Found a solution to channel switching! Finally!

[HappyBlues]

So how can you switch channels on a VM without modyfying it? Pretty simple in fact.

You buy a midi controllable effects loop unit (such as Rocktron patchmate or VoodooLab GCX)
You connect in loops 5 pieces of Electro Harmonix Pad and a booster for example MXR Micro Amp.

You connect Pad in 1 to 3, Micro amp in 4, preamp of VM (loop send into VM input, loop return into VM send ) with ground lift and rest of Pads in 6 and 7. then you connect VM's loop return to output of device.

Now you use it this way
Turn on 5th loop with VM's preamp.

Set VM to moderate overdrive.
Set Pad in 1st loop so you get nice clean (or breakup if you prefer).
Set Pad in 2nd loop so you get nice crunch...
Set Pad in 3rd loop so you get moderate overdrive...
Set MicroAmp in 4th loop so you get your lead tone...


Set presets like this

Clean sound 1 - 4 turned on
Crunch sound 2 - 5 - 6 turned on
Overdrive sound 3 - 5 - 7 turned on
Lead sound 4 - 5 - 7 turned on

Program that presets into your midi controller.

Now set Pads in 6th and 7th loop so your volumes are balanced with Clean channel the way you like them.

Clean has no level attenuation, crunch should have some, overdrive and lead has more...


Now you got a multichannel VM with no solidstate or digital bullshit crapping tone.

What it does it, it attenuates the levels before preamp (like turning down volume on guitar) and after the preamp (like turning down master volume) so you can have clean to lead in similar volume levels. Handy in many situations!

I wonder if Steve would say you would kill the sound this way. But I think you wouldn't...

[SteveD]

The Vintage Modern was designed to react and play like a single channel amp with extra gain range available all from the guitar's volume as well as the player's touch. That said, I never set any rules and find it quite inspiring to watch people make it work for them by experimenting with different devices and systems.

Some of the greatest tones on record have been arrived at in this way!

Bottom line is the Vintage Modern has a fundamental sound and if it's the sound you like then how you manipulate it thereafter is totally your choice.

It's your sound and there is no right or wrong.

I always believe you should never underestimate the most important link in the chain - YOU!

Right hand technique alone can make a world of difference to your tone.

[HappyBlues]

I absolutely understand what Billy Gibbons once said:
"I don't believe there is any particaular kind of gear that would help you sound like me. It's all in the hands friends, it's all in the hands."

That said, I am using Boss GT-8 right now to do the same thing. And it does affect the sound. But less than an attenuator I have to use anyway.

But maybe some 2 or 3 years later, when I'll be able to play some jazzy backlights and some nice jazzy melodies, I will upgrade my rig to setup like above.

Right now, I am pretty sure hands keep me down a lot more than gear. So that said, I will practice today...

[Motorbreath]

Nice job, Freesun, but it seems to me you'll have to do some pedal dancing going into lead.

I'm with Steve all the way, amen to that.

A friend of mine jammed with Marc Ribot, a long time ago. So we asked him: what's the secret of Marc's sound? He paused a minute, and replied: 'his fingers'.
A few years ago I saw Ribot in Antwerp with Tom waits. He screwed up the first 5 songs, 'cause he couldn't get his pedal board working properly. It was very annoying. That must have pissed Waits off: he kept looking back to Ribot, told no stories inbetween songs, didn't touch any of his exotic instruments, no piano-playing, .... .

Don't forget, it's all about the music.

[HappyBlues]

No pedal dancing. You can have presets with controllers like Rocktron All Acces, CAE controller or even VoodooLab Ground Control Pro.
Say you can have all 4 types of gain with a flick of the switch... Or even more if you fancy fiddling with Midi things.

[Jeando]

Very good solution, but to much expensive to me. The GCX alone have the GT-8 price. In my opinion, the solid state is not such a bad thing if all the sound don't depends on it., i.e, i love the TS9 sound pushing my overdriven VM.
One trick with the GT-8 is to connect the stereo VM footswitch in the SUB CTL 1-2 jack, it enable you to use both buttons with the GT-8, and because the left button its already always open (i did't knew it until yesterday :high ) you're done with using it to the VM range change.

[Green Manalishi]

A solution that works well enough for me in case I need to switch dynamic ranges, but keep them close in volume is to keep the detail and body higher (Detail 2-3 o'clock and detail at noon or so) then also use a boost in front. Not too much of a boost needed, actually.
Higher detail and body seems to have a lesser difference in volume between the dynmic ranges, the boost in front will give more volume in LDR than in HDR, helping equalize the volumes. In HDR, it gets overdrive, but less of a jump in volume.
This cleans up nicely using the volume pot on the guitar, and also gets heavy too.
Anyway, seems to work for me.

[Motorbreath]

@ Freesun: I guess we all would like to see (and hear) that in a video. :please

[HappyBlues]

me too. Don't have 1400EUR (2000$) to make it happen. But when I get good, I will find the money for it :)

[Motorbreath]

That's what i paid for my amp and cabinet. There's a multi-channel solution for y'all: get a second amp.

[C0ldFart]

That's what i paid for my amp and cabinet. There's a multi-channel solution for y'all: get a second amp.

LOL - I was thinking the same...

[DeanM]

lol thats roughly what i paid for my 2466, 1960tv greenback 4x12, epi les paul ultra, gibson 57classic pups, shure SM57, presonus bluetube dual mic pre.

lol thats pretty much my gear purchase history since the summer!! all used gear tho!

[Richard_H]

Im tired of the pedal board tapdancing (thats why i want to sell/trade my Jmp1/9200 setup) , Now i just tweak my solo tone to my guitar's neck pickup, when i've got that dialled in, i switch to the bridge pickup, and adjust the tone with my bridge tone pot on my strat, (I wired my strat so that the middle single coil is on wired "wide open" and the bridge & neck pickup has a dedicated tone pot.) and turn the volume down to 7-8 for rythm, and when i need to play some lead licks, i'll just flick it up to 10, and there's my solo tone for both pickups..

Obviously if i need to play clean, i'll just lower the volume accordingly..

Thats how i use my Jmp1 right now..

But i tried doing the same thing with a 50w VM and it practically made it into a 4 channel amp.

So my wishlist is either a 50w VM, a 2550 Jube or a 50w 1987 plexi/ JMP2204.

I also need to change out the G12T-75 speakers to something warmer sounding..

Having GAS is surely a major bitch!