Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Vetta Channel Volume XONE


I recently began setting the Amp Model Channel Volume on my Vetta HD to 100%, and I’ve felt a major improvement in the sound of the models overall. The Vetta already sounded excellent to my ears. This new tweak has pushed it over the top!! The tone of XONE just got better...

I wish I could play with my Vetta HD(v2.5) every day.
Unfortunately it's only twice a week for XONE,
with the occasional Sunday Afternoon thrown in,
and some home, direct recording.
I tweak my Vetta HD with Line 6 Edit Software on a Laptop
connected by an M-Audio Uno cable to my Vetta,
17 feet across the room to really hear what my
Marshall 4x12 is projecting.

I make only Blended patches in my Vetta HD (v2.5)
at LIVE volume (95+db). (Amps panned to Center)
Both Amp 2 & 1 have a different Channel volume.
One amp model (Amp 2) usually carries the majority of the patch,
and thus has a higher Channel Volume.
When I first bought my Vetta in 2003,
I set my Amp 2 Channel volume to 50% (12 o'clock)
Amp 1 was somewhere around 25% (9 O'clock)

(I'm using percents because I tweak in Line 6 Edit
which has values denoted by percentage, 0-100%.
I’ll throw the clock face value in for amp knob tweakers)

I quickly changed my Channel volumes to
Amp 2 = 83% (3 o'clock)
Amp 1 = 40-60% (11 - 1 o'clock)
I have used these main setting since then.

This week, I tested out using Amp 2 = 100%
or "11" for you Nigel Tufnels out there
and Amp 1 = 50-85%

After testing this extensively, I am hearing that the Amp model at 100% has more balls, tubiness, mojo, etc... to it.

I know that in OS v1 Vetta, the Volume knob worked
in concert, with the Drive knob.
I also remember, that all changed with OS v2 Vetta.
I never worried about pushing the channel volume after v2.
I liked having some headroom,
and I use the COMP Gain to balance patch levels.

After making quite a few new patches last week,
and updating some “Tried And True” patches in my Vetta,
I believe that the Vetta's amp models,
when pushed to a 100% channel volume,
sound better to my ears.

I did have to lower my COMP Gain settings by 4db to compensate
for the overall patch Volume increase.
(I run the COMP at a Ratio of 1:0:1,
and use it to equalize my patch volumes).

I have been tweaking the 100% way now for the last 2 months,
and I still think that the amp has more
BALLS, MOJO, LIFE, TUBINESS…
with the Channel volume at 100%
for at least 1 amp model. (Remember, I blend 2 amps)

I’ve already re-tweaked all my old XONE patches
to this new Standard.
And I’m recording these tones right now,
as I finish the guitar parts for our 15 minute epic:
The Mastermind.
All of the patches for Mastermind are re-tweaked
and sounding better than ever.

Try it yourself with your patches,
and see if you feel the same way as I…

(The Mastermind is featured on our upcoming CD: The 4th Dimension)

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

XONE Studio Video


For the last 2 years, we have been working on our CD:
The 4th Dimension.
During the actual recording of the CD, we took over 9 hours of video.
The result of all this is our new music video: Beautiful One Day!!

Hopefully, the video shows that we
don't take ourselves too seriously.
The song was mixed in Sonar 7 PE.
The video includes ans un-mastered mix of the song.

We hope you like our latest video,
And we’re excited to tell you that we are already at work
on 4 more videos for the next CD: ELEMENTS.
It was shot in Mini-DV,
and was edited in Imovie and Sony Vegas.
Let us know what you think!

prog_metal_xone@hotmail.com