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Too much overdrive?


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I like my overdriven sound. I implement a Boss ME 50 multi effects (22 distortion/overdrive variations) and before that I have a DigiTech Bad Monkey and/or Blues Screamer. Finally I run it through a Tube Works Real Tube (12au7). This is the sound that I found I need. I also have a SD-1, DS-1 and Grunge pedals, but I don't have them on my board. Of course, I also run it through a Rockman rack Noise Reduction, and a noise suppressor on the ME 50.

I have a 120 W Peavey Deuce Tube Amp and I am unable to turn it up. So I really don't know if I am trying to do too much with the distortion. I live in a small townhouse in Nashville. My wife doesn't appreciate my playing and I have a 2 1/2 year old toddler who stomps on my volume pedal(s) everytime I pick up and play, even at low volume.

Other guitarists are able to get more with less.

I get a lot of unwanted frequeny noises running all the overdrives/distortion.

My question is is that a common problem which is part of the set up, or can it somehow be eliminated?

I was told by a sales rep that as long as I don't stop playing, the static noises won't be an issue. But it is there and it occasionally warrents my attention.

Also, is it too much? Is there anyone out there playing with a simlar set-up and/or more? Is this set up normal, or really extreme?

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All those distortions do add up the noise factor. It sounds like what you really need a smaller amp. I think there were some posts about them not too long ago. Things like the Roland MicroCube and a couple of others. You'd be able to have all the distortion you want and still be able to hear your wife when she asks you to take out the garbarge.

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that's pretty funny....although gargabe usually goes out first thing in the morning.

I have a Crate Taxi amp which has a pretty good punch which I alternate between the big amp, or I play it combination.

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Hey MTM105,

I just sent my old Japanese Boss DS-1 Distortion to AnalogMan to have the Super mod done to it. It should get rid of most of the noise and improves the sound of the pedal. You may consider having a few of your overdrive/distortion pedals modified by Analogman or Keeley for an improved tone.

Guitar George

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I did that a while back and I will try it again now, thanks...

but it won't give me true stereo. I had another little Crate practice amp which served that function, but I think I killed it...

problem is is that its transistors and not tubes

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I am not sure I understand your problem. Are you worried about noise or is your rig too loud for your townhome? Here are some thoughts.

Does the ME 50 have a headphone output? If so, then you won't be bugging anyone. I just adopted 3 children so I have gone almost exclusively to using headphones at home. Does it give me the best sound, no, I like my tube amps more, but it is a sacrafice for the family.

Get a smaller amp and overdrive it. That way you could eliminate a couple of the overdrives. I went from 3 overdrives on my board down to 1 or none by using the right sized amp.

Live with it. Noise is just part of using high gain. When you are playing most of the noise goes away.

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I am not sure I understand my problem either, but the wife says I have one...hehe

My question is, is my set up extreme by normal standards?

If it's not considered extreme, then what options are there to eliminate hiss, if any?

I am sure almost everyone has their own overdriven sound, what are they?

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I like my overdriven sound.  I implement a Boss ME 50 multi effects (22 distortion/overdrive variations) and before that I have a DigiTech Bad Monkey and/or Blues Screamer.  Finally I run it through a Tube Works Real Tube (12au7). 

I have a 120 W Peavey Deuce Tube Amp and I am unable to turn it up.  So I really don't know if I am trying to do too much with the distortion. 

I get a lot of unwanted frequeny noises running all the overdrives/distortion. 

My question is is that a common problem which is part of the set up, or can it somehow be eliminated?

Also, is it too much?  Is there anyone out there playing with a simlar set-up and/or more?  Is this set up normal, or really extreme?

Are you saying that you have all three distortion units turned on simultaniously?

If so, I'd say yes, that's pretty extreme. And I can understand why you'd be getting a whole lot of hiss, noise, feedback and other extranious noises.

If you're trying to get absolutely over-the-top distortion, you'd have better luck using a single pedal designed for that purpose (something with the words "Death Metal" in the name, for example), or a modeler like a POD with a heavily saturated Rect-o-verb setting. The modeler would solve your volume problem, since it would allow you to get massively overdriven sounds at very low volume levels.

Remember, every OD, distortion or boost pedal you put in your signal chain will exaggerate all of the unwanted noise generated by everthing that comes before it. Distortion pedals are generally very noisy (There's no reason to spend the money to make them quiet since the undesireable noise gets masked by the desireable distortion effect) and if you have several of them in the chain, you're pretty much just amplifying noise by the time you get to the final stage.

I have heard of players punching in a second distorion unit to boost solos, but having three engaged simultaniously sounds pretty uncontrollable to me.

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Yes, 3 at once. Even 4 if I include Rocktron Nitro.

First the OD produces tone clarity, then the Tube Works gives it a nice overdrivven tube sound, then the actual distortion.

I know it sounds sick, but is there anyone out there but me who thinks its normal?

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I've never had any luck chaining distortion/overdrive pedals together. I always get some kind of flubbing effect. read = sounds like ass.

Dave's right. You need to find one pedal that does what you're looking for or it's gonna be noise city. It doesn't sound like your after ther death metal thing, but there are a lot of pedals out there in medium gain territory that will do the tube like job without spending a lot of money... I like the Bad Monkey, but if you want more gain try the Tone Driver. You have a grunge pedal, but I find that a lot of the digitech stuff gets brittle sounding if you turn up the treble on the pedal, so keep your settings low and make adjustments at the amp first.

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Yes, 3 at once. Even 4 if I include Rocktron Nitro.

First the OD produces tone clarity, then the Tube Works gives it a nice overdrivven tube sound, then the actual distortion.

I know it sounds sick, but is there anyone out there but me who thinks its normal?

HOLY CRAP!! DAMN!

the only time I would do something similar was when I would cascade 2 Blue Tube (lower gain) pedals into the front end of a tube amp........ but all of that high gain... damn.... I think they do make some cascading drive pedals that might work better... I think Route 66 makes one... I think you are looking at noise city no matter what with your current set up......

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:D

Angry sound........ hehe ill have to agree with Dave on this one... 3 is way to uncontrolable im surprised your not getting a ton of feedback no matter were you stand when your not playing........ this might sound like an odd question but are you tryin to emulate someones sound or coming up with your own?.. im not a fan of racks at all but ya might think of trying some of those units out that you can control the wave on more than a pedal... have ya tried an old lab series amp at all for the sound either? Im tryin to get the sound i had when i started playin my 3rd amp was a lab series and i wish i would have kept it... anyways running three units consec. like Dave said gets alot of unwanted noise.. (try not to flame me to hard for this one but its a suggestion even though i wont set foot in 1) if theres a Guitar Center nearby go try out all the pedals and racks they have... they dont care hehe they see dollar signs... that might help.. maybe...

Sir Douglas :D

Randy :D

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It is unusual. But who cares as long as it works for you.

I had a Fender Twin type amp made by Randall. It was 120 watts with clean tones for days. I used a Ibanez Tube Screamer for a boost, into a Boss Blues Driver, into a Boss DS-1. I had each of them set with a little more gain. I would use the Blues Driver and DS-1 together for crunchy rhythm and then kick on the Tube Screamer for a solo boost. As long as I was playing, the hiss and noise wasn't bad, but I definately had to click them all off by the end of the song or it was very noisy. I didn't use any sort of noise supression at all.

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Your setup sounds fairly unusual to me. If you're not regularly gigging and you just want to get a good sound without pissing off the people you live with and around, you would probably be better off, getting a Pod XT or Pod XT Live. I live in an apartment and I use a Boss GT-8 for my playing. It gives me plenty of great sounds and doesn't annoy anyone. (I recommended a Pod XT/Live because they seem to be a bit more user-friendly for most people).

-Austin

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I run my amp loud as hell with the in-amp overdrive pretty high. To eliminate the unwanted noise I bought an old MXR noise gate pedal and it's sounds sweeeeeet!

Regarding playing with some distortion at low levels, I bet the little amp idea is the right way to go. Also, I have a Korg PX-4 that can be used with headphones....all the distortion you want without disturbing anybody. Built-in tuner too. Fun little box.

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Basically the Tube Works Real Tube in combination with Boss ME 50 distortions is at gut level basic without getting too much noise. I like the Rat, Govner and OD2 settings.

The Bad Monkey I kick in with the other 2, and I just like the OD parameters...that is where the noise starts getting really ugly.

I am a living room guitarist, so I am not doing any sets. I am just experimenting with sounds. Been playing 22 years.

sorry about wasting anyones time with such a mundane subject.

I am just trying to get some input to how everyone else is getting their sound.

Instead of GAS, I have TAS, tone aquisition syndrome.

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