Xref: utzoo comp.music:3402 rec.music.misc:70960 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!spool.mu.edu!uunet!stanford.edu!morrow.stanford.edu!CAMIS!mtm From: mtm@CAMIS.Stanford.EDU (Mike Macgirvin) Newsgroups: comp.music,rec.music.misc Subject: Re: Guitar Sounds (Guitarists read this...) Message-ID: Date: 4 Jun 91 22:24:36 GMT Article-I.D.: CAMIS.mtm.676074276 References: <1991Jun4.104901.1@dev0d.mdcbbs.com> Sender: news@morrow.stanford.edu (News Service) Organization: Data Center, Stanford University, California, USA Lines: 27 pirk@dev0d.mdcbbs.com writes: >In article , esuvn@warwick.ac.uk (The Mugwump) writes: >> There is a very standard 'smooth' distortion sound around, which as well as >> obviously being very distorted, also has quite a 'pure' and 'clean' sound. >> No >> matter how hard I try, I have not been able to get this sound. I have tried >> DI'ing a distortion pedal, two distortion pedals, both the previous thru a >> combo (miked up), and have still to try compression->distortion->DI or >> miked combo. Haven't got a compressor lying about ATM. Has anyone got any >> suggestions on these things? The sound it seems you are after is the low level harmonic distortion created by *slightly* overdriving an input preamplifier or amplifier. Commercial "distortion" or "fuzz" boxes cannot seem to produce this very subtle effect, instead opting to turn a guitar with complicated harmonics into a square wave device (with essentially infinite, and bland harmonics). I recommend a clean preamp with a gain control, fed into a second preamp or main amp, also with a gain control. You will generally have high gain on the first stage, and back off on the second a bit. Compression tends to help the effect by keeping the signal at the proper level for a longer period of time than usually is the case due to musical dynamics. I manage just fine running a Dod compressor into an Alesis 1622 mixer, with the input trim maxxed out. A high-gain equalizer works equally well, allowing you to tune the brightness a bit. mike