8,720
edits
Changes
m
no edit summary
While harshness is usually associated with too much high end, sometimes the tone can be described as harsh if it has too much upper mids, or some part of the frequency spectrum is out of balance with the rest of it. Try the technique described in the [[Line 6 Pod HD EQ#Fizzy Spots|"fizzy spots" section]] of using a parametric EQ to cycle through the frequency range, trying to notice if any particular spot makes the tone much worse. Once you find it, you can dial it back and get a well-rounded tone.
Also, the Treadplate V-30 4x12 cab is by nature very bright and much louder than the other cab models. Keep that in mind when setting up your patches. See [[Line 6 Pod HD Cab/Mic Tone#Cab Selectionfor Direct Tones|cab selection]].
If you are running to an amp, make sure your amp/speaker isn't what is causing the signal to become too bright and harsh. For instance, I know the Peavey 5150 combo comes stock with a Sheffield speaker, which is much harsher than a Celestion Vintage 30 or similar speaker, which are often used for high gain tones. Many people even feel the Vintage 30 is a harsh speaker. So one option is to replace your speaker or cabinet. Trying to EQ around a harsh speaker can be very difficult or even futile. If you can close the back to your cab, that will get you a darker tone, but it will give you less volume. Sometimes even if you do all this, when you crank up the volume, the speaker distorts into mush, because it simply isn't designed to produce that kind of tone. Also, many amps, particularly 1x12's, are really bright directly in front the amp. You could try to use something like a Beam Blocker or Mitchell Donut (I recommend the Mitchell Donut, not the Beam Blocker) to even out the sound, or just stand slightly off center.
For a "direct" setup, most cab and mic combinations sound muffled for high gain. Simply turning up the treble might not do it. Use all your EQ options at your disposal to dial in the high end. (See [[Line 6 Pod HD EQ|"EQ" section]])
Note that trying to dial in the high end for an amp/cab/mic combination that happens to be very muffled-sounding will just give you a very noisy high-end that sounds artificial or processed, or fizzy. Dialing in frequencies that were never there to begin with means you are just amplifying noise. Thus, [[Line 6 Pod HD Cab/Mic Tone#Cab Selectionfor Direct Tones|cab and mic selection]] is important.
I usually use the SM 57 off axis mic, as it sounds the most natural to me, with rich mids and highs. But you may want to try the SM 57 on axis mic; it has the cleanest and brightest high end.