Boss GT-X - Clean Preamps: Patch YUK Noise 1; OD;DS: Patch YUK Noise 2; Dirty Preamps: Patch YUK Noise 3; Avoiding Audible Aliasing

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Section13YUKNoise
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©Copyright2000-2002BarryS.Pearceetal.  83
wholetoneormoreandholditallowingittodecay.Giveit
agoodstrikewiththepicktostartwithandonceheldyou
canstrikeagaintohearsomemore.Listenforthenoisein
thelowerregisteranditwillmakeakindofwhiiirrrr-wooo-
warrrtypesound.Itisfairlyquietbutonceyouhaveheard
itonceyouwillbeabletoidentifyitagainandagain.Ifyou
can'tgetitwiththe2ndstringtrythesamethingwiththe
firstand/orthirdstrings.Ishouldsaythatthealiasingisfar,
fareasiertohearthroughaspeakerpoweredbyaloudamp
thanitisonheadphoneswhichloosesomuchlowvolume
definitionitishardtomakeoutthesound;stillpossiblebut
harder.
CleanPreamps:
Patch'YUKNoise1'
You probably would have put these under any high gain
category.However,basingthison 'Clean',choose theJC-
120, set Volume=100, bass=50,middle=50 treble=50,
gain=High and master volume = 100. Bring down the
masterleveltoabout20.Nowplayasdescribedaboveto
hearthealiasing—listencarefully,trythebendtwoorthree
timesifnecessary.Thispatchisoneoftheclearestshowing
thisfaultanditwastheoneIrecordedinthefileIdescribed
above.
OD/DS:
Patch'YUKNoise2'
This time use 'Clean' as a base patch for this. Turn the
OD/DS on. Set the Drive = 100, Bass=0, Treble=0, and
Level=100.Turndownthemastertoabout40.Nowplay
asdescribedabovetohearthealiasing—listencarefully,try
thebendtwoorthreetimesifnecessary.PersonallyIcannot
detectanythingevenwiththeampuploud.
DirtyPreamps:
Patch'YUKNoise3'
OK.Thistimeuse'YUKNoise1'asabase,andthepreamp
Metal5150.Onceagainplayasdescribedabovetohearthe
aliasing—listen carefully, and again try the bend two or
threetimesifnecessary.
AvoidingAudibleAliasing
OK. So now we know it’s there what is the best way to
avoid it?Well.Let’stakea lookat eachscenario oneby
one.
CleanPreamps
The main problem appears to be associated with higher
signal levels. My GT-3 meters are showing the preamp
outputuptoTWICEthatofmytargeteffectschainlevel,
anditishereinIbelievetheproblemlies.Ifyoulevelmatch
theeffectschainproperlyyoushouldavoidaliasing.Ifound
Ihadtoreducethegaintomiddle,volumeto70andmaster
volumeto90toreallygetridofitnoticeably,butthiswas
stillwayabovethetargeteffectschainlevel.IfIusevolume
100,andmynormalmasterlevel,Ifindthattolevelmatch,
I must come back to around 65 on the preamp master
volumeand theproblemiscertainlynotdiscernibleifnot
completelyvanished. However,withmastervolumeat 58
andsettohighgainthenthenoisehasreturned,albeitlow
levelbutenoughtomuddythesound.
OD/DS
Well.Notmuchremedialactionrequiredhere—itdoesnot
appeartobeaffectedbyaudiblealiasingissues.
DirtyPreamps
Um...I'mafraidtosayevenwithvolumesetto10,master
volume at 61 and gain=middle I can STILL hear the
problem.WhilstIreallywouldliketotellyouhowtoavoid
thealiasing,Ican'tgetridofitfromMetal5150andIhave
nowgivenup.Otherpreampsmaynotbesobad.Sorry!
Summary
InsummaryIwouldsay—keepyourpatcheslevelmatched
throughout the effects chain, avoid the setting gain=High
andkeepthevolume/mastervolumesettingsaslowasyou
can.Thiswillhelpavoidproblems.However,kickthegain
allthewayupandyouwillfindlifegettingtougherandyou
willstartgettingacrapsoundoutofyourGT-3/5.
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PersonallyIprefertousetheCleanTWIN,andJC-120with
theOD/DSdistortionsandasyoucanseethiscombination
doesnotproducethesoundasthepreampvolumesarekept
fairlylow.ThisiswhyIlike'MetalDist*'somuchandIam
notsokeenon[GT-3]'47-2METAL5150'or[GT-5]’PG1-
1-3EDDIES5150’.WiththispatchIcanheartheproblem
and the preamp is set well below the target effects chain
level..glug..glug..glug!
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Whatyouneedtodoisdeterminewhetherornotyouare
prepared to accept the audibilityof the aliasing. Be wary
thatwhilstitmightnotbepresentatbedroomlevels,when
yougoanddothatgigyoumayfindthingsgettingugly.
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TheGT-6apparently(accordingtoRoland)hasthealiasing
problemfixed–butIamalittlescepticalnothavinghad
accesstoassessaGT-6yet.
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NotethatIhavehighlightedasectionofthetextinthefirst
paragraph in the SoS magazinearticle at the start of this
section. This particular part of the piece sums up why I
dislike the COSM preamps so much. Maybe it’sthat my
ears pick it up and I notice more so than other people.
Whateverthereasonyoumustdeterminewhetherornotthe
levelofthealiasingisacceptabletoyou,andwhetherornot
youcanlivewithit.
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