No. 0041991·grunge·5 blocks
Smells Like Teen Spirit
The tone that defined a generation. Cobain's approach to guitar tone was anti-perfectionist: a cheap offset guitar, a Boss DS-1 cranked for maximum aggression, and a Small Clone chorus adding an underwater shimmer. The genius of Teen Spirit is the quiet-verse/loud-chorus dynamic. The verses are clean with chorus; the choruses slam the DS-1 for a wall of scooped, angry distortion. The mid-scooped character is key to the grunge sound: heavy lows, biting highs, and a hollow midrange.
NevermindSignal path · input → output · 6 blocksLive values · Kemper Profiler
Guitar
Fender Mustang
Pickups
SS
Tuning
bridge
Strings
standard
Compressor
One DS
Vintage Chorus
Search Rig Exchange for 'Mesa Boogie'
Plate Reverb
Compressor
← Studio compressor
Intensity
3
Attack
0.0s
Volume
0
One DS
← Boss DS-1
Distortion
8
Tone
5
Volume
7
Vintage Chorus
← EHX Small Clone
Rate
4Hz
Depth
7
Mix
60
Search Rig Exchange for 'Mesa Boogie'
← Mesa/Boogie Studio .22
Gain
6
Bass
6
Middle
3
Treble
5
Plate Reverb
← Studio plate (Sound City sound)
Decay
1.5s
Predelay
20ms
Mix
18
Engineer's note
File 004
The tone that defined a generation. Cobain's approach to guitar tone was anti-perfectionist: a cheap offset guitar, a Boss DS-1 cranked for maximum aggression, and a Small Clone chorus adding an underwater shimmer. The genius of Teen Spirit is the quiet-verse/loud-chorus dynamic. The verses are clean with chorus; the choruses slam the DS-1 for a wall of scooped, angry distortion. The mid-scooped character is key to the grunge sound: heavy lows, biting highs, and a hollow midrange.
— Kurt Cobain
Sources · Verified by
