Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

[ShredMAN]

I think that scooped mids (not completely scooped, you still have to hear the guitar in the mix) for rhythm tones are great, but I notice a good deal of you disagree. I like just enough mids so that the guitar stands out, but still has the dark, nut kicking tone. How do you guys feel?

[mrid]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

The only amps I've heard that I liked scooped are the old Mesa Boogie Marks. Otherwise, I don't like the scooped sound at all.

[RGN]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

I don't really care for it myself. I play leads and think that some mids are pretty important to bring out a nice lead tone. I think it sounds cool once in a while. I sometimes crank up by VHT and scoop the mids and just play heavy riffs and piss-off my neighbors.

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

Mids are where the balls are at. Scoop away if it makes you happy, just don't expect to cut through a mix. Time and time again, I've heard players that turn their stage sound into indistinguishable mush by either using too much gain, too much delay or by sucking out the mids (sometimes all three).

[diggamark]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

most mixes I've heard the rhythm guitar is difficult to make out... I presume this is due to probably being the 1st /2nd instrument being recorded and all else matched up and surpassed in levels...

[ericmeyer4]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

when we had band rehersals they kept telling me to turn it down because i was too loud. i had my amp a lot lower than the other guitarist and the bass and the vocals. i just run my mids at 3oclock i dont really like to have everything all of the way up.... because all places you play are different and i like to beable to go a little bit higher to get my sound just right. and i dont use a bunch of distortion when im not playing leads. so i cut through really well and are other guitarist uses distortion out the wazoo and very little mids. so mids is where its at for distorted rythem/lead. for cleans i havnt really found out where i like my mids.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

I love mids... but to a certain degree.

When I play, I set my mids about half way, maybe a bit more. If I set it around 3 o'clock... it sounds weird because the mids become overbearing. If you scoop them, your tone is killed, period. It sounds like bees buzzing, it becomes thin and you're not gonna be able to be heard from other instruments to save your life.

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

i cant stand it
mids are essential to a good tone.
if you want a thick sound, it's not the bass that gives that, its the mids. guys like zakk wylde, slash all have good tone. why? because they always have mids in there. zakk has them crank and i think slash does. even better, your neck pickup cust through better too.

[what?]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

i like to boost the mids during rythm, and scoop em during lead work...

[Studiobuddy]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

i like to boost the mids during rythm, and scoop em during lead work...

most people like it the other way around but wutever makes u a parrot

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

Mids are not just mids.
They go from low to high, bleeding into the bottom and top on amps.
Plus how your power trafo's are wound also plays a big role in how your amp sounds, and speakers has a huge saying as well, it is about finding the right combination of amp and speakers, plus what guitar you use.

[Guitarist]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

I sometimes enjoy playing my amps scooped when jamming by myself at bedroom volumes, it sounds thick and heavy. But, when the band comes in and things get serious - the mids are up and my guitar is chugging and chopping!

[JALIN]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

When I first started and 10 years thereafter I scooped mids on everything from my guitar, home stereo, to my auto stereo. Now mids to me are essential to your overall sound.

[fusion101]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

I'm sort of a mids oppseser, to quote moom who i agree with everything he says,
i cant stand it
mids are essential to a good tone.
if you want a thick sound, it's not the bass that gives that, its the mids. guys like zakk wylde, slash all have good tone. why? because they always have mids in there. zakk has them crank and i think slash does. even better, your neck pickup cust through better too.

[BornToShred]

Re: Scooped Mid Rhythm Tones: Your opinions

Mids are not just mids.
They go from low to high, bleeding into the bottom and top on amps

Good point.

In a passive EQ (which most guitar amps use) the amount of cut on certain frequencies affect other frequency ranges too, to some extent. So adjusting the mids will shape the response of other frequencies too.

I find that cranking the mids makes the low end a lot punchier and gives a nice cut.

A good starting point with a passive EQ is to set everything on 10, and then start tweaking to get a pleasing sound. Cut the bass and treble a bit, and have the mids on 8-10 or sumthin...