Playing with lots of distortion and feedback at low volumes question

PLOP

I listen to a lot of heavy, loud drone and doom metal. A massive part of my playing is using feedback and dissonant sounds musically. 

This is an example of the kind of thing I mean. I think this is really cool, but you may be unable to bear even the first song...

https://yoke-uk.bandcamp.com/album/yoke

https://nadja.bandcamp.com/track/skin-turns-to-glass-vinyl-version

This kind of playing requires the guitar to react to the very loud amps as a big part of its sound, so I'm looking for ways to replicate this at home for practicing with. Turning up the drive and gain works a bit, but it makes it too unwieldy and hissy and then I need to re-adjust everything so I can play louder again. 

There is the feedbacker effect which I was very excited about, but I don't think it works in a very natural way when used with in this kind of case. I could be wrong though, I might be using it incorrectly. 

I'm pretty well experienced with the Helix now but this is something that's always eluded me. Thanks for any tips! 

andy_k

A lot of this stuff is directly related to the size of speaker, Sylvia Massey has a few tricks to get these sounds in the studio- usually involving a blend of a small practice amp in the control room.
I reckon you could get part of the way there at lower volume by using a ridiculous amount of gain and a bit of selective eq, but there will be a threshold you have to cross depending on the cab, generally a 12 inch speaker would need a fair bit of volume to get there, but maybe you could try using a smaller one in parallel for the more squeally parts, maybe an AB/Y box to switch it in when needed.
I'm guessing you can also easily create patches with dramatically different amp / cab selections in Helix, so it should be simple to switch back and forth.
The actual feedback you want is really the relationship between pickup and speaker at volume, so there will have to be some compromises.
Try sending a signal to something like a Pignose and see what happens.

Revolutions

???

andy_k

Here ya go--

Roland

Does the Helix have a pitch follower which can control the frequency of a bandpass filter?

paganskins

In my experience the Digitech Freqout is much better than the helix equivalent if you’re able to add in an additional device.
Edit: also there’s a that pedal show episode about using compression at low volumes to simulate the guitar/amp interplay you get at volume which might help. 

PLOP

Roland said:

Does the Helix have a pitch follower which can control the frequency of a bandpass filter?

I don’t think so, but I have just thought about butting a frequency boost on the chain but setting the frequency to be boosted to the expression pedal 

edit I might have just invented a wah pedal 

EricTheWeary

https://youtu.be/6Sq88zCQn2A?si=tPIJUS1hmv-VWX_-

Bollocks I did an edit. Anyway, if you find the compressor section in that (time stamped) it quite easily does an overdriven amp thingy as @paganskins was saying. 

Many, many years ago I bought a cheap compression pedal which I hated but in retrospect was basically Neil Young in a box when put in front of an overdrive. 

paganskins

Foolishly I failed to suggest a sustainiac or a Fernandez sustainer, especially with an intensity control. If stretching to a new guitar is an option?

PLOP

@paganskins ;
a new guitar wasn’t something I had in mind, this is really only for practicing at home. I can play the way I like in the rehearsals at volume totally fine, but learning how to control and use distortion in this way is something that needs practice and isn’t something many people have patience for when you need to work something out! 

Sporky

paganskins said:

Foolishly I failed to suggest a sustainiac or a Fernandez sustainer, especially with an intensity control. If stretching to a new guitar is an option?

Sustainiac FTW.

Doesn't need to be a new guitar.