Distortion for synths-mini-amps?

[M Peasley]

I've messed with a few software-based distortion effects and I just don't like them much. I know that for a long time some guitar players have used little practice amps to make distortion in studio tracking sessions.

 

Anyone out there use these little amps for synth distortion? I want something analogy and smooth, not digital and clipped-sounding.

 

Any recommendations for good distortion for synths appreciated. I'll try more software-based distortion, but my expectations are low.

 

M Peasley

[robmix]

Footpedals. I tend to use amps on "11" with no pedals to get distortion but for different fuzz tones I'll use pedals from Fulltone, Boss, MXR, and Zvex.

[evilredhed]

I'm just now starting to learn the guitar, and the guy at the shop really pushed this Roland Micro-cube. It has just 2 amps and all these cool settings for distortion. I'm not very sure about the quality because I know it's digital. But I guess you could at least check it out.

[bleen]

Originally posted by evilredhed:

I'm just now starting to learn the guitar, and the guy at the shop really pushed this Roland Micro-cube. It has just 2 amps and all these cool settings for distortion. I'm not very sure about the quality because I know it's digital.

I'll bet the two analog things on the side of your head can tell you what the quality is - does it sound good or doesn't it?

 

Back to the topic at hand...I use a Pod 2.0, an AdrenaLinn, a Vox modeling amp and/or stomp boxes for routing my synths and drum machines through to get some "hair" on the sounds.

[SoundMeister]

A distortion pedal might work if you're thickening up bass and lead sounds. Might help with organ sounds, too. But you mentioned tracking, so I gather this is mainly for recording purposes and maybe in the post production-phase of things. I'll try to respond from the standpoint of enhancing a recording rather than adding distortion to an individual keyboard sound.

 

First of all, I don't see a typical fuzz box distortion as being comparable to the distortion you get when overdriving a tube amp. Tube amp harmonic overtones are generated by a process that's totally different from digital clipping (geometric versus arithmetic). And of course tube amps have transformers. We are talking very different kinds of distortion here.

 

I think you'll find that a typical fuzz box adds too much of its own grit, hiss, etc. and can pretty much ruin your recording.

 

For tube distortion, you could use a small tube amp, but it will probably be very noisy and potentially will color your sound in unpredictable ways.

 

Maybe you're really looking for a quiet tube preamp of some kind. You could get some distortion out of it by bumping up the input levels to it.

 

Higher end preamps that would do your recordings justice can easily cost over $1500. Cheap ones can turn your signal into mush, but you might get some use out of them. Potentially you could use one as an insert for your mix and preserve some of the original signal.

 

...Maybe you don't really want distortion as such or just a light coating of it. Maybe it varies depending on how you're using it, the type of sounds involved, the mix, etc. Unless you're doing serious Industrial/Goth, you might want improved harmonic content, saturation, and warmth along the lines of Delerium albums.

 

~Peter Schouten

Pyramid Sound Productions

[captainmri]

I've recorded synths thru pedals like the Big Muff, Sansamp GT-2 and even an old DOD FX75 Hard Rock Distortion. They all have different qualities and the results run from mundane to monstrous. If you know anyone who plays guitar it's very likely they have an old pedal or two lying around...see what you can get hold of and take it for a test drive. Tube Screamers and old BOSS distortions work well also...good luck!

[evilredhed]

Thanks bleen...

I like the sound, too bad I'm not as savvy as everybody here to tell whether or not the sound is good quality. I'm here to learn, man. Please stop the flaming and just provide feedback.

[evilredhed]

Thanks bleen...

I like the sound, too bad I'm not as savvy as everybody here to tell whether or not the sound is good quality. I'm here to learn, man. Please stop the flaming and just provide feedback.

[aeon]

Line6 POD XT w/Model Packs upgrade

 

Perhaps the ultimate synth preamp.

 

pedal and studio dynamics, pedal and studio eq, pedal overdrive/distortion/fuzz, amp models (everything from cleans to soft tube breakup to vintage crunch to angry roar to liquid gain wails and modern nosebleed tones), cab models, mic models, room ambience, many short-delay modulations with analog & digital flavor, long delays (again analog/colored and digital/clean), tasty reverb models that actually sound different and good from model to model, flexible routing...and real-time control!

 

for not much coin!

 

 

cheers,

aeon

[bleen]

Originally posted by evilredhed:

Thanks bleen...

I like the sound, too bad I'm not as savvy as everybody here to tell whether or not the sound is good quality. I'm here to learn, man. Please stop the flaming and just provide feedback.

Chill, dood, that was hardly a flame. Don't second guess your own instincts. Did you like the sound of it? It's hard for someone else to tell you what you like, dig?

 

Whether it's a "good" sound or a "bad" sound isn't really the point - if it's a unique sound that inspires you and takes you places than that's all that really matters.

[DafDuc]

Amp modeling is a good way to get usable distortion - just push the input. I use a Johnson J-Station.

 

And there's a killer preset on the old Digitech Studio 5000 I just bought called Voodoo Wah - it coulda been my secret weapon if I hadn't just told you about it, LOL...

[Felix_dup1]

The new Alesis Sumo amps have built in fx (kind of a new idea for a keyboard amp), but their site doesn't say anything about distortion. Wonder if it's one of the fx included?