Cable question...

[Brutality001]

Hey guys, my guitar tone sucks. Ive been trying to find out why for quite a while and im 99.9% sure its my DIs as i have mixed other peoples Dis with no problem.

I am using Ampsims and have a horrible harshness that i really cant get rid of with EQ or by trying to dial it out on the sim.

Ive been reading around the forum and have seen a few threads about cables and how they can effect inteferance and clarity.

The cable im using is one i was given about 5 years ago, looks cheapish (not really cheap), has been repaired a couple times and is fucking massive!!! like 30ft! lmao

Now ive realised this is probably way too long. I cant afford to get a new cable right now (seriously poor) lol.

My question is this: When I plug my guitar in and turn it up distortion and all but dont strum anything there is no noise as in no noticable inteference noise. Does this mean there is no inteference? Or can the Actual signal when im playing still have inteference?

If so will i notice much of a difference if i cut about 3 metres off and use that?

Thanks.

 

[Shinozoku]

Well, after reading Oz's Reamp preparation tut, it seems that the less cable the better. So wire two jacks together and plug the DI box straight into your guitar

But in all seriousness, whack that cable into thirds and use 10ft. See if that helps. If not, check your wiring or the interaction between the pickups and the DI box's input impedance (as calculated in the Reamp tut thread stickied on these vary forums).

You may only be getting 1.5% of your signal recorded

 

[Brutality001]

Thanks for the reply.

I think i will split the cable into thirds and see if that helps.
I thought it might have been my pickups so i just installed a new active pickup and have the same problem.
Im using a Pod studio GX and if anything the signal is too hot. It sucks cus the GX doesnt have an input level knob as it only has an instrument input so i have been putting a flat eq on my input FX and lowering the gain on that a few DB, dont know how bad that is but its not clipping.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Thanks for the reply.

I think i will split the cable into thirds and see if that helps.
I thought it might have been my pickups so i just installed a new active pickup and have the same problem.
Im using a Pod studio GX and if anything the signal is too hot. It sucks cus the GX doesnt have an input level knob as it only has an instrument input so i have been putting a flat eq on my input FX and lowering the gain on that a few DB, dont know how bad that is but its not clipping.

If it's clipping on the way in, lowering the signal after the input stage will just lower the level of the clipped signal. Definitely a problem right there.

What axe and which pickups?

 

[Brutality001]

Here is a clip. There is no clarity at all in the open string parts (the higher notes) This is the best tone i could get.

I get much better results using the same software for other peoples DIs.

This was recorded with old strings as im kind of just demoing for myself atm

Is that part of if not THE problem??

I seriously do need to get a new cable also though i think.

[SOUNDCLOUD]http://soundcloud.com/brutality001/harsh-guitar [/SOUNDCLOUD]

Thanks

 

[Brutality001]

Reaper says its clipping on the way in but after lowering it with the EQ and looking at the waveform it doesnt look clipped.

Im using an ibanez grg with a dragonfire 85. (say what you will lol)

EDIT: As in lowering the flat EQ on the input FX before recording.

EDIT2: That recording was done before swapping the pickup

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Yes, old strings will sound dull and lifeless compared to new ones, but IIRC some of Ola's DI's are tracked with age-old strings.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Reaper says its clipping on the way in but after lowering it with the EQ and looking at the waveform it doesnt look clipped.

If it's clipping on the way in, it's clipping. I'm not sure what you mean by "input FX", but unless you're lowering the level of the signal with an EQ BEFORE the signal goes from your cable into the input of the interface, the signal is already clipped and a software FX on the recording chain won't do you any good.

Im using an ibanez grg with a dragonfire 85. (say what you will lol)

Sorry mate, but you're trying to get a great tone with a $250 starter kit guitar, a strange pickup (I'm not familiar with this particular one, but the model number suggests it's a cheapo EMG copy?), old strings and a clipping input stage. Even though the cable might affect the tone (I'm absolutely not ruling it out), you have other issues to fix as well. Starting from the clipping input.

 

[Brutality001]

Yes i remember seeing that hed used near rusty strings on a recording XD tbh mine arent any better right now

 

[Brutality001]

I understand exactly what your saying. The pickup is indeed a cheapo EMG copy although the build quality isnt cheap, i did as much research as i could and read some reviews from people who know what theyre talking about a bit more than me and they were all quite impressed i certainly am, Its alot better than my stock passive.

I replaced all of the electrics in my guitar.

Im a bit confused about the clipping thing it doesnt sound or look like its clipping after lowering the gain in reaper.

I definatly wasnt clipping before when i had the passive in there and i still had this problem.

 

[drew_drummer]

Im a bit confused about the clipping thing it doesnt sound or look like its clipping after lowering the gain in reaper.

I definatly wasnt clipping before when i had the passive in there and i still had this problem.

What audio interface are you using?

 

[Brutality001]

Pod Studio GX

 

[bryan_kilco]

Lowering the gain in Reaper wont help, you need to lower the gain before it gets into Reaper, so on your POD - lower the input gain!

 

[Brutality001]

It sucks cus the GX doesnt have an input level knob as it only has an instrument input so i have been putting a flat eq on my input FX and lowering the gain on that a few DB, dont know how bad that is but its not clipping.

it doesnt sound or look like its clipping after lowering the gain in reaper.

looking at the waveform it doesnt look clipped.

Seriously guys this is all i want to know:

My question is this: When I plug my guitar in and turn it up distortion and all but dont strum anything there is no noise as in no noticable inteference noise. Does this mean there is no inteference? Or can the Actual signal when im playing still have inteference?

If so will i notice much of a difference if i cut about 3 metres off and use that?

Basically will i have something a bit better to deal with until i get a new cable by doing this?? is it worth it?

Honestly it doesnt even matter that much