How do you use the Adjustable Mid Frequency Control for better tone?

[CoastStrings]

How do you use the Adjustable Mid Frequency Control (aka AMF)? I'm trying to understand how this control can better shape my tone.

The Yamaha System73 is an example of a guitar preamp with an AMF. It has a range of 80 Hz to 5 kHz with the midpoint at 400 Hz.

[Kalani]

I often use it to eliminate the most troubling frequencies: turn the mid knob up (maybe around 3:00), scan the frequencies, find the most offending one, then dial back the mid knob to eliminate it.

[Peter Z]

^^^ this ….. or turn the mid knob down to around 9:00 and move the slider till it sounds best.

[RussellHawaii]

Originally Posted by Kalani

I often use it to eliminate the most troubling frequencies: turn the mid knob up (maybe around 3:00), scan the frequencies, find the most offending one, then dial back the mid knob to eliminate it.

This is exactly how I use a sweepable mid. It’s also how some very professional sound-people use it, which is where I learned it.

[ljguitar]

Hi CS…
There isn't a magic number. Things which affect the sound of our amplified instruments are:

• The instrument itself
• The pickup
• The preamp
• The PA system or amp it's playing through
• The room we in

Rooms can sound vastly different, as do PA systems and amps we play through. The mid range is just one additional tone knob to adjust certain frequencies as you play. The mids often tend to be harsh if overdone, so an adjustable mid range selector is a useful tool.

A way to tell how adjustments affect output with the unit you pictured is to turn all three tone knobs to 'flat' (middle), and turn the midrange all the way up, and then play your guitar while someone else slowly slides the adjustable midrange frequency slider all the way from lowest to highest frequency so you hear the frequencies it is adjusting at their loudest (and sometimes most obnoxious) volumes.

Then turn the midrange dial down as far as you can and repeat the process and hear what is sounds like with those frequencies when subtracted. You will be able to isolate the strings which are being affected by that slider. Of the three frequency ranges, an infinitely adjustable midrange is the most useful.

This is just a quick-n-dirty way to see which mid range notes and strings are being affected by the unit you are using.

Hope this makes sense…

[TedBPhx]

The Mesa Rosette has two semi parametric mids. The technique I use is to set everything thing flat, boost the mids and sweep the frequencies until one pops out. Then lower the volume for that freq. In general I look for frequencies to cut to kill any piezo squawk.

[MaurysMusic]

Originally Posted by Kalani

I often use it to eliminate the most troubling frequencies: turn the mid knob up (maybe around 3:00), scan the frequencies, find the most offending one, then dial back the mid knob to eliminate it.

THIS. If I would have found this thread first, I'd have typed this exact reply.