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I used the
GT-8 on the 2005 Budgie tour and also on a few gigs with my old band
"Ozzmosis". The picture on the left shows me playing on
the cruise liner "Silja Festival" in Sweden last November
with Budgie (photo by Mikael Tholander).
I believe I'm getting extremely close to achieving the biggest dirtiest,
fattest and down
- right AWESOME rhythm and lead sounds possible. My criteria for these
sounds is as follows:- |
Rhythm sound: This must fill all the sonic gaps between the bass and
the hi-hats but without overpowering the vocals. If I get this sound right
EVERYTHING can (and should) be loud!
I need enough mid range to get feedback easily which also means I need
a fair amount of distortion but not so much as to sound muddy.
I need enough sustain to facilitate harmonic squeals.
I need to be able to hear the individual strings.
First thing's first: Set the Output to LINE/PHONES. Ignore the
manual. It doesn't matter what you connect to - always use this setting.
Amp Settings: I use Marshall DSL 100 watt heads and I use the clean
channel only. This means I get all my distortion from the GT-8. To give
you an idea of the way you should set your amp here's how I set mine:
Presence: 3
Treble: 3
Middle: 5
Bass: 5
Gain: Up to 7
Volume: Up to 7
Main Sound for Metal Rhythm:-
OD/Dist Type: Guv DS (Based on the Marshall Guv'nor pedal. The most
ass-kicking distortion pedal for rhythm work. Really crisp and defined.
Not suitable for lead work though because it makes single notes sound
thin and scratchy.)
Drive: 90 (Quite high but it does go up to 120!)
Bottom: 0 (Doesn't need fattening up - the bottom end is just right).
Tone: -50 (Seems a drastic setting. The Guv'nor is very sharp and
coupled with my Marshall it really takes your head off. Don't be afraid
to use extreme settings.)
Effect Level: 100 (Why not?)
Direct Level: 0 (Can't really see the point of this to be honest).
Noise Suppressor: On
Threshold: 50
Release:
30
Detect:
Input
Master Patch Level: 6
(This seems crazy - especially when you realise it goes up to 200! The
reason is this. I set the Output knob on the rear panel to Maximum. That
way I know it's going to be the same every night. To compensate I turn
the Patch level right down. This, coupled with the Level setting on the
Distortion, ensures that the signal from the GT-8 output is no greater
than the signal from my guitar pickups. This way the Marshall doesn't
have to work any harder than if I was plugging directly into it.)
Output knob: Maximum
Add reverb and delay to your
own taste!
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Lead sound: This must be fat and reproduce the vocal frequencies
during guitar solos. I like a long sustain which can go smoothly into
feedback and a small amount of echo to round off the notes.
Main Sound for Lead:-
OD/Dist Type: Lead (Not sure what this is based upon but it makes
single notes really fat - especially up around the 12th fret. There is
a slight hint of an edge which gives the notes a little bit of character.
This sound is unsuitable for chords as it makes them too mushy and boxy.)
Drive: 87 (High enough for the job)
Bottom: 0 (Doesn't need fattening up - the bottom end is just right).
Tone: 25 (This is to bridge the gap slightly between the two sounds.
Otherwise there is a perceived drop in high end when switching from Rhythm
to Lead. This was noticeable on the Budgie tour but I'm well on the way
to fixing it.)
Effect Level: 97 (Increasing the Tone also increases the volume.
I usually have a small volume boost for my Lead sound but it's the tone
itself which makes the solos stand out).
Direct Level: 0 (Can't really see the point of this to be honest).
Chorus Type: Mono (I
haven't used chorus on my distorted sounds since the early-90's and I'm
still not a huge fan. Recently I've discovered that in small measures
it can add life to my lead tone without sounding "gimmicky").
Rate: 50 (I find mediuml settings work best on Chorus)
Depth: 50 (See above).
Pre Delay: 25.0ms (This gives the sound a slightly 3D effect)
Low Cut & High Cut: Flat
Effect Level: 17 (Just enough to hear the Chorus without it taking
over the sound)
Delay Type: Single (I always have a slight echo on my lead sound.
It just adds a real finesse which I can't live without!)
DlyTime: 377 - 544ms (just depends what the tempo of the song is
as to how fast the echoes are).
Feedback: 10 (Not too many repeats).
High Cut: Flat
Effect Level: 10 (I don't like to hear the effect too much. There's
a fine line between sounding natural and "over produced").
Direct Level: 100
Noise Suppressor: On
Threshold: 50
Release:
30
Detect:
Input
Master Patch Level: 6
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Clean sound: This must be sweet as morning dew and shimmer like
a mirage.
Main Sound for Clean:-
Compressor: Type Compressor (This effect is useful for picking and
strumming as it really evens out the volume of each pick or strum).
Sustain: 50 (This sets the amount of compression)
Attack: 50 (This allows the initial pick to come through un-compressed).
Tone: 0 (This is usually to compensate for the slight dulling effect
of the compressor. Not necessary here).
Level: 60
Chorus Type: Mono (I
always use chorus on my clean sound. It just makes the notes come alive).
Rate: 40 (Slightly less than the lead sound because the effect
is much stronger on the clean sound).
Depth: 50 (See above).
Pre Delay: 40.0ms (This gives the sound a slightly 3D effect)
Low Cut & High Cut: Flat
Effect Level: 100 (Bring it on!)
Noise Suppressor: On
Threshold: 50
Release:
30
Detect:
Input
Master Patch Level: 6
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Semi-Clean Sound: This is not "Squeaky Clean" but a bit
rough around the edges. It breaks up nicely when you hit the strings hard
like a soft version of AC/DC's type of distortion. Can be cleaned up using
the guitar's volume. I use it on the quiet parts of Gunslinger, Black
Velvet Stallion, Melt the Ice Away, Zoom Club, Nude Disintegrating Parachutist
Woman).
Main Sound for Semi-Clean:-
OD/Dist Type: Mild DS (Mild Distortion)
Drive: 20
Bottom: 50 (Lowering the Drive also lowers the Bottom end so it
needs fattening up).
Tone: -25 (Any higher and it sounds too thin).
Level: 85 (I use this parameter to balance up the Semi-Clean sound
with the Rhythm sound. I like it so that when I stomp on the Rhythm pedal
it makes you jump!).
Direct Level: 0 (Can't really see the point of this to be honest).
Noise Suppressor:
On
Threshold: 50
Release:
30
Detect:
Input
Master Patch Level: 6
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Acoustic sound: When
the acoustic pickup on my Slash signature dissolved during a gig in Edinburgh
I had to find an alternative way of getting a decent acoustic sound. To
be honest there's not that much difference!
Main Sound for Acoustic:-
FX1: Guitar Simulator (This effect makes your guitar sound like another
type of guitar).
Type: 'H' - AC (Humbucker to Acoustic)
Low: 15 (this sets the bottom end so it's warm but doesn't rumble).
High: 15 (Enough top end to sparkle).
Body: 15 (Enough mid-range so it doesn't sound artificial)
Level: 100
Chorus Type: Mono
Rate: 50 (I find mediuml settings work best on Chorus)
Depth: 50 (See above).
Pre Delay: 25.0ms (This gives the sound a slightly 3D effect)
Low Cut & High Cut: Flat
Effect Level: 17 (Just enough to hear the Chorus without it taking
over the sound)
Reverb Type: Modulate (I'm not a fan of Reverb but this one sounds
gorgeous on the Acoustic sound)
Rev Time: 2.0s
Pre Delay: 10.0ms (Just gives a tiny impression of space).
Low Cut: 110Hz
High Cut: 6.00kHz
Density: 8
Effect Level: 27
Direct Level: 100
Noise Suppressor: On
Threshold: 50
Release:
30
Detect:
Input
Master Patch Level: 6
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Special Effects
I use other effects in conjunction
with the five basic sounds shown above so here they are:-
I use the Flanger on the Pre-Solo
section of Panzer Division Destroyed. This is activated using the Control
pedal while on my Rhythm sound. The settings are as follows:-
FX2 Select: FL
Rate: 19
Depth: 65
Manual: 75
Resonance: 80
Separation: 0
Low Cut: Flat
Effect Level: 45
Direct Level: 45 (Both level settings are quite low to ensure a
smooth transition between switching the effect on and off).
The Control Pedal is set up as follows:-
Assign 1 Trgt FX2: fx2: On/Off
Min: Off
Max: On
Source: CTL PEDAL
Mode: Toggle
Act Range Lo: 0
Act Range Hi: 127
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I use the Harmoniser on the first part of the solo on Panzer Division
Destroyed. This is activated using the Control pedal while on my Lead
sound. The settings are as follows:-
FX2 Select: HR
Voice: 2 - Mono
HR1 Harm: -3rd
HR1 Pre Delay: 0ms
HR1 Feedback: 0
HR1 Level: 58
HR2 Harm: -1 oct
HR2 Pre Delay: 0
HR2 Level: 58
Key: G (Em)
Direct Level: 58
To activate the Harmoniser I set the control pedal as follows:-
Assign 1 Trgt FX2: fx2: On/Off
Min: Off
Max: On
Source: CTL PEDAL
Mode: Toggle
Act Range Lo: 0
Act Range Hi: 127
What makes this patch even more complex is that I needed a different harmony
to two identical notes. The phrase starts on E and finishes on E but each
E needs a different harmony as the chords change. The first E required
a low 3rd harmony and the second E required a low 4th harmony. To achieve
these two harmonies I used the expression pedal set up as follows:-
Assign 2 Trgt FX2: hr: HR1 Harm
Min: -4th (The last note of the harmony riff)
Max: -3rd (The main part of the harmony riff)
Source: EXP PEDAL
Mode: Normal
Act Range Lo: 0
Act Range Hi: 127
The addition of the harmoniser to the Lead sound requires a slight change
to the tone of the Distortion. I use the Control pedal to flick between
the Lead tone and the Harmonised tone as follows:-
Assign 3 Trgt OD: Tone
Min: 25 (lead tone)
Max: 50 (Harmoniser tone)
Source: CTL PEDAL
Mode: Toggle
Act Range Lo: 0
Act Range Hi: 127
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One of the new Budgie songs
- "Justice" uses the Harmoniser to create a huge multi-octave
sound on the main riff and the solo.
Rhythm sound during intro & chorus. Same as Main Rhythm sound plus
the following:-
FX2 Select: HR
Voice: 2 - Mono
HR1 Harm: -1oct
HR1 Pre Delay: 0ms
HR1 Feedback: 0
HR1 Level: 80
HR2 Harm: +1 oct
HR2 Pre Delay: 0
HR2 Level: 80
Key: C (Am)
Direct Level: 80
Lead sound during solo. Same as Main Lead sound plus the following:-
FX2 Select: HR
Voice: 2 - Mono
HR1 Harm: -1oct
HR1 Pre Delay: 0ms
HR1 Feedback: 0
HR1 Level: 50 (All levels set to 50 on the Lead sound. The increased
mid-range from the harmoniser boosts the level far more than on the Rhythm
sound).
HR2 Harm: +1 oct
HR2 Pre Delay: 0
HR2 Level: 50
Key: C (Am)
Direct Level: 50
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During the verse of
"Justice" I use a Phaser. This is the first time I've ever used
one. My "Doctor Who" sound!
This is my Main Rhythm sound with the addition of the following:-
FX2 Select: PH
Type: Bi-Phase
Rate: 13 (Fits with the tempo of the song).
Depth: 50
Manual: 55
Resonance: 0
Step Rate: Off
Effect Level: 80
Direct Level: 80
What I love about this sound is that, unlike the Flanger, it always
starts in the same place. Right at the top of the cycle.
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During "I Turned to Stone" I decided a tremelo effect would
sound nice on the Dm chord just before the middle solo. The sound is based
on my Clean sound plus the following:-
FX2 Select: TR
Wave Shape: 100
Rate: 85
Depth: 50
It's similar to a sound used on the recording of "I Can't See My
Feelings" from Budgie's "Never Turn Your Back on a Friend"
album so I thought (as we don't play that song) I'd stick it in somewhere.
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One of Ozzy Osbourne's songs "Over the Mountain" requires an
Octave effect during the first part of the solo. I used the Pitch Shifter
for this and the settings are below:-
FX2 Select: PS
Voice: 1-Voice
PS1 Mode: Medium
PS1 Pitch: -12
PS1 Fine: 0
PS1 Pre Delay: 0ms
PS1 Feedback: 0
PS1 Level: 60
Direct Level: 99
Because the Low pitch shift adds more low frequencies to the sound I used
the Control Pedal to activate a drop in low end from the Distortion effect.
Here are the settings:-
Assign 1 Trgt OD: Bottom
Min: -15
Max: 25
Source: CTL PEDAL
Mode: Toggle
Act Range Lo: 0
Act Range Hi: 127
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