After discussions with Richard and Ken we decided to go ahead with the development of my signature head, the "RiesenHead". But since it's hard to explain the sound you have in your mind the result is that I would start building the base for the head in order to transfer the sound in my (real) head into a HC head.
This required having to use HeadCase Builder to actually build the thing.
Now, some of you might know that I'm not an amp builder. I just take an existing head, and start to turn the knobs and just click on anything I can find in order to reach the sound I hear in my head.
With complete amps that's not so hard. But I found that builder has a steeper learning curve.
We at ABG figured that the noob questions I had would probably be questions that HeadCase Builder starters would also ask. So I want to guide you through a few of the things that I ran into tonight and the answers to those questions by guys who actually do know what they are doing
Q: I loaded up someone elses head as a starting point. How can I save that into my own folder, with the name I choose so I don't overwrite the cool amp that the other guy had made?
A: Go to "File Operations". Click Custom Heads. Optionally use the Utility option to create a folder on your harddisk where the head will be saved. Select the folder (aka category). Name the head by filling in the white line underneath "Load" and "Save". Click Save twice and the head is saved under the name you specified. The orginal head will never be overwritten.
Q: Ok, so now my head is saved, but I want to send the .jpg to other users so they can install my head. AND I want to add my own description, because now the description of someone else is in it
A: For Making the distribution
1: Create a text file that is to be use as the about file, containing what ever you want to put as info about that head and save it somewhere.
2: Go to the Miscellaneous section and select the about file. if you want to change the skin image you can change that here too
3: Go back to head browser\custom heads. Save again and on top right you should see a button called make. Use that to create the distribution. the image will be created in some folder in your HeadCase\distribution folder.
When you click 'Custom Heads', the save button appears as well as the 'Make' and 'Refresh'. Provided you have saved your head, the make button will turn it into a FREUD JPEG. Refresh simply refreshes the screen shot used for the JPEG.
Q: The base head I used only had a Normal and Boost switch on it, but I want to add a clean channel as well
A: To add a clean channel
In the pre-cuts section in the middle of the screen you'll see a clean and dirty channels green check box. Click that on and it will enable the second channel. At that time it will also make the clean and dirty channels switch available. The button beside it 'Make both channels visible' will all you to have both channels visible on the screen at once.
When you are in clean channel you will be able to tweak clean channel settings and then to edit dirty/boost channels you click the switch to get to that channel and edit the parameters for that.
One thing to remember is that clean and dirty channels share same pre-amp tubes and Power amp tube sections.
Q: The head sounds hot in Builder, but if I load it into Suite it is rather weak
A: Builder and Suite do NOT share the same input learning information. So you need to lear the input level in both. I found that it's simply a matter of playing the same lick in both programs and you're done. However, you might hear a difference between the head in Builder and the head in Suite. Ken adds: We will never get them (HCb and HCS) to be 100% identical because of different routings between the two softwares. Different cabs, effects, more stomps etc. Ken is working on getting them as close to one another as possible, but due to the nature of the programs there will always be a difference.
To be honest, I can work around that. In my case I found that Suite has nicer high end. That means that in Builder I need to add less high end, since it will automatically be fine in Suite.
Q: I've heard this cool setting of knob "name_a_knob" on this head "name_a_cool_head" and I want to use those same settings on my knob. How can I do that?
A: Two ways.
1) Open the other users' head in builder. Find the knob under ToneStack --> Frequency and power --> Double click his value under Low and High and write them down. Write his values for power and delay down. Enter the same values into you own knob section
2) Manually rename his head to .HCB extension, then run head case bulder, load your amp..
Right click the bass knob and select his head.. Your values will be replaced with his..
Thats FrankenAMP II
Note: SJC noticed a problem where it only shows Custom heads (.hcb) in FrankenAMP II menus, however, I can't remember if he said it was custom heads or Installed heads (.hed) that show up. If it does not appear in your list, then rename it back to .hed
Q: Ok, I've copied the settings and made an awesome knob. But I want to rename it to "whatever_name_you_like". Do do I do that?
A: Open ToneStack --> Graphics and rename by double clicking the name
So far so good. It will take a few weeks before I will be 100% happy with the RiesenHead I figure.
Thanks to Ken and Amit for their input.
Cheers,
MR
http://www.michaelriesenbeck.com
