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I can't get my clean tone in the mix!

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  • I can't get my clean tone in the mix!

    Sometimes at band rehersals I play through a Mesa F-50 Combo. When using the gain for the hard rock/heavy metal stuff, it cuts through with ease. However, when switching to the clean tone it seems as if my playing just disappears?!

    Can anyone help me out with this problem?
    Originally posted by Kanye West
    Welcome to the real world. Everybody wanna booooo me but I'm a fan of real pop culture!!! No disrespect but we watchin' the show at the crib right now cause...well you know...I'm not crazy y'all, I'm just real.

  • #2
    Re: I can't get my clean tone in the mix!

    I have this same problem with my MESA if I'm not using the solo switch. It seems as if the notes just aren't fluid and sustainy enough.

    Of course I found an amp that doesn't have this property but I'd still like to see what responses this thread gets.

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    • #3
      Re: I can't get my clean tone in the mix!

      Compressor and eq will both help. If you were playing blues on that fine line between clean and distortion I'd never recommend a compressor, but with hard rock/metal the cleans usually aren't that dynamic, so the compressor will add sustain, give you a touch of boost and clean up pick attacks.
      Oh no.....


      Oh Yeah!

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      • #4
        Re: I can't get my clean tone in the mix!

        Originally posted by Rainmaker
        Sometimes at band rehersals I play through a Mesa F-50 Combo. When using the gain for the hard rock/heavy metal stuff, it cuts through with ease. However, when switching to the clean tone it seems as if my playing just disappears?!

        Can anyone help me out with this problem?
        You could try using more mids. Try to stand about 10 -15 feet away from your amp and have someone adjust the EQ while you play. Once the tone is where you want, go to the amp and see where the tone controls are set. You may be suprised at the results. It worked for me. good luck.
        Originally posted by tone4days
        we're not musicians, we're beer salesmen

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        • #5
          Re: I can't get my clean tone in the mix!

          Maybe you just need to turn the clean channel up some? But BB has a point. You just might need more mids if your sound seems loud enough by itself but gets lost in the shuffle when the rest of the band kicks in. A sound that rocks by itself can quickly disappear when put into context. Ears are more attuned to middle frequencies than high and low frequencies. That's why many players want to scoop them out when playing alone.

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          • #6
            Re: I can't get my clean tone in the mix!

            Midrange and presence
            Zerberus Industries: Where perfection just isn't good enough.

            Listen to my music at http://www.soundclick.com/infiniteending and www.subache.com

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            • #7
              Re: I can't get my clean tone in the mix!

              Originally posted by SlyFoxx
              Maybe you just need to turn the clean channel up some? But BB has a point. You just might need more mids if your sound seems loud enough by itself but gets lost in the shuffle when the rest of the band kicks in. A sound that rocks by itself can quickly disappear when put into context. Ears are more attuned to middle frequencies than high and low frequencies. That's why many players want to scoop them out when playing alone.
              + 1 on this and the idea of using a compressor
              "shut up and play yer guitar" FRANK ZAPPA

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              • #8
                Re: I can't get my clean tone in the mix!

                +.5

                Yes and no. Mids will definitely make your guitar come out more, but it could just as easily turn your rich clean tone into a spanky percussive tone. For this scenario, I'd go with the fender treatment-bass down, treble up, and if you have that graphic EQ on the mesa: notch up the very high mids. Treble WILL give you serious cut into a mix, and when playing with a band it tends to sound just right.

                By yourself, it will sound annoyingly piercing, but the other sounds of a band will fill in the space left by your EQ in the bass and mid region, as they will leave plenty of space in the treble region until you hit the cymbal range. This is THE clean tone configuration that has worked for thousands of musicians for the past 50 years.
                2004 50th Anniversary Deluxe American Strat, SETH-N BRIDGE, ANT 2 SURFER MIDDLE, ANT 2 DLX MINI HUM NECK

                280K RS guitarworks volume pot, 250k cts tone pots, .047uf paper in oil Jensen aluminum capacitor, running D'addario Chromes 13's with wound g > Analogman Orange Juicer>Acoustic 200H Bass head> Alesis Picoverb> unknown 12'' JBL Orange car speaker

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