Quote from: QReuCk on July 24, 2012, 05:21:46 AM
Thanks for this explanation. Not so sure I understood all of this, but it's an interesting point of view.
I'm just wondering if these non linearities that are enabled either by a tube/output transformer or by a SS amp with CF are in certain cases what causes the dynamics of the playing to be exagerated.
Wouldn't say for sure I have a comprehensive understanding of what "linear response" to dynamic playing should hear like, but I'm usually pretty good at producing the sound (both tone and volume) I want with accoustic guitars and at controling the distortion level of a crunching preamp with just how hard I attack the strings. Fact is, on some tube combos pushed in there usually prefered volume range, I often struggle to control these dynamics, generating barely audible sound when plaing soft and ice-pick-through-the-ears far too loud notes when picking just a bit harder. Just in the interest of better understanding, could you tell me if the dampening factor might play a part in this?
CF will not present you with a solution to your endeavours sadly. It is so easy to get wrapped up in technical 'stuff' that might bring hopes of an instant 'playing' problem cure. Guitar sounds, in any genre, are helped mostly by the ability of the player and many years of experience of playing. Particularly in a live situation where 'feeling' the sound is so important and balancing pick pressure against drive and volume is a real skill to be learned.
Trying to abtain the characteristics you seek in a domestic environment might not bring much fruit. Attempting to recreate recorded sounds are too, a waste of time. They are mic'd with microphone(s) (there may be two or three used in various placements to create a sound) that add their own harmonics to the tone, then EQ'd by an EQ that works at different frequencies to guitar amp EQs, compressed... need I go on? A complete non starter! Not even the original artist can copy his recorded sounds exactly!
I know some very clever electronics designers who cannot design a decent guitar amp. Designers should have 'experienced guitarist' on their CVs to qualify. Many of the 'nonlinearity' and other attributes that pure technicians bestow upon guitar amps, although measurable, provide very little audible difference to a guitar amp tone. By the same token, I know many excellent players who just cannot find a great sound, even with boutique equipment. They either have it or they don't, or they need to practise more playing live. I guess... to be brutally honest. Most really experienced players can get a reasonable sound out of almost any old amp... on demand. CF is not the panacea. But it does help a tranny amp to sound much closer to an amp with an output transformer.
Ice-picky tone at volume is normal. The human hearing responds better to high and low frequencies at higher volumes (see Fletcher & Munson's work). You should EQ the amp for the volume you're playing at! Amps with a cheap output transformer, like guitar amps, also have narrowing bandwidth ability as they become heavily driven/magnetised. Hence Peavey's 'T-Dynamics' circuitry. But you can simply EQ the amps for loud playing... always refer to what your ears are telling you!
Hope this is helpful.