Manual-accurate gear settings · Butter Machine + Badger 18 Mk II · slow practice for fast progress
80 BPM · 3 MIN BACKING✓ MANUALS VERIFIED
What changed in v2
SD-9 dropped: Replaced by the Vemuram Butter Machine (Landau signature). Different control set entirely — Volume, Gain, Tone main knobs PLUS two internal trim pots (Low-Mid and Sparkle) you set once and leave.
Badger Mk II clarified: Per Suhr's manual, the controls are Power, Drive, Bass, Middle, Treble, Gain — all numbered 1-10. Tone knobs are post-gain passive-cut, so 5 is neutral and higher numbers let MORE of that frequency through. Suhr's own recommendation: "Start around 5 and dial to taste." Mk II also has a footswitchable MOSFET Boost.
Practice values now use Suhr's factory "On The Edge" preset as the starting point (Power 7, Drive 8, Bass 4, Mid 7, Treble 7, Gain 4-5) adapted for low volume.
Trim pots noted: Butter Machine's Low-Mid and Sparkle trimmers are set-once values. They live INSIDE the pedal (open the case). No need to touch them between practice and performance.
This is a complete practice session with manual-verified gear settings. The backing MIDI is at 80 BPM — half tempo. The console below tracks time and self-feedback. Don't rush. Slow is fast.
Practice Console
READY · NOT STARTED
00:00
Session Time
Phase Tracker
Click the current phase as you move through.
PHASE 01
Warm-up
5 min
PHASE 02
The Bend
10 min
PHASE 03
Section A
10 min
PHASE 04
Section C Pivot
10 min
PHASE 05
Full Backing
10 min
Self-Feedback Checklist
Tick these honestly. Count what's HAPPENING, not what you HOPE happens.
My F#→A bend (B-string fret 7→9) arrives in tune.
My vibrato on sustained notes is steady, not wobbling.
I can play the rhythm chuga cleanly along with the backing.
I felt the pivot when the backing went to Dm — I changed mental tonic.
I used the b6 (G note) at least once and it sounded purposeful.
I left space — at least one full bar of rest somewhere.
I hit C natural (b7 of D) at least once over Dm, with intent.
I stayed locked with the drums for at least 8 consecutive bars.
Session Score
0 / 8
TONEPractice Tone Setup
Manual-accurate settings for your updated rig. Practice tone is different from performance tone — lower gain, less reverb/delay, more articulation. You want to HEAR your mistakes, not hide them.
The Practice Tone — Honest & Articulate
Based on Suhr's factory "On The Edge" preset starting point, with the Butter Machine kicked back from its usual hot setting, and reverb/delay pulled in tight.
Suhr S — Guitar
With ML pickups
PickupBridge or Pos 2
Volume8
Tone7
Bridge or Position 2 (bridge+mid) for practice — exposes timing and attack. Tone at 7 keeps the ML sparkle alive.
Vemuram Butter Machine
Landau signature distortion · main knobs + 2 internal trimmers
Main knobs (front panel)
Volume12 o'clock
Gain10 o'clock (low)
Tone12 o'clock (neutral)
Internal trim pots (set once, leave)
Low-Mid (trim)1 o'clock (warm body)
Sparkle (trim)11 o'clock (warm top)
Manual confirmed: Front panel = Volume, Gain, Tone. Internal trimmers = Low-Mid and Sparkle. Open the pedal once to set the trims (these stay set forever). The Butter Machine cleans up beautifully when you roll your guitar volume back — that's its signature. For practice, keep gain at 10 o'clock — enough character to feel like the song, not so much that mistakes hide.
Xotic AC+
Channel A only · acts as Jan Ray-style shimmer
ChannelA only
Volume A12 o'clock
Tone A12 o'clock
Gain A8 o'clock (minimal)
Boost switchOFF for practice
Manual confirmed: Channel A has Volume, Tone, Gain knobs + Boost switch (+3dB low/mid). For practice, Boost OFF — you want clarity, not extra body that hides flaws.
Suhr Badger 18 Mk II
Cathode biased EL84 · 5Y3GT rectifier · all knobs 1-10
Suhr's factory preset adapted
Power5 (~3W)
Drive6 (Power+1)
Gain4
Tone (post-gain passive cut)
Bass4
Middle6
Treble5
Mk II features
MOSFET BoostOFF (footswitch)
ImpedanceMatch speaker
From actual Suhr manual: "Recommend starting around 5 and dialing to taste." Drive within 2 of Power keeps natural overdrive character down to 1 watt. The Mk II's footswitchable MOSFET Boost stays OFF for practice — it's a solo lift, not a base tone. Note: as you increase Gain/Drive, dial Bass BACK (Suhr's specific advice) to keep low end clear.
Mobius — Light Chorus
In Badger FX loop · subtle dimension
TypeChorus dBucket
Speed9 o'clock
Depth10 o'clock
Mix (menu)25% (subtle)
Headroom12 o'clock (clean)
Reduced from performance setting. 25% mix is dimension without masking timing issues. Headroom at noon keeps chorus clean — no saturation in the modulation.
Strymon Timeline — Short Tape
Wet path · dTape · slap-style
MachinedTape
Time300ms
Repeats9 o'clock (1 repeat)
Mix5 o'clock (100% wet)
Filter (Tape Age)12 o'clock
Grit (Tape Bias)9 o'clock (optimal)
Depth (W&F)9 o'clock (minimal)
Manual-confirmed dTape knob remapping: Filter = Tape Age, Grit = Tape Bias (9:00 = optimal per Strymon), Depth = Wow & Flutter. For practice: short delay, one repeat, neutral bias — the echo confirms your timing without masking it.
Strymon BigSky — Small Room
Wet path · Room machine · dry & tight
MachineRoom
Decay9 o'clock (short)
Pre-Delay8 o'clock
Mix5 o'clock (100% wet)
Tone12 o'clock
Mod8 o'clock (minimal)
Size (menu)Small
Switched from Hall (performance) to Room (practice). Small size, short decay. You want to hear yourself, not a cathedral. Save the Arena Hall for when you're playing the song properly.
Mesa 5:25 (Wet Amp)
Channel 1 Clean · transparent receiver
Channel1 Clean
Power5W Class A
Gain2
Bass / Mid / Treble5 / 5 / 5
Onboard reverbOFF
Volume20% below performance
Mesa neutral. Onboard reverb OFF (BigSky owns the room). Volume pulled back 20% from performance — your DRY signal should be dominant during practice so you hear YOUR playing.
The practice tone philosophy
A great performance tone hides mistakes because it sounds flattering. A great practice tone EXPOSES them so you can fix them. The Butter Machine cleans up dynamically when you roll the volume back — use that. The Badger Mk II runs at low power for bedroom volume. The wet path is dry and tight so you can hear your own attack. When the practice tone reveals a flaw, you can fix it.
SESSIONThe 45-Minute Session
Five phases. Click each card in the console as you move through. Total: 45 minutes.
Phase 1 · Warm-up
5 MIN · NO BACKING
The Slow Walk — B Aeolian
Before anything else. One note per beat at 60 BPM. Ascending and descending. Wake your hands and ears up.
e|----------------------------|
B|-------------------7-8-10---|
G|------------7-9-------------|
D|------7-9-------------------|
A|--7-9-----------------------|
E|----------------------------|
B C# D E F# G A B C
R 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 R 2
Accent the G note (b6) slightly as you pass through. That's the dark colour note that makes Aeolian sound cinematic. Train your ear to hear it as meaningful.
Phase 2 · The Bend
10 MIN · METRONOME 60 BPM
F# → A — In Tune, Every Time
The signature gesture. Master this before anything else.
e|--------------------|
B|--7-b(9)~~~~~~~9---|
G|--------------------|
REFERENCE FIRST: play A (G-string fret 14). Hear it.
THEN bend B-string fret 7 up. Match the pitch.
Hold for 4 beats with vibrato. Release slowly.
20 reps minimum.
B — Root F# (bend FROM) A (bend TO) Scale tones
Use your guitar volume here
Roll your Suhr volume down to 6. The Butter Machine cleans up dramatically — perfect for hearing the bend's pure pitch. Then roll volume back up to 8 for the actual song work. This is the Butter Machine's signature trick — dynamic response to volume.
Phase 3 · Section A
10 MIN · BACKING TRACK · BARS 1-32
The 7th Fret Box in Context
Start the backing MIDI. First 12 bars after count-in are Bm. Just play in the 7th fret box. Use the F#→A bend. Use Lick 2 (descending tail). Improvise in the language.
Tempo ladder
60
Crawl
70
Comfortable
80
Backing
100
Reaching
134
Song tempo
Drop tempo in your DAW. Start at 60 BPM if you need to. If you can't play it cleanly slow, you can't play it fast.
Phase 4 · The Pivot
10 MIN · BACKING TRACK · DM SECTION
D Dorian Over Dm — Find Home
The backing modulates to Dm around 1:30. Your brain has to switch from "Bm home" to "Dm home." Same scale, different target tones.
D — New root C (b7 - Dorian) & F (b3) Scale tones
The drill
Find D on the neck (G-string fret 7, D-string fret 12, B-string fret 15). Play it. Hold it. Hear it as home.
Find C (G-string fret 5, B-string fret 13). That's the Dorian colour. Land on it occasionally.
Find F (G-string fret 10, D-string fret 15). The b3.
Improvise — but every phrase should end on D, C, or F. NEVER end on B or F# (those are Bm landmarks, not Dm).
The pivot is mental, not physical
You don't have to move your hands. The 7th fret box still contains all the right notes. What changes is which note you're TARGETING. In Bm: target F# and D. In Dm Dorian: target D and C. Same fingers, different home.
Phase 5 · Full Backing
10 MIN · 3 FULL PASSES
Play Along — Three Times Through
Pass 1: Just survive. Play the box. Make it to the end without stopping.
Pass 2: Add intent. F#→A bend in section A. b6 (G) once in section B. C (b7) when Dm starts.
Pass 3: Phrase like a singer. Leave space. Repeat motifs with variation. Don't fill every beat.
After phase 5, fill in the feedback checklist HONESTLY
A real 4/8 today is more useful than a fake 8/8. Next session, aim for 5/8.
FIXIf Something's Not Working
Common Problems · Common Fixes
QUICK DIAGNOSIS
"My bend is always sharp"
Over-bending because you're not using your ear. Play the target note (A on G-string fret 14) BEFORE you bend. Hear the pitch. Then bend. Your ear tells your finger when to stop.
"My bend is always flat"
Three-finger technique: index fret 7, middle fret 8, ring fret 9 (the strong finger doing the work). Bend comes from wrist rotation, not finger push.
"The Butter Machine sounds harsh at low volumes"
Roll your guitar volume back to 6-7. The Butter Machine's whole magic is dynamic response to volume — it cleans up beautifully. If still harsh, pull GAIN down to 9 o'clock. If still harsh, open the pedal and check the Sparkle trim — turn it counter-clockwise.
"Too much low end / mud at low volumes"
Per Suhr's manual: "As you increase Gain and/or Drive we recommend dialing back the Bass." Drop Badger Bass to 3. Also check Butter Machine Low-Mid trim — turn it counter-clockwise.
"I can't feel the pivot"
When the chord changes, deliberately stop playing for 1 bar. Find D on the neck. Play it. Hold it. Now play again with D as your home.
"My timing is rushing"
Drop tempo by 20%. Play only quarter notes for 2 minutes. Build back up gradually.
"The backing track is too fast"
Drop to 60 BPM in your DAW. Reaper is free. There's no shame in playing slowly. Every great guitarist did when they were learning.