Tonestacks (and in general, tone circuits) are like arseholes: everyone has their... favourite? I suppose? So, what's yours?

Personally, I'm partial to the classic Fender bass-mid-treble circuit (component selection to taste) but even better, I find the Big Muff + mid scoop control (the Hoof? I think) probably the most generally useful of all.

Using TDA7719

For simple drive pedals I find the Rat Filter hard to beat in terms of general usefulness in a band context. Combine with a variable high pass for extra flexibility. Kind of an anti-Muff control, very mid-heavy, if needed.

For amp-style tone controls: Mostortion/Crate. More mids than Fender (if so desired), more flexibility than Marshall.

I want to like Baxandall and James type controls, because I find the concept neat. But anytime I try them im guitar or bass applications, they never sound quite right to me. Possibly due to the low Q? Dunno. Baxandalls are great in more HiFi applications, though. Channel strips, headphone amps, that sirt of thing.

TILT..

Quote from: Fancy Lime on April 23, 2025, 04:00:00 PMFor simple drive pedals I find the Rat Filter hard to beat in terms of general usefulness in a band context. Combine with a variable high pass for extra flexibility. Kind of an anti-Muff control, very mid-heavy, if needed.

Isn't the RAT filter basically a variable one-pole LPF? Anyway yes, I find that drive pedals should usually be mid-heavy because they usually act as some sort of boost into a mid-scooped amplifier (which a guitar amp almost always is).

QuoteI want to like Baxandall and James type controls, because I find the concept neat. But anytime I try them im guitar or bass applications, they never sound quite right to me. Possibly due to the low Q? Dunno. Baxandalls are great in more HiFi applications, though. Channel strips, headphone amps, that sirt of thing.

I think that Baxandall/James type controls can work well with a pre-filtered signal and/or something shaping the mids.

Simple "tone".

SWTC if I need low loss.

BMP + tilt if I need more flexibility.

Baxandall if I can make it active.

I like the tangled-up Tone/Volume control that you find on Tweed Fender amps, particularly the Tweed Princeton (5F2-A).  With single-coil guitars, there are no wrong answers anywhere on the dial, and it's real easy to find the perfect setting for most any single-coil guitar.  It's great for a simple 'plug in and go' type of setup.

Doesn't work so well with humbuckers, especially powerful ones.  It only controls treble, and doesn't do much to the mids, and nothing at all with the bass content.

I like the Hiwatt tone stack on bass.

In theory Baxandall is perfect, but everytime I use one I keep thnking that such and such frequency should be a bit higher or lower. Somehow a TMB tonestack sounds more natural.
It's also kinda hard, for me, when designing, to deal with the headroom. I always get the impression I will overdrive the tonestack opamp.

Quote from: marcelomd on April 24, 2025, 07:53:10 AMI like the Hiwatt tone stack on bass.

In theory Baxandall is perfect, but everytime I use one I keep thnking that such and such frequency should be a bit higher or lower. Somehow a TMB tonestack sounds more natural.
It's also kinda hard, for me, when designing, to deal with the headroom. I always get the impression I will overdrive the tonestack opamp.

That's my concern as well. Which is why I usually go with the minimum attenuation for make-up gain, and ideally have fixed gain (a decent amount) + buffering at the end with a volume control before.

first order LP on the output, first order HP on the input of the distortion part is what sounds better to my ears, a la TImmy, in case of a single tone, a 1st order LP on the output

the mix control on a fuzzrite.

Quote from: antonis on April 23, 2025, 04:12:53 PMTILT..

game over.

Quote from: duck_arse on April 24, 2025, 10:41:46 AMthe mix control on a fuzzrite.

Quote from: antonis on April 23, 2025, 04:12:53 PMTILT..

game over.

Extra ball!

Something in here is usually going to be a good answer:

http://www.duncanamps.com/tsc/

Quote from: amptramp on April 24, 2025, 06:18:52 PMSomething in here is usually going to be a good answer:

http://www.duncanamps.com/tsc/

A member here posted their more advanced version of this with heaps of additional features and tonestacks available a while ago - phenomenal resource

https://tonestack.yuriturov.com