Focusrite Tone Factory

Kerry Johnson · Post by **Kerry Johnson** » 8 Mar 2002 2:18 pm

Question for Tom Ensink ...

I"ve been wanting to audition the Tone Factory for some time now, but none of the music stores here stock it.

Question ? Do you recall the settings you used on the input filters, the compressor, and EQ. ???

Thanks[This message was edited by Kerry Johnson on 08 March 2002 at 02:20 PM.]

Tom Ensink · Post by **Tom Ensink** » 11 Mar 2002 2:08 am

I don't know where you could find a Focusrite dealer in the US. Have you tried their website?

Don't know the exact settings. Usually, I just fiddle with the knobs, and it's different every time. Technically, you should not have a lot of compression for country music. However, my first studio gig in which I brought the tone factory, was a pop project which needed a different sound, so we used a lot of compression which creates a bit of an agressive sound.

The sound could work out for alternative (indie) country as well, by the way.
The steel sound with compression kind of reminded me of the Danny Leigh CDs (forgot the steel player's name, but he's on the forum as well). I do not know if he uses compression, though.

The reason for me being lyric about the tone factory, was that for me, this is the first digital pre amp which takes a clean sound of the instrument as a basis, and you can add mild distortion to create an amp/cabinet sound. I have been trying everything in the budget area (Pod, Jstation etc.) but always found that these are great toys if your basis is a heavily distorted sound, not a clean sound.

BTW, I am gonna try the focusrite this weekend on stage! I use a melobar lapsteel with dobro simulation (matchbro) on stage. This sounds great for the higher strings, but it sounds too bassy with the lower strings. So I have been trying to find ways of cutting the lower frequencies, because I prefer to use one and the same amp (my amp only has one channel, so I use a boss line selector).

I have tried a boss equalizer stomp box, but this device does not do the job (I think it is primarily created for frequency boost than a frequency cut). So this saturday, I will try the focusrite tone factory, which appears to have a powerful equalizer and low cut filter. I'll let you know the results.

Tom

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John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 12 Mar 2002 8:32 am

"The steel sound with compression kind of reminded me of the Danny Leigh CDs (forgot the steel player's name"

Steve Hinson

Tom Ensink · Post by **Tom Ensink** » 12 Mar 2002 3:00 pm

That's right!

His steel playing really blew me away when I first heard it, and still does.

t

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 16 Mar 2002 1:04 pm

Thank you for the kind words,Tom...I don't use compression-just a Fender Twin Reverb amp.I don't know how that got on there-maybe they had to do it to level out my parts...you know the old saying...Dynamics?!I'm playing as loud as I can!Thanks again...Steve

Tom Ensink · Post by **Tom Ensink** » 17 Mar 2002 2:54 pm

Nice meeting you Steve! Sorry you had to set this straight.

I am not sure whether it has to do with compression. I was just playing through the thing with compression, and it reminded me of your playing. Maybe it was not the compressor but something else. As I said to Kerry, I just fiddle with the knobs until it sounds right.

Anyway, the whole 29 nights cd of Danny Leigh has a sort of agressive feel to it (I have always said to myself that that was because of the compression used, but it could also have been the mikes, the console, the instrument room? I don't know, but it sure sounds great). Maybe that's how I got the idea.

So when are you coming to Europe, Steve?

Keep rocking!

Tom

PS Kerry, I used the Harmony Factory on stage last saturday to cut the lower frequencies of my lapsteel. It did the job fine. I guess I now have to look for a filter that it is a bit smaller in size.
[This message was edited by Tom Ensink on 17 March 2002 at 03:21 PM.]

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 18 Mar 2002 4:11 am

Tom-the steel was compressed on that record,no doubt about it...it does give it a sort of metallic,agressive sound...thanks again...Steve

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 18 Mar 2002 5:51 am

Hey Steve !! Macon, GA here !! It's funny that last weekend when BE was on the ET Record Shop, my first comment on the Forum was that I thought he was using compression for the "New Sound." Apparently as he explains later in the thread, (Events and Announcements/Frank Parrish/ Johnny Bush and Buddy Emmons) it was only a tonal change in his settings. Very Interresting......

Did you ever play at the Old Wagon Wheel in Warner Robins ? Hell, I'm still playing there !!

Regards, Paul

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 18 Mar 2002 8:41 pm

Paul-I sure did!

Susan Alcorn (deceased) · Post by **Susan Alcorn (deceased)** » 28 Mar 2002 9:06 am

I use a Focusrite Tone Factory in my rack set-up, and for my purposes, I enjoy it. With the trble EQ, I boost the very high end just a little bit, and with the regular EQ section, I turn the bass and midrange all the way up and the treble all the way down. Sometimes I'll use a very little bit of overdrive, but I'm not crazy about the distortion sound. As a pre-amp, though, I prefer the sound of the better tube pre-amps. Along with the Focusrite, I use an avalon pre-amp, a Lexicon PCM41, a Lexicon LXP1 (live)or a Lxicon 200 (studio). Focusrite has a clean sound. The compressor really works nicely, but I rarely ue it.

Kerry Johnson · Post by **Kerry Johnson** » 28 Mar 2002 12:15 pm

Hey Susan ... can you give us a review of the Avalon preamp you are using ???

Susan Alcorn (deceased) · Post by **Susan Alcorn (deceased)** » 29 Mar 2002 7:23 am

Sure Kerry,

I use the Avalon U5 which is a single input Class A preamp. It is clean and it is warm. Beautiful sound. I think it's the only thing Avalon sells for under a thousand dollars.

Tom Ensink · Post by **Tom Ensink** » 2 Apr 2002 2:13 pm

Susan,

Does the avalon work well when you use it to go direct in the mixer/with ear plugs?

You're right, I don't like the tone factory's distortion either as a real "killer distortion" like eg. the proco rat or a tube screamer. But as a mild distortion, just for speaker simulation, it works well for me. Imho, that's what sets it apart from the "real" clean sounds which combo amps generate when driven through the line out. Anyhow, I will try the avalon.

Tom

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Susan Alcorn (deceased) · Post by **Susan Alcorn (deceased)** » 9 Apr 2002 1:50 pm

Yes, Tom

I use the Avalon goin directly into the mixer when I'm recording, and I think it gives the sound more depth. I also use it as the last link to the amplifier when I'm playing live.

Susan

Tom Ensink · Post by **Tom Ensink** » 9 Apr 2002 2:15 pm

Thanks Susan.

Btw, I just purchased a Boss BR 532, just to get me started in the digital recording area. I just made some recordings with the backing tracks of Hughey. It's a really nice result. I used the Tone Factory as preamp (without any compression, Kerry). It gives a nice full tone and the "distortion" (only at 2 or 3) just gives a mild speaker simulation. Just the addition I needed when compared to other (budget) preamps I tried.

Even so, I did not get a good constant line level with the tone factory (it had trouble with the dynamics of the volume pedal), so I subsequently sent the signal to my Mackie 1203 and then in the Boss.

Too bad the reverb is not that good on the Boss. But still, I think the boss is a damn good value for money (it even works on batteries!)

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