Presence control

A front-panel control that boosts or cuts the very top of an amplifier's frequency range, usually acting on the power section rather than the tone stack.

Presence is often described as the control that makes a guitar cut through a mix, because it works in the region where pick attack and string definition live rather than on the overall treble. On many valve amplifiers it is implemented as a filter in the negative-feedback loop around the output stage, which means it behaves differently from the treble knob in the tone stack and interacts with the amount of feedback the design uses. Turning it up adds bite and air; turning it right down softens the attack.

Example: A lead sound that suddenly sits forward in the band when the presence control is raised slightly is benefiting from the top-end lift.

Presence control

See also