Sansamp GT2? A little disappointing.

[ungauged]

Why can't query threads be more like this one? It can be 20 pages for all I care but in the end it's satisfactory to reply to :?

Totally agreed!

 

[fanir]

Hi, it's me again. HAHA.

Anyway, I just came a cross a Youtube video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-KMhi214yE and as the video gets on, his tone changes, as you can see from the last few parts of the video, he probably cranked up the gain with the Marshall/Boogie amp sim. I was amazed. What I'm getting now is only the first few parts of the video. I'm really shocked to be frank. He's using a PRS plugged into GT2.

Anyway, one more question. Is there a difference if I'm using 9v Batteries instead of the DC Adaptor. I'm saying that cause I'm using a new 9v Batt and I'm thinking my problem would be because of that or I'm just beating around the bush too much.

Sorry if for the massive amounts of question. I'm just curious.

Cheers.

 

[Newbie]

Batteries can be an issue when it has been used for quite sometime.

Leaving your batteries inside your effect when you have cables plugged into the effect will also trigger the battery power. Meaning, the battery's life is getting drained. So make sure you plug out the cables and best, the battery as well when you're not playing.

Reason why I explain that is because, when your battery gets weaker, your signal gets weaker as well. But sometimes that is what people want in their pedal (the "tone" they want).

So at times, they find used 9v batteries to fit into their distortion unit or w/e pedal they have to get the "tone" they want. Hope this helps.

PS: Usually, a new battery VS. DC, not much of a big difference I'll say But make sure you change your batteries regularly. Else, the signal will significantly get weaker.

 

[Whitestrat]

Anyway, one more question. Is there a difference if I'm using 9v Batteries instead of the DC Adaptor. I'm saying that cause I'm using a new 9v Batt and I'm thinking my problem would be because of that or I'm just beating around the bush too much.

Just curious... What are your settings on the GT2 that gives this problem? I mean the knob positions.

 

[fanir]

Newbie

Hey again, thanks for that, I understood thoroughly. I just took out the Batteries and replaced them new ones, no difference at all.

Whitestrat

I'm using the Mesa Boogie settings [All switches up] with Volume at 12 O'clock, Highs at 10 O'clock, Lows at 9 and full on for the Drive.

 

[THOA]

Low at 9'oclock is pretty low. Did you try to turn it up more? Like you say your problem with the tone is that it sounds thin. Turning up the bass will fatten it up.

Honestly, the beginning of the video and the end of the video, the range of tone isn't very far. It wasn't much of the gain, more the low end thing. At least that's what I'm hearing.

Perhaps you can also consider an EQ pedal for further tone shaping.

 

[LEMONed_Z]

Try "center" "hi gain" "California" then all knobs at 12 o'clock and see how it sounds.

I'm using the Mesa Boogie settings [All switches up] with Volume at 12 O'clock, Highs at 10 O'clock, Lows at 9 and full on for the Drive.

 

[Whitestrat]

I'm using the Mesa Boogie settings [All switches up] with Volume at 12 O'clock, Highs at 10 O'clock, Lows at 9 and full on for the Drive.

Any reason why your lows are THAT little? and the volume that high?

I'm suspecting... just suspecting, that you're settings are actually choking the pedal, disallowing the bass to come through.

What happens when the volume is at 10 o clock, and the lows and highs are both at 12 o clock?

Because your settings to me would seem to be a little more suitable with a LOUD amp... when you're playing a little softer at home, the pedal needs to be pushed a little more, since the amp can't do it's job well at that low volumes.

Then again, having never tried your setup, I can't tell for sure. But the settings seem a little skewed... THOA as I suspected, has already picked up on what I'm leading at...

Here's a sample setting from the Tech 21 site... Try it out:

Keep the EQ knobs where they are, and play with the volume to suit your bedroom.

 

[THOA]

Then again, having never tried your setup, I can't tell for sure. But the settings seem a little skewed... THOA as I suspected, has already picked up on what I'm leading at...

Can I go further and ask what's the setting on your AMP is like?

 

[Newbie]

Newbie

Hey again, thanks for that, I understood thoroughly. I just took out the Batteries and replaced them new ones, no difference at all.

Whitestrat

I'm using the Mesa Boogie settings [All switches up] with Volume at 12 O'clock, Highs at 10 O'clock, Lows at 9 and full on for the Drive.

Maybe that is why you aren't getting a Mesa sort of chug.

You can even dial JP's tone out of the Mesa setting, just that it'll be a little fuzzy and noisy. "Touch Sensitive" issue.

Try what Lemoned_Z has offered, I'm sure it'll solve your problem.

 

[fanir]

Basically, the settings on my amp is lesser bass, treble but a little more mids. I've been messing around with the settings, an improvement but I don't get the heavy full chug when I mute it. Perhaps I'd have to play around with it more.

Thanks guys for posting up suggestions on the tones. I'm thinking, if it still doesn't work, then I might be looking at other Hi-gain pedals for my rhythm tone and using the GT2 as my soft subtle distortion tones.

Thanks alot guys.

 

[Whitestrat]

Perhaps I'd have to play around with it more.

How long have you had the GT2?

 

[fanir]

Almost a week now.

 

[THOA]

Ok, I think I can somehow understand the problem.

Let's take a re read at your first post:

Hi guys, I just purchased a GT2 and I'm quite disappointed by it. I'm into heavy chunky riffs and thick tone but when I tried it on with maximum drive, muting on it is a bit too thin and weak. Not thick and chuggy. Any ideas why? Or am I missing something? I've been playing around with the settings for 2 days now and I can't come up with a decent heavy tone. Do I need another drive to add on? I'm using an LP and only plugged on this one.

Thanks in advance.

The problem with your whole setting is that it's not suitably dialed for hi-gain tone.

There's a common mistake among metal guitarerz; setting the bass and treble high, while scooping up the mids down low. Too much in fact. You can't hear jack crap with that setting.

Your problem is the opposite. Too much mid, not enough bass and treble. To get that nice high gain chug, your bass and treble have to be of HIGHER setting than your mid.

Try setting your pedal at:

volume at 10, and your low and high at 2 o' clock, gain 2-3 o'clock.

while your amp have it set all at 12 except for your level (volume) which can be dialed to taste.

I'm not saying that this is the BEST setting to have. I'm asking you to try this to see if it comes close enough to the tone you want. I do believe that you will hear the difference and get a fat, full, heavy chugga chugga.

After that just tweak the dial of both your pedals to tweak out the access muddiness or highs that you might have, but keeping the bass and highs at a higher level than your volume and mids.

Let us know what you got.

 

[Godspeed64]

What THOA said is true!

Here's an opportunity to bring this thread up again:
http://soft.com.sg/forum/gear-guitar/88549-amateurs-gear-guide-metal.html

 

[ahkiatt]

ahkiatt: That pwned. I bet you're talking about my GT2.

Your GT2? Sorry your tone's still pretty bad. :twisted:

I'm referring to some other people I know.

 

[fanir]

Ok, I think I can somehow understand the problem.

Let's take a re read at your first post:




The problem with your whole setting is that it's not suitably dialed for hi-gain tone.

There's a common mistake among metal guitarerz; setting the bass and treble high, while scooping up the mids down low. Too much in fact. You can't hear jack crap with that setting.

Your problem is the opposite. Too much mid, not enough bass and treble. To get that nice high gain chug, your bass and treble have to be of HIGHER setting than your mid.

Try setting your pedal at:

volume at 10, and your low and high at 2 o' clock, gain 2-3 o'clock.

while your amp have it set all at 12 except for your level (volume) which can be dialed to taste.

I'm not saying that this is the BEST setting to have. I'm asking you to try this to see if it comes close enough to the tone you want. I do believe that you will hear the difference and get a fat, full, heavy chugga chugga.

After that just tweak the dial of both your pedals to tweak out the access muddiness or highs that you might have, but keeping the bass and highs at a higher level than your volume and mids.

Let us know what you got.

Hey man, I thank you so much for taking the time to analyze my problem and hopefully helping me out to solve the problem that I have. Unfortunately, I have been playing with this Ibanez amp of mine for more than 5 years now and I think I quite know its flaws and strengths and of all the pedals I've tried, my first pedal which is a Zoom GFX2, a PodXT Live and an AMT Du Hast and I've always been able to get a decent chug out of it.

Also, these few days, I've been trying out tones, playing around with the EQ on my Amp and on the pedal but I get that rockish sound but still, it didn't prove to be thick enough, like I've said earlier, some sort of gain lacking or something.

But I thank you for these really helpful pointers you guys are giving me. Very, very helpful. No worries at all though, I'll still play around with it to get that killer tone that I want. If all else fails, I'd still use it, I like its distortion, bright like sound although I wish I could push the gain further.

I'm not all disappointed though, in fact, I'm amazed at the amount of help people have given me here. I'm overjoyed. I've learnt so much whilst simply just posting a problem I have and was hoping for a solution, instead, I got an indepth information on tones, which is really helpful. It really opened up more avenues for me to learn like for example, I never thought of using a compressor all my guitar-ing live until now.

Thanks again for the help and inputs and hell, I've learnt alot.

 

[THOA]

Well, dude, judging from the youtube vid you gave us, and you saying that tone you are looking for is near the end of the video. I myself truly believe the difference is in the bass level.

Anyway, that was pretty fast response. Not sure if you gave my suggestion a shot but since you said that you tried pretty much every setting imaginable, I have to take your word for it. In this case then, I think at this point of time, it's best that you get another pedal. for your needs. Nothing much else can be done, I believe.

Good luck.

 

[fanir]

Well, dude, judging from the youtube vid you gave us, and you saying that tone you are looking for is near the end of the video. I myself truly believe the difference is in the bass level.

Anyway, that was pretty fast response. Not sure if you gave my suggestion a shot but since you said that you tried pretty much every setting imaginable, I have to take your word for it. In this case then, I think at this point of time, it's best that you get another pedal. for your needs. Nothing much else can be done, I believe.

Good luck.

Haha, true sir. But I did give your suggestion a go. Sorry if I sounded rude. I'm still playing around with it though, I'm not giving up on this baby yet.

 

[THOA]

Nah you're not rude, man. Just that I think most of us are getting as flustered and frustrated as you are with your tone :lol: