Why are people obsessed with solo boosts?

mellowsun

Boosts for guitar solos? 

I use an ego boost for my guest raps, does that count?

olafgarten

You don't always need a boost if the lead and rhythm sounds are different see here for an example: 

professorben

digitalscream said:

professorben said:

digitalscream said:

It's pretty simple, to me at least - single notes are quieter than full chords, which are quieter than chugged chords. Ergo...more volume required.

I also like a *lot* more gain for lead tones than rhythm, so I just use the drive channel on my amp for solos and the crunch channel maxed out for rhythm stuff.

Funnily enough I prefer a slightly cleaner tone for leads than rhythm. 

Which has always been my issue with multi channel amps, the 'solo' channel is always over gained compared to the 'rhythm' channel. 

Ahhhh, so that's why your solos always sounded weird.

No, it's the dubious note choice and total lack of timing that does that. 

Cols

Sometimes you just need to go one louder.

english_bob

I'd never used a solo boost, but I was finally driven to it in my old band- at the end of one of our songs I had to compete with our drummer at full pelt and bass played with an eBow. We were generally pretty good about finding ways to stay out of each other's way in arrangements, but occasionally you just needed to be one louder. 

I definitely see it as a weapon of last resort. You should be able to get around the need for it with EQ and arrangement most of the time, but there's always the exception that proves the rule.

RocknRollDave

Remember that what you hear stood next to your amp is not necessarily what people out front can hear.
I've depped and been asked to turn my amp up when to me it was already silly loud.

professorben

Depending on situation. 
Ive never been in a band where I haven't needed a solo volume boost of some sort, I mean what's the point in playing a solo unless it's as loud as the lead vocal?
 
Might as well not bother half the bands I see with their inaudible noodling....  
grow a pair and get loud ffs. 

martinw

professorben said:

Depending on situation. 
Ive never been in a band where I haven't needed a solo volume boost of some sort, I mean what's the point in playing a solo unless it's as loud as the lead vocal?
 
Might as well not bother half the bands I see with their inaudible noodling....  
grow a pair and get loud ffs. 

+1

Of course you need a boost for solos. If you don't, you're too f*cking loud during the rhythm part when people should be able to hear the vocals clearly!

EQ, gain,volume, or some combination of those.

As has been said, what's the point of playing it if it's not as loud as the lead vocal and can't be heard over the rest of the band.

Lost count of the number of bands I've seen where the solos were just way to quiet....no impact or drama, it's awful.

ICBM

Half the problem is these fashionable low-powered amps, which are all the rage because supposedly no-one needs more than five and a half watts or something... stick a boost in front and all that happens is that the already over-compressed mush they produce becomes even more compressed and mushy, so your solo ends up disappearing.

What you need is a proper amp, like 100W, or preferably 120.

thomasross20

People who can't solo don't see the point. 

That's me buggered. 

Lol

professorben

ICBM said:

Half the problem is these fashionable low-powered amps, which are all the rage because supposedly no-one needs more than five and a half watts or something... stick a boost in front and all that happens is that the already over-compressed mush they produce becomes even more compressed and mushy, so your solo ends up disappearing.

What you need is a proper amp, like 100W, or preferably 120.

Whilst I feel your post may be taken as tongue in cheek, it's pretty much dead on, I personally don't like the sound of 'cookin power tubes' as it just farts out the low end. 

 I'd say 50w is a minimum, I have a 120w power amp which will do 50w per side stereo @8ohms. ;

Im looking for a Mesa 2:90 but it's a way off yet 
but then you run a Trem o Verb so I reckon you know all about thump!

frictionfraction

martinw said:

professorben said:

Depending on situation. 
Ive never been in a band where I haven't needed a solo volume boost of some sort, I mean what's the point in playing a solo unless it's as loud as the lead vocal?
 
Might as well not bother half the bands I see with their inaudible noodling....  
grow a pair and get loud ffs. 

+1

Of course you need a boost for solos. If you don't, you're too f*cking loud during the rhythm part when people should be able to hear the vocals clearly!

EQ, gain,volume, or some combination of those.

As has been said, what's the point of playing it if it's not as loud as the lead vocal and can't be heard over the rest of the band.

Lost count of the number of bands I've seen where the solos were just way to quiet....no impact or drama, it's awful.

Bang on..  literally
you need a difference between the volume of your solos and your rhythm - either rhythms too loud or solos too quiet.  Surely in the name of getting a balanced sound you need it.  Angus might just flip his guitar vol down to eight for the rhythm parts but then he has a pa of several 1000 watts to  make the volume change for him.  

professorben

frictionfraction said:

martinw said:

professorben said:

Depending on situation. 
Ive never been in a band where I haven't needed a solo volume boost of some sort, I mean what's the point in playing a solo unless it's as loud as the lead vocal?
 
Might as well not bother half the bands I see with their inaudible noodling....  
grow a pair and get loud ffs. 

+1

Of course you need a boost for solos. If you don't, you're too f*cking loud during the rhythm part when people should be able to hear the vocals clearly!

EQ, gain,volume, or some combination of those.

As has been said, what's the point of playing it if it's not as loud as the lead vocal and can't be heard over the rest of the band.

Lost count of the number of bands I've seen where the solos were just way to quiet....no impact or drama, it's awful.

Bang on..  literally
you need a difference between the volume of your solos and your rhythm - either rhythms too loud or solos too quiet.  Surely in the name of getting a balanced sound you need it.  Angus might just flip his guitar vol down to eight for the rhythm parts but then he has a pa of several 1000 watts to  make the volume change for him.  

Not to mention trained sound guys, monitor guys etc etc.
few understand that the sound wave of bass instruments ( bass guitar and kick drum) are much longer than higher frequency, meaning what cuts through onstage, is drowned out by the time it reaches the first row of MAB's ( mobile acoustic baffle aka.....audience) which soak up the low energy treble frequencies anyway.

jfraze5150

I remember reading a very old interview with Slash in early 90s saying the only pedals he used were a Crybaby and a Boss EQ that he used for a volume and mid boost for solos. The amount of mid that might make your bedroom or rhythm sound, sound horrible and honky, makes all the difference in helping single notes cut through. 

martinw

jfraze5150 said:

I remember reading a very old interview with Slash in early 90s saying the only pedals he used were a Crybaby and a Boss EQ that he used for a volume and mid boost for solos. The amount of mid that might make your bedroom or rhythm sound, sound horrible and honky, makes all the difference in helping single notes cut through. 

Yeah but again, he would still have had a full-time sound engineer on duty to adjust his volume as required.

I've seen the sliders moving on a motorised desk during solos, and at one gig in particular I remember (Journey at Manchester Apollo) I was happily transfixed watching the pre-programmed changes during each song, and you could see the words 'guitar solo' appear at frequent intervals on the engineer's laptop.

Given that much control, you could also take the levels of the rest of the band down during a solo. Try that at a pub gig!

shaunm

I use a low powered amp (18 watts) I run it pretty much up full and mic the amp. When we sound check I sound check with my guitar volume at 6ish. When I solo the guitar volume goes up to 10. 

Even with a small small amp I get away with this. Admittedly, this works because I am putting a mic on the amp.

professorben

shaunm said:

I use a low powered amp (18 watts) I run it pretty much up full and mic the amp. When we sound check I sound check with my guitar volume at 6ish. When I solo the guitar volume goes up to 10. 

Even with a small small amp I get away with this. Admittedly, this works because I am putting a mic on the amp.

What style of music do you play, is there another instrument in the same frequency range and on a scale of Robert Cray to John Petrucci, how you you describe your gain levels? 

Its all about context I think. 

shaunm

professorben said:

shaunm said:

I use a low powered amp (18 watts) I run it pretty much up full and mic the amp. When we sound check I sound check with my guitar volume at 6ish. When I solo the guitar volume goes up to 10. 

Even with a small small amp I get away with this. Admittedly, this works because I am putting a mic on the amp.

What style of music do you play, is there another instrument in the same frequency range and on a scale of Robert Cray to John Petrucci, how you you describe your gain levels? 

Its all about context I think. 

A good point.

Two guitars in the band and the music we play is along the lines of Kasabian/The Raconteurs.

Both of the guitars use under 20 watts but we have very different styles and sounds. I favour a much cleaner (60's British blues) tone and the other guitarist goes in for a Dave Grohl crunch tone.  

He plays Tele's and I play a les Paul or Sheraton.

I make an effort to try to not play the same thing as not to occupy the same sonic space which is why I can get away with ridding my guitars volume a little.

PolarityMan

I dont use a solo boost......but i have 2 master volumes

mike257

If I find myself obligated to take a solo, I prefer to turn it down and increase the likelihood of nobody in the room noticing!