Tone - Revision history

Meambobbo: /* Guitar Power Amps vs. Pure Power Amps */

2015-07-02T02:02:23Z

‎Guitar Power Amps vs. Pure Power Amps

Meambobbo at 00:09, 2 July 2015

2015-07-02T00:09:59Z

Meambobbo: /* Gain Staging */

2015-06-26T02:59:46Z

‎Gain Staging

Meambobbo: /* Gain Staging */

2015-06-26T02:57:42Z

‎Gain Staging

Meambobbo: /* Gain Staging */

2015-06-26T02:57:26Z

‎Gain Staging

Meambobbo at 03:20, 13 April 2015

2015-04-13T03:20:53Z

Meambobbo: /* Gain Staging */

2015-03-12T01:28:52Z

‎Gain Staging

Meambobbo: /* Gain Staging */

2015-03-12T01:25:17Z

‎Gain Staging

Meambobbo: /* Example Walkthrough */

2015-01-22T20:31:46Z

‎Example Walkthrough

Meambobbo: /* Effects */

2015-01-22T20:31:16Z

‎Effects

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 == Power Amp ==
 === Guitar Power Amps vs. Pure Power Amps ===
-When it comes to power amps, there are two kinds.  ''Guitar power amps'' are the ones built into complete guitar amps but can also exist as discrete units.  They are designed to have some impact on tone, although not as much as a [[#Pre-Amp|preamp]].  They often use tubes, and may even be designed to be pushed into overdrive, or may at least offer differing tone at different volume levels.  ''Pure power amps'' on the other hand, are designed to be as transparent as possible, only amplifying the input signal with minimal impact otherwise.
+When it comes to power amps, there are two kinds.  '''Guitar power amps''' are built into complete guitar amps but can also exist as discrete units.  In the context of a guitar amp, it may be referred to as ''the power section''.  They are designed to have some impact on tone, although not as much as a [[#Pre-Amp|preamp]].  They often use tubes, and may even be designed to be pushed into overdrive, or may at least offer differing tone at different volume levels.  '''Pure power amps''' or '''FRFR amps''' (full range, flat response) on the other hand, are designed to be as transparent as possible, ''only amplifying'' the input signal with minimal impact otherwise.
-In earlier years, these different types of amps rarely crossed paths.  Guitar power amps were for guitars, and pure power amps were for PA systems.  With the introduction of modelers, which simulate guitar power amps, cabs/speakers, and microphones, pure power amps began to be used by the guitar community for amplification purposes.  Rather than running them into guitar cabs, they'd run into full-range, full-response (FRFR) monitors.  Some brands market power amps that bridge the gap, claiming they work for both purposes.
+In earlier years, these different types of amps rarely crossed paths.  Guitar power amps were usually built into guitar amps (or those manufacturers would make clearly-designated guitar-centered power amps), and pure power amps were for PA systems.  With the introduction of modelers that simulate guitar amps, cabs/speakers, and microphones, pure power amps began to be used by the guitar community for amplification purposes, the same way a mic'ed guitar cab would be amplified through a PA system.  And rather than running them into guitar cabs, they'd run into FRFR monitors.  Some brands market power amps that bridge the gap, claiming they work for both purposes.
 === Headroom ===

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 * In the studio or at a gig, we can add: > Microphones > Microphone Pre-Amps > PA/DAW
-Every part of the chain has a significant impact on the tone, and each stage is joined by cables which can also influence the tone.
+Every part of the chain has a significant impact on the tone, and each stage is joined by cables which can also influence the tone.  And we could further add components like [[Choosing a Pick|picks]], [[Slide Guitar|slides]], and [[Swells#Specialty Gear|feedback inducers]]; however, those are discussed on their own pages.
 == Hands ==

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 == Gain Staging ==
-<u>Gain staging</u> refers to setting the levels of each device in your signal chain to achieve the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) while avoiding unwanted clipping (distortion).
+'''Gain staging''' refers to setting the levels of each device in your signal chain to achieve the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) while avoiding unwanted clipping (distortion).
-Analog devices (and digital devices that emulate them properly) have a <u>noise floor</u> - a small amount of noise that is inherent by nature and cannot be reduced.  The further the signal is attenuated, the louder the noise floor will be relative to the signal, decreasing the SNR.  Amplifiers cannot differentiate between signal and noise; they just amplify everything they receive as input.  If any part of the signal chain lowers the SNR, there is no way to improve it later in the chain.
+Analog devices (and digital devices that emulate them properly) have a '''noise floor''' - a small amount of noise that is inherent by nature and cannot be reduced.  The further the signal is attenuated, the louder the noise floor will be relative to the signal, decreasing the SNR.  Amplifiers cannot differentiate between signal and noise; they just amplify everything they receive as input.  If any part of the signal chain lowers the SNR, there is no way to improve it later in the chain.
 Running your devices to output at maximum strength means that the signal is much higher than this noise floor, maximizing signal-to-noise.  (Devices have other forms of inherent noise that will increase with certain settings and output levels, but we are only concerned with the signal level vs. noise floor here.)  Depending on the settings of the device, maximum output may be too strong for its internal amplifier and clip it.  Then output should be reduced to avoid clipping.

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 Some modelers allow you to tweak the resonance of emulated cabs virtually, effectively allowing you to tweak the cab's construction in real-time.  This is great for dialing in your dream tone, although they tend to sound weird when fake when you deviate too far from center.
 == Gain Staging ==
 <u>Gain staging</u> refers to setting the levels of each device in your signal chain to achieve the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) while avoiding unwanted clipping (distortion).

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:57, 26 June 2015
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	== Gain Staging ==		== Gain Staging ==
		+	{{top}}
	<u>Gain staging</u> refers to setting the levels of each device in your signal chain to achieve the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) while avoiding unwanted clipping (distortion).		<u>Gain staging</u> refers to setting the levels of each device in your signal chain to achieve the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) while avoiding unwanted clipping (distortion).

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 This page focuses on core tone, particularly distortion tone.  Effects placement and impact are discussed individually on their own page, for each kind of effect.  While effects are referenced below, they are only considered for how they affect core tone when they are set to be as transparent as possible.
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 === Mic Pre-amps ===
 Some mics require phantom (or actual) power to operate correctly.  Some people believe mics need to be run through a pre-amp to sweeten up their tone.  Pre-amps can also provide common effects like compression, EQ/filtering, or mild distortion.  I don't know much about mic pre-amps, but most professional studios do tend to use them, often being incorporated into the mixing board, before converting the analog signal to digital for recording and post-processing.  As such, they can be an important part of the signal chain, having either a subtle or profound effect on tone.
 [[Category: Guitar]]

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 == Gain Staging ==
-''Gain staging'' refers to setting the levels of each device in your signal chain to achieve the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) while avoiding unwanted clipping (distortion).
+<u>Gain staging</u> refers to setting the levels of each device in your signal chain to achieve the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) while avoiding unwanted clipping (distortion).
-Analog devices (and digital devices that emulate them properly) have a ''noise floor'' - a small amount of noise that is inherent by nature and cannot be reduced.  Running your devices to output at maximum strength means that the signal is much higher than this noise floor, maximizing signal-to-noise.  (Devices have other forms of inherent noise that will increase with certain settings and output levels, but we are only concerned with the signal level vs. noise floor here.)  Depending on the settings of the device, maximum output may be too strong for its internal amplifier and clip it.  Then output should be reduced to avoid clipping.
+Analog devices (and digital devices that emulate them properly) have a <u>noise floor</u> - a small amount of noise that is inherent by nature and cannot be reduced.  The further the signal is attenuated, the louder the noise floor will be relative to the signal, decreasing the SNR.  Amplifiers cannot differentiate between signal and noise - it all gets amplified.  '''The worst SNR at any point in the chain is going to be the best SNR at the end of the chain.'''
-Usually devices are designed with enough headroom so that their internal amplifiers don't clip, even at extreme settings and max output.  However, when creating a whole signal chain, several devices that can boost the signal connected together are very likely to clip when they are all set to maximum output.  Proper gain staging dictates that each device should have the maximum output to not only avoid clipping its own amplifier, but also the input buffer or other uncontrollable aspects of the next device in the chain.
+Running your devices to output at maximum strength means that the signal is much higher than this noise floor, maximizing signal-to-noise.  (Devices have other forms of inherent noise that will increase with certain settings and output levels, but we are only concerned with the signal level vs. noise floor here.)  Depending on the settings of the device, maximum output may be too strong for its internal amplifier and clip it.  Then output should be reduced to avoid clipping.
 The way you have to test this all out is by using a completely clean tone.  If there's any distortion, you have to turn down one device at a time to locate the source of the clipping.  Many times you want a distorted tone, which can mask unwanted clipping and make it difficult to tell where it is in the signal chain.  You have to listen with a very careful ear, or substitute distortion for a clean tone of approximately the same volume level.

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 Let's look at an example signal chain:
-  Guitar > Compressor > Distortion (as boost) > Pre-Amp > Chorus > Delay > Power Amp > Cabinet
+* Guitar > Compressor > Distortion (as boost) > Pre-Amp > Chorus > Delay > Power Amp > Cabinet
 We start with the pre-amp and power amp - those are the only parts of the chain that ''have'' to be on.  Everything else is set to bypass or removed from the signal chain for now.  We set the pre-amp to a clean channel, minimum drive (if available), and a conservative channel volume.  We set the master volume of the amp somewhat low - loud enough to hear but the tone should still be clean, definitely far below the amp's clean headroom.  This is our baseline to set up at least the stomp effects (before the amp).

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 * [[Modulation Effects]]
 * [[Pitch Shifting]]
-* [[Wah Pedals]] (if you want the ''Rage Against the Machine - Bulls on Parade'' tone)
+* [[Wah Pedals]] (if you want the '''''Rage Against the Machine''''' - ''Bulls on Parade'' tone)
 * Volume Pedals
 * Unique Processors