John Petrucci - Dream Theater - Peruvian Skies - Clean with phaser Preset (Weekly Preset 12)

 Generally speacking, making a Petrucci preset is not a big deal. I made this one with my "to go" clean preset, the "65 pure". It is a Fender Twin preset, wich is "american voiced" like any MB clean channell. Usualy i go for the Lone star for petrucci but you cant go wrong eather way. My tips here is: Petrucci for its clean tone goes for perfect clean, so do the same. Keep the gain pretty low, use as much treble as you can to get definition on the low strings without hitting the edge of breakup, keep the basses low to avoid mudness and just a touch of mids (or nothing at all). On the fender amp any control affect the others so dont fear to set the mids to zero since they are not really. Or, if you want a perfectly clean tone with no effort, go for the Jazz clean, sound fantastic and always stay clean.

Then my to go cab setting for the black twin:

I also use an EQ to rise another bit the patch volume:

After you create your super clean amp, you just add the magic with a phaser:

To my taste the Twirl P (Phaser with tremolo/pan) is pure magic!

Finally a reverb si needed if you play with headphones like me.

The preset was made for headphone playing, input level at 0 and not global EQ.

As usual you can download the preset from the user group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HotoneAmperoUsers/

A list of all my presets can be found here

If you think that i nailed the preset or i am completely wrong you can write down here in the comment or in the fb group!

Surf Spring Reverb Ampero Preset (Weekly preset 11) and Spring reverb tutorial

SPRING REVERBS! Let's talk about it!

Did you know that we have options on the Ampero? The Izumi is modeled after the successeful Malekko Spring.

The Malekko is based on tree PT2399 chips in cascade so i assume that making a model was easy for Hotone. As far as i can ear it is apretty accurate model. The Malekko costs half my Ampero One so it is a good deal!

My guess is that the other Spring reverb in the Ampero is a TC Electronics one (looks like the Ampero Engeeners have a passion for TCE pedals!). I based that on the knobs layout and the tone character. I choose the TCE Drip for the graphics because i found it cool.

Here are my favorite settings for both.

If you noticed that my icon is different and want to know why, you can find it here:

https://ridingthemustang.blogspot.com/2020/12/amperoeditorhack.html

The Izumi gives is best at the end of the chain for 2 reason: it adds some push if you place in front of the amp (unless you like it) and it fakes the DRIP with short delay that emphatise your pick scratch if you put in front. The Spring works better in front (more full and lush) but it is a bit dark (indeed like a TC sping pedal!) and you need to crank the tone knob to get its best DRIP performance.

If you crank the controls on the Izumi/Malekko you can get some pretty cool/weird tone in between a reverb and a chorus.

The way i made the preset this time is different. I didnt copy anything in particular. I just wanted to make it works at its best, make the reverb sound at its best. I choose the Spring because i find it more springy and i wanted to put it in front of the amp. If you want to use the Izumi just set it and move after the cab.

As amp i settle for a Fender Twin:

My idea of surf is a slight breakup but clean so i chose to slightly push a very clean amp. I put emphasis on the trebles because i want to ear the dripp at its best. Do not roll off!

Usually i put i slight Costum gate in every preset. Not here, you dont want to ruin the tail of the reverb and you dont need it.

I used the same cab setting as the Princess preset, just because it sounds good and some time you better choose the easy way!

As usual i placed a shelf EQ next, but i tried to keep much more high frequences to protect the reverb tone:

You may think it is over, but i fell like the spring reverb is not a proper reverb so i added a second one with the usual trick of the Ekoverb:

The delay is off here but if you want it you just have to set it properly. The Rvb setting is subtle, just to add some ambience if you play with headphone (to me it really changes the preset!). Hi Cut set to zero always for the same reason,

The preset was made for headphone playing, input level at 0 and not global EQ.

As usual you can download the preset from the user group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HotoneAmperoUsers/

If you think that i nailed the preset or i am completely wrong you can write down here in the comment or in the fb group!

You can see my list of tutorials here:

https://ridingthemustang.blogspot.com/2021/03/ampero-preset-list.html

John Petrucci - Dream Theater - Rythm Ampero Preset (Weekly Preset 10)

 Petrucci equates to Mesa Boogie and when it comes to MB there is few things i would like to tell you.

First thing the tone controls are also gain control (on high gain channels) and they also interact each other (like on many other amps but MORE!). Also the bass setting should be "just the amount you can handle". You put all the control to 12' (50) and then roll back the basses until it sounds good and defined.

One thing about basses and dual rectifiers. The "something special" on rectifiers is that they have big trasformers that allow you to get boomy basses without "falling apart". Indeed waht John does is get a tight tone in the preamp section and then push the basses in the graphic EQ. Because the power amp section can handle it! Obviously any modeler does not have "big tranformers" an cant emulate big volume, air pressure and so on. It is not its job.

I rolled back a bit the middles and push the trebles to get more defined sound and more gain.

This particular preset is my "smooth" one. It is not extreme and works decently for any song, with any guitar and has some more gain for soloing. The classic "not perfect for enything but good for everything".

For a lead tone you will need usually some more bass and gain, some less treble and a lot more middle.

Here is the cab:

The recto cab is oversized for better bass rendition, the ideal partner for a MB high gain amp with its properties. I mic'ed it very oddly with a Dyn112, mostly used for drums but here it seems to be the best obtions. Sometime you just need to trust your ears.

My EQ block does my classic shelf plus the trick of the basses like petrucci does. You can do all the Vshape EQing but i did not find that much difference and i enduo with change only what make a real difference to my ears.

The i "doubled" the track with a delay:

30ms 1 reapeat to emulate a second guitar. I tested various delay, we have plenty with different tones. If you want ot know whats the difference between the various options just set time to 1000ms and play some note with every stomp in the ampero. I choose the sweetie/boss after testing all with this preset because i faound that the change of tone (with ess trebles) in the repeats works best in simulating a second guitar with a slightly different tone. On the opposite the Pure Echo emulates a digital perfect repetition that does not work well in this context making the overall result a bit too arsh. Analog delays works well also for lead delays (3-4 repeats 300-450ms 20-30% mix) because the lack of high frequences separates well the raw signal from the repeats. Someone would say that the delay does not get into your playing too much. Digital delays better use is with modern clean parts, in my opinion.

If you noticed that my icon is different and want to know why, you can find it here:

https://ridingthemustang.blogspot.com/2020/12/amperoeditorhack.html

Petrucci does not like reverbs, but he refers to playing with a 4x12 in an ambient. I am using headphones and i am mainly chasing the recording tone. Obviously in the recording there is some reverb and usualy iti a studio plate. A small amount, especially for the rythm part. Much more for a lead tone, in my taste.

Last tip of this very long post. I am using an ampero one and usually i use the 3 switch for clean, crunch and lead tone. I've found that i can use different reverb setting for different patch, but everything is more natural if i use the same type of reverb for all the patches. It is more natural sounding in the transition to my ears. Not like changing room when i swith patch!

The preset was made for headphone playing, input level at 0 and not global EQ.

As usual you can download the preset from the user group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HotoneAmperoUsers/

If you think that i nailed the preset or i am completely wrong you can write down here in the comment or in the fb group!

You can see my list of tutorials here:

https://ridingthemustang.blogspot.com/2021/03/ampero-preset-list.html

Ampero preset list

 Joe Satriani

Metallica

Kiko Loureiro

Fender Princeton

Ac/Dc

John Mayer Clean

Megadeth Youthanasia

Paul Gilbert - Mr.Big - Lean into it

Keith Richards - Rolling stones - Honkytonk woman

John Petrucci - Dream Theater - Peruvian Skies

Keith Richards Rolling Stones Ampero Preset (Weeekly preset 9)

 This tutorial is a bit different. is a "primitive" guitar player. keith richards tone comes mainly from the guitar and the amp. Not much more eccept his fingers... So for the amp i will choose a Fender. He uses a maxed volume Twin at his edge of brackup. I will choose a Deluxe because it is a better tool for the breakup job. Some tips is needed. Use the same tuning. Don't be easy with your strings. keith is a bold rock player with a fierce and dynamic picking. You need to do the same. He's very often portraited with a telecaster but in early  studio he used very often an SG. Here's the third tip. If you dont have the same guitar you will get a slightly different tone. It's ok. What we want is get in the ballpark but most of all is keeping the same quality. Dont overcompensate with your EQ. If you took away too much basses your sound will become thin and so on. Let your own guitar shine in the Rolling Stones mood!

Keith tone has an extra ingredient that is a bit of saturation coming from a Ful tone tape echo, so, our first block is a booster:

The Enhancer (Xotic EP Booster) is based on a tube tape echo so luckily we already have the right tool for this job. I suggest you to use it only if you feel some lack of bite in the tone. More for the singe coil than for the humbucker.

If you noticed that my icon is different and want to know why, you can find it here:

https://ridingthemustang.blogspot.com/2020/12/amperoeditorhack.html

Then our amp block:

As discussed before, clean fender in its edge of breackup (you may need more volume or the booster here!).

The defaul twin cab was ok to me for this job:

As far as i know a dynamic mic was used mainly in studio and the default one sounds ok to me.

The usual EQ shelf will get rid of the arshness caused by high overtones we created with our amp settings.

At this point the mag echo should not be a surprise for you:

It is more a slap back setting to beef the sound. I dont know the exact Richards setting but this one shoud make you happy.

Finally a spring reverb is a must:

The preset is based on the recording of Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women and was made for headphone playing, input level at 0 and not global EQ.

As usual you can download the preset from the user group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HotoneAmperoUsers/

If you think that i nailed the preset or i am completely wrong you can write down here in the comment or in the fb group!

You can see my list of tutorials here:

https://ridingthemustang.blogspot.com/2021/03/ampero-preset-list.html