How to Achieve a Great Clean Tone With a Torpedo Captor or Captor X?
The clean channel on most amps generates some distortion, even if it's just a little bit. It's there even if you don't hear it through a regular cabinet. When using a Torpedo device, especially with headphones, you may be subjected to what we call the "magnifier effect": hearing your sound so close and dry will root your focus on many tiny details that you usually don't notice.
If you want a stellar clean tone you need to take into account - and act upon - the following key factors:
- When using your amp and the Torpedo for the first time, the instinct is to turn the amp volume up to hit that "sweet spot". Don't do it!
- Keep the master volume down, keep the preamp gain down, keep the loadbox or line input level to somewhere around -12db and don't allow the output volume to clip. When clipping occurs, a message will be displayed on the Torpedo screen.
- Keep your guitar volume just below full, depending on how hot are your pickup output, it may saturate your amp faster.
- Keep your mid and especially the treble controls fairly flat. When the mid and treble controls are increased the amps harmonic distortion usually becomes more audible.
- Start with an amp that is capable of producing stellar cleans.
- Make sure that the power amp modelling section of your Torpedo device is OFF if you are using a real amplifier, or keep it to a low volume (below 10dB) if you are using a preamplifier.
- Adjust the microphone distance if using the Two notes virtual cabinets, otherwise, you are dependent on the limits of a Static IR. When on axis, condenser microphones will emphasise the distortion within the clean tone.
- Make sure your mix is set at 100% wet, meaning 100% speaker sim. Dry will introduce an unfiltered tone and you will hear all the tiny distortions of your clean tone happening in the upper-high frequencies.
- The Overload parameter will produce distortion (it is the actual distortion happening in a loudspeaker when pushed hard); therefore, keep it at a low level or OFF.
- Keep the Exciter, EQ and Compressor settings reasonable. When pushed hard, the Post FX can create distortion.
- If using digital in/out (S/PDIF or AES/EBU if available on your device) make sure your interface and the Torpedo device are at the same sync frequency - i.e. 44.1, 48 or 96kHz. If the sync is not established, you will hear some clicking noise from time to time.
- When it's possible, it's a good exercise to compare a "real" miking of your usual cabinet with what you can achieve with your Torpedo device.
Having issues?
Our support team is here to assist you! For any enquiries, please head over to our Help Desk and submit a ticket to speak directly to one of our in-house specialists.
Limited Service Notice
|
Please be advised, we are currently running a limited Help Desk Service from the 30th October 2024 to the 4th November 2024 (included). Our response time over this period will be slower than usual.
Rest assured, your enquiry is of the utmost importance to Two notes Audio Engineering and our support team are committed to resolving your enquiry as a matter of priority upon their return to full staff.
|
Related Articles
Amplifier & Effect Routing With a Torpedo Loadbox
The location of your effects (pedals or multi-FX) within your signal chain is very important. You can of course follow the usual rules concerning effects layout, with certain effects placed before a preamp (OD, fuzz, compressor etc.), or in the ...
Can I use my 120W amp with the Torpedo Captor X / Captor ?
The Short Answer With a Torpedo Captor or Captor X, you can use an amplifier rated for more than 100W; however, a degree of caution is required specifically in ensuing the output volume of the companion amp is low enough. The Longer Answer All our ...
Why is the Fan in the Torpedo Captor (or Captor X) Not (or Barely) Turning ?
The fan within the Torpedo Captor and Torpedo Captor X is powered by the signal coming from the amp itself. It does not require the phantom- or external-power supply to function. This means you can use your Torpedo Captor/Torpedo Captor X as a ...
Gain Staging on the Captor X - the IN LEVEL Switch
Captor X provides a load to an amp thanks to the built-in reactive load box; in addition, users can refine and sculpt their signature tone courtesy of the DSP-powered class-leading DynIR cabinet simulation and effects/processors. In a typical setup, ...
What’s the difference between the Captor X and the Captor X SE?
Sporting a limited-run vintage-inspired colorway, alongside an all-new Anniversary Edition DynIR™ cabinet collection*, Captor X SE represents the culmination of Two notes’ 15-years stint pioneering modern loadbox technology. “Feature-packed” doesn't ...