John Petrucci Road King tone LIVE????

[ivsaken]

I have been trying to use JP as an example to try and shoot for a good tone on my dual rectifier. Watchign both Budokan and Score it seems when JP is playing the low E string he has a lot of gain sound and good clarity and punch without the mud. As much as I have tried (I have a JPMM guitar as well) I can seem to emulate this even close even after trying his EQ settings. I can't get this thing to stand out in my mix at all either (using an SM57) and I sound very distant (like the gain is far away if that makes any sense). I am pretty sure he doesnt use any kind of overdirve live or a triaxis anymore with the road king. Anyone have and secrets they know about?

 

[4nkam]

Budokan was Roadking but Score was the Nunya (C+) into the recto 100 poweramp.

What are your settings? I can get pretty close to JP's tone with my tremoverb as is but sometimes I put a chorus on there (just until you notice a difference in tone, not so much for the effect) and it sounds even closer.

mJ

 

[ivsaken]

there is a posting of clinic setting I was using. The problem I seem to be having is to get the low e tight where I want it I have to bring the abin down and I loose sustain.....its just really muddy too......nothing like the Budokan DVD at all

 

[4nkam]

You know back when I first found those settings, I tried them and I too was kinda confused. It looked like JP's settings but it didn't really sound like it to me. But now that time has passed, my usual settings are actually VERY close to that and it sounds great. I'm also running in diode/bold most of the time, sometimes I switch it up though.

mJ

 

[ivsaken]

These are my settings now

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e273/hjw3536/mesasetting.jpg

 

[ivsaken]

These are my settings now

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e273/hjw3536/mesasetting.jpg

 

[The Random Hero]

Volume, and remember he uses a slight delay between the two cabs which tends to give it more of a "voice". Are you using the traditional Recto cab or the oversized? JP uses the trad and it is tighter.

It could also be down to the miking technique you're both using. If you've seen the Making of Train of Thought videos, he's using a Road King on there un-miked and it sounds almost nothing like his normal live tone. Not as clear or defined. I suppose that's down to the miking he uses live.

 

[CudBucket]

Unless your signal chain is identical to JP's how could you expect amp settings to give you the same tone?

 

[ivsaken]

I am not expecting exact tone. I think it helped to hear the making of ToT. JP sounds totally different just coming right out of the amp. I just ordered a Maxon OD808 to see if I can kick the mids up a notch and add some sustain.

 

[CudBucket]

I am not expecting exact tone. I think it helped to hear the making of ToT. JP sounds totally different just coming right out of the amp. I just ordered a Maxon OD808 to see if I can kick the mids up a notch and add some sustain.

That's my point. I've been to two clinics he's done and each time his tone was not at all like what you hear on the albums. One time he had a stereo RK rig and the other, a mono rack mount dual rec.

 

[The Random Hero]

The character of his tone is always the same, even if it never sounds identical. However, that's the part that comes from his fingers and his technique. Like the part on the Making of ToT, when they're writing Honor Thy Father, it sounds almost nothing like the tone which made the album.

His tone on Budokan DOES rule however, for the record.

I get a pretty good JP-ish tone out of my Recto, but i'm sure my EBMM JP helps with that too, and will help you get closer. If you use his EQ settings as a guideline, then you can definitely get somewhat close, but I find it's easier to obtain a smooth JP-ish lead tone than it is to get that really throaty growl he gets on his rhythm tone when chugging the Low E. It always sounds somewhat close, but much closer to the tone on the making of ToT than Budokan.
Might just be me though. I really love the lead tone you can get from his settings.