Why Do These Pedal Make High Notes Sound So Good?

[Brent Hutto]

Here's a snapshot of three pedals I have engaged (along with my usual delay) at the moment. All of them are turned way down in terms of Gain on the dirt pedals and Sensitivity (pretty much all the way down) on the Dyna Comp. So they add a little grind to chords and maybe a slight edge to single notes if I dig in a little. But really not distorted or compressed sounding at all.

It's playing through the Clean channel of my Katana with its (clean) Gain pretty high and a fairly neutral EQ.

Here's my question, what is about this combination of pedals that make the highest notes on my Telecaster (above the 12th fret on the high-E string) sound fatter, thicker, more sustaining, just all around much better than if I turn the pedals off?

If I run just one or two of the pedals rather than all three I don't really hear a major difference from the tone of the amp only. But with all three running, even turned down so low, all of my usual thin, plinky high-note sound is gone. It's like turning on a feel-good pump for my trebles.

P.S. And BTW, it's not just louder. If I adjust the volumes to be almost exactly (within 1dB) matched the tone with the pedals on is still far nicer.

 

[schmee]

With everything, including the amp gain high, it's just hard to say what's doing what. But it's not unique, ganging two OD pedals together gets some great smooth tone with all kinds of amps and pedals etc.

 

[Brent Hutto]

I'm still learning about this stuff and I shouldn't be surprised but there's a lot of synergy involved in these dirt pedals. The key to that "feel good" treble tone is definitely the Tube Screamer but if I turn off the Dist+ and Dyna Comp the Tube Screamer itself sounds awful. The Dist+ and Dyna Comp without the 'Screamer sounds fine but doesn't have the thick, sustaining treble.

As much as I like that Distortion+ for what it does to the low end and midrange it seems to leave the upper end alone and not do much for it. Somehow the Tube Screamer in front of it make a full-range combination.

I tell you, when I first pulled that TS9 out of the box last week and started twisting knobs and noodling around it nearly went straight back to Sweetwater. Not impressed at all. Glad I gave the stacking thing a try.

 

[4pickupguy]

Increased harmonic content. More overtones, possible (likely given TS involved) mid harmonic at the sweet spot of 850hz or thereabouts. Transient taming.

 

[Alex_C]

My guess:
TS pushes mids, cuts some bottom.
Distortion + amplifies the signal and pushes the compressor, which adds natural compression.
The compressor adds sustain.
This should be a good setup for lead and less complex chords.

 

[Brent Hutto]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the guidance.

My guess:
TS pushes mids, cuts some bottom.
Distortion + amplifies the signal and pushes the compressor, which adds natural compression.
The compressor adds sustain.
This should be a good setup for lead and less complex chords.

There is definitely a nice synergy going on with the EQ profiles of the Tube Screamer and Distortion+. Normally I really like the way Dist+ makes the low-mids and bass growl a little. But it doesn't actually seem to add much to the sound of anything in the highest octave.

And normally the Tube Screamer has, to my ears, a bit of an over-pushed droning quality in the upper mids. So together they add up to rich bottom and full top, I guess.

Your mention of "less complex chords" rings true. I do not like this whole TS into D+ into Dyna Comp chain nearly as well on full four, five six note chords or on any chords down in cowboy position. I turn off the TS9 when playing that kind of thing and just use the other two pedals.

Increased harmonic content. More overtones, possible (likely given TS involved) mid harmonic at the sweet spot of 850hz or thereabouts. Transient taming.

I just went and stared at my spectrum analyzer app for a couple minutes and it does turn out some of the high notes that sound the sweetest with this setup tend to have a second harmonic (I think?) up in the 600-900Hz range. When I switch off the TS9 those little harmonic peaks get kind of rounded off.

So the 850Hz sweet spot idea has some empirical support (not that I actually knew a TS9 had its peak there)!

 

[Refugee]

Kinda similar to Trey Anastasio tone. He uses a Ross comp and two TS'ers.
The tone with only one TS on. At 40 seconds he kicks on the second. Ride that volume knob to keep it from getting away.

 

[Brent Hutto]

Kinda similar to Trey Anastasio tone. He uses a Ross comp and two TS'ers.
The tone with only one TS on. At 40 seconds he kicks on the second. Ride that volume knob to keep it from getting away.

Great find, there. That's definitely what the TS9 (into the other distortion and comp) is doing for me.

My context is entirely different, I play slower without the bending but I do use my guitar volume to control it. I move between his sort of tone occasionally, back to a totally clean one when I roll it way off.

What's different since I stacked that TS9 in there is even when I roll back to clean it up I still get the sustain and harmonics. With just the Distortion+ I had add some pretty harsh distortion (either with the pedal or by using the Crunch channel on Katana) to get the sustain and fullness.

 

[arlum]

Running an overdrive with another gain pedal increases sustain even on the lowest settings. A compressor by itself increases sustain. Using it in combonation with the first two gain pedals set low will add mids, reduce top end bite / attack and lengthen the sustain of your notes quite a bit. I use different pedals but in much the same combination for long smooth sustaining leads. This setup is a great starting point for David Gilmour or Santana lead tones. Just adjusting your amps tone will take you from one to the other.

 

[Fiesta Red]

On my Big Ol’ Board of Sonic Bliss, I stack a TS9RI TubeScreamer into a Dunlop JH-2S Classic Fuzz (Fuzz Face circuit) into an MXR Micro Amp, with similarly spectacular results.

On my Lil’ Ol’ Board of Sonic Bliss, I get a similar sound from an MXR M66 Classic Overdrive, an MXR Classic 108 Fuzz and an MXR Micro Amp.

 

[codamedia]

what is about this combination of pedals that make the highest notes on my Telecaster (above the 12th fret on the high-E string) sound fatter, thicker, more sustaining, just all around much better than if I turn the pedals off?

IMO... That's the magic a Tube Screamer provides when used in front of another dirt source, whether it's a pedal or an amp. It thickens the mids which give the high notes a whole new life.

You've also learned the compressor trick that many will reject. Placing that comp after the dirt pedals opens up the dynamics between you and the overdrive, then tames the rough edges later.

 

[Killing Floor]

Nice situation and nice l’il ole backup sitch.