Tone Hammer Settings

[eric_kiser]

I have been going through old posts from @Eublet, looking for settings and information he's posted about the Tone Hammer pedal.

I was going to ask @Eublet directly, for information, but he seems to have been gone for the last year.

By chance, has anyone collected all his setting recommendations in a central location?

 

[Ryan in PDX]

Eublet has done the community a great service with his posts. I had great results with my TH350 for several years before seeing his posts. Now I get sounds faster.

Here's his scope of the drive control, which is the most important thing to know about the TH series: Aguilar - Official 'Tone Hammer 500' 3.8lbs 500w Megathread!

And a bunch of his examples: sansamp para driver vs. aguilar tone hammer

 

[eric_kiser]

Thanks for the reply. I was starting to think I was only gonna get crickets.

 

[eric_kiser]

Eublet has done the community a great service with his posts.

Yes he has. I'm going to keep adding to this thread with what I find and try to create a master reference of sorts.

 

[Zbysek]

There is also the “Tone Hammer DI appreciation thread”…

 

[Les Fret]

Ok now I have to dust of my Tonehammer pedal. Haven’t used it much the last few years. For recording the AGS channel it’s best to use some cab simulation I guess.

 

[Zbysek]

Ok now I have to dust of my Tonehammer pedal. Haven’t used it much the last few years. For recording the AGS channel it’s best to use some cab simulation I guess.

I understand that AGS works as (kind of) cab simulation…

 

[Zbysek]

There is also the “Tone Hammer DI appreciation thread”…

Tone Hammer DI appreciation thread

 

[Les Fret]

I understand that AGS works as (kind of) cab simulation…

AGS is not meant to be a cab simulation as far as I know. An overdrive sound direct in the board or soundcard doesn't sound good. You need a miced cab or a cab simulation for that.

 

[lildrgn]

I've had a THDI for about a year or so and haven't really used it to its full potential. I use the EQ but not AGS, until someone bumped the appreciation thread last week. I went back and watched some vids and tried using AGS as an "always on" switch. I dialed the gain to bare minimum and then boosted the low mids (about 10:00). I played a gig on Friday with my L1000 and then practice last night with an old P with flats.

I must say, the IEM tone I was getting was pretty freaking awesome and last night with the P, even when I ran a Spark Booster OD in front of the AGS (double distortion!!), I was super happy with the sound.

All this time "working from home" has gotten me a lot more TB time and learning time with my own gear. The yacht rock gigs have been paying well, which has allowed me to buy some more gear as well, so it's been perfect storm of timing, money and availability. Lots of fun experimenting and learning even 35+ years down the road of bass playing.

 

[eeyorebass]

AGS is not meant to be a cab simulation as far as I know. An overdrive sound direct in the board or soundcard doesn't sound good. You need a miced cab or a cab simulation for that.

It's not meant to be, maybe, but it acts like one all the same. If you look at the scopes provided in the other threads, engaging the AGS (even with zero drive) imparts an EQ curve that gently rolls off the highs and low lows and gives a bump in the high mids. That's very similar to what most EQ based speaker sims do.

 

[Zbysek]

AGS is not meant to be a cab simulation as far as I know. An overdrive sound direct in the board or soundcard doesn't sound good. You need a miced cab or a cab simulation for that.

That's generally true...for many dirt pedals.

Tone Hammer is different though.

Have a look at post no 1825 (graph No. 3) in the following thread:

Aguilar - Official 'Tone Hammer 500' 3.8lbs 500w Megathread!

What you see is what cab simulation does (EQ-wise): steep roll off above 3kHz (with resonance between 2,5 and 3kHz) and gradual roll-off below let's say 100Hz.

That's why TH pedal sounds good without cab simulation...unlike some other overdrives..

 

[Zbysek]

It's not meant to be, maybe, but it acts like one all the same. If you look at the scopes provided in the other threads, engaging the AGS (even with zero drive) imparts an EQ curve that gently rolls off the highs and low lows and gives a bump in the high mids. That's very similar to what most EQ based speaker sims do.

You beat me to it...

 

[Ryan in PDX]

About that "AGS" switch ("drive" knob on the heads)... This should be required reading for all TH product users, so I'll just quote it here. Ive added my own emphasis:

Next up is Drive Off and Drive at 3 o'clock. The low end is really getting tighter now, and the high end looks very much like what you'd expect coming out of a sealed, tweeter-less cab. Between 12 and 3 is where you'll find your vintage setting, then just adjust gain for the amount of grit you want. Notice also that it begins adding a peak in the 2.5khz range, which keeps the "presence" of the tone intact and provides some of that vintage grind. You can accentuate or remove that peak by adjusting the treble knob, which I don't show here. But IME, with both the TH pedal and head, the Treble knob is very much like the Presence knob on the Sansamp units at this setting. I love it! By the way, for those with the TH pedal, I scoped it also and this is roughly where the pedal starts as SOON as you engage the AGS circuit, even if the gain is completely off. In essence, you can't get the first two settings with the TH pedal.

 

[Les Fret]

That's generally true...for many dirt pedals.

Tone Hammer is different though.

Have a look at post no 1825 (graph No. 3) in the following thread:

Aguilar - Official 'Tone Hammer 500' 3.8lbs 500w Megathread!

What you see is what cab simulation does (EQ-wise): steep roll off above 3kHz (with resonance between 2,5 and 3kHz) and gradual roll-off below let's say 100Hz.

That's why TH pedal sounds good without cab simulation...unlike some other overdrives..

Ok thanks! I will check mine out again with the AGC direct in the soundcard.

 

[eric_kiser]

Tone Hammer DI appreciation thread

Tone Hammer DI appreciation thread | TalkBass.com

Thanks for all the links and pointers, everybody. Since we already have the above thread, I'll post there.