Attenuated high end when reamping? Help!

[Exocaster]

I tried a reamping experiment the other night, and I found my reamped tracks had lost a bit of high end compared to the non-reamped tracks I recorded through the same rig. I'm a reamping n00b, and the equipment I used was hardly first-rate (my old iBook/MBox that lives in my jam room) so please bear with me here.

Here's my signal chains:

Guitar- LTD EC1000. Seymour Duncan Custom 5 (bridge) and '59 (neck) --> Boss TU-2 as a signal splitter.

TU-2 normal out --> Boss SD-1 --> Pod XT (L6 Treadplate and AC30 models) --> MBox input 1 (line)

TU-2 bypass out --> MBox input 2 (line)

Yes, I know it would be ideal for me to use the MBox's instrument input, but the clipping indicator on the pre came on occasionally (a strummed open A minor, for example) even with the gain down all the way. The Custom 5 isn't exactly an uber-output pickup, so I wasn't expecting this. I found setting the input to "line" gave me a strong enough signal with plenty of headroom.

I recorded two tests, one high gain and one clean, taking a track from the XT and a clean, dry, direct track each time. Afterwards, I sent the DI track back through the same rig (SD-1 --> Pod XT --> MBox) running from the MBox's unbalanced out, after bringing up the slider a bit to approximate the strength of the original signal. (About 2.5db, if you're wondering.)

I found the reamped tracks were lacking a bit in brightness and top end detail compared to the original "amped" tracks, through the same patches with the same settings. The tones were fine otherwise; you'd have to be listening with a very critical ear to notice, but I suppose that's why we're posting here in the first place. So I'm curious as to why this is.

Is it the length of the cable runs? I used 12' Lava cables and a pair of 1' Lava patch cables to connect the whole thing. Was the reamped signal simply run through too much unbalanced instrument cable?

Is it the A/D conversion on the MBox? I know it's certainly not the greatest thing going in that respect. (I'm recording at 16/44.1, for what it's worth)

Is it the bypass out on the TU-2 I was using as a splitter? I realize in retrospect it's something I didn't test for; a difference in sound between the two outputs.)

Or is this just something inherent in the nature of reamping- a direct recorded guitar tone will respond differently than the same thing, played live through the amp.

Or is it something else entirely?

I prefer darker tones anyway, and I don't think this will be too difficult for me to compensate for, but all the same, I'd like to know what's going on here.

Oddly enough, despite not having a proper DI or dedicated reamp box there, the high end loss was the only issue I had with the reamped tracks.

Anyone?

 

[Soundlurker]

It might be a combination of all the things you wrote about. I would expect hi-end loss due to the low impedance of the line input.
How do you send the DI track through the same rig, what output are you using? It might be the lack of a reamp box, as well .

 

[Exocaster]

It might be a combination of all the things you wrote about. I would expect hi-end loss due to the low impedance of the line input.
How do you send the DI track through the same rig, what output are you using? It might be the lack of a reamp box, as well .

I'll see what I can do about that instrument input, then. It really shouldn't be overloading with a medium output passive pickup.

I used the unbalanced main out from the MBox. Just disconnected the guitar and the TU-2 from the chain, and ran a guitar cable straight from the output to the in on the SD-1.

I wasn't expecting a useable result at all, actually. I was expecting ground loop hum from the lack of a DI/reamp box, but I figured I'd give it a shot anyway, just to see if it worked...