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Hammer Time! (Post your Tone Hammer settings)

#21
No, I haven't used them together and I'm not sure I would as they are a bit redundant. I suppose you could setup the TH500 for a clean tone, and then the the TH pedal as a stompbox for turning on overdrive or something. But I'd use the Agro pedal for that personally.

One cool trick I also like to use on the TH (pedal or amp) combined with those settings is to just use the mid frequency knob to adjust articulation. If you turn the knob counter clockwise, it allows more upper mids in the tone while cutting mids and low mids which brings out more articulation. If you dial it clockwise it cuts upper mids while boosting lower mids back up which makes the tone fatter.
 
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#22
Yeah I don't think I'm going to use them together either...doesn't really make sense. I mainly play through my church's rig (SVT Classic and Ampeg 8x10), but I split the signal between mic-ing the cab and straight from my board (using the TH as my DI), so it's nice to have the pedal for that. When I gig with my rig I'll probably just run the TH pedal as a clean pre since the drive knob on the TH500 gives more options.

thanks for the tips!

Eublet said:
No, I haven't used them together and I'm not sure I would as they are a bit redundant. I suppose you could setup the TH500 for a clean tone, and then the the TH pedal as a stompbox for turning on overdrive or something. But I'd use the Agro pedal for that personally.

One cool trick I also like to use on the TH (pedal or amp) combined with those settings is to just use the mid frequency knob to adjust articulation. If you turn the knob counter clockwise, it allows more upper mids in the tone while cutting mids and low mids which brings out more articulation. If you dial it clockwise it cuts upper mids while boosting lower mids back up which makes the tone fatter.
Click to expand...
 
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#23
Thought I would jump in with my settings, playing through a Stingray clone.

AGS: Off
Treble: 1:00
Bass: 9:00
Mid Freq: 12:00-1:30
Mid Level: 1:30

Gives a great growling tone. I found dropping bass significantly both gave me more body from the low mids after compression, but also distorted much better through my Bass Big Muff. I've been thinking of a way to tweak the AGS so I can switch it on and off without a volume gain. I'm hoping there would be a way to put a trim pot on output to negate the volume boost.
 
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#24
Usually playing a Jazz bass, sometimes a P with these settings:

AGS: Off
Treble: 1:30
Bass: 11:30 - Noon
Mid Freq: 1:30
Mid Level: 3:00

It may look like a really grindy/honky middy tone but I play through a HUGE house system on weekends at church and this setting just rocks in a big rock band mix. Super clear I'm usually up against at least 2 electrics (sometimes up to 4), keys, acoustic, drums, 3-6 vocalists, and occasionally tracks run through ProTools, so I don't have a lot of sonic space, and clarity is definitely at a premium.

Here's a sample for you: http://vimeo.com/51780605
Music starts at 3:10

If you just have a quick second to reference, jump to 5:30 and listen.

The setup in the video is my Jazz bass drop-D tuning (70's pup spacing), Dunlop SS strings, Bullet cable into my board (see my sig line) into FOH.
 
#25
bobbybass85 said:
Usually playing a Jazz bass, sometimes a P with these settings:

AGS: Off
Treble: 1:30
Bass: 11:30 - Noon
Mid Freq: 1:30
Mid Level: 3:00

It may look like a really grindy/honky middy tone but I play through a HUGE house system on weekends at church and this setting just rocks in a big rock band mix. Super clear I'm usually up against at least 2 electrics (sometimes up to 4), keys, acoustic, drums, 3-6 vocalists, and occasionally tracks run through ProTools, so I don't have a lot of sonic space, and clarity is definitely at a premium.

Here's a sample for you: http://vimeo.com/51780605
Music starts at 3:10

If you just have a quick second to reference, jump to 5:30 and listen.

The setup in the video is my Jazz bass (70's pup spacing), Dunlop SS strings, Bullet cable into my board (see my sig line) into FOH.
Click to expand...

nice! that really shines in the mix :bassist:
 
#26
Playing Sandberg VS4 (passive P-bass)

AGS: Off
Gain: 11:00
Treble: 11:00
Bass: 2:00
Mid Freq: 11:00
Mid Level: 2:00

Bass Tone rolled off. Playing with acoustic trio (two guitars and bass), awesome fat and smooth bottoms! Same settings with Tone Hammer 350 works just as great...
 
#27
My latest settings with a P bass strung with Chromes:

AGS: off
Bass: 1 o'clock
Treble: Noon
Mid Freq: noon
Mid: 10 o'clock

Then I dial the VTC back about 50% on the bass. It sounds killer. Very warm, punchy, etc. I love this setting because in a mix, if I want to have a little more definition in my tone, I just turn the Mid Freq knob a tad to the left, maybe 11 o'clock at the most. To sit further back in the mix and become more pillowy, I turn it a tad to the right, perhaps up to 1 o'clock. Never have to touch the bass or treble knobs like this.
 
#28
Anyone have an opinion on what they think FLAT settings would be for the TH? In my case I have the pedal, though I would think it would be the same with the head. I've tried a couple different combos (noon, left, right) but it sounds like there is still coloration to me. I ask as I'd like to use it as a clean DI for recording, but continue the chain to a different head/cab that I have miked, without truly stacking preamps. I've had great luck with just using the TH for direct recordings before, but I'd like to try a DI/miked blend, without using a splitter in front of everything if I don't need to.
 
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#29
gscroggin said:
Anyone have an opinion on what they think FLAT settings would be for the TH? In my case I have the pedal, though I would think it would be the same with the head. I've tried a couple different combos (noon, left, right) but it sounds like there is still coloration to me. I ask as I'd like to use it as a clean DI for recording, but continue the chain to a different head/cab that I have miked, without truly stacking preamps. I've had great luck with just using the TH for direct recordings before, but I'd like to try a DI/miked blend, without using a splitter in front of everything if I don't need to.
Click to expand...

If you want completely flat, I believe the DI can be set pre EQ.
 
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#33
For going direct.

Basses are a Carvin Icon5 with Rad-J pickups,

A '94 Jazz Bass Plus 5 string with Bartolini pickups and on board preamp.

AGS on

Gain at 9:00, as high as 10:00
Mid freq about 11:00
Mid at 1:00
Treble at noon
Bass at noon
Level at noon.

Warm tube sound on the verge of growl if I push it.
 
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#34
Sorry to zombie thread, seemed like as good a place as any to ask this though! I grabbed a Tone Hammer today and am loving it so far, though I just realised that you're meant to run it on 18v. I'm running it on 9 and it seems to work normally? Does it sound even better on 18? I tried some batteries but one or both must have been flat as the lights were really dim and it sounded awful and it's too late to go to the shop and get more right now.

If it does sound better I'll grab a transformer (since I run all my pedals off a 1 Spot), but it's hard to believe that it could sound any better!
 
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#35
Venom of God said:
Sorry to zombie thread, seemed like as good a place as any to ask this though! I grabbed a Tone Hammer today and am loving it so far, though I just realised that you're meant to run it on 18v. I'm running it on 9 and it seems to work normally? Does it sound even better on 18? I tried some batteries but one or both must have been flat as the lights were really dim and it sounded awful and it's too late to go to the shop and get more right now.

If it does sound better I'll grab a transformer (since I run all my pedals off a 1 Spot), but it's hard to believe that it could sound any better!
Click to expand...

I believe that unlike many pedals that can run at 9v or 18v for more "headroom", the Tone Hammer is actually designed to run at 18v. That said, I've tried it with just one 9v connection and it worked. I've almost exclusively used it with active basses though, so I have it set up with 18v from either two leads off an independent output supply (Fuel Tank) or the Aguilar supply. I believe the bigger thing to focus on with the Tone Hammer, in order to get the most from the tone pot circuit gain and AGS, is the mA draw it has, which is more than most pedals (at least from what I've read on the boards here). My reference point for underpowered pedals is hearing more compression (due to clipping) or a weaker sound at higher gain.

That said, if you give it 9 volts, plug in a passive P bass, and it sounds good, well then, have at it :bassist:
 
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#38
gscroggin said:
I believe that unlike many pedals that can run at 9v or 18v for more "headroom", the Toner Hammer is actually designed to run at 18v. That said, I've tried it with just one 9v connection and it worked. I've almost exclusively used it with active basses though, so I have it set up with 18v from either two leads off an independent output supply (Fuel Tank) or the Aguilar supply. I believe the bigger thing to focus on with the Tone Hammer, in order to get the most from the tone pot circuit gain and AGS, is the mA draw it has, which is more than most pedals (at least from what I've read on the boards here). My reference point for underpowered pedals is hearing more compression (due to clipping) or a weaker sound at higher gain.

That said, if you give it 9 volts, plug in a passive P bass, and it sounds good, well then, have at it :bassist:
Click to expand...

I will grab one of those voltage step-up converters then! I use a 1 Spot (1800mA) with only a TLC Compressor, Agro, Pickle Pie B and tuner in the chain, so power draw shouldn't really be an issue. While it sounds great with my Gibson Thunderbird, I did notice that it sounds AMAZING through my active Spector, so maybe there is something to that? Could just be that lately I'm digging a more modern tone again though and it's just the EMG's in general. Thanks for the reply!

birminghambass said:
I've been considering one of these but I've heard it's not possible to switch the AGS on/off without a big volume change. Any way around this?
Click to expand...

You can turn the gain down and keep them close to unity, but you'll lose a lot of drive by doing this obviously. I treat the AGS as more of a tube amp emulator and have it always on along with my (always on) Agro pedal just to tidy things up a bit while keeping it nice and fat, then turn it off when I bring my fuzz in as it sounds weird cascading the fuzz into the AGS circuit. To make up for the volume drop I simply have my fuzz set a bit higher than unity.
 
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#39
p0k said:
It would be swell if others posted their favorite settings in here! I generally use this as my default with my '74 Jazz:

AGS: off
Gain: 8 o'clock (Gain super low so I can hit the AGS as a boost)
Treble: Noon
Bass: 1
Mid Freq: 10
Mid: 1

However, lately I've been wanting to try keeping the AGS on all the time, so I'm going to mess with the settings Eublet had for his jazz and see how I like it. I have an AGRO pedal too so I can always hit that for some extra grit/boost.
Click to expand...



This is exactly how I use it.
 
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