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[trader144]

Can anyone explain the coloring differences between OD1 and OD2?

I know OD1 saturates before the tube and OD2 is the tube, but I am curious if anyone can explain how they have mixed these for certain tones; one is harmonic saturation etc etc

But in layman a terms it seems like you should max out OD2 first and use OD1 for extra crunch like a distortion pedal.

Any thoughts ?

[rnolan]

My understanding is that OD1 controls the gain in the first tube circuit and OD2 the second.  Depending on the voice selection (Dist tube/Clean tube), the pre-tube signal is filtered in different ways to suit and the valve biasing is also changed to suit.  Clean tube gives you full range frequency response, Dist tube is filtered (ie not full range, some frequencies removed/lowered or boosted) to suit super saturated  distortion sounds. Also given that low levels followed by high levels produce more noise, you'd tend to drive OD1 harder and adjust OD2 to taste for better gain structure (less noise) rather than the other way around.

[MarshallJMP]

Actually OD1 controls the volume of the booster (clean boost for clean tube and mid boost for dist tube) and OD2 controls the volume or gain between the first and second tube.For me i set the OD1 (dist tube) so the the OD2 Led flickers with heavy palm muting.(usually around 6.0 to 7.0).This means it will overload the booster slightly and this gives some extra grid.OD2 is also set at around 6.5 to 7.0.Now this is for my 3TM modded mp-1.An original is like to stay at 5.0 to 6.0 for both OD levels,else it gets to muddy and there will be too much noise.

[j4q0]

I'm confused.
My MP-1 only has OD1 led on the front panel, Where is the OD2 led?

About the settings, from what I can hear while dialing in tones: Setting the OD1 higher than the OD2 will produce a rounder top end, as opposed to setting the OD1 lower than the OD2 which will produce a tighter more focused tone with some more presence.
I agree with MJMP, as I tend to have the OD1 lower than the OD2, I do however crank up the OD2 a bit more (8.0 max) while keeping the OD1 at 5.0 and going up to 6.0 for a more saturated solo tone.

I don't remember the settings I used with my stock MP-1 I had but I do remember that it used to get muddy with too much gain.

[MarshallJMP]

Well the older mp-1's had a OD1 and OD2 led,later these where changed to INPUT and OD1.I got an older unit and also some newer units.

[trader144]

So I tried setting OD1 to 0 and OD2 to 10 and then vice versa to see the differences at the extreme.

Basically OD1 sounds like a distortion pedal and OD2 is a driven tube amp with compression at the higher levels.

Nevertheless I think it sounds best when both are set about the same.

Not to mention the type of strings really Affects the quality of distortion. I love playing with GHS burnished nickel , but the I may have to change to Ernie balls because they seem to shrill the distortion.

[rnolan]

Hey trader144, for strings, I'd highly recommend DR tight wounds, not too bright when you put them on (like D'Adario, which then fade fast...), then they just maintain their tone, very balanced, very nice under the fingers, after 40 years of trying them all, I've settled on DR tight wounds for electric (10-46 on start scales lengths, 10-52 for Gibsons) and Dr Thomastics for my acoustics.  The tight wounds also give you a bit more output for the same gauge as they wind more mass into the same space (tight wound), actually works