Newbie trying to learn.

[spark cargo]

Hello! So I am EXTREMELY new to guitar (I.e. Rented an acoustic that I really didn't like but enjoyed the process of learning it, returned it and found a deal for an electric and amp) and picked a song I am trying to learn.
However I am struggling to create the right distortion I need on the middle part of the song (fyi I have the Boss Katana 50mrkii) any tutorials people know off the top of their head that is explains what everything is actually DOING to the sound? Most tutorials I see just show you how the app works, not what's its actually doing to the sound.
Or maybe a base terminology video I can apply to customizing the amp?
Thanks!

[thick cedar]

these things you can best find out yourself ... look up the actual gear that the amp is emulating... also just trying things out and actually listening to what things do is more valuable than someone telling you that "a compressor reduces your dynamic range"

[spark cargo]

Alright! I guess I am just coming from a different hobby altogether and trying to use the same learning methods here. When I started photography one of the biggest things that helped me was to learn how the camera sensor processed, and decoded light information into the final photo. Same with the physics of the lenses and shutter. So I assumed I could at least start in the same place, learning how pickups worked, how tubes and processors process the incoming sound, stuff like that. But this entirely different so makes sense that wouldn't work here.

Thank you anyways!

[thick cedar]

you can learn what certain things in he 'audio spectrum' is called ... compression does the same with guitar as it does with vocals ... distortion is the same ... a general understanding of termonology is good of course

but probably in photography, using your eyes instead of numbers probably works the same as using your earn in audio production/music

[spark cargo]

Fair enough, I think that's the case for most. For me what it helped me with was figure out why what I was doing had the effect it had. That way I had an easier time doing “theoretically if it processes this way I can do this and should come out like this” and helped my personal trial and error.

[thick cedar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RttNJxF0eU0&t=3s

there's tons of videos

[spark cargo]

But I'm weird so honestly shouldn't matter

[thick cedar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO43syy-9ao

[spark cargo]

Nice

[thick cedar]

it's a bit of an anal approach

kinda sucks the joy of discovery out of things

[spark cargo]

Ya- I'm starting to realize it

[thick cedar]

but those videos kinda explain what things do

[spark cargo]

I'll probably approach it your way for guitar. For photography the entire goal was result, this is new and I want to approach it differently! Thank you for helping me realize that!

[spark cargo]

Thank you!

[thick cedar]

I actually studied arts and also had photography as a subject ... fun thing is that our teacher always thought us not to use the 'golden rules' when it came to composition and lighting and encouraged us to experiment and fuck up

[spark cargo]

10000000% agree

I really hate golden rules like rule of thirds personally

Like yes it lets new people get better shots immediately but I like to direct people I teach to just find a subject and move the camera around with their body and up and down. See if they can find an angle and framing they like

That teacher is a dope teacher

[thick cedar]

She was very dope yes

I was lucky to grow up when teachers actually pushed you to think

[thick cedar]

Rule of thirds works but gets you the most generic photos ever