Using the Master as a power brake DC 5

[Casper]

Is it okay to crank pre and post gains to acceptable tone levels and THEN use the Master as sort of a "power brake"
Logic would seem that the more gain I can get into the clean (making the pre tunbes work a little harder)(without blowing everyone off the stage) would increase the tonal pallette? Am I wrong?
Shaun

 

[edward]

Hi Shaun,

Nothing "wrong" about what you are doing, and no harm in doing it that way. But if I may offer, you are operating in "theory mode." What you should do IMHO is actually play with the gain/output relationship to find which actually sounds better to you. Preamp high/master low vs. the opposite will yield differnt tone and dynamics. Others also prefer the output tube tone/dynamics to lots of preamp compression. Play it both ways and hunt for the sweet spot.

Edward

 

[GD_NC]

I agree 100% with Edward. I will add one more thought. Think of the relationship between the master (preamp output) and power amp as very similar to the relationship between your guitar's volume (with really hot pickups) and the pre amp. Essentially, the level of input going to the power amp is just as important to good saturated tube sound as turning up the output power. Just like hot pickups in your guitar don't produce good preamp overdrive until you turn the guitar's volume up.

I may be repeating what Edward said, but hopefully this explains why.

 

[Casper]

I think I understand. It was more for Channel 1 (clean) than anything. In an earlier post, I described the ice pick/eq problem I was having and not getting the blossoming warmth. I dimed all the eq knobs and played a set thinking it was true flat and salt and peppered with the GEQ..It worked great except I forgot about the mid gain past 4 thing which added hair to my clean tone. The sustain and tone was AWESOME other than that. I figured by balancing the pre and post and just using the Master as kind of a brake, I could get that tone and sustain back. Its in there, I just need to learn how to dial it in. My amp stays on our truck and I don't usually have much tweak time before a show..Thanks guys, I may have to look at this differently..
Oh, and I guess if I am running a pedal board into the input, the preamp would control the gain and change this relationship as well? (The FX loop is inconveinient for me)
Shaun

 

[billboogie]

I tried this for 2hrs last night and it worked very well. I play on the rythm channel with the gain on 10 with no pull boost. This added sustain and overall more "low guts" to my tone.
My original tone was still very present but with a fullness I did'nt realize I was missing. I like to "thin out" my sound a little in my band because we are bottom heavy thanks to the rythm section and this will help me get to the front a little more in stage situations. Thanks Casper, another great option I learned from the Boogieboard! Keep them coming!