How to get clear 3D room filling sound

[SongsForTheDeaf]

I have been having an issue that is plaguing me ... when I click on a distortion or fuzz its just plain muddy and only sounds clear and good right infront of the speaker..

Is there a way to get that sound but everywhere in the room and to clear up the distortion so when I kick on a pedal its not instant blanket thrown over the amp.

I have the gain lowered on my pedals and I have messed with the amps EQ ALL DAY!

any help appreciated thanks!

 

[Jackie]

Turn it up?

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

Turn it up?

Oddly enough I was actually playing pretty quiet today but it seems to do this a little bit still even when cranked up quite a bit

 

[kdorsey]

Some pedals simply don't meld with a particular amp. If the buffer is such that it overloads your amp, it will cause this. I found that Tube Screamer variants work really well with my MkIII but others like the Satchurator don't (in ch3).

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

Some pedals simply don't meld with a particular amp. If the buffer is such that it overloads your amp, it will cause this. I found that Tube Screamer variants work really well with my MkIII but others like the Satchurator don't (in ch3).

I actually have a tubescreamer so I will put that on my board and see if it helps!

 

[MrMarkIII]

It doesn't sound good when you stand close to the speaker?

Don't stand so close to the speaker.

Adjust the EQ so it sounds like it did when standing in front of the speaker.
Yes, it will now sound different when you get closer.
The wonders of the human ear.

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

It doesn't sound good when you stand close to the speaker?

Don't stand so close to the speaker.

Adjust the EQ so it sounds like it did when standing in front of the speaker.
Yes, it will now sound different when you get closer.
The wonders of the human ear.

That's my issue I can't get my sound from infront of the speaker everywhere no matter how much I mess with the EQ on the amp and pedals

Great advice though.....

 

[Heritage Softail]

A wet dry rig is an easy way to widen the sonic footprint.

You take your effects send in to a delay pedal, and plug from the pedal send into the effects return of any little amp. Even a tiny combo with a loop can work.

If you like that and want to take it a little farther, you can put a loop EQ in there after the delay pedal. That way you get the delay and also a tone shift to make it seem even more different and wide.

 

[MrMarkIII]

It doesn't sound good when you stand close to the speaker?

Don't stand so close to the speaker.

Adjust the EQ so it sounds like it did when standing in front of the speaker.
Yes, it will now sound different when you get closer.
The wonders of the human ear.

That's my issue I can't get my sound from in front of the speaker everywhere no matter how much I mess with the EQ on the amp and pedals

Great advice though.....

You are correct, sir!
The sound you hear when your ear is close to the speaker will be different from the sound you hear when your ear is elsewhere in the room. The same thing happens when you mike the speaker. Close up, the mike does not pick up the sound of the room. When the mike is moved further away from the speaker, the sound changes as the mike starts to record the sound reflected from the walls, floor, ceiling, and other surfaces. This room sound is what your ear is "recording" when you move your ear away from the speaker.

To fix this, mike the speaker up close, then run the mike through a P.A. with four speakers in the corners of the room, all pointing toward the center of the room. Now, stand in the center of the room and crank it!

Even better, isolate the guitar speaker/mike and listen through headphones to eliminate as much "room sound" as possible. It may become expensive at live gigs as you will need to provide headphones for each audience member.

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

Yeah we are usually mic'd so live I still get my sound which Is VERY good ... just wish at rehearsals it was the same!... thanks for the insight guys

 

[derekjason]

Two amps?

 

[gonzo]

combination of open back and closed back cabs that are matched and balanced together.
not hard to do.

 

[tonedragon]

Fuzz sounds good when your amp is really loud and the fuzz is cranked. Then use your guitars volume knob to control the fuzz. Only then shall you cut through the mix. If you play in a on bass player and drummer.
With guitar volume turned down it should clean up. But not clean clean. Stand about 15' away from your rig to hear it. That's the only way fuzz works in a live band.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I run an open back cab on top of a closed back cab. The open back spreads around the highs while the closed back provides the thump.

 

[Blaklynx]

It'll always sound different if you move away from your 'ideal' distance from your speaker.

The wavelengths of each frequency is the main issue here.

Lower frequencies (bass) need distance to hear them properly. As you move away from the amp, the lower frequencies become more pronounced. This is causing the 'blanket' you're hearing.

Think of a low-mid sub for home theatre. Stand close to it. Then stand further away; I bet you'll hear it better (and feel it). I notice this with my sub in the lounge. I stand next to it and it sounds low in volume and doesn't sound powerful. I stand 5 meters away and it hit's you in the head. It changes the perceived loudness of the hi frequencies from the other speakers, too.

Low frequencies have more energy and also travel further. High frequencies have less energy and don't travel as far as low frequencies; they 'die out' sooner. So the further away you're from those highs, the less you will hear them.

Think of this: You hear music that's 'somewhere' 10 houses away. What do you usually hear the most off? The 'doof doof' of the low frequencies. But if you were in that house, you'd hear pretty much all the other frequencies.

The sensation of loudness you perceive (or lack of loudness) is affected by the frequency and the distance.

So when you stand away from your amp, you need to re-EQ (treble up, bass down, etc.) and adjust volume.

What I've said is very basic and simplisitic. It doesn't take into account white noise, room size, room material, room absorbtion/reflection and a million other things that affect sound.

Another example: When you setup a home theatre, the perfect sound is to sit in one spot all the time. As soon as you move 1 metre this way or that way, there goes the sound. This is no different.

Quite simply, there's nothing wrong with what you think is an issue. It's perfectly normal. You just have to adjust for it.