Do EMG's always sound horrible DI'd?

[AllanD]

This is a clip of my 81 straight into my Firestudio. It sounds like death. I've listened to other people's DI's around here with EMG 89's and whatnot, and they all sound super clean. What is the problem here? Are my pickups broken?



https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1742937/FLAdi.mp3

 

[Kazrog]

You need a DI box. The input on the FireStudio clearly isn't handling things properly.

 

[ParsonsMatt]

The Firestudio Project I had murdered DIs. Made them sound like muddy ass.

 

[AllanD]

So it's the DI's then? I tried plugging into my old passive DI, and it's still the same sound.

 

[AntonioPetrole]

what kinda DI was your old passive one?

 

[Kazrog]

Active pickups work best with an active DI. You're getting analog clipping right now. I recommend the Radial Pro48.

 

[AllanD]

what kinda DI was your old passive one?

It was a Whirlwind DI.

Active pickups work best with an active DI. You're getting analog clipping right now. I recommend the Radial Pro48.

Thanks. I actually have a Bo Hansen DI that I'm preparing to assemble once I get the parts, so we'll see how that goes.

 

[abt]

Active pickups work best with an active DI. You're getting analog clipping right now. I recommend the Radial Pro48.

+1

 

[deLuther]

Some peoples prefers EMG`s on 18V, which really helps with internal clipping.
Also many things depends on guitar used and picking style.
In particular case something is very wrong, signal at -11 db and seriously clipped, such clipping can`t happen internally (in pickup).

 

[Jackal_Strain]

I recently had to lower my pickup height to reduce clipping in the signal. My Di's peaked at -6-7dB and they were visibly clipping on almost every note. Once I lowered them, the clipping was gone on all, but the notes with the heaviest picking. I believe some clipping on the signal is unavoidable with Emg's due to the internal clipping in the pickup.
I'm using a passive DI box and getting great results.

 

[John_C]

the problem here isn't anything to do with subtle changes (active/passive DI, pickup position etc...). You also don't need a dedicated DI to get workable results, although it can make a big difference in brightness/tightness

you're just driving the input WAY too high! Isn't there a trim control or similar on the firestudio?

 

[Keregioz]

Have you tried changing the battery? Curiously enough when the battery on EMG pickups is low instead of having low signal it starts to clip like that.

If that's the case, though, you should be having similar problems straight to an amp's clean channel.

 

[AllanD]

Some peoples prefers EMG`s on 18V, which really helps with internal clipping.
Also many things depends on guitar used and picking style.
In particular case something is very wrong, signal at -11 db and seriously clipped, such clipping can`t happen internally (in pickup).

I pick pretty hard close to the pickup, and I'm using an Agile 3100 Les Paul with Mahogany. I've thought about trying the 18v, but there's only one battery holder in my guitar :|

the problem here isn't anything to do with subtle changes (active/passive DI, pickup position etc...). You also don't need a dedicated DI to get workable results, although it can make a big difference in brightness/tightness

you're just driving the input WAY too high! Isn't there a trim control or similar on the firestudio?

It's average -12 db, and apparently the gain staging is set so at the lowest setting, it's similar to a -20db pad.

Have you tried changing the battery? Curiously enough when the battery on EMG pickups is low instead of having low signal it starts to clip like that.

If that's the case, though, you should be having similar problems straight to an amp's clean channel.

Yep, tried 3 batteries already.

I recently had to lower my pickup height to reduce clipping in the signal. My Di's peaked at -6-7dB and they were visibly clipping on almost every note. Once I lowered them, the clipping was gone on all, but the notes with the heaviest picking. I believe some clipping on the signal is unavoidable with Emg's due to the internal clipping in the pickup.
I'm using a passive DI box and getting great results.

I've tried to where the pickup is literally inside the pickup cover!

 

[John_C]

ok....so have you tried the same input with a different guitar/pickup? have you tried it through an amp?

I'm presuming you have, but you hadn't specifically said so.

 

[MrBIOSkunk]

Man why the hell are those dropbox links nearly always dead - i wanna listen to the DI!!!! Dude can you upload the Di example again - cheers man!!

 

[ahjteam]

Man why the hell are those dropbox links nearly always dead

because this is a necrothread

 

[TheDude]

You need a DI box. The input on the FireStudio clearly isn't handling things properly.

Strange, the Firestudio has a 1M ohm input, while the Radial J48 has a 220K ohm so in theory, the Firestudio should work awesome.

Also, the EMG's need to be close to the strings in order to work like they're supposed to, according to EMG.

Three bad batteries?

Edit: Goddamn necrothread. Missed that.

 

[Kazrog]

The J48/Pro48 have an input pad. Perhaps you can pad the input of your FireStudio with an external pad... but your mileage may vary.

 

[deLuther]

But Pad button on some DIs can change impedance, at least Countryman DIs do this, Radial`s seems don`t have such behavior.
Not only impedance does matter, but also maximum input level, low level can lead to clipping at preamp.

 

[AllanD]

Man why the hell are those dropbox links nearly always dead - i wanna listen to the DI!!!! Dude can you upload the Di example again - cheers man!!

Lol, why? Sorry man, I don't have it anymore. A few batteries later, and it turned out fine. Weird