TC rig - umm, where's the clank?

[Stag]

Evening peeps!

Ok, ive tried a few things now. Im primarily a Ric or P player, so understandably i like a bit of clank/twang etc in my sound. I play fingerstyle mostly.

Recently i got my hands on a Staccato '51, along with an RS210C and an RS212 simply cos the gigs im doing these days arent what I used to do, so the need for an SVT stack is less and less now. Thing is ive tried it a few times now... i cant get that "clank" anymore? The only way i can get a reasonable amount of treble is to whackit the treble and bass on full, but reduce the two mids, which then seems to result in a remarkable drop in volume. I plug the SVT 5 into the cabs and BOOOOOM the sound is awesome.

Anyone got any ideas why? Is this just a trait of TC gear? I hope not...i like a full bass sound as much as the next guy but my style needs that clank sound.

Ta

Edited July 2, 2012 by Stag

[Kiwi]

Might be that the amp has some kind of preset tonal colouring which involves scooping the mids/upper mids (say a narrow band of frequencies anywhere between 600 and 1200Hz). SWR started it off and called it the "LA sound", then Trace and Eden followed with their own versions. Jazz basses sound great and so do basses which sound brittle. But other basses (especially with aggressive mids or treble) just sucked. Warwick did it too but less in favour of jazz basses and more for their own. Their amps sound great with Stingrays BTW.

Try a GB Shuttle instead. Pure as the driven snow and you can stick a mid scoop in if you like.

[charic]

I get the same thing, keep meaning to go back and fiddle but them remember how good my sound is when recorded so I don't.

Don't forget you have the programmable frequencies (on the shift key)

[matybigfro]

Do the staccato heads allow you to shift the center frequencies of the tone control's like they do on the RH450, in which case have a play about with the mid and treble frequencies to see if you can find a boost similar to the SVT


Might be worth checking out what freq's the tone stack on your SVT hits and try and get it close to that on the TC

[RandomBass]

Hmmm time for a 'Clank' TonePrint methinks.....

[Low End Bee]

I get plenty from my Classic450. I boost the low mids and treble and leave the bass and hi mid flat. You can't hear the 'clank' that much stood next to the cabs but get 15-20 feet away it's all there. I'm using a Precision through an RS210 and RS112.
I use the tone controls differently on this amp to any others I've used. It took a long time to get used to how they affect the sound.

[aldude]

I have a RH450, which is very similar to the Staccato '51. I struggle to get enough trebly bite and "clang/twang" out of the amp so I think it's just the nature of the amp I'm afraid. I sometimes use an EQ effect pedal that boosts treble only so you could try that.

[Wil]

Maybe you need a cab with a tweeter/horn?

[aldude]

[quote name='Wil' timestamp='1341304973' post='1716524']
Maybe you need a cab with a tweeter/horn?
[/quote]

I still have treble troubles even with a Barefaced Super 12 T(weeter)!

[fretmeister]

Tech 21 VT pedal.

[chrismuzz]

I tried a TC Classic head and a couple of RS210s and actually got a lot of clank, but it wasn't at a frequency that was pleasant sounding to my ears

[Stag]

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1341347764' post='1717597']
Tech 21 VT pedal.
[/quote]

You are the second chap to come up with this idea

I'll have a look into wiping the bass down flat and (hopefully) letting the low mid put the bottom end in. By the way, both cabs have tweeters and they are attempting to tweet as much clank as possible...

Half the reason i bought this rig was because of how impressed i was with Charic's at the EEBB a while ago, not a clanky sound but fearsomely loud. I get the feeling the VT might be the way forward...

[matybigfro]

Before buying a pedal it really is worth expermineting with the Parametric side of the EQ on this amp as the main differece the VT will make is added compressiong and some complex EQing all of which should be able to be done with the available controls of the stacato (spectra comp and EQing)

The RH450 which this amp was based on was meant to be able to achieve sounds similar to a SVT so I would supprised if it couldn't get close

[Stag]

Cutting the lo-mid has made a big difference, as did removing a lot of the SpectraComp. In fact, reducing the treble after using the Shift button gave it a much much better, rounder sound.

So many buttons and options, that Shift button seems to be the key to most of it!

[charic]

Yeah, strangely though I've also found that if you find a sound you like it may not be the same if the keep the same ratios...

Mine currently:
Gain 5 Shift : 12
Bass: +7 Shift : +9
LoMid +4 Shift : -4
HiMid +4 Shift : -3
Treble +4 Shift : -5
Tubetone +10 Shift (Full)

So you would think

Bass +2
LoMid 0
HiMid 0
Treble 0

Would sound the same but quieter... but nope!

[winterfire666]

thats because of the Q of the eq curves