I have a couple Boss distortion pedals - DS-1 and MT-2 - I am going for a Slash type vibe.

What distortion pedal and which Guitarist sound are you going for?​

 

My own sound and anything that sounds...right ->​

 

@ evesixtynine,

In case you can't afford to get a real Gibson LesPaul (Slash Custom Model) and some Marshall Amps (Slash Custom Models), the following 'AmpliTube Slash Custom Shop Signature' can certainly help you in the way you're looking for. *yes*


'AmpliTube Slash Custom Shop stuff'

All these 'Slash Signature' items are included within the new 'AmpliTube' 3 v3.8, so if you have the opportunity to try it (or better, to get it !), you'll certainly find your happiness with it and with the eventual addition of your BOSS 'DS-1' & 'MT-2' (these are really 'legends' among the existing Distortion Stompboxes).

You can find more info and details via this link :

AmpliTube Slash Signature Details & Features

...and "Welcome To The Jungle, baby... " !!!

 

The DS-1 might be a legend, but that doesn't change the fact that it sounds like shit

 

I honestly don't really like the DS-1. It's better than nothing. I got mine from Ebay for 20 bucks. Same for the MT-2. Really can't beat those prices. I have the Amplitube but I blew out my speakers - not kidding - so now I am back to hardware and my Orange. When my speakers worked I liked miking my amp through Amplitube or Rig and getting a clean amp sound and a distorted sim sound at the same time. My only real problem with amp sims is that there are so many I constantly try to refine sounds and try things and distracted from playing.

 

@ Gulliver,

Each one has his own tastes and desires... but I'm very surprised that all the following Guitar's Legends (and some are true legends !) were using, or for some, are still using a 'Stompbox' that sounds like 'shit' !

The DS-1 has been used by famous guitarists such as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, George Lynch, Korn's Munky, Neal Schon of Journey, Michael Angelo Batio, John Petrucci, Mike Stern, Peter Steele, Alex Hellid, John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many others...

For some of them, their sounds are far to sound like 'shit', a contrario, some have even become with the time, pure references for others ! This is, of course, my own opinion...
So, maybe the problem doesn't come of the BOSS DS-1 itself, but of your own playing technique. But don't misunderstand me, by technique I don't mean in any case a somewhat 'flamboyant' virtuosity, just a few more practice...

 

This debate will go on forever which pedal sound bad and which pedal sound good?

I say it is THE USER that always suck not the pedal

I find that using a dist pedal is best when you use the clean channel on your amp

Its much better to use an overdrive or boost pedal then a dist or fuzz pedal when you use the dirty channel..

If your amp only has one channel with a gain and volume knob or whatever they might call them reduce the gain and go for the volume to push the power amp valves instead of the pre amp valves and hit the pedal to get that glory valve tone..

In order to get the Slash tone get yourself an Les Paul type guitar a Marshall valve amp any modern one will do they have enough gain for that tone and much more if you wants to go to Metal territory..
For pedals you need a wha pedal a boost pedal and of course a chorus for the clean sound

I tried that Slash amp in Amplitube well it doesnt sound like a REAL slash tone to me...
I believe you cannot simulate that highvolume valve poweramp tone yet

They much better now than some years ago and way better than when they first came out on the market

But to my ears they not even close to the real deal...

Axe FX and Kempler is said to sound close i havent heard them myself...
But many who have tried and own them say they the best one so far..

But you can get a good sound if you use a cabinet impulse like redwire

I have experienced a good Yngwie type of sound when i recorded a strat with my then brand new PodXT set to the Marshall JMP (beacuse Yngwie use those) But that wasnt even close to an Yngwie sound so i put an Amplitube (It was version 2 back then)
As an insert with their version of a Marshall JMP.

And then i used an impulse of a vintage cabinet i dont remember wich or wich mic they used but i had to try many before i was "happy" with the result..

So you can get away just find with an Ampsim like Amplitube or Guitar Rig or whatever you might use..

Beacuse if you buried the guitar sound in a mix noone will ever notice what you use.

And i am pretty sure all non musicians will not even know if you use a Roland Jazz Chorus with a Boss SD1 or a Mesa Boogie MKV "well that goes for musicians that is non guitarist also"..

Non musicians dont even know if you use a virtual guitar vsti or samples of a guitar chord or a REAL human to play the rythm parts of your songs..

They only care if they like the song or not.


As for my favorite sound i have many guitar sounds that have inspired me over the 35 years that i have played the guitar

Good "tone" player in my opinion is

John Petrucci Steve Vai Joe Satriani Eric Johnson Jeff Beck Stevie Ray Vaughan Jimi Hendrix (studio sounds not live)Roy Buchanan Gary Moore Uli Jon Root Micheal Schenker Robin Trower Frank Marino Van Halen Yngwie Malmsteen David Gilmoure BB King Joe Bonamassa Slash Peter Green all players in Lynyrd Skynard and many many more

When i need a sound for a song i try to get a "raw" tone first then i try to tweak the eq on my amp so i get a good basic sound and if it needed to be tweaked even further for that final touch i go for pedals.

I dont try to emulate any particular players sound i just go for what sounds good to MY ears..

And i always try to get away with the pure amp sound only if i can..

 

Well back in the 70s there really was not that much choice.
So I guess the DS-1 could be considered "top notch" back then. Just like the MXR Distortion + (which sounds also crappy to me).

And it was a new "harsh" sound, which could cut through well to the harder rock styles which were emerging.
So there is of course a reason for it, why it became so popular.

But by todays standards, and with the choice of today, I remain at my verdict that it sounds bad.
(Of course a great guitarist sounds great with every gear, we all know that).

A very cheap recommendation from me would be the DigiTech Bad Monkey.
Looks like a toy, but sounds really really good. But it's more an overdrive than a distortion pedal.

Since I have a Marshall JVM tube amp, I stopped using distortion pedals.
What I do use is a booster, if I want to have heavier sounds. I find that using a booster before the amp gives me a much more defined tone than crancking up the gain on the amp.

Ah yes, and I use the EHX Big Muff (actually the little Big Muff ), because I like it's tone, and it is a completely different distortion (fuzz) than my amp can deliver.

 

Modified Proco Rat
Ibanez Tubescreamer jr4558d

 

Big Muff Pi for me. Using my Jazzmaster through an old Teisco valve. Crank the volume on the pedal and it soulds like speaker molestation *yes*

I dont go for "the best" usually a weird pedal. I have an obsucre 80s delay/modulation pedal, noisy as hell but if you tweak the knobs while playing (difficult, or else re-route a recorded part) and you get some crazy crazy sounds.

Patrick Waldens style is what I like to try and emulate

"Cool story, bro", I know but fuck it!

 

Any pedal or single set alone sounds like crap, but then again without studio experience or extended band playing experience most people expect unreal results and seem to forget that half of the tone of a guitar in any song comes from the bass under it.

As for actual hardware Pedals, I used to love DOD stuff. Old School Grunge/Deathmetal pedals where awesome. But you needed a decent amp or a good tube screamer put before it.

I never really liked Boss pedals to me they always had that "Tiny Amp" sound. I prefer a full on blasting crunch of my Krank Dime head or my Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier [which is why I don't use pedals anymore] or I use my Line 6 head and direct line it to Guitar Rig 5 for layed amps. But yeah the DS1, MT2 are not really anywhere near my top. If I ever had to go back to effects petals again I'd just do rack mounts with a controller pedal. I've just been too jaded with digital technology and how with a lil work and knowledge you can make a digital effect sound just as good if not meaner than a real tube distortion.

For the advice on vst amp sims... Amplitude may have Slash settings but 90% of amplitude is sloppy. Like they tried to hard to add in feedback or other noises that just muddy almost every pre-set and option up. I have full version Aplitude/amplitude Metal and most of then are just muddy sounding in one way or another. Guitar Rig 5 doesn't have that problem but you tend to have to combine amps to get a full and realistic sound, adding a tube screamer outside of Guitar Rig can do wonders also, however if you try to use a tube screamer before Amplitude it just destroys the sound beyond repair...

In the end it all matters what your using the distortion for. If your doing recording I'd never touch a hardware petal or amplitude. However if your just doing it for a practice setup almost anything is fine as long as you like how it mixes. For live performances however It all depends on your set up and what the bass player has. One of the worst mistakes guitarist make is not meshing with the bass player properly and not being able to achieve a quality tone because of it.

 

I'm not a guitar player, but I always liked Tube Screamers.