Wot's the deal? sound "lost in the sauce" in band situations using my RP300

Fellow Digitech RP300 users........ have had my RP300 for a couple of
years. Have enjoyed the sound shaping features greatly... Sounds
great played direct through the PA. Sounds great for recording .....
I particularly like the #1 "Solo" preset...........Have experimented
with a number of patches......some great, some not........but here is
the issue.

When I'm playin with other people, in a band type situation, all the
hard work of putting in patches is lost.................when I select
just about ANYTHING the sound just gets "lost in the sauce"...... I
can crank up the volume on the amp but then it's just loud, headache
inducing, and still gets "lost in the sauce"...... I've heard that
compression is killer on the sound, but even with compression OFF I'm
not getting through.

Any advice would be welcome, 'cause I'm ready to chuck it and go
analog... but I really don't want a thousand stomp boxes in front me..
I wanna play, not spend my time dancing on stomp boxes.

Generally playing either a Les Paul Studio, or '52 Telecast reissue
for guitar and usign a Fender Twin Chorus amp. I rarely engage the
effects on the amp so that's not the issue either.

HELP!
thanks
BMac

> I'm ready to chuck it and go analog... but I really don't want a thousand
stomp boxes in front me..
> I wanna play, not spend my time dancing on stomp boxes.
>
>
Make youself a pedalboard.
A nice one. Home depot.
Custom design and color.
You can get a cheap case for guns at a Home depot-type-store to keep it in.

MASTER wrote:

>>I'm ready to chuck it and go analog... but I really don't want a thousand
>
> stomp boxes in front me..
>
>>I wanna play, not spend my time dancing on stomp boxes.
>>
>>
>
> Make youself a pedalboard.
> A nice one. Home depot.
> Custom design and color.
> You can get a cheap case for guns at a Home depot-type-store to keep it in.

The cheap gun cases that I've seen do not have a top that comes off.

I found an ATA style case off of local craigslist. Large, top comes
off, lined in carpet... But no name on it anywhere, so I can't tell you
how to find one.

> The cheap gun cases that I've seen do not have a top that comes off.
>
>
It doesn't really matter.
You don't play yer guitar in the case.
You take it out, and since you're already there, you might as well take out
the multieffect.

I have a cd box. It's like a "tool box" aluminum thingie that has like 2
plastic removeable barriers in the middle.
It's like 18 by 10 inches and it's about 7 inches high.
And you carry it around like a suitcase.
The hinges in the back are like door hinges so when the top is fully opened,
you can just pull the top to the side and voila, you have an open aluminum
case.

Hey and if you buy one and hang around with musicians, they'll think that
you're sponsored by Sears... : )

I've been reading these groups for a while now, and this is a very
common problem. They are fun toys to use at home, but play in a live
situation and it's difficult to cut through the mix.

I owned an RP 200 for a while (bought used, intended as gift for a
nephew, but I tweaked some settings for a couple of weeks before his
birthday came up). I never tried to jam with it.

The problem I see is I think that the manufacturers go after a processed
end product. ...what the guitar sounds like off of a CD or the radio.
It is compressed, EQ'd differently, etc.

I suggest that you're better of just using it for practice and fun, and
relying on a few individual effects and a good amp (for me, that means
tubes) for live. If you want to try to make it work, your best bet
might be a separate EQ between the RP and your amp. You might have to
push the upper mids to cut through the mix. It might sound bad on its
own, and good in the mix. I know that I generally turn up upper mids
when I jam, compared to home play.

macmoco2@gmail.com wrote:

> Fellow Digitech RP300 users........ have had my RP300 for a couple of
> years. Have enjoyed the sound shaping features greatly... Sounds
> great played direct through the PA. Sounds great for recording .....
> I particularly like the #1 "Solo" preset...........Have experimented
> with a number of patches......some great, some not........but here is
> the issue.
>
> When I'm playin with other people, in a band type situation, all the
> hard work of putting in patches is lost.................when I select
> just about ANYTHING the sound just gets "lost in the sauce"...... I
> can crank up the volume on the amp but then it's just loud, headache
> inducing, and still gets "lost in the sauce"...... I've heard that
> compression is killer on the sound, but even with compression OFF I'm
> not getting through.
>
> Any advice would be welcome, 'cause I'm ready to chuck it and go
> analog... but I really don't want a thousand stomp boxes in front me..
> I wanna play, not spend my time dancing on stomp boxes.
>
> Generally playing either a Les Paul Studio, or '52 Telecast reissue
> for guitar and usign a Fender Twin Chorus amp. I rarely engage the
> effects on the amp so that's not the issue either.
>
> HELP!
> thanks
> BMac
>

Try a '65 blackface Super Reverb. Between your axe and
the amp, use a guitar cord - period.

It works for Derek Trucks, and it'll work for you. That
digital shitbox is a toy - when you come to jam, you'd
better ride in on a set of tubes - and little else.

Lord Valve
Expert




macmoco2@gmail.com wrote:

> Fellow Digitech RP300 users........ have had my RP300 for a couple of
> years. Have enjoyed the sound shaping features greatly... Sounds
> great played direct through the PA. Sounds great for recording .....
> I particularly like the #1 "Solo" preset...........Have experimented
> with a number of patches......some great, some not........but here is
> the issue.
>
> When I'm playin with other people, in a band type situation, all the
> hard work of putting in patches is lost.................when I select
> just about ANYTHING the sound just gets "lost in the sauce"...... I
> can crank up the volume on the amp but then it's just loud, headache
> inducing, and still gets "lost in the sauce"...... I've heard that
> compression is killer on the sound, but even with compression OFF I'm
> not getting through.
>
> Any advice would be welcome, 'cause I'm ready to chuck it and go
> analog... but I really don't want a thousand stomp boxes in front me..
> I wanna play, not spend my time dancing on stomp boxes.
>
> Generally playing either a Les Paul Studio, or '52 Telecast reissue
> for guitar and usign a Fender Twin Chorus amp. I rarely engage the
> effects on the amp so that's not the issue either.
>
> HELP!
> thanks
> BMac

On Apr 7, 11:08 am, "macmo...@gmail.com" <macmo...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Any advice would be welcome, 'cause I'm ready to chuck it and go
> analog... but I really don't want a thousand stomp boxes in front me..
> I wanna play, not spend my time dancing on stomp boxes.

I used to have an RP-100, so I know a little bit about this problem.
Are you using factory presets, or your own patches? The presets on the
RP series are all too compressed, distorted, and loaded with effects.
They may sound okay at bedroom volumes, but wash out when cranked.

Create patches that have little or no compression, and a realistic
amount of gain (don't go over 40). Too much distortion will definitely
get you lost in the mix. You want crunch and sustain, not a blurry
buzz or roar. If you use reverb and effects, use them sparingly,
especially modulation effects (chorus, phaser, flanger, etc.). Turn
off the speaker modeling if you're playing through an amp. This will
un-muddy your sound a little.

The RP pedals also sound really bass-heavy to me. Set the EQ so that
you have a lot of mids and treble (without getting too shrill). This
will help you cut through.

> Generally playing either a Les Paul Studio, or '52 Telecast reissue
> for guitar and usign a Fender Twin Chorus amp. I rarely engage the
> effects on the amp so that's not the issue either.

Set the amp's EQ as flat as possible, or if there's an effects loop,
plug into the effects return and go directly into the power section.
Modelers are meant to work with an amp that has a flat frequency
response. Guitar amps have a frequency curve adjusted for guitar. The
preamp section of your Fender may be undoing the work that the RP-300
is doing.

Hope this helps.

- Rich