High gainers and the "Crunch" channels

[DrakkarTyrannis]

I read a post somewhere on here that the crunch channels of most amps is where the real magic is and that usually Crunch > lead. Come to think of it..he makes perfect sense. In all the Peavey Ultra series amps this is the case, I find the 5150 series falls under this, the orange channel of rectos seem to be where the tonal goods are as well. Have any of you out there experienced this with other amps? I'd be interested in knowing what amps you use and the differences between your crunch and lead channels, why you think the crunch channels are better, and how you set them up.

 

[vanhendrix]

The crunch channel on my powerball is absolute horse shit. I end up dropping the gain waaayyy down on my channel 3 (lo lead) when I want to use that kind of sound (which is actually my main tone these days). In fact, I wish the powerball had a channel 1 and then 3 channel 3s. All of my favorite sounds on that amp are from that channel...channel 4 is cool too though.

I use my crunch channel with the volume completely off as a mute button right now.

 

[Stealthdjentstic]

The orange channel is exactly the same as the red on a recto except the red channel's presence knob starts where the orange ones presense knob would start.

IMO OJ channel is a lot less fizzy because of the nerfed presence.

 

[incinerated_guitar]

The crunch channel on my powerball is absolute horse shit. I end up dropping the gain waaayyy down on my channel 3 (lo lead) when I want to use that kind of sound (which is actually my main tone these days). In fact, I wish the powerball had a channel 1 and then 3 channel 3s. All of my favorite sounds on that amp are from that channel...channel 4 is cool too though.

I use my crunch channel with the volume completely off as a mute button right now.

With 4 channel amps...channel 3 would typically be the real crunch/rythm channel

 

[incinerated_guitar]

Generally I perfer to have a mid gain rythm channel for a tight and aggressive tone, and then bring the gain up a bit and roll back on the treble for my lead tone to give it a thicker more liquid like lead tone

 

[vanhendrix]

With 4 channel amps...channel 3 would typically be the real crunch/rythm channel

Well with my 4 channel amp, channel 2 is labeled "crunch". Sorry if I misinterpreted the thread

 

[incinerated_guitar]

Well with my 4 channel amp, channel 2 is labeled "crunch". Sorry if I misinterpreted the thread

Yeah every 4 channel amp labels it as that, but I think by crunch dakkar was talking about the rythm channel. I just make it simpler and say rythm channel and lead channel haha

 

[newamerikangospel]

The crunch channels are generally more brighter, in my experience, so you can push the gain up and not get a wash of bottom end. Whereas the lead channels tend to be more mid associated. I prefer the lead channel on the cobra because of the mid characteristics, but I liked the lower gain feel/response of the crunch channel. I found a low gain tube in my v3 helped me get both.

 

[groph]

Going by very limited experience, yes this does seem to be true in many cases. Ola Englund's Rectifier playthrough illustrates this pretty well. The Orange+Vintage settings sound huge and way more open than the more focused Modern Red settings. I've also gotten full on metal tones on the clean channel of a 5150 with the crunch engaged, and my friend's former JSX's crunch channel was nearly identical to the Ultra, he said he liked the crunch more for rhythm. At the time I was like "lol why u ned moar gain lol" but now I'm certain I would have agreed. I've been backing the gain off on my Bandit 112 combo - not even a high gain amp - to less than half, like 11 o clock to noon at the most and I've been loving it.

 

[Guitarmiester]

I wasn't your typical metal Recto user. I had my Triple set green for cleans, channel 2 on Vintage for a mid-gain tone, and channel 3 on Raw for a similar tone that you'd get from the pushed clean mode. I'd occasionally mess with the red channel set to Modern and rip some Nevermore or August Burns Red.

I held onto the Recto and went through a few amps before ending up with my Stiletto Deuce, which is a much better match for my playing. The Crunch channel on this amp is great, but Tite Gain is where it's at.

 

[155]

5150 crunch channel is what I use for my high gain rythem stuff, its not as "thin" as the lead channel to me.

 

[Deliverowned]

5150 crunch channel is what I use for my high gain rythem stuff, its not as "thin" as the lead channel to me.

I made test using the crunch channel fo the 5150 for rythm/leads and the lead channel for cleans (it was a test) and coulnt get any not distorted clean sounds of the lead channel at any volume so I kept on using clean/crunch channel for cleans, and I have very very good usable cleans on my 5150 which I dont understand as everyone cant get that, and the lead channel for rythms/leads. THEN, I tried the crunch channel for rythm and leads stuff lately and yeah its so much thicker and punchy than the leads, at same volume and settings of course.

 

[op1e]

You're right Drak, I just cant get into the Ultra channel on my 120, its muddier. Only time I use it is if the club mix sounds too bright at a gig. I'd like to tube it in a way that takes a little edge off the crunch channel and adds it to the Ultra channel, if thats possible.

 

[texshred777]

You're right Drak, I just cant get into the Ultra channel on my 120, its muddier. Only time I use it is if the club mix sounds too bright at a gig. I'd like to tube it in a way that takes a little edge off the crunch channel and adds it to the Ultra channel, if thats possible.

Maybe putting lower gain tubes in a slot for the Ultra channel, higher gain tubes for crunch channel. Sometimes lower gain tubes will have more edge than higher gain tubes.

I'm not familiar with the tube layout of that amp, though.

 

[WarriorOfMetal]

I have a couple exceptions:

Engl Savage 120 is all about channel 4. Channel 3 is cool, too, but it feels a little weird, and pinch harmonics have an odd sound (listen to the Angel Dust album "Bleed" for an example). Channel 2 is basically useless, I never did anything with it in the entire 4-1/2 years I owned the amp.

Fryette Sig:X...don't get me wrong, the rhythm channel is amazing. For me, though, that amp is "made" by its lead channel, since I also own a Deliverance, which does basically everything the Sig:X's rhythm channel will do tonally, so the lead channel is what makes it stand out for me.

 

[Greatoliver]

I find that I can't get a nice clean tone out of my 6505+'s lead channel - that pretty much cripples this idea for me as I would like a good rhythm tone and clean tone.

I did experiment with the rhythm channel for hi gain stuff, but the clean channel then became too dirty.

 

[Phil]

My previous two Riveras (knucklehead 55 and Bonehead) were definitely at their best on the 'crunch' channels. I found there was literally 95% of the gain available, a better mid range and much more controllable bass on crunch. Then, all i needed was a simple roll off of the guitar volume knob to give a more vintage flavour when required....

 

[Brian D]

I think you guys are nuts. I have a '93 Rev F Dual Rectifier 2-channel and the orange channel is nowhere near as ballsy and awesome as the red channel -- the orange channel is like the lifeless interpretation of the red...I don't have that much experience with the new 3-channels, as I know those are entirely different beasts, but when it comes to my Recto, I have to say that I'd use the Red any day over the Orange, no matter what i'm playing...unless i'm trying to be Holdsworth

 

[Shask]

I think you guys are nuts. I have a '93 Rev F Dual Rectifier 2-channel and the orange channel is nowhere near as ballsy and awesome as the red channel -- the orange channel is like the lifeless interpretation of the red...I don't have that much experience with the new 3-channels, as I know those are entirely different beasts, but when it comes to my Recto, I have to say that I'd use the Red any day over the Orange, no matter what i'm playing...unless i'm trying to be Holdsworth

I don't like the orange channel on my 2-channel either. Most of the time it has some weird mid frequency in there that sounds like a stick beating on a cardboard box. Drives me nuts! I almost always use the red.

On the 5150 I am indifferent. I like the lead, but I also like the crunch with a boost. On the Mesa Mark III I always use the lead, the crunch is about useless. I have a VHT Deliverance in the mail, so I don't know what to expect out of that!

 

[Deliverowned]

VHT Deliverance in the mail, so I don't know what to expect out of that!

xExpect to play everything on the same channel as the amp only has one!
Brutal amp you'll love it.