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Solo boost to cut through the mix

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  • #16
    Re: Solo boost to cut through the mix

    Originally posted by Mincer View Post
    I don't have this problem, and it isn't why I use a boost, but I can see that with more modern styles (progressive metal, etc) where players are after a very consistent & compressed sound, might have an issue with this. Especially with 2 guitars, a bunch of preamp gain, active or high output passive pickups, and effects. I used to play with a busy keyboard player who occupied all of the guitar frequencies with a distorted Hammond. I could use any help I could get trying to get louder so I could be heard.
    I had not considered the possibility that the rhythm tone might already be heavily compressed. Good point! That probably explains 90%.
    As for the Hammond, if he was blotting out your solos then wasn't he also burying your rhythm tone? Sounds like a job for the sound guy or band leader ("Hey buddy, turn down the organ a bit!") rather than a boost?

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    • #17
      Re: Solo boost to cut through the mix

      Originally posted by Dave Locher View Post
      Not to derail this thread, but this has been on my mind since last night: why do you guys need to work so hard to cut through the mix? Single notes stand out.
      I have played in several noisy two-guitar bands (punk, post-punk, alternative, industrial, and straight classic-rock style) and in all of them the only time either one of us boosted was to increase gain for more sustain and compression. In two of those bands I used an eq pedal to reduce highs and boost lows and mids to give single-string runs more heft. Kinda the opposite of trying to stand out more.
      Nobody ever said they couldn't hear the solos and every recording I ever heard of any live performance the solos stood out just fine.

      I am not being sarcastic, I just wonder if some are putting too much spotlight on their solos? There is a lot to be said for sitting IN the mix.

      If this is what bigcupholder had in mind (more sustain, compression, and girth) then just about any boost pedal, eq pedal, or overdrive with the volume up & gain down should do it. But if the rhythm tone is rockin it shouldn't need to get louder to get heard?
      In my experience, most guys don't pick as hard soloing as they do when playing rhythms.

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      • #18
        Re: Solo boost to cut through the mix

        Originally posted by Dave Locher View Post
        I had not considered the possibility that the rhythm tone might already be heavily compressed. Good point! That probably explains 90%.
        As for the Hammond, if he was blotting out your solos then wasn't he also burying your rhythm tone? Sounds like a job for the sound guy or band leader ("Hey buddy, turn down the organ a bit!") rather than a boost?
        For me, it was a matter of writing a part with the right tone for every specific part of the song. When I boosted the volume for a solo, I'd also radically change the tone.
        Administrator of the SDUGF

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        • #19
          Re: Solo boost to cut through the mix

          Originally posted by Mincer View Post
          more modern styles (progressive metal, etc) where players are after a very consistent & compressed sound, might have an issue with this. Especially with 2 guitars, a bunch of preamp gain, active or high output passive pickups, and effects.
          That would be us. We both use a "louder" button on the guitars somehow. Mine is on the amp, his is an MXR Micro Amp. I might have (compressed) gain, reverb and delay going on a solo. It could easily disappear.
          Originally posted by Bad City
          He's got the crowd on his side and the blue jean lights in his eyes...

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          • #20
            Re: Solo boost to cut through the mix

            Originally posted by Aceman View Post
            That would be us. We both use a "louder" button on the guitars somehow. Mine is on the amp, his is an MXR Micro Amp. I might have (compressed) gain, reverb and delay going on a solo. It could easily disappear.
            You guys do a good job of not having that issue, though.
            Administrator of the SDUGF

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            • #21
              Re: Solo boost to cut through the mix

              Originally posted by chadd View Post
              In my experience, most guys don't pick as hard soloing as they do when playing rhythms.
              Ha! That helps explain the other 10% - I wring the ever livin life out of those single notes!!

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              • #22
                Re: Solo boost to cut through the mix

                Thankyou Marshall JVM for having two mastewr volumes! Don't set your solo boost too much high though. If the sound guy has dialed in for your rhythm volume, he won't be too happy if you start clipping his input.
                The opinions expressed above do not necessarily represent those of the poster and are to be considered suspect at best.

                Lead guitarist and vocalist of...



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                • #23
                  Re: Solo boost to cut through the mix

                  Originally posted by Beer$ View Post
                  Thankyou Marshall JVM for having two mastewr volumes! Don't set your solo boost too much high though. If the sound guy has dialed in for your rhythm volume, he won't be too happy if you start clipping his input.
                  I love that about my Mesa amps as well. I find myself skipping an effects slot on my Kemper so I can add a clean boost at the end of my signal chain now because of all my years with Mesa amps.

                  Forgot to add: You shouldn't need to boost much if you have a decent sound man.
                  Last edited by chadd; 01-23-2020, 12:47 PM.

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                  • #24
                    Re: Solo boost to cut through the mix

                    EQ with a gain/volume control is the best answer. Though it need not be super adjustable, like a true multi band EQ pedal. For instance, a treble booster is pretty much just a preset, center anchored, ramp shaped EQ. What it does is pull the mud out while also boosting the upper frequencies. Result? More cut in the frequencies that actually cut, less sonic interference from the frequencies that don’t cut.
                    Originally posted by LesStrat
                    Yogi Berra was correct.
                    Originally posted by JOLLY
                    I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

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                    • #25
                      Re: Solo boost to cut through the mix

                      At the risk of repeating myself: Keeley Katana.

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                      • #26
                        Re: Solo boost to cut through the mix

                        To update the thread... I went with none of these suggestions. I kind of took the EQ-in-the-loop suggestion, so thanks for that.

                        I finally brought my Helix LT out of the house and went straight into the effects loop return, bypassing the preamp. I had been wanting to keep the Helix as an at-home setup and not complicate the tube amp setup, but you guys convinced me I'd be better off running something in the loop so I figured I might as well go all in. Instead of buying a new pedal, I bought a case for the Helix.

                        I set up the preset to have both an overdrive (the klon model) and a post-preamp EQ that gives an overall boost and a mid boost all with the same footswitch.

                        Got feedback from the rest of the band after the first song that it sounds way better.

                        Despite the reputation modelers have for being hard to use, I didn't have to tweak the patch with the amp at all. I chose a plexi preamp, a Klon (turned gain down and level up a bit), an EQ after (boosted a couple dB at 800 Hz and overall), assigned both to the same switch. Done. All set at home without the amp and it sounded great right away.

                        Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

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                        • #27
                          Re: Solo boost to cut through the mix

                          Yep, that'll do it!

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