Strange Design Forums

Amp settings?  Ts9s? Compressor?

Having some issues with feedback, wondering how I can cut back on feedback without sacrificing tone

It should change everytime you play, depending on the room, where you are positioned, what the lineup of instrumentation is, what direction your cabinet is pointed, what kind of music your playing, which guitar your using, what amp your using, which pickups you have, what speaker is in your cabinet, i could go on? The point is, its something only you can tune/set to your ears. But throw me some detailed scenarios to start, ie where you practice, where you play shows often, need more info, and i could happily point you in a positive direction :0)

what kinda guitar? how loud are your pedals turned up (turn them down)? set your compressor at a unity setting on the level knob, cranking any of the compressor knobs too much will add a great deal of noise/feedback. Otherwise, if its a hollowbody jazz type guitar, and your cranking the shit out of it, feedback is all your going to get. So you can either use a solid body guitar, turn down the pedals/amp, or learn to control the feedback.

Poster is right.  The biggest culprits of all, imo, are probably the combination of compressor settings, amp wattage and how much you turn it up master and volume (if separate), and what kind of guitar you are using.  Another that I think is huge is where you are in the room to relation of your speaker. 

You know something?  Every time I play out live, it doesn't matter where at...I rarely ever have to adjust anything but my amp volume.  Guitar volume is always all the way up, and it's seriously a Halley's Commet appearance if I ever touch my TS's or Comp.  Is that odd?

It means your not tuning your gear :0) Probably sounds fine

I only do shows in anechoic chambers hence I never have feedback problems :P

nobody will bite,

i learned this whole philosophy in the most dramatic, retarded fashion imaginable. It was back when I was playing heavy death metal in vermont. Running 2 5150 Heads (bought in a pair for 600), Pushing 2 Hartke Celestion Half Stacks. I think I was using a digitech metal master and an old whammy 4 with an ibanez presitge (lol). I had been taping the knobs down so everything would stay the same. However, when we started playing all sorts of wonky old New England college rooms, the tone wouldnt exactly gravitate pleasantly, from one local to another. The guy who used to retube my amps in Brandon was a tech for Motorhead for 20 years, he asked me all the questions i asked above^, and explained every variable has to be accounted for, even when just making metal.

 So there you have it you electro guerillas of geetar tone boner magicka! yum garbonzia from the honey brick of your learning! back to the black lodge i nruter

Poster you are either insane or a genius.  Hopefully you'll settle for insane genius.  Regardless I have been entertained and enlightened simultaneously.

Quote from: Happyorange27 on March 29, 2011, 01:45:49 PM
Poster you are either insane or a genius.  Hopefully you'll settle for insane genius.  Regardless I have been entertained and enlightened simultaneously.

Hey Happy, didn't you see the rotating sign when you came in?  

Oh that's sweet!  So that's what that button does ;D

Thanks everybody for the suggestions!

I dont know why I didnt consider any of these factors, I guess thats what I have you guys for!  I was playing in a small bar with a drummer, keyboard, bass and another guitar player.  I'm convinced that it was definetly my compressor settings.  I had the attack and sustain way to high, and probably the treble and bass settings on my amp to high as well.  My amp was sitting on a amp stamp about 3 feet off the ground, tilted slightly up and pointed towards the middle of the room to the audience's left of the drums, about 5 feet behind me.  Altough the opening band used my amp (not my pedals) and didnt change any of the settings on my amp and didnt seem to have any problems with feedback, thats why I assume it was my compressor settings. 

It wasn't that much of a problem but if I had both Ts9s (like during Antelope) I would get some a little bit of unwanted feedback just from playing a high note.  Sometimes when I would get really high on the fret board on the high e string it just sounded like high pitch noise to me, I couldnt even hear the pitch I was playing, but after the show everybody said I sounded great so I assumed it was just because I was so close to the amp. 

Thanks again everybody for the info!

As a rule, always set the level on your compressor so that your overall volume level is the same whether the comp is on or off.

Also, back off on your bass and treble settings.  The bass control on a Fender AB163 is there only to compensate for a lack of low end when the amp volume is set low.  As the volume is turned up, so should the bass knob be turned down.  Adjust the treble to taste and use the tone knob on your guitar in tandem with the treble knob on the amp.

I always get there an hour or two before soundcheck, crack a beer or two and fiddle with my settings until it sounds great.

I have a different approach then cactus, but then I leave my comp on all the time.

I run the tubes on my amp (Twin) hot and set the volume infant with my comp. I like it low enough that I don't get a big jump when engaging ODs.

The way i set everything up is simple. Before i turn on my amp the Volume is all the way down and Bass, Mid, and Treble is set at 12:00. When i turn on my amp i start messing around with the EQ until i am satisfied and then i turn the Amp volume as loud as i want it to be. After that i turn on my Compressor and set my Compressor Volume at Unity with the Amp Volume. After my OD3's are on my drive on both Boss OD3's all the way down and the level on both OD pedals are set to Unity with both the amp and Compressor. What is important is that the first OD3 after my Wah is set so the drive is all the way up and the second OD3's drive is set at 10:30. The tone of both OD3's is set at 12:00. This set up is great for any guitarist out there. The sound is overall loud and even with great clarity and sustain. 

Quote from: Brian27 on July 12, 2011, 06:03:45 PM
The way i set everything up is simple. Before i turn on my amp the Volume is all the way down and Bass, Mid, and Treble is set at 12:00. When i turn on my amp i start messing around with the EQ until i am satisfied and then i turn the Amp volume as loud as i want it to be. After that i turn on my Compressor and set my Compressor Volume at Unity with the Amp Volume. After my OD3's are on my drive on both Boss OD3's all the way down and the level on both OD pedals are set to Unity with both the amp and Compressor. What is important is that the first OD3 after my Wah is set so the drive is all the way up and the second OD3's drive is set at 10:30. The tone of both OD3's is set at 12:00. This set up is great for any guitarist out there. The sound is overall loud and even with great clarity and sustain. 

Will try out that approach next gig. I always keep a notebook to write settings down in.

Dont forget to set the compressor after the OD pedals.