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Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 5:48 pm
by jeremyb
An interesting experiment!


Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 7:58 pm
by rickenbackerkid
really cool video. Some of the things that I thought that are kind of bullshit actually made (to my mind) a recognisable difference. Most surprising one was that the Focusrite preamp and conversion had a dramatically more strident and 'hard' sound than the more expensive preamps/converters. Also, my fave speaker of the speaker test was one that I've owned and didn't like much - the Vintage 30.

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:22 pm
by Zaulkin
Cool video. Definitely explains why your tone would sound more crisp using a wireless unit if you were used to long cables.

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:26 pm
by GrantB
All I know is, if it sounds good, it is good.

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 2:51 am
by Molly
All I know is, if it looks good, it is good. ;-)

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 5:26 am
by JoeBlow
I go on sustain. If you can't hang on a note for a decent amount of time, it's nothing but firewood with scrap metal on it.

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 6:13 am
by jeremyb
Zaulkin wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:22 pm Cool video. Definitely explains why your tone would sound more crisp using a wireless unit if you were used to long cables.
Cables make the most difference I reckon, especially if you have a large pedalboard, each length of cable adds capacitance which eats into your treble frequencies, I still remember going from cheap coloured patch cables to lava ones and having to turn the treble down on my amp :lol:

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 6:22 am
by Slowy
JoeBlow wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 5:26 am .....firewood with scrap metal on it.
Best description of my playing ever!

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:17 am
by Conway
Molly wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 2:51 am All I know is, if it looks good, it is good. ;-)
All I know is, if it is blue, it is good. :wink:

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:22 am
by calling card
JoeBlow wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 5:26 am I go on sustain. If you can't hang on a note for a decent amount of time, it's nothing but firewood with scrap metal on it.
So many times I've got the volume civilized & non offensive for the setting. Gone for a lead piece and it goes plink plink.

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:25 am
by calling card
He's a patient chap. I'm impressed most by that Dr Z airbrake, Celestion gold the full voiced winner and Focusrite for a pre amp pick. Every thing else so subtle and gone in a flash when the drummer starts up.

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 8:55 am
by clubhouse
calling card wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:25 am He's a patient chap. I'm impressed most by that Dr Z airbrake, Celestion gold the full voiced winner and Focusrite for a pre amp pick. Every thing else so subtle and gone in a flash when the drummer starts up.
Yeah, man. It must have taken him days, if not weeks to do the testing, packaged around other dailies. :clap:

There are sooo MANY variables involved. The colouration you want to keep with some gear can get mucked up by other bits in the chain, that you then try to recapture? somehow with succeeding bits. Old adage though: the most important stuff is the 'ins' (geetar) and 'outs' (speakers). What happens in between is anyones' guess.

The airbrake thing was a pretty good test. I swear, through my meagre monitoring set, I could hear tonal changes as he applied more attenuation. When he adjusted the make-up volume level in post to counter balance the changes in attenuation, the tonal difference I previously perceived was negligible despite the attenuation increase. Fletcher-Munson curves in action

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:31 am
by robthemac
clubhouse wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 8:55 am
calling card wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:25 am He's a patient chap. I'm impressed most by that Dr Z airbrake, Celestion gold the full voiced winner and Focusrite for a pre amp pick. Every thing else so subtle and gone in a flash when the drummer starts up.
Yeah, man. It must have taken him days, if not weeks to do the testing, packaged around other dailies. :clap:

There are sooo MANY variables involved. The colouration you want to keep with some gear can get mucked up by other bits in the chain, that you then try to recapture? somehow with succeeding bits. Old adage though: the most important stuff is the 'ins' (geetar) and 'outs' (speakers). What happens in between is anyones' guess.

The airbrake thing was a pretty good test. I swear, through my meagre monitoring set, I could hear tonal changes as he applied more attenuation. When he adjusted the make-up volume level in post to counter balance the changes in attenuation, the tonal difference I previously perceived was negligible despite the attenuation increase. Fletcher-Munson curves in action
I have an Airbrake clone that I feel chops of a little bit of high end, but I might try to get a microphone to replicate this test.

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:37 am
by clubhouse
As an aside...Josh Smith (Flat V Lounge cat) regularly asks his guests, "if you had to choose between playing a shitty guitar (tuneable, intoned and otherwise playable...just wasn't nice to the touch or exactly your sound kinda thing) or going through a shitty amp (again, it works but otherwise not your sound), which way would you go?" Most reply: amp! Without hesitation. They'd put up with a budget guitar in favour of the output box's sound being something they could live with...

For me, if I don't dig the sounds, I just fold up...can't grab the muse, despite the axe.

How say you...?

Re: Guitar Toan, What Actually Matters?

Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:57 am
by MattAnt
jeremyb wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 6:13 am
Zaulkin wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:22 pm Cool video. Definitely explains why your tone would sound more crisp using a wireless unit if you were used to long cables.
Cables make the most difference I reckon, especially if you have a large pedalboard, each length of cable adds capacitance which eats into your treble frequencies, I still remember going from cheap coloured patch cables to lava ones and having to turn the treble down on my amp :lol:
Depends on your buffer/pedal config. Capacitance can become a non issue