Same here. I finally decided to try and figure it out.
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Tone Hammer DI appreciation thread
- Thread starter dwagner
- Start date
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- Tags
- aguilar bethel tone hammer
This thread is making me want a TH pedal again.
When I had the pedal (briefly) I just thought there was not enough play in the gain knob with the AGS on.
I have a really heavy right hand and even at the lowest settings, I was getting break up I didn’t want. But I did what the AGS for a kind of “cab sim” effect.
I have the TH700 amp, and there is way more headroom and adjustability with the gain and drive control.
Have previously owned the 350 and 500.
When I had the pedal (briefly) I just thought there was not enough play in the gain knob with the AGS on.
I have a really heavy right hand and even at the lowest settings, I was getting break up I didn’t want. But I did what the AGS for a kind of “cab sim” effect.
I have the TH700 amp, and there is way more headroom and adjustability with the gain and drive control.
Have previously owned the 350 and 500.
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,768
- 40,440
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
IIRC there was thread (not a long one) entitled "Hammer Time...post your TH settings" (or something like that) where folks offered some suggestions. I suspect a quick search could pull it up.
I've bought and sold the TH DI pedal a few times. Mostly because I was looking for a certain overdrive flavour and was hoping I could achieve that with the TH AND have the 3 band EQ all rolled in.
So in actual fact, I've come to realise I don't actually like the overdrive of the TH above 9 o'clock - it's just to gnarly sounding. Don't get me wrong - I like and need tones that range from almost clean to quite heavy overdrive but I've got those tones sorted now via the EBS Billy Sheehan Ultimate and a Darkglass VMT.
I still use the TH DI pedal near the end of my signal chain literally for some minor tone shaping and the tightening effect of the AGS with gain low enough that I don't detect much actual saturation in the overdrive.
AGS - on
Gain - 8 o'clock
Bass - between 12 and 1 o'clock
Treble - between 10 and 12 o'clock
Mid freq - around 3 o'clock
Mid level - 2 o'clock
Master - wherever it needs to be to get the output where I need it.
These setting work for small gig where I don't use a stage rig (ie straight to the desk), but they also sound great through my stage rig (very simple Hartke LH500 set with the typical Fender tone stack settings of 0-10-10) and either 1 or 2 Ashdown ABM 410 cabs.
Set up sounds good on both my main basses - a Fender P with EMG GZR pickup and a stock G&L L2000 (Ernie Ball nickel rounds on both).
So in actual fact, I've come to realise I don't actually like the overdrive of the TH above 9 o'clock - it's just to gnarly sounding. Don't get me wrong - I like and need tones that range from almost clean to quite heavy overdrive but I've got those tones sorted now via the EBS Billy Sheehan Ultimate and a Darkglass VMT.
I still use the TH DI pedal near the end of my signal chain literally for some minor tone shaping and the tightening effect of the AGS with gain low enough that I don't detect much actual saturation in the overdrive.
AGS - on
Gain - 8 o'clock
Bass - between 12 and 1 o'clock
Treble - between 10 and 12 o'clock
Mid freq - around 3 o'clock
Mid level - 2 o'clock
Master - wherever it needs to be to get the output where I need it.
These setting work for small gig where I don't use a stage rig (ie straight to the desk), but they also sound great through my stage rig (very simple Hartke LH500 set with the typical Fender tone stack settings of 0-10-10) and either 1 or 2 Ashdown ABM 410 cabs.
Set up sounds good on both my main basses - a Fender P with EMG GZR pickup and a stock G&L L2000 (Ernie Ball nickel rounds on both).
I have one and love it. Can’t go wrong with one. DI sounds great, pre and EQ very functional, and ags a nice bonus. Has everything you can ask for and can also just be a regular old high quality DI.
I use the Tone Hammer with AGS on all the time for my preamp DI and am wondering if using a compressor at the front of my chain actually defeats the purpose of the AGS? As I understand it, the AGS kicks in drive the more you dig in with the pick, but if the compressor is evening everything out, I will not get a heavier grit when wanting it. Is this correct? Or should I still use a compressor with some sort of settings to allow the AGS to still function correctly. I am using the MXR Bass Compressor.
It depends what you’re after - do you want that kind of response to dynamics, or do you want a more consistent level of drive (or something in between)? There’s no right or wrong way to use overdrive, and there are plenty of people (including me) who like using some degree of compression before the Tone Hammer.
I guess I’m wondering if I’ll still get the heavier drive when I dig in, if I have a compressor
It depends on how heavily you compress - if you're using a light-moderate level of compression, then you’re probably still going to have some dynamics left in the signal by the time it hits the TH, so you’d probably still be able to get some change when you dig in. It’s something that you’d really need to spend some time messing around with to get the balance how you want it.
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,768
- 40,440
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
Thanks! That was the one I was thinking of and didn't have time to go searching and provide the link.
I also think one of the the TH mega-threads likely has some settings examples as well. Once again a quick search would likely take someone right to those posts
Gig settings for an outdoor event yesterday. Played my Reverend Justice j-bass.
Enough gain with AGS engaged to get an edge on my sound and provide some dynamics. The THDI/Quilter combo is nice. An Audiokinesis cab helps too.
Enough gain with AGS engaged to get an edge on my sound and provide some dynamics. The THDI/Quilter combo is nice. An Audiokinesis cab helps too.
I’ve been skipping over the tone hammer DI for years honestly because of reviews from talkbass…. I goes to show you that you really shouldn’t take others peoples experiences as gold.
just got mine in today and I can’t believe I’ve waited this long. I love everything about it. And I feel pretty silly for not getting this pedal sooner.
just got mine in today and I can’t believe I’ve waited this long. I love everything about it. And I feel pretty silly for not getting this pedal sooner.
And who, pray tell, is saying bad things about the THDI ?
Asking so I don't follow their reviews for anything else...
I think the only complaint I've ever heard about the THDI is with the gain matching and how you can't "kick on" the AGS like a dirt pedal while also using it as a clean preamp.
Of course the THDI is not designed to do that, so that has to be taken with many grains of salt.
I think it would be cool if Aguilar did THDI+ where they replaced the AGS foot switch with a drive control - so it would be more like the TH amp.
Or put some kind of second gain so you could have a clean gain and an AGS gain, and actually use it like a switching pedal.
Anyway - great sounding Preamp with very cool features, IMO.
Of course the THDI is not designed to do that, so that has to be taken with many grains of salt.
I think it would be cool if Aguilar did THDI+ where they replaced the AGS foot switch with a drive control - so it would be more like the TH amp.
Or put some kind of second gain so you could have a clean gain and an AGS gain, and actually use it like a switching pedal.
Anyway - great sounding Preamp with very cool features, IMO.
Soooo, they complain that it won't do things that it was not designed to do, and probably never bothered to read the instructions or search the wiki?
This is like complaining that the new Chevy pickup is not fully amphibious...
I'm overwhelmed by all of the things it does do - and thankful for this thread and others - including how to use the Amp (TH700), understanding that Gain and Drive with the TH and THDI are "different" - and that tip about rolling off the tone on the bass.... I needed duct tape for my head after that one... it also reminded me how much I do not know.
Enjoy the journey and be well...
Although I love the TH, I think it’s a somewhat justified complaint in that it has a footswitch for that function, where a toggle switch would perhaps be more appropriate given that you’re unlikely to be switching AGS on and off on the fly. It’s arguable that the footswitch gives an unrealistic expectation!
I have been hoping that, since Korg bought Aguilar, they would update the Tone Hammer pedal to be just like the Tone Hammer amp. A toggle switch that flips between a clean preamp and the sound of the Tone Hammer amp would be a great idea. I'll add to this, change the second footswitch to a clean boost with a toggle that lets you choose whether that clean boost hits the signal before or after the preamp.
When I got the Tone Hammer pedal, I was working under the assumption I would be able to get the sound I heard from the Tone Hammer amp. Between reading posts by @Eublet, trying all the settings I could find, and emailing with Aguilar customer service, I finally figured out that I'm not going to get what I was looking for. Specifically, I wanted the TH sound with the HP/LP filter effect the AGS gives but at much lower gain than the AGS is capable of.
It is a great piece of gear, just not designed for what I was looking for. Having said that, I wouldn't have been able to figure all this out if I hadn't started with the THDI. Also, I got mine used for $150 and it's still a great clean preamp.
When I got the Tone Hammer pedal, I was working under the assumption I would be able to get the sound I heard from the Tone Hammer amp. Between reading posts by @Eublet, trying all the settings I could find, and emailing with Aguilar customer service, I finally figured out that I'm not going to get what I was looking for. Specifically, I wanted the TH sound with the HP/LP filter effect the AGS gives but at much lower gain than the AGS is capable of.
It is a great piece of gear, just not designed for what I was looking for. Having said that, I wouldn't have been able to figure all this out if I hadn't started with the THDI. Also, I got mine used for $150 and it's still a great clean preamp.
Pretty much my experience as well. The TH350 amp is not all that much bigger than the TH pedal and can be used without an amp. Always an option.
I agree that a toggle switch would be fine on the THDI, and make it very clear that you are dealing with. basically, two different preamps.
