My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

[Thor Von Clemson]

I have the following problem... When my amp is turned up past a certain level,3.5 to 4, it starts to lose the clarity it has on lower volumes.. It starts to sound too raw. I play a Line 6 Flextone II head through a 2X12 cab. I am guessing the problem is the cab not being able to handle the loud volumes? [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

HELP! [img]/images/graemlins/help.gif[/img]

[PallarAndersVisa]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

well, we can start the ol' Solid state vs. Tube amp debate now

[jazzman]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

Okay, I'll bite, tubes RULE!! But seriously, what amp is it we're talking about? (It makes all the difference)

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

A Line 6 Flextone II head into a 2x12 cabinet.

[442w30]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

A friend had the Flextone II combo and it ended up blowing a speaker during practice. He was up against a Johnson Head and Johnson 4X12 with V30s. It was keeping up ok, then flab.

The tone was as good at low volumes 'before' the blowout, but as it got louder it started to sound 'raw'. He was going for a marshall model while the Johnson was rectified, so the Johnson had a little smoother distortion to start with, but it still sounded a little wrong.

What model tone were you after? What speaker in the cab? If they are line6 speakers, eh that may be it. If it's an open cab?

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

need more details on rig, settings, desired sound, and the crappiness you're expiriencing.

[nonamemx]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

Could be the speakers, they play an immense role on the overall tone (I'd say about 35%) when playing loud.

[jazzman]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

Too bad I couldn't hear it. Not an MP3, but sit in front of it. Could be anything. Maybe lack of tubes? LOL! (I'm sorry, I just had to say that)

[777]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

It's the cab, tubes only sound good when the cops show up at your door........ [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[2Loud2Old]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

My Flextone III sounded great at bedroom to basement levels.

Playing at gig levels was another story, as it became very harsh, very quickly.

I have a theory that Line 6 tweaks it's models to sound ideal at lower levels.

In the end, I sold it after 8 months.

Doubt i'll ever buy a Line 6 amp again.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

i'm using the xt live with various tube heads and loving it at giging volumes!

raw is good sometimes. i guess it really depends on how it sounds coming through the P.A. at the venue.

[jgcable]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

I think I can answer your question. I had the exact same rig and I gigged with it for around 6-8 months.
1. When you set up your patches you MUST set them up at the approximate volume level you will be using them at.
On the Flextone II HD, as you turn the volume up the level of effects increases along with the bass. This causes the tone to get flubby, farty and muddy at high volumes.
You need to go back in and redo all your patches at the volume you gig at. If you lower your bass, increase the mids a little and lower the effect levels you will wake that Flextone right up.
Because the Flextone II HD has so many presets I set up a complete bank of home practice level patches, band rehearsal patches and crazy live loud patches. They were all very similar except for the bass and effects levels.

Don't get sucked into the modeling vs tubes debate. Your problem has nothing to do with fact you are using a modeling amp.

Hope this helps. It should.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

[ QUOTE ]
need more details on rig, settings, desired sound, and the crappiness you're expiriencing

[/ QUOTE ]

What is he experiencing? That would be the "Line 6 Experience" hehehe...

[PallarAndersVisa]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

my friend's Vetta2 Combo farts out at loud volumes as well. so did his old Spider 2 head.

[jtr]

Re: My tone is too raw when amp is loud.. help?!

Open back cab vs. closed back and the fact that ss amp sound harsh when they clip.