In Focus, Tips & tricks

What is a MIAB Pedal and How to Set Your Amp for Foundation Tone

Imagine yourself in a cramped rehearsal space, yearning for the thunderous roar of a vintage Marshall stack, but your bandmates (and possibly your neighbors) aren’t quite as enthusiastic about the impending sonic onslaught. Frustrating, isn’t it? Well, frustration ends here. Enter the MIAB pedal – your passport to those iconic British tones, all without the need for ear protection or a forklift!

But what exactly is a MIAB pedal? How can you use it to lay down a rock-solid foundation for your sound? Let’s embark on a tonal journey to find out.

MIAB Pedals: A Brief History

The MIAB pedal, short for “Marshall in a Box,” is a type of guitar pedal designed to emulate the sound of Marshall tube amplifiers, known for their distinctive crunchy and powerful overdriven tones. MIAB pedals are favored by guitarists who seek that classic Marshall amp sound without needing to own or transport a Marshall amp.

MIAB pedals began gaining popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As the guitar pedal market expanded and technology improved, boutique pedal manufacturers and larger companies started to offer high-quality analog MIAB pedals that closely mimicked the classic Marshall tones. This trend has continued to grow, with many players seeking the distinctive British overdriven and distortion sounds associated with Marshall amps through these versatile pedals.

Most MIAB pedals feature controls similar to those found on a Marshall amp, such as gain, volume, and EQ (bass, mid, treble, presence), allowing guitarists to fine-tune their tone. These pedals are often placed directly before a guitar amp (amp tone mostly set to clean), allowing them to interact with the amp’s natural characteristics and create a seamless blend of pedal and amp tones.

Of course, you can certainly pair a MIAB pedal with a dirtier amp setting for a different flavor of tone, or use it as a standalone overdrive or distortion. However, here in this blog, we are talking about an always-on foundation tone.

Understanding Foundation Tones: The Bedrock of Your Sound

The foundation tone in general is the core always-on sound of your guitar rig, the backbone upon which you build your entire sonic identity. You probably know that in most cases it isn’t exactly pristine clean Hi-Fi tone. It has that subtle touch that adds flavor (harmonics, grit, EQ) and makes your sound just right. While plugging your guitar straight into your amp can be enjoyable, sometimes it lacks that extra something special. That missing ingredient often lies in your foundation tone. Refining and enhancing it by “adding something” can make all the difference. A rich, foundation tone is essential for any guitarist, regardless of their preferred style or genre. It is inspirational.

Think of the foundation tone as the „pre-colored canvas” for your musical expression, providing a solid base for layering other effects or simply enjoying its raw, textured beauty. Crafting a rich and inspiring foundation tone is key to unlocking both your guitar’s full sonic potential, and that of your other pedals’.

There are many styles of foundation tones. One option is to set your rig for the British foundation tone (which is our focus here), a sound characterized by its rich harmonics, dynamic response, and touch-sensitive overdrive that has fueled countless iconic guitar performances.

For those captivated by the iconic sounds of British classic NMV amps, achieving that signature foundation tone is a common pursuit. The right MIAB pedal, strategically placed in front of your amp, can be the gateway to this coveted tonal territory.

Foundation Tone Setup Guide: Amp & Pedal Settings

Setting Your Amp's EQ for drive pedals

There are a few “golden rules” that need to be applied while playing with MIAB pedals (or drive pedals in general) to get the best results:

  • Ensure your amp’s clean tone has a flat EQ. That doesn’t mean that your potentiometer markings on the amp all need to be on the same number, but on some amps they could easily be. You don’t want to hear too much Bass or Treble frequencies because you’ll lose a lot of your Middle tone, which is essential for the Guitar.
  • Keep in mind that drive pedals, in general (which include different shades of Fuzz), simply don’t work well with overly bright amps. They tend to sound shrill and harsh. Another important thing to keep in mind is that new speakers tend to sound harsh/cold with a spiky treble tone. That will go away once the speaker “breaks in”.

Setting Your Amp's Volume

  • The last important thing is the Volume. Everything sounds better at a higher volume. That doesn’t mean you need to crank everything up to 10 and blow your ears, but if you play it REALLY quiet, most of the frequencies won’t come out and only the shrill/spiky tones will bleed through your speaker. That won’t work well with any distorted sound. While respecting your surroundings, aim for a volume that lets your amp breathe a bit, especially when using distortion.

Now, turn on your MIAB pedal and the next step is to tweak it. In the following sections, we’ll explore how to set up MIAB pedal in general, and utilize The Engine to achieve a great British Foundation Tone.

Introducing DryBell "The Engine": Beyond MIAB

The Engine is designed to provide great amp-like British tones even when you’re not playing loud. This is exactly what we wanted to achieve with The Engine – to have the ability to play it at a reasonable volume on any amp you have, get everything to sound smooth and inspiring, and to have full control – from clean to mean just with the Volume pot on your guitar. Everything is crafted with unique analog circuitry.

Channel A (MIAB) captures the essence of classic Non-Master Volume amps, delivering authentic Marshall-style tones with remarkable accuracy. However, with the added Rangemaster-style boost on Channel B, you can achieve those classic treble-boosted amp tones, pushing The Engine’s capabilities beyond a typical MIAB pedal.

Setting the MIAB Pedal Volume: The Engine Example

  • Now, once you’re satisfied with your amp’s clean sound and playing volume, turn on The Engine’s side A (channel A) with Gain set at zero and adjust the level (LEVEL A).
    The Engine’s side A works best if you set the volume to a relatively equal level as your bypassed clean tone, preferably at unity gain.

In most cases, players leave side A always turned ON. In that case, The Engine becomes their Foundation Tone Preamp, working in synergy with the amp, and build everything up from that point.

Amp Headroom and its Impact on Tone

MIAB pedals can be used with clean amp settings, where the amp’s headroom allows their unique characteristics and response to shine through. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with other amp settings. Feel free to push your amp into mild breakup or even stronger saturation to achieve different flavors, blending the characteristics and harmonics of the MIAB pedal with your amp’s natural overdrive.

The interplay between the MIAB pedal and your amp can lead to unique sounds. It all depends on your personal taste and the musical genres you play. So, don’t hesitate to explore and discover what sounds best to you. For instance, we like to use The Engine with the amp set clean, allowing its own range of dynamics and British harmonic complexity to come to the forefront.

The Importance of Mids for Guitar Tone

Let’s talk about mids. Some amps don’t have a dedicated Middle control and even some that do are not great at that job. Mids are crucial for shaping distorted sounds and guitar tone in general. That’s why we equipped The Engine with a “Shape” control. Adjust it clockwise until you hear just the right amount of mids/treble for you. If your amp already has plenty of mids, you can also use the “Shape” control to dial them back. It’s a highly effective control, especially live.

  • Now, compare The Engine’s tone with your bypassed tone (amp’s tone). The goal is to have a bit more mids with just enough treble to hear all 6 strings equally, but not too crisp. Then, adjust the Gain control to your liking. If it tends to sound too shrill, play with the Tone/Shape on The Engine or Treble control on your amp, or both. Lastly match the volume (LEVEL A) again.

That’s it. Now that your foundation tone is dialed in, you’re ready to explore the full potential of The Engine by experimenting with its dual-channel design or stacking other pedals on top of that foundation sound.

Summary Tips for Adjusting the Foundation Tone with The Engine (Side A):

  • Ensure the amp’s EQ is flat.
  • Match the volume (LEVEL A) with the amp’s clean tone, with gain (GAIN) set to zero.
  • Adjust mids (SHAPE) to the right level, equal to or slightly higher than the clean tone. Find what works for you.
  • Adjust gain (GAIN) to your liking.
  • Lastly, match the volume again (LEVEL A).

A Plethora of Sonic Combinations with The Engine

In today’s world, “Marshall tone” has a much wider meaning than before. Over several decades, many aspects of those amps have changed, but with The Engine we wanted to cover the tones ranging from Plexi to JCM800 and everything in between. This journey has led to the discovery of numerous rich and useful tones that work beautifully with a clean amp platform, along with the added ability of a treble boost – hence the name Foundation Preamp, rather than just a typical MIAB pedal. The Engine effortlessly delivers a vast spectrum of foundation tones, from sparkling cleans to subtle edge-of-breakup to full-blown hard rock distortions – all with authentic British amp character and response.

Capturing Classic Marshall Tones

We carefully tuned The Engine to accurately capture the response and tone of some of the best Marshall amps from our collection, played through vintage 4×12 cabinets. You can easily achieve the low-end thump with beautiful clean tone or the incredibly rich overdrive of the vintage JTM45/100, the tighter, more compressed and aggressive sound of the JMP50, or the bright cutting overdriven tone of the JCM800. This is achieved by combining both channels and tweaking the EQ knobs. The onboard controls provide a plethora of options for tone shaping.

Exploring The Engine's Versatility

Play with the controls a bit more, and you’ll notice the subtle similarities with other British types of amplifier. By combining both channels, you enter a realm of versatility, making The Engine suitable for emulating not just a Marshall, but also Vox or Hiwatt amps, depending on your settings. The Range and Shape controls are particularly useful for these transformations.

Have in mind that Channel B isn’t just for boosting; it also offers powerful EQ shaping capabilities, allowing you to fine-tune your clean tones to perfection. Unlike Channel A (MIAB), Channel B doesn’t add any saturation on its own.

The Engine responds impressively well to playing techniques and changes in guitar volume, enhancing expressive playing through its dynamic response. Playing through it is a truly special experience.

We invite you to visit our product page to discover the full range of The Engine’s capabilities and learn more about its features.

DryBell The Engine pedal on the stump -photo by ptica_cugalica

Your Tonal Foundation with MIAB…

As we’ve discussed, a solid foundation tone is essential for unlocking your guitar’s tone potential and achieving the sounds you seek. We’ve used The Engine here as an example, but MIAB pedals in general, with their ability to tap into the rich heritage of British amplification, offer a versatile and effective tool for shaping your foundation tone.

If you’re aiming for the tone and feel of a vintage Marshall stack or simply seeking to enhance your amp’s natural character, The Engine is an excellent option to consider. Our customers speak highly of its ability to deliver authentic Marshall Tones, its versatility across a wide range of genres, and its exceptional dynamic response that reacts to your every playing nuance. It empowers you to craft the ideal British foundation for your musical expression.

Visit our product page to explore The Engine’s features, hear audio demos, and take your playing to the next level!

Thanks for reading,
DryBell

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British Amp in a Box & EQ/Rangemaster Boost