Top tips for Vox users

[Taz5150]

Ive taken the information from the replies to this thread on the Patchtronix site, thank you to all of you who added posts to this section....

Killer Tone Heaven
Let you into a BIG secret here, read the manual, put the master all the way up, with a high volume on guitar for a full on distortion, roll back the guitar to clean it up. Use the Amp Volume to set level of amp simulation, not overall volume and control the whole lot with the rear power level control. The valve harmonics are awesome doing this.

Change the stock 70/80 speakers in the AD100 VT for Century Neo Dog Celestions....much better than spending your cash on an extention cabinet and will make this baby ROCK !!!!!
AD30 VT also works great with a Celestion G10......
Dont worry too much about trying different Ecc83/ 12Ax7 valves in these amps...truthfully i really havent found that much difference between a stock EHX Ecc83 and a UK Mullard NOS Ecc83 from 60's !!!!!!
Save your cash for a speaker change instead !!!!

On the high gain models: Recto, Soldano, Dumble, JCM900, 2000 and to some extent the JCM800, don't max out the VR Gain. They mush out with the VR gain muuch above 5, just like the real amps. The characteristic sounds of these amps are much more depenandt on preamp distortion than power amp distortion.

Make two different versions of your patches. One version for playing live at high volumes and another for playing at lower volumes. On my VC12 I have the same patches stored in two different areas. The only difference is that the patches meant for live playing have more volume difference and EQ for the lead sounds so that there is a noticable kick when I turn on the high gain patches. When I'm playing at smaller places or more quiet venues (for home recording, or playing at in a church group) then I use a second version of the patches where the clean and distorted sounds have almost the same volume. This allows me to get the nice high gain tones without a huge volume difference.

Arrange your patches in each bank so that you have two clean sounds, a crunch sound, and a lead sound all together in the same bank. This makes it easier to go between playing rhythm parts to leads and back again with out changing banks. Or, you can use the "Recall" button on the VC-12 to do a similar function.

5 tips for clearer, unmuddied tone: -

1. Set gigging patches at gig, not bedroom volume (your ears perceive tone differently at higher volumes)
2. LESS IS MORE. For gigging patches especially, you need far less reverb, delay and gain than most people realise. To max distortion, DON'T max the gain! With most amp models, after about 3-4:00 O'clock on the gain, the tone can muddy.
3. Onboard EQ controls are OK, but for greater tonal control, an external EQ can help totally transform your tone. E.g. on the Plexi model, you can add highs without losing that fabulous bottom end crunch
4. External effects - with a modelling amp, unlike a pure-tube amp, certain stomp boxes may not sound as good so you can often get better results with the onboard effects.
5) Turn off the noise reduction.

Rob