ChuggNorris
Banned
Well-known member
I have read alot of people saying the herbert was too muffled or round on the bottom end. Too thick or undefined on the chugz or fast notes.
It CAN sound like that. And the tone controls for the preamp are so sensitive. They work definitely different than any standard mesa or marshall, which have their own unique ways of dialing.
I've found so many slightly different ways to dial this amp. But the absolute MAGIC happens when you get the volume happening. It just starts building muscle and sounding more together and mean. If you take the channel volumes to 2:00 and the masters to 10:00-12:00 you are into this territory. It's loud but it's alot more clear than at low volumes and sounds like that's where it wants to be. It plays well at low volumes but it absolutely likes to be opened up.
Also there's correlations to the treble and bass, if you adjust one it's like you need to adjust the other also because the nuances change the way the frequencies are altered via the knobs on the preamp.
I dial the treble first then the mid then bass, all from zero. This also allows you to realize you got enough bass at 10:00 on channels. Shouldn't be higher for tight attack sounds. Going more will thicken the low end beautifully but thickness always sacrifices focus... up to you where that balance is. This is where people give up on the amp. They refuse to run that bass knob at 9 o'clock. Everybody I see playing one has the bass and Resonance higher... and they usually complain of not enough attack and some roundness in tone. This is why.
The amp loves highs. I've never ran highs this high on any other amp. They aren't harsh. The precense takes it into that territory. The channel high controls seem like a beautiful range of high to my ear where most the sweep is usable. I usually can't tolerate highs. This amp sounds more articulate and gains a fast grindy attack when highs are dialed in.
I never take the precense over 12:00 but if I played drop F or whatever, I'd have to, to offset the low end of the tuning and shift of registers. But it has as much "cut" available there as someone could ever need. These 2 controls are super powerful and change the way the amp acts the higher or lower they are set.
Mid cut is a mid shift. It stays cutting around 10:00, kinda boosts mids before that though. Over used feature that can cause excess fizz on tippy top at low volumes. It does go away when you get it loud. I like the amp without it, and also with it. I play and switch it on and off often because I like them both.
At bedroom volumes, this amp sounds good. But it can sound like it needs more or isn't cutting it. That's because it NEEDS volume to do what it really wants to do. I couldn't believe how tight and defined it sounded last night in the room at almost band level volume.
I concluded that people who claim the amp needs a boost, or couldn't get it to be fast and attack on the low end... yeah I'm telling you boys right now that was 100% user error. You weren't doing something right. It absolutely does fast tight defined low end while still sounding dense as fuck.
I'd put this thing up against ANY other metal amp in a room, at volume, straight in, for dynamic brutality. Without question.
And it also loves veteran 30 speakers from what I learned last night with it at dumb volumes. Single notes on the big strings sound thick and juicy.
I swear I might keep this thing forever.
It CAN sound like that. And the tone controls for the preamp are so sensitive. They work definitely different than any standard mesa or marshall, which have their own unique ways of dialing.
I've found so many slightly different ways to dial this amp. But the absolute MAGIC happens when you get the volume happening. It just starts building muscle and sounding more together and mean. If you take the channel volumes to 2:00 and the masters to 10:00-12:00 you are into this territory. It's loud but it's alot more clear than at low volumes and sounds like that's where it wants to be. It plays well at low volumes but it absolutely likes to be opened up.
Also there's correlations to the treble and bass, if you adjust one it's like you need to adjust the other also because the nuances change the way the frequencies are altered via the knobs on the preamp.
I dial the treble first then the mid then bass, all from zero. This also allows you to realize you got enough bass at 10:00 on channels. Shouldn't be higher for tight attack sounds. Going more will thicken the low end beautifully but thickness always sacrifices focus... up to you where that balance is. This is where people give up on the amp. They refuse to run that bass knob at 9 o'clock. Everybody I see playing one has the bass and Resonance higher... and they usually complain of not enough attack and some roundness in tone. This is why.
The amp loves highs. I've never ran highs this high on any other amp. They aren't harsh. The precense takes it into that territory. The channel high controls seem like a beautiful range of high to my ear where most the sweep is usable. I usually can't tolerate highs. This amp sounds more articulate and gains a fast grindy attack when highs are dialed in.
I never take the precense over 12:00 but if I played drop F or whatever, I'd have to, to offset the low end of the tuning and shift of registers. But it has as much "cut" available there as someone could ever need. These 2 controls are super powerful and change the way the amp acts the higher or lower they are set.
Mid cut is a mid shift. It stays cutting around 10:00, kinda boosts mids before that though. Over used feature that can cause excess fizz on tippy top at low volumes. It does go away when you get it loud. I like the amp without it, and also with it. I play and switch it on and off often because I like them both.
At bedroom volumes, this amp sounds good. But it can sound like it needs more or isn't cutting it. That's because it NEEDS volume to do what it really wants to do. I couldn't believe how tight and defined it sounded last night in the room at almost band level volume.
I concluded that people who claim the amp needs a boost, or couldn't get it to be fast and attack on the low end... yeah I'm telling you boys right now that was 100% user error. You weren't doing something right. It absolutely does fast tight defined low end while still sounding dense as fuck.
I'd put this thing up against ANY other metal amp in a room, at volume, straight in, for dynamic brutality. Without question.
And it also loves veteran 30 speakers from what I learned last night with it at dumb volumes. Single notes on the big strings sound thick and juicy.
I swear I might keep this thing forever.
