5:50 Contour Knob Question?

[express50express]

Which direction of the Contour Knob adds more mids to the tone? Clockwise or Counter?

Is the middle (noon position) considered scooped mids?

Thanks!

 

[Newysurfer]

Which direction of the Contour Knob adds more mids to the tone? Clockwise or Counter?

Is the middle (noon position) considered scooped mids?

Thanks!

Use your ears :mrgreen:
As you dial it clockwise you'll hear more mid scoop.
Plus it's also boosting some other freqs making it sound / seem louder although I'm not sure it really is.
Manual says so too

 

[sax4blues]

I don't believe the Contour ever adds mids. I think more clockwise will be more scooped mids and boosted bass/treble.

For several years I only used the Contour at low bedroom volume. Now I've found a use I really like. I set channel one to crunch with gain at 1, treble 11, mid 1, bass 11. With humbuckers I get a good rhythm crunch. Then when I roll back the guitar volume the OD cleans up and I engage the Contour set at 2, which adds fullness and sparkle with a little volume boost.

 

[Krek13]

contour doesnt add mids at all...you will have most mids with contour off.... more countour = less mids!!

 

[express50express]

contour doesnt add mids at all...you will have most mids with contour off.... more countour = less mids!!

Thanks, that is what my ears hear also. I justed wanted verification. I guess somewhere I read you could turn the knob one way to create an up side down "V", /\ which I'm guessing woud result in more MIDS on a typical EQ.

To my ears, regardless of which way you turn the knob, it just increases the volume, fattens the low end, and thins the highs.

 

[Newysurfer]

contour doesnt add mids at all...you will have most mids with contour off.... more countour = less mids!!

Thanks, that is what my ears hear also. I justed wanted verification. I guess somewhere I read you could turn the knob one way to create an up side down "V", /\ which I'm guessing woud result in more MIDS on a typical EQ.

To my ears, regardless of which way you turn the knob, it just increases the volume, fattens the low end, and thins the highs.

That's what mid "scoop" means -ie cutting/reducing mids and that's a V on a standard EQ freq scale pedal.
to human ear it creates a more aggressive metal like tone when gain is added.
First innovated by Mesa in the Rectifier and Mark Series amps.

But the Express contour dial does more than just cut mids.
If you listen close it's also adding some selected highs and lows as you dial it up.
It sounds louder to the human ear but i'm not sure it actually is cause EQ pedals can give the same effect.
Less mids cuts thru the background better so it sounds more prominent in any mid heavy mix :mrgreen:

 

[Don]

The contour knob does not change the shape of the EQ "V" shape- that's fixed, it sets how prominent it is in the mix.

 

[Newysurfer]

The contour knob does not change the shape of the EQ "V" shape- that's fixed, it sets how prominent it is in the mix.

Ok Don but how do you know that.
Is it in the manual somewhere ???
I just use my ears

 

[himmelhund]

Not an upside down V - turn it clockwise you get a V like a scooped equalizer. Turn it counterclockwise you are going back towards "flat." Dependent on how you have set your tone controls, of course.

I use that contour sparingly, after all you already have a complete tone stack.