the amp is damaged.

J-800

Classic high-gain Marshall hair metal tone. This isn't the best model, IMO. It has more gain than the Park and Plexi, but also less dynamic response and sounds a little less quality. I like to boost the Master DEP to about 65% to get more power amp distortion, which gives it more bite. Again, EQ'ing matters, but presence is more forgiving. Sounds good with a Tube Drive or Screamer in front. I use it for Megadeth tones.

Uber

By default this model is too muddy for my tastes. I always pre-EQ it, filtering out some low end. I find boosting the Hum DEP a touch gets it in a Mesa/Boogie Mark II/IV ballpark. Boosting it a bit more gets it closer to a 5150. After making these tweaks, it's one of my favorite amp models, considering I love the Mesa and Peavey amps I just mentioned.

Treadplate

Very aggressive tone. The "full" model has much more bite than the "pre" model. If you prefer the "pre", try backing off the Master DEP when using the "full" model to find the sweet spot. It's difficult to really change the tone by simple pre-EQ'ing, but a Screamer can tighten it up nicely. I find boosting some warm (lower) mids before the amp can make it a bit less agro and have a sweeter tone. The bass it puts out is obnoxious. I find I need to use a Parametric EQ with Freq at 15% and Gain around 35% to get it in the same ballparks as other amp models. In general this amp model is too aggressive for my tastes, but it is great when tamed.

F-ball

Great amp model - captures the distinct ENGL tone. Good on its own but can be made more aggressive and djenty with a presence-emphasis by pre-EQ'ing out some bass. Goes well with a Screamer in front. I make this amp my go-to for a nice modern metal tone.

Elektrik

Not a fan. Seems like a watered-down version of the Uber. The initial draw is that it doesn't have the muddiness issue the Uber does, but once you tweak the Uber to get rid of that, the Uber sounds better than this model. Also, the default setting for the Master DEP is 100%, which I think sounds awful - if you're gonna use it, make that's the first thing you adjust.

SLO Overdrive

I think of this as the Plexi on roids. It's a bit looser than some of the other amps, so I find I don't use it much for a metal tone; but it has a great hard rock tone. This model responds oddly to boosts, and its EQ controls don't impact the tone as much as you'd expect.

Doom

Think sludgy Marshall. This is generally not my thing, so I don't use this model much. It takes boosts well, and you can get a very wide range of tones from it.

Epic

Very bizarre model here. I find the preamp distortion harsh and broken up or splatty. I keep Drive low, but the poweramp distortion is quite smooth, focused, and tight. So that's what I like to use to get a good tone from this amp, which makes dialing it in more difficult. The tone is very clear and dry - it's great for getting a heavy distortion tone that can chug but you also want to clearly hear every note, even inside big chords.

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