Listener fatigue or amp sounds just too harsh??

Been working on retooling my performance sounds using the GMD40, which I absolutely love for its versatility using its MIDI capability, with a BOSS GT-1000 multi-effects processor as MIDI controller...much better than the BOSS GT-100 which had serious limitations in that area. Can essentially program set lists into the GT-1000 and avoid all the pedal dancing of the past. Aiming for appropriate levels of overdrive/distortion for the songs we play: clean, clean with a touch of breakup, crunch, & filthy (lead channel), the fullest sound I can get for each without being harsh, ice-picky or muddy. Am starting off with as high a volume as I can for the level of gain I want, and dialing back the resonance with the dirtier sounds to avoid mud. And yes I realize these are "bedroom" sounds and will need later adjustment in the full band mix. Am also employing the 4CM method, with the output level from the GT-1000 into the GMD40 effects loop delivering something very close to what I'd get by just plugging the guitar in directly to the amp input.

Anyway, things sounded great when I initially dialed in what I wanted, then as I kept practicing as I did for the better part of the day yesterday, I couldn't stand to hear anything but the clean sound and had to stop. Did I just experience what's known as "listener fatigue," or am I realizing things were too harsh all along, and should dial back the gain more than I thought?

Part of the trouble may stem from attempting to simulate the huge sound of multi-tracked guitar parts that are mostly clean or slightly overdriven on record, that when brought together deliver that huge sound we hear on records by bands such as Green Day, to name the first that came to mind. Advice welcome!!

Hi Bill.  That's an interesting problem you have there.

The first thing that jumps to my mind is what speakers are you using?  I have experienced myself playing a gig using my Marshall SC20H with settings sounding fine at the start then hearing the sound almost thin out and become more brittle towards the end of the first set.  Turning the amp off between sets, (you maybe know from other posts that I never use the Standby), and worrying about it through the break led to a second set where the sound came back to great sounding at the start but with just a hint of the harshness coming in by the end.  I honestly wondered if I had a problem with a valve going off, or whether the speakers were suffering from some heating phenomenon.  The SC20H is only ever used on 5W setting but it is a Marshall!  Even so you would have thought that my 2x Greenback G12M speakers would not have suffered any issue at that level.

I wonder if it would help if you set your levels with the speakers having been driven hard for a period to almost heat them in.  The whole heater including the massive magnet assembly, not only the coil assembly, would need to be brought up to temp as it acts as a heatsink for the coil.  That way you would have the right sound as they come up after a few numbers.  Speakers are much more odd beasts than we give them credit for.

I have the HK 112 speaker cab, so that's a Celestion Vintage 30 residing within.

After yesterday post I dialed back the gain on everything just enough to be barely perceptible. If still harsh I'll go with your suggestion to break things in a bit and then make the changes...thanks!!

It might not be the problem Bill but it is at least worth thinking about. I never have got to the bottom of it and it doesn't seem to affect me in any noticeable way now. That said I also reached a point near then where the speakers actually broke in fully and started producing much smoother sounds so it might just have been that. I would definitely try setting up a couple of voices after playing hard for some time then seeing what they sound like at first switch on. If it is a speaker harshness issue as temperature rises then you would expect them to be noticeably cleaner when you use them with cold speakers.

Let me know how you get on, it might help me too!