How To Get Better Tones with the Fender Tone Master Pro

The tips covered in this video will work with any modeler, but I will use the Fender Tone Master Pro to show how parallel programming can achieve thick guitar tones.
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[@angusorvid8840]

You're right at 7:00 about the power of mic placement. It is so crucial, and every top producer and engineer knows this. I remember when I was gigging in L.A. with my Boogie in the 80s. As it was a combo, I had one speaker to work with, but the sound man would point out how very different it would sound when I moved the mic just a tiny bit. These little adjustments make a big difference, much bigger than your pickups or the guitar, not to say those factors don't matter at all. Just not as much. Modelers and the great IR response features they contain are teaching this to players through the extremely realistic simulations. As I've said, I've been playing about 40 years. I've either owned or played many of the world's finest amps. I even played through a Dumble at a boutique shop. I'm familiar with the great, legendary tube amps. I cannot tell the difference between the models and the real thing. Modelers are more than worth it. They are the bargain of bargains.

[@damionandy]

I feel like this isn’t well known in our community. Mic placement and mic type matter so much. It can really change how your tone feels and sounds coming through a monitor / FOH. Where do you tend to place your mic and what type of mic do you prefer?

[@angusorvid8840]

Mic placement is different on ever speaker in every amp I've ever used. I'm totally unorthodox. I've mostly used Shure 57s because they are so ubiquitous, but I always let my ears tell me what sounds best. I don't have much experience with Royers and some of those more expensive mics. My recording experience is mostly in doing a bunch of demo albums in the 80s and early 90s which were distributed on cassette the old-fashioned way, just trying to get the world's attention. Otherwise, my experience with mics is based around live performance. I'm using a very cheap amp at the moment, just a Roland practice amp, not one of the higher end JCs. I was considering getting a good Multi FX then an enclosed flat response speaker just for practicing at home because I get tired of using my headset all the time. @@damionandy

[@rudycapistrano4538]

great informational content, gonna try you suggestions! makes workflow more efficient in getting tones! 👍

[@damionandy]

Keep me posted! If you have any questions, feel free to leave them and I'll get back to you!

[@xxdr34m5xx_4]

Tone Master Pro video again? Never klicked faster in my life

[@damionandy]

Haha I’ve got more coming!

[@xxdr34m5xx_4]

@@damionandy haha yes please, and that was a great tip btw, thanks a lot, i can't wait to buy mine for Christmas 😁

[@damionandy]

@@xxdr34m5xx_4 When you're ready to purchase, you can use codeword "welcome" on Fender.com to get 10% off! I'm hoping I can become an affiliate with them soon haha

[@Plextortion]

Good job on the vocal mike!

[@ramirorobles9746]

Man that sounds good

[@damionandy]

The Tone Master Pro really lives up to its name.

[@paulopinheiro8126]

Cool video, very motivational and inspirational! Thanks

[@2550marshall]

Another great vid Damion! Just a suggestion, maybe the title of this vid should have been, "Dual mic technique on the TMP for a thicker tone"?

[@damionandy]

I’m testing things on my end for visibility. I’m going to let this run for a bit to see the data then I may switch. What do you think of the new thumbnails?

[@bmackewich]

Great vid. Just got my TMP... loving the multiple cabs

[@damionandy]

Thank you for watching! Welcome to the TMP family! Make sure you join the Facebook Group! It's a great place to get connected with other TMP owners. If you ever have questions, feel free to reach out!

[@angusorvid8840]

I love that very organic overdrive and speaker response around 5:00. Incredible. I could go through a thousand tube amps and not get close to that. With the Tone Master Pro you can hit the bullseye from every direction. Astonishing.

[@smck20]

What's that tune being played? Killer chords...

[@TheEaglesRage]

hey man can you do a video of showcasing an "entry level" guitar compared to one of your more premium guitars using the tone master? Im just curious if the quality of sound remains with an instrument below the $1,000 price range.

[@damionandy]

I would, but I don’t have any.. I’ll say this, I’d rather have an expensive amp and a low / mid range guitar than an expensive guitar and a low / mid range amp. Amps > guitar, but guitar dictates the feel of the instrument overall and can impact playability, which ultimately leads to more time which leads to more practice time.

[@2550marshall]

@@damionandy Hey, maybe you could do a vid on "Feel". There are many guys that don't understand this topic. The best way I describe it is as this: Some tones (and this includes everything in the signal chain from guitar to mic) can be harder or easier to play and you feel this with your picking hand. Sometimes that harder feel may sound better but requires more picking dynamics and likewise an easier feel may cause you to play a little softer on your picking dynamics but get the tone you desire. So, to make that make since, I guess, is that feel is related to picking dynamics and how the player likes it best. Some of us like to play with more dynamics allowing the hand to do more of the work while others want the tone to do more of the work.

[@Alfred-rh9vh]

What about to plug in directly the tone master in my amp (tube) just like my guitars but with the amp of the master tone? Have you aver tried? If so, was it good?

[@damionandy]

Yeah, it basically becomes a big pedal board. Still will save you a ton of money if you do this. Just don't run an amp / cab on the TMP

[@TimYoungSingerGuitarist]

Hi, I'm really enjoying your videos. Please could you let me know what headphones you are using to monitor your Tonemaster Pro and what ohms they are? Thanks

[@damionandy]

I'm glad you're enjoying the videos, Tim! I use Sennheiser Professional HD 280 PRO, not sure of the Ohms, but they're really flat response headphones! I mainly use them for mixing and making these videos haha

[@identificador1952]

So reco ment or not fender master pro?

[@damionandy]

Overall, I recommend it. The form factor, UI, and overall sounds possible make it an easy recommendation

[@wjcjr1964]

Is it possible to switch between two amps and have both amps set up with their own two cabs? Combining two of your lessons. I tried to do it with parallel 2 but I struck out. I'm a rookie at this stuff... Great videos! Thanks,

[@damionandy]

Yeah! How I showed turning one amp "off" / bypassed, do the same thing with the cabs. You're doing great! If you're watching content and trying to implement, you're already taking action-based learning, which is THE way to really learn things! Kudos! Keep me posted if you can't figure it out. I'm DamionAndy everywhere, so feel free to send a pic of it on Instagram if you need more help!

[@wjcjr1964]

I think I just forgot to turn the first amp off. I'll give it shot tonight. Thanks for the quick reply!@@damionandy

[@AlexisGitarre]

it's NOT THICKER, it's louder because merging two parallel paths adds around 3-5dB. So you perceive it to be thicker sounding. This technique can make you also run into the problem of digital clipping. So please, for a real comparison, do level matching of the sounds. otherwise it's pretty useless and just a brain trick that also kicks in fletcher munson effect.

[@damionandy]

I'm not sure I agree. While I didn't do any volume mixing in this example, that's not hard to do. What I did do was combine two frequency responses from two different mics to produce a fuller sound. Both were left at max volume, not blended. Even if I didn't blend it, it doesn't take away from the integrity of the tone if I like it, that's all that matters. There's no objectifying tone. What someone calls garbage, another guitarist may find pure sonic bliss. The lesson here is to learn how to create new sounds and new ideas so guitarists can find THEIR sound.

[@Jetisertes]

The video colors are super awful. Not unwatchable, just very annoying. Just saying.

[@damionandy]

Thanks for the feedback

[@Jetisertes]

​​​​@@damionandy ah, it has something to do with HDR. Didn't realize it the first time. It's super bright and washed out.