PART 2:
Create Amplified Sounds on the ME-70 with its Preamp-Modeling Function

From selecting your guitar to setting up your amps and effects, there is no "right way" to create the perfect guitar tone. Listen to what your ears tell you and create the sound that you want. In fact, it was the free-flowing creative juices that formed the basis of innovative guitar tones that went against the norm and made music history.

Many think that creating great guitar tones requires a certain amount of knowledge and experience, which is also true. For this reason, many seem to lack confidence in their tone, and some even lose interest in their tone altogether. But with the ME-70, you can easily recreate that sound you hear in your head.

In this article, we would like to focus on the preamp modeling function included in the ME-70, and introduce you to the basics of creating amplified sounds!

Patch Mode and Manual Mode (preparations)

The ME-70 is designed to be used in one of two modes. One is Patch mode, where you can store combinations of different effects and their knob positions, and retrieve them when you perform. The other is Manual mode, which lets you use the unit much like you would use stompboxes. You can switch modes by stepping on the [MOD] and [DELAY] footswitches at the same time. Here, we will continue describing some of the ME-70's features in Manual mode.

Set the [OUTPUT LEVEL] of the ME-70 to 12 o'clock (center). If you turn all effects off with [OUTPUT LEVEL] set to center, you will get the same volume as when you connect your guitar directly to your amp.

As for the amplifier, let's use the globally beloved JC-120. While you can adjust the JC-120 any way you want, let's set all of its tone controls to 12 o'clock to take advantage of the ME-70's sound. We will use this flat setting as the basis for creating the sound you are after. Adjust [VOLUME] to match the volume of other instruments.

• JC-120 tone controls. Let's start by setting these to 12 o'clock.

The JC-120 has two inputs: HIGH and LOW. You can connect to either one. (With all other settings being equal, you will get a louder sound when you connect to HIGH.)

Next, check that all of the ME-70’s indicators are off. This means that the sound you play will bypass all effects.

Differences in Guitar Tone Based on Your Amp

Many manufacturers around the world make guitar amps, providing a vast selection to choose from. Some are preferred for their clean tones, and others are preferred for their distortion sounds. Some are popular for their bright tones, while others are best for a heavy bottom end. Each amp has its own character.

In the past, because there were so many types of amps to choose from, even pros had a hard time finding one they liked. If you wanted more variation in your sound, you had to switch between multiple amps. And then there was the issue of subtle differences in tone between amps of the exact same model.

But now, sophisticated modeling technology allows guitarists to easily enjoy the sound of these legendary classics. Of this breed, the ME-70 ― with better hardware quality and loaded with state-of-the-art modeling technology ― gives you extremely high-quality sound and reliability with very little hassle. So next we would like to introduce you to its amp sounds.

Try as Many Amp Sounds as You Like! Part 1

Let's use the [PREAMP] in Manual mode with all effects turned off. The preamp turns on automatically when you set [TYPE] to anything other than [OFF].

For this example, we're going to set [TYPE] to [STACK]. Set all the knobs in the preamp section to center and you'll get a slightly distorted sound.

*Note: This audio example was recorded via a line connection in a home studio.

• Let’s play using this setting.

• This sound was played on a Strat.

• This sound was played on an SG guitar fitted with humbucker pickups.

By using different guitars as in this example, you can create variations in tone as well as in the texture of distortion. You can change the amount of distortion by adjusting the [GAIN] knob on ME-70, but remember that the power of your pickups, volume adjustments on your guitar, and picking force all effect your tone. The tone follows every nuance of your performance as if you were playing a real amp, so experiment with different picking dynamics and enjoy the expressive results.

Next, lets set [TYPE] to [CLEAN]. The JC-120 is known for its extremely clean sound, but in this example, you'll notice that the sound is slightly fatter.

• Set [TYPE] to [CLEAN].

• With effects off (straight JC-120 sound)

• With effects on ([TYPE] = [CLEAN] sound)

By switching between six types of amps, you can create guitar sounds for any genre of music.

Try as Many Amp Sounds as You Like! Part 2

Below, we're going to listen to the characteristics of each of the other four amp types as we adjust their tone settings.

- COMBO
This is the sound of classic British-made combo amps. The mids and highs have a unique texture, giving them a clear but slightly grainy tone, which makes them ideal for playing chords.

• Playing chords with this setting.

- TWEED
Bluesy and crunchy tones found on American amps … it has that sound inherited from Fender Bassman amps.

• This is ideal for bluesy phrases.

- LEAD STK
High-gain sound with a fat midrange … ideal for playing lead.

- R-FIER
Metal sound with slightly pronounced highs and lows … great for playing riffs.

As you can see, you have access to a variety of amps (at least seven if you include the sound of JC-120 itself) on a single JC-120. In addition to these preamp sounds, you can set [TYPE] to [EQ] and use this section as a 4-band EQ unit (EQ mode). You can also connect optional footswitches, such as the FS-6 and FS-5U, for switching the EQ on and off while you are in Manual mode.

• With the FS-6, you can control the EQ mode as well as reverb on/off.

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- Tips

- How is this different from the GT-10’s COSM preamp?

As we've described above, the ME-70's preamp is designed to be connected to an amp input. Therefore, it does not have GT-10 features such as "OUTPUT SELECT" and parameters for different speakers and mics. In other words, the ME-70 was designed to be used like the FDR-1 and FBM-1 (Legend-series pedals).

- Easier to use than an amp?! ― ME-70's tone controls

One of the things that makes sound-design difficult on real amps are the "idiosyncrasies" of the amps' tone controls. Each model has its own characteristic tone-control behavior. There are amps where the basic setting might be all knobs turned to 10, while others might have knobs that don't respond as well. Other amps may produce completely different tones when a knob is turned a single notch.

With the ME-70, the tone controls are designed so the basic setting on all amps is achieved when the knobs are at 12 o'clock (flat). This means you can create your tone easily just by turning the knobs from this base position.

In the examples above, we used the JC-120 to introduce you to the ME-70's preamp tones but you can use any amp that has been set to a clean tone to take advantage of this preamp feature.

Ideal for Amp-less Practicing or Home Recording

When you plug into the [REC OUT/PHONES] jack, the ME-70 adds guitar-amp simulation to signals that are output from its [GT AMP OUTPUT]. You can also connect a recording device to the output, and record your sound via a line connection.

• A quarter-inch-to-stereo-mini adaptor (such as for headphones) will work too!