Help me find this dirt.

[Artie]

No matter how I set my J-Station, Yamaha multi-effects unit, Spina-modified DS-1, or my SFX-01 . . . I can't nail this "clean" kind of dirt. Is this simply the realm of tube distortion? How can I get this sound?

This is about 45 seconds of some generic grind that I can't seem to find:

Ready.mp3

Thanks all. (Just right-click and "save". No stinkin' Soundclick required.)

 

[JeffB]

Re: Help me find this dirt.

Well tube amps def help when it comes to "cleanliness". Some modelers are better than others, I'm not fam w/ yours....

But I'd say thats mostly effects (sounds like alot of stereo chorus and reverb) and studio magic. Thats why over the years I've come to loathe anything but live recordings or "meager" studio recordings.

 

[Artie]

Re: Help me find this dirt.

Thanks Jeff. I didn't even think of "effects" per se. I was just trying different flavors of distortion. As soon as the sun comes up, I'll try some effects.

 

[larry_emder]

Re: Help me find this dirt.

yep, 'studio magic'......double tracking, mastering....not a tone i would really like anyway

Try cranking one of the lower gain models???

 

[tone4days]

Re: Help me find this dirt.

are you wanting to get the crunchy rhythm tone for low chords, or that gritty single note tone that comes in on top?

i am not sure that hitting the modeller with the sfx01 is gonna get much more than digi-noise ... i do not think that tubes are required though because i get tones in that neighborhood with my ss gear ... do you have a heavy picking hand attack? ...

t4d

 

[Artie]

Re: Help me find this dirt.

are you wanting to get the crunchy rhythm tone for low chords, or that gritty single note tone that comes in on top?

Both, actually. Although, not necessarily at the same time.

I am not sure that hitting the modeller with the sfx01 is gonna get much more than digi-noise ... i do not think that tubes are required though because i get tones in that neighborhood with my ss gear ... do you have a heavy picking hand attack? ...

t4d

One of the cool things about the "J" is that it seems to have a pretty well designed analog input section. I can slam it with almost the full 25db of gain and it just gets dirtier. At the very top end, it starts to flab out.

The main thing is, all my "dirt tones" are not bad, but I can't seem to nail that "clean" and defined kind of distortion. Its kinda hard to describe. Like the Smithereens get in "A Girl Like You" for example.

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Help me find this dirt.

That "clean" type of distortion is typically when there is low preamp gain, but your power tubes are being pushed. As opposed to preamp gain. Typically what you get when you use a low gain amp like a vintage fender or similar and crank it all the way up.

When I want a sound like that I use my hotplate (attenuator) and crank up the clean channel on my amp so it breaks up instead of using the lead channel.

 

[flank]

Re: Help me find this dirt.

That "clean" type of distortion is typically when there is low preamp gain, but your power tubes are being pushed. As opposed to preamp gain. Typically what you get when you use a low gain amp like a vintage fender or similar and crank it all the way up.

When I want a sound like that I use my hotplate (attenuator) and crank up the clean channel on my amp so it breaks up instead of using the lead channel.

+1

you may also try a compressor set for slight compression? It might even out your sound and smooth out any grainy-ness, so that the overdrive sounds cleaner and more defined