Anyone care to discuss guitar effects patches?

[Sprocket]

Im finding the built in effects to be useful, although not necessarily as is, but if I tweak certain values of the parameters I can get some very useful tones. Id like to keep sharing my patches, but I feel lame in that some of them are only slight variations from the original patch...and I play a Strat, maybe you play something different and my patches all sound either too thin or too hot with your gear. *shrug*
So what about sharing ideas and observations youve made with the built in patches...and what you do to get useful tones out of the onboard effects?

One thing Ive noticed with my own guitar, as well as some of the recordings Ive heard, is that alot of the time the treble on the preset patches is set WAY TOO HIGH, at first it kinda sounds like fret noise/buzzing like action thats too low...but I listened a lil closer last night and its almost like clipping, overpowering the highs.
Conversely, if you crank the treble on the preamp down too low it almost becomes too mid-dy...way too middy for a high E string. I think youll find there is a threshold there or happy medium. And this is all done in the amp section, in the preamp settings...adjusting the preamps tone stack is the FIRST thing I do to a model.

What do you do?

[Bluesberry]

I always find the gain set too high for my tastes and the mids scooped to low on most of the pre-set patches.  I don't have any patches saved at all.  I go at it as if I was plugging into an amp, I set the amp type first, shut off all effects, adjust the amp settings to my liking (gain, b, m, t, I always turn the mids up), then add effects if needed.  I approach it like I am plugging into an amp and setting up.  I never save it and the next time I set up according to what sounds good at the time.  Of course if I am working on a song I save the patch or write it down, but I really like to set up fresh each time according to my mood and the song I am working on.  That is my way.  I always start with the amp model first and work out from there each time.  It also depends on which guitar I am using (strat, Les Paul, Epi Sheraton).

[guitarron]

i'll start out with all the parameters shut off-then build from there
my rick bass has always been a pain to get a nice round sound-but it is possible

[StevieM]

Errr------ The sounds on patches can be changed?? I think I'd better read the manual again

[Sprocket]

Errr------ The sounds on patches can be changed?? I think I'd better read the manual again

Its sooo super simple and easy...youll be glad you did.

[guitarron]

that's why we do what we do- have fun with it

[Prive]

Maybe i'm saying things you already know but the hi-treble can be so high because you have the direct signal coming to the output, this value must be at zero in most of the times, some clean sounds can manage a little line sound but for a drive sound you need it at zero for sure and try to adjust the full tone with the Speaker type and the distance from mic, the more the distance the less treble. Some models have different behaviour, try it.

Saludos, Marcelo.

[Sprocket]

Maybe i'm saying things you already know but the hi-treble can be so high because you have the direct signal coming to the output, this value must be at zero in most of the times, some clean sounds can manage a little line sound but for a drive sound you need it at zero for sure and try to adjust the full tone with the Speaker type and the distance from mic, the more the distance the less treble. Some models have different behaviour, try it.

Saludos, Marcelo.

I dont think thats anything Ive considered, but Im hoping you or somebody else might be able to clear this up some...I think youre saying to zero out the input sensitivity?

[Wiley]

I didn't know you could change the patches either. And amps??  I guess I better check out the manual also.  But then I never played a lead before either.

[Bluesberry]

Have a look at this old thread.  Lots of good discussion about changing the settings on the patches and the amp models and what the amp model names mean.  Its a  good read for sure.