Tips on how to get clean tones to sound less 'dull'?

  • Breakup and gainy tones I can get to sound great. However, I really struggle with getting cleans to sound 'alive'. They just sound really dull.

    I bought the Killer Cleans pack from Reampzone. Any tips on making them sound more lively?

  • I sometimes find that my room acoustics cause a dull sound. Depending on the rig, I sometimes cut the bass going to the powered monitors, or sometimes add Treble Boost to the Stomps (usually just very slightly).

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

  • If you're listening in-room, make sure you're not sitting in a bad spot. I've had times where things sounded good where I was standing. Then out in the room it sounded like an ice-pick. Not in a good "Albert Collins" way, either.

    It may go without saying, but are your ears fatigued? I sometimes reach a point where *everything* sounds dull. Time to go do something else.

    Also, strip everything off. Noting but amp & cab. If tweaking the amp eq won't get you what you want, try a different profile. Adding stuff is just putting lipstick on a pig.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche