Dry Signal Help Needed

[Necr6phag1st]

Hi there,

I'm making some recordings at home, but when I record some guitar part, and then export it (24bit - 44100hz) and import it back to reamp the signal...well the dry signal becomes way to dirty.

I'm currently using Cubase 5. My signal chain is guitar, toneport GX (line 6) to pc via usb.

I'm using ToneportGX as a driver in Cubase and not an ASIO one...since It has a lower latency.

Cubase and Toneport are correctly setup (drivers, inputs, outputs...etc etc.)

So I'm using the toneport as a DI...Do you think this is the problem? The lack of capacity for the tone port to process the dry signal?

Other thing that I assume is making my dry signal dirty is the fact I'm using EMG active pickups in this recordings.

Do you guys think that a tube preamp and a DI would make an huge impact in the sound quality.

If someone has some tips or if I'm making some noob mistake, help would be apreciated.

PS: I used the search button, before asking these.

Thanks in advance for your replies...and sorry for some possible mistakes (but I'm Portuguese).

 

[thefalloftheheretic]

The fact that it's a Line 6 might have something to do with it, but EMGs are designed to clip.

 

[JohnTheRipper]

Yeah dude, active pickups clip a LOT when played hard. That's the suckiest thing about them. I have ibanez lz3 active pickups that work at 3v, and when i play through the bridge pickup it's like having overdrive on it. To get rid of it lower your pickup height until you can't hear any more clipping (might be the lowest setting possible).

 

[Necr6phag1st]

First of all, thank you for both your replies.

Do you guys think that this can be fixed, using a proper DI box? Or the best way is realy lower the pickup height or use a passive pickup to record instead?

 

[Terminus]

Yeah you could lower the pickup, or do the 18 volt mod where you'd use two batteries to give you more headroom. Probably the way to go if you dislike the clipping. I actually kind of like it myself but das boot diem.

 

[JakeAC5253]

Hmm, tough to say. Do you have a recording of this? The EMG's do clip, but I think their high voltage output and low output z may be distorting the input of the toneport. Don't know if other people with this rig have had this trouble. Is it still a problem once you put an amp sim on it?

Another thing that you said was that after recording you exported and re-imported it. Why? Once you have the DI recorded and it is in the DAW, you are ready to reamp.

 

[Sloan]

What about using an inline pad with actives? Anyone tried this?

 

[AngryD]

You're not running a line level into that amp are you?

 

[JohnTheRipper]

Yeah the low z and high output can definetly clip the input on the toneport. I actually noticed my pickups clipped most when i played through a digital input, like a processor. If i plug in straight into an amp (solid-state) i don't really notice much clipping.

 

[Necr6phag1st]

Another thing that you said was that after recording you exported and re-imported it. Why? Once you have the DI recorded and it is in the DAW, you are ready to reamp.

I did it beacuse I read in here that you should do this once you recorded the dry signal. Actually I didn't understand why I would had to do that (like you said once the DI is recorded, there's no point to do this)...but since I'm a noob in reamping, I followed that particular tutorial. But thanks, now I know that I was right and don't need to continue on doing that.

The sound get's "disguised", when I put an amp sim, but I have to process a lot more the signal...and in this case less is better, so the less I have to process to get the sound I want the better. But thank you for all you guys advices, I will try them and see if I can get the sound I'm looking for.

P.S: Answering to the other comment, no I'm not using a line in. Guess it's time to star to use one.

I would like also to ask you guys what do you think is better "quality wise"?

Record at 24 bits via USB or via soundcard (line in mono) at the same rate?

At the moment I only can do it via the Toneport USB, since my oundcard only goes up to 16bit, but if you guys think that I would benefit if using a good soundcard let me know please.