EL34 users, ever find yourself buried?

[maddnotez]

Idk what it is but I often find myself buried in the mix when another guitarist steps in. I have the Rev 2 Uber and I also remember having this issue with my VHT 100CL.

Starting to wonder if it's my tube choice? The other guitarist uses a 6505 with 6L6. Even when I had the VHT and at times when his amp was in the shop and he was using a Line 6 spider it's sometimes hard for me to cut through.

Sure, I could make everyone's ears bleed and cut through like a boss but I don't like volume wars and I also don't like my mids completely maxed out. I don't scoop them but on my amp I prefer 50%-60% on the mids.

Are different tubes the answer? 6550? Maybe I should do the KT88 resistor swap?

What say you?

 

[messenger]

I'd think if anything EL34s would cut better than most other tubes

 

[maddnotez]

I'd think if anything EL34s would cut better than most other tubes

They don't seem to. Maybe I just have weak tubes Idk.

Even in recording, we are halfway through our album and while mine sounds better to me he is taking up way more real estate to where I need to have the engineer turn mine up a lot more, or turn the balance 2-3 to the left to make it even.

Guess I need to just blast it

I haven't got to try my new Boost with him there yet either so maybe that will help. I just started thinking maybe it was the power tubes and was curious if it was well known that other types would be better.

 

[CrazyNutz]

EL34's cut better than any other tubes.

What cab do you have? Where is your presence set? Is he just overly cranked?

 

[Racerxrated]

Hate to say it but you are gonna have to re-eq for live use. I love my mids a little less than 4 on my Marshalls at home but live I would end up with them at 6-7. And that was just with me on guitar. No other tube is gonna cut like a 34, at least in a high wattage amp imo.

 

[maddnotez]

Ok cool well I guess that answers my question.

My presence is essentially off or on 1 at best. The treble which acts more like prescence is at 5:00.

Not sure if you've used a Rev 2 but the EQ works different than any other amp I've played so I guess I'll just need to play with the settings a little more.

 

[sleewell2]

i love my 6550s and i generally run the presence all the way up with much less treble.

 

[SavageRiffer]

All I can tell you with the information provided is that it's not the tubes nor the amps. I'm very familiar with both of those amps and let me tell you they cut. Power tubes, at levels loud enough to heat them up have an effect on how your EQ is shaped, but EL34's are very midrangey. What are your EQ settings? What speakers and pickups are you using? If you're trying to cut through on a solo with scooped mids then it's probably going to be a problem. If your rhythm guitarist is using a lot of midrange, then it's going to be a problem. Maybe you need to get your rhythm guitarist to scoop his mids a little or something.

A tube screamer will emphasize mids. Uberschalls have a lot of low end, so maybe you're running the low end too strong. I wouldn't put any other tube except maybe KT77s in either of those amps. 6L6s will have a little more low end, the high end will be extended a bit, and the midrange will be a little less than EL34s. KT88s will have a lot of bass, too much for that amp, and the high end will probably sound kind of papery. The Twinjet sounds great with KT88s but it was designed for those.

 

[maddnotez]

All I can tell you with the information provided is that it's not the tubes nor the amps. I'm very familiar with both of those amps and let me tell you they cut. Power tubes, at levels loud enough to heat them up have an effect on how your EQ is shaped, but EL34's are very midrangey. What are your EQ settings? What speakers and pickups are you using? If you're trying to cut through on a solo with scooped mids then it's probably going to be a problem. If your rhythm guitarist is using a lot of midrange, then it's going to be a problem. Maybe you need to get your rhythm guitarist to scoop his mids a little or something.

A tube screamer will emphasize mids. Uberschalls have a lot of low end, so maybe you're running the low end too strong. I wouldn't put any other tube except maybe KT77s in either of those amps. 6L6s will have a little more low end, the high end will be extended a bit, and the midrange will be a little less than EL34s. KT88s will have a lot of bass, too much for that amp, and the high end will probably sound kind of papery. The Twinjet sounds great with KT88s but it was designed for those.

Using V30's mostly. I do have a 2x12 with V12 Legends. I should bring that back over for testing but my eq is Prescence at 8:00 (extremely low) Treble 11:00, Mid 12:00, Bass 1:00 and gain 12:00.

Using a Koko boost. When I'm using my sub I turn the bass and the gain down a fair amount.

But again with the Prescence, it doesn't act like other amps. Low = more raw and grainy and high = more smooth and refined. Doesn't seem to affect cutting through much but I can play with it more.

I did also just get the 33 pedal which may do the trick.

Also I'm using a SS Horizon with BKP Miracle Man.

i love my 6550s and i generally run the presence all the way up with much less treble.

Will give it a shot, I just prefer Prescence low.

 

[dirtyfunkg]

V30's are pretty mid-heavy already. You may want to still increase the treble and mids on your amp if the presence control isn't doing it for you.

I hated it, but found it to be very true: an amp that is even piercingly bright when heard alone, is often perfect in the mix, particularly live.

 

[scottosan]

Idk what it is but I often find myself buried in the mix when another guitarist steps in. I have the Rev 2 Uber and I also remember having this issue with my VHT 100CL.

Starting to wonder if it's my tube choice? The other guitarist uses a 6505 with 6L6. Even when I had the VHT and at times when his amp was in the shop and he was using a Line 6 spider it's sometimes hard for me to cut through.

Sure, I could make everyone's ears bleed and cut through like a boss but I don't like volume wars and I also don't like my mids completely maxed out. I don't scoop them but on my amp I prefer 50%-60% on the mids.

Are different tubes the answer? 6550? Maybe I should do the KT88 resistor swap?

What say you?

You can get you tubes rated for later breakup, which will give you more headroom and cut

 

[maddnotez]

Idk what it is but I often find myself buried in the mix when another guitarist steps in. I have the Rev 2 Uber and I also remember having this issue with my VHT 100CL.

Starting to wonder if it's my tube choice? The other guitarist uses a 6505 with 6L6. Even when I had the VHT and at times when his amp was in the shop and he was using a Line 6 spider it's sometimes hard for me to cut through.

Sure, I could make everyone's ears bleed and cut through like a boss but I don't like volume wars and I also don't like my mids completely maxed out. I don't scoop them but on my amp I prefer 50%-60% on the mids.

Are different tubes the answer? 6550? Maybe I should do the KT88 resistor swap?

What say you?

You can get you tubes rated for later breakup, which will give you more headroom and cut

Thanks, sounds like a really good idea to me.

Would this be biasing hotter or colder?

Thanks for all the replies, will try other settings too.

 

[SavageRiffer]

Maybe swap the way you EQ your bass and mids so that mids are 1:00 and bass is 12:00. The presence has more effect the louder the amp is. 8:00 on your presence is probably choking the high end or something. Try turning up your presence to 2:00 and turning down your treble to 11:00 or something. I'm guessing that's your problem right there.

 

[scottosan]

Idk what it is but I often find myself buried in the mix when another guitarist steps in. I have the Rev 2 Uber and I also remember having this issue with my VHT 100CL.

Starting to wonder if it's my tube choice? The other guitarist uses a 6505 with 6L6. Even when I had the VHT and at times when his amp was in the shop and he was using a Line 6 spider it's sometimes hard for me to cut through.

Sure, I could make everyone's ears bleed and cut through like a boss but I don't like volume wars and I also don't like my mids completely maxed out. I don't scoop them but on my amp I prefer 50%-60% on the mids.

Are different tubes the answer? 6550? Maybe I should do the KT88 resistor swap?

What say you?

You can get you tubes rated for later breakup, which will give you more headroom and cut

Thanks, sounds like a really good idea to

Would this be biasing hotter or colder?

Thanks for all the replies, will try other settings too.

You'd still bias at 60-70% dissipation they may require more -DC voltage to get there though it thats what you are asking

 

[SpiderWars]

Just going outside the box a bit, have you checked the microphone itself? IME, an SM57 is not an SM57 is not an SM57 (not sure what you're using). I've had some that were extremely dull sounding (the opposite of how they are supposed to sound).

 

[maddnotez]

Idk what it is but I often find myself buried in the mix when another guitarist steps in. I have the Rev 2 Uber and I also remember having this issue with my VHT 100CL.

Starting to wonder if it's my tube choice? The other guitarist uses a 6505 with 6L6. Even when I had the VHT and at times when his amp was in the shop and he was using a Line 6 spider it's sometimes hard for me to cut through.

Sure, I could make everyone's ears bleed and cut through like a boss but I don't like volume wars and I also don't like my mids completely maxed out. I don't scoop them but on my amp I prefer 50%-60% on the mids.

Are different tubes the answer? 6550? Maybe I should do the KT88 resistor swap?

What say you?

You can get you tubes rated for later breakup, which will give you more headroom and cut

Thanks, sounds like a really good idea to

Would this be biasing hotter or colder?

Thanks for all the replies, will try other settings too.

You'd still bias at 60-70% dissipation they may require more -DC voltage to get there though it thats what you are asking

Ah I see, you meant the actual tube ratings. I thought you meant my bias to be set for later breakup.

 

[Racerxrated]

I would try this.. Max your presence and dial your treble up from 0. Extreme setting but it just might work. I do that with Marshalls, gives the amp great bite if you will. Some famous players do that as well, SLO board taught me that one. Might seem strange but as long as your treb is at 0 it won't be too harsh. Carefully inch the treb up until it sits where you are ok with it.

 

[ke2]

This looks like a similar issue. Maybe you can find some hint there as well?

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=89186

 

[maddnotez]

This looks like a similar issue. Maybe you can find some hint there as well?

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=89186

Yeah pretty much hit the nail on the head. No pun.

 

[errrrrl]

I did also just get the 33 pedal which may do the trick.

I'm thinking the same thing, but if not have you tried a 10 band eq or parametric eq in the loop?