EQ settings on amp when using effects

rocknroller · May 8th, 2008, 11:19 AM

Just want to get a general concensus of how people are setting EQ levels on their amp when using effects pedals or processors that have EQ controls. If you shape the tone using the controls on the effects pedal how should you set the EQ levels on the amp? It seems that if I adjust the EQ controls on my pedal or effects processor to my liking, then adjusting the EQ controls on the amp does very little to change the tone any further so how should the levels on the amp be set? Any thoughts?

Thanks

Scotty72 · May 8th, 2008, 11:37 AM

I start with the amp settings, with the effects off.
When I got the guitar and amp sounding right for me I push the effect(s) and adjust the pedal.

Wardpike · May 8th, 2008, 11:41 AM

Dear rocknroller,
Can you specify which amp and effects you are using?

Thanks,
Ward

rocknroller · May 8th, 2008, 12:44 PM

Wardpike; I typically gig with a Peavey Classic 30. I have a Jekyll & Hyde OD pedal and sometimes I play through a Zoom multi effects processor. I play in a cover band so I use variety of different sounds. Some of the pre-programmed patches are too dark so I tweak them with more treble and mids so I can be heard thru the mix, but after tweaking the effects I'm always struggling to decide how to set the levels on my amp without conflicting with the effects EQ. Thanks for the reply.

SixStringSlinger · May 8th, 2008, 03:46 PM

I do it like Scotty. I just set the amp however I like it. What I usually do is crank all the EQ to 10 and slowly notch 'em down 'till there's a balance I like. I might do that plugged straight in, then hook up the whole board and adjust for whatever high end or whatever might be lost. Then I do the pedals.

The only pedals I have with EQ controls are my Boss distortion and chorus, and each just has a single EQ knob. I keep the distortion's (a DS-1) tone at about 10-11 o'clock. I play a Strat and I run the gain high, so I do that to tame the high end and beef it up a little. The chorus (a CH-1) I pretty much keep at 12 o'clock, so it doesn't do much.

Wardpike · May 8th, 2008, 03:59 PM

Gotcha. All those multi-effect units really homogenize the sound of any guitar and amp. Some of them really suck the life out of any set-up... but I do appreciate their economy and convenience.

Let's say you start with Scotty's suggestion and try setting up the amp for the guitar first. Try disconnecting the Zoom and J&H all together, and get the amp responding to the guitar. I'll assume you're using a tele but don't know your pickup configuration...in a cover band you probably need a 3 pickup set-up too (two of my tele's have that).

OK, so you're on the Peavey Classic.
Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYElbej-5Jc
If you're going to continue to use the Zoom, you'll want to keep the PV as clean as possible and allow for enough headroom so that any "Lead" settings from the Zoom and J&H have enough preamp headroom to be effective and not distort which will in turn distort all your effects as well.

Try the normal channel only, don;'t use the gain channel and try setting the volume at say 2 or 3. You have a 3 band passive EQ on the amp...and do you know what that means? They don't "add" anything as they're dialled up they're passive which means they start with 100% and cut from there.

So Volume at 2 or 3, guitar straight into the amp and "Dime" the Bass Mid and Treble. Then listen to the tone...too brittle? Less treb. Too boxy? Less mid. Too woolly or boomy? Less bass. So with a typical Tele with trad pickups, you might end up with settings like
Volume 3, Bass 8, Middle 6, Treble 8, Reverb 4 or 5 (if you use the amp verb).

NOw try keeping that there and plugging in your J&H. Get that sounding right so you've got some of the crunch you like. Try switching back and forth... volume balanced? adjust as needed on the pedal. Tone consistent? if not, adjust the tone on the effect pedal.

And next the Zoom. Are you using it in-line before the amp (and after the J&H obviously) or in the effects loop? If you're only using it for delays, verbs, chorus, phase, flange and EQ's then you could possibly try it in the PV's effects loop. If you're using it for Compressor and Overdrive/Distortion effects, it has to go before the amp.

Let me know how this works out, and then we'll go a step further if needed.

I hope I've been helpful,

Ward

Scotty72 · May 8th, 2008, 04:15 PM

Can the zoom be used as a preamp ?
If so, you can connect it to the power amp input (or effects return or whatever), if there is one, bypassing the amp preamp and controlling everything from the zoom.
Maybe you like it or maybe you miss your tube preamp, but you can always try.

Scotty
www.mrwhiz.org

rocknroller · May 9th, 2008, 07:22 AM

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I know there is no one "perfect" way to set things up, and sometimes your typical set up has to change based on the particular venue you are playing. My quest is to try and keep things as "simple" as possible. The other factor in the equation is that I switch guitars quite often during the night that are on opposite ends of the tone spectrum (tele and les paul). It's hard enough swithing guitars between songs without having to be tweaking amp and effects settings.

bowlfreshener · May 10th, 2008, 09:15 AM

I always set my amps EQ with all the EQ knobs pointing to the right.

May 8th, 2008, 11:19 AM	#1 (permalink)
rocknroller TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, MA Age: 53 Posts: 25	EQ settings on amp when using effects Just want to get a general concensus of how people are setting EQ levels on their amp when using effects pedals or processors that have EQ controls. If you shape the tone using the controls on the effects pedal how should you set the EQ levels on the amp? It seems that if I adjust the EQ controls on my pedal or effects processor to my liking, then adjusting the EQ controls on the amp does very little to change the tone any further so how should the levels on the amp be set? Any thoughts? Thanks

May 8th, 2008, 03:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
SixStringSlinger Tele-Afflicted Join Date: May 2006 Location: Miami, FL Age: 21 Posts: 1,271	I do it like Scotty. I just set the amp however I like it. What I usually do is crank all the EQ to 10 and slowly notch 'em down 'till there's a balance I like. I might do that plugged straight in, then hook up the whole board and adjust for whatever high end or whatever might be lost. Then I do the pedals. The only pedals I have with EQ controls are my Boss distortion and chorus, and each just has a single EQ knob. I keep the distortion's (a DS-1) tone at about 10-11 o'clock. I play a Strat and I run the gain high, so I do that to tame the high end and beef it up a little. The chorus (a CH-1) I pretty much keep at 12 o'clock, so it doesn't do much. __________________ "Is a hippopotamus a hippopotamus, or just a really cool opotamus?" -Mitch Hedberg

May 10th, 2008, 09:15 AM	#9 (permalink)
bowlfreshener Tele-Afflicted Join Date: May 2007 Location: Virginia, USA Age: 33 Posts: 1,547 6 Photos	I always set my amps EQ with all the EQ knobs pointing to the right. __________________ RAMA LAMA FA FA FA

May 8th, 2008, 11:37 AM	#2 (permalink)
Scotty72 TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Spain Posts: 34	I start with the amp settings, with the effects off. When I got the guitar and amp sounding right for me I push the effect(s) and adjust the pedal.

May 8th, 2008, 11:41 AM	#3 (permalink)
Wardpike Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: St. John's, Newfoundland Age: 43 Posts: 652	Dear rocknroller, Can you specify which amp and effects you are using? Thanks, Ward

May 8th, 2008, 12:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
rocknroller TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, MA Age: 53 Posts: 25	Wardpike; I typically gig with a Peavey Classic 30. I have a Jekyll & Hyde OD pedal and sometimes I play through a Zoom multi effects processor. I play in a cover band so I use variety of different sounds. Some of the pre-programmed patches are too dark so I tweak them with more treble and mids so I can be heard thru the mix, but after tweaking the effects I'm always struggling to decide how to set the levels on my amp without conflicting with the effects EQ. Thanks for the reply.

May 8th, 2008, 03:59 PM	#6 (permalink)
Wardpike Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: St. John's, Newfoundland Age: 43 Posts: 652	Gotcha. All those multi-effect units really homogenize the sound of any guitar and amp. Some of them really suck the life out of any set-up... but I do appreciate their economy and convenience. Let's say you start with Scotty's suggestion and try setting up the amp for the guitar first. Try disconnecting the Zoom and J&H all together, and get the amp responding to the guitar. I'll assume you're using a tele but don't know your pickup configuration...in a cover band you probably need a 3 pickup set-up too (two of my tele's have that). OK, so you're on the Peavey Classic. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYElbej-5Jc If you're going to continue to use the Zoom, you'll want to keep the PV as clean as possible and allow for enough headroom so that any "Lead" settings from the Zoom and J&H have enough preamp headroom to be effective and not distort which will in turn distort all your effects as well. Try the normal channel only, don;'t use the gain channel and try setting the volume at say 2 or 3. You have a 3 band passive EQ on the amp...and do you know what that means? They don't "add" anything as they're dialled up they're passive which means they start with 100% and cut from there. So Volume at 2 or 3, guitar straight into the amp and "Dime" the Bass Mid and Treble. Then listen to the tone...too brittle? Less treb. Too boxy? Less mid. Too woolly or boomy? Less bass. So with a typical Tele with trad pickups, you might end up with settings like Volume 3, Bass 8, Middle 6, Treble 8, Reverb 4 or 5 (if you use the amp verb). NOw try keeping that there and plugging in your J&H. Get that sounding right so you've got some of the crunch you like. Try switching back and forth... volume balanced? adjust as needed on the pedal. Tone consistent? if not, adjust the tone on the effect pedal. And next the Zoom. Are you using it in-line before the amp (and after the J&H obviously) or in the effects loop? If you're only using it for delays, verbs, chorus, phase, flange and EQ's then you could possibly try it in the PV's effects loop. If you're using it for Compressor and Overdrive/Distortion effects, it has to go before the amp. Let me know how this works out, and then we'll go a step further if needed. I hope I've been helpful, Ward

May 8th, 2008, 04:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
Scotty72 TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Spain Posts: 34	Can the zoom be used as a preamp ? If so, you can connect it to the power amp input (or effects return or whatever), if there is one, bypassing the amp preamp and controlling everything from the zoom. Maybe you like it or maybe you miss your tube preamp, but you can always try. Scotty www.mrwhiz.org

May 9th, 2008, 07:22 AM	#8 (permalink)
rocknroller TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, MA Age: 53 Posts: 25	Thanks for the suggestions guys! I know there is no one "perfect" way to set things up, and sometimes your typical set up has to change based on the particular venue you are playing. My quest is to try and keep things as "simple" as possible. The other factor in the equation is that I switch guitars quite often during the night that are on opposite ends of the tone spectrum (tele and les paul). It's hard enough swithing guitars between songs without having to be tweaking amp and effects settings.