HELP! Focusrite Scarlett clipping problems

[MystycalFanfare]

Hi all,
I have a problem with my new audio interface Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. When I put my electric guitar directly into instrument input on 2i2, I got clipping input signal easily. Thought the gain knob is still zero (all the way down), the input still get clipping easily. When I touch the guitar the input indicator going to green, when I soft picking its going to orange, and when I strumming it's going red!

I've tried to figure it out for days until now I'm getting frustrated. Hope somebody could help.

Pardon my English.

 

[bassguy]

The gain knob won't have any effect when your plugging your guitar into an instrument input.

Anyway there's nothing wrong with your interface other than the actual design of the interface itself. The low end focusrite interfaces (and lots of other low end interfaces by lots of other companies) don't provide enough headroom on the instrument inputs to record a guitar DI without clipping.

Solutions:

- Buy a DI box (this way the mic pre gain WILL have an effect on the signal you record, you can have as much or as little as you need)
- Try using a pad between your guitar and interface (you can usually get a small attenuator for less than $5, but it may affect the tone of your guitar)
- Buy a new interface - if you do that make sure you replace it with one that does give you enough headroom on the instrument inputs to record guitar DI's.


I have no problems with clipping, and I just use a countryman type 85 DI > scarlett 18i6

 

[dale_a_smith]

turn the volume down on your guitar a bit!

Its not ideal, but in the short term it should help you get a usable level..

 

[viralz]

I had the same problem with the scarlett 8i6, finally replaced it with an interface that has an adjustable pad.

 

[sn!ppet]

a friend of mine has the same problem with his scarlet.
just get a different interface, you won't be happy with this one...

 

[MystycalFanfare]

Thanks all, nice to hear something from you when I'm getting frustrated.

The gain knob won't have any effect when your plugging your guitar into an instrument input.

Anyway there's nothing wrong with your interface other than the actual design of the interface itself. The low end focusrite interfaces (and lots of other low end interfaces by lots of other companies) don't provide enough headroom on the instrument inputs to record a guitar DI without clipping.

Solutions:

- Buy a DI box (this way the mic pre gain WILL have an effect on the signal you record, you can have as much or as little as you need)
- Try using a pad between your guitar and interface (you can usually get a small attenuator for less than $5, but it may affect the tone of your guitar)
- Buy a new interface - if you do that make sure you replace it with one that does give you enough headroom on the instrument inputs to record guitar DI's.


I have no problems with clipping, and I just use a countryman type 85 DI > scarlett 18i6

If I use DI, the output is balanced/mic output as far as I know. So in this case, do you put to mic input on interface with mic cable from DI?
Or is there any adapter that can change inst level to line level so I could put to line input on interface?

turn the volume down on your guitar a bit!

Its not ideal, but in the short term it should help you get a usable level..

I've tried turn the volume on the guitar, but the result is weird powerless sound (cause I'm using treble bleed circuit on guitar pot).

 

[dale_a_smith]

Yeah. Just put a mic lead from the XLR on the DI, to the Mic input on the interface.
The Interface will detect the difference between line and mic in any case, so you don't need to worry either way..

 

[Lon]

had the same problem with a focusrite USB6, i went for a guarantee-exchange, new one preforms splendidly.

 

[DanLights]

If you're low on cash, get a Palmer Pan-01 DI, super cheap and works fine. If you're not low on cash, then just get a better interface, the Saffire (not USB) has not given me any problems recording both bass and guitar straight to the instrument input.

 

[dale_a_smith]

for like £30 more you can get the Saffire pro 14 which is a much better interface. ( but you will need firewire )

 

[MystycalFanfare]

Yeah. Just put a mic lead from the XLR on the DI, to the Mic input on the interface.
The Interface will detect the difference between line and mic in any case, so you don't need to worry either way..

Will it affected the original guitar tone? I would like to keep my DI guitar n bass track so I could bring the files to my friend's studio that have awesome plugins and amps to reamp.

If you're low on cash, get a Palmer Pan-01 DI, super cheap and works fine. If you're not low on cash, then just get a better interface, the Saffire (not USB) has not given me any problems recording both bass and guitar straight to the instrument input.

I have an active DI Behringer Ultra GI G100, but I'm not try it yet since I don't have mic lead.
The Palmer that you mentioned is passive DI. Is that works same?

 

[dale_a_smith]

Your guitar tone won't be compromised by a DI box like the Palmer, but it will be if you use a Behringer.

Again, that's really a short term solution. You can do it with the Behringer, but all the great plugins in the world won't rescue a bad recording.

For the purpose of this, Passive DIs and Active DIs are the same yes..

 

[MystycalFanfare]

Okay, I will considering to buy a palmer or radial DIs.
Thanks a lot guys, it's really big help!

 

[Trevoire520]

for like £30 more you can get the Saffire pro 14 which is a much better interface. ( but you will need firewire )

Saffire Pro 14 still clips with the input gain all the way down.

 

[Trevoire520]

- Buy a DI box (this way the mic pre gain WILL have an effect on the signal you record, you can have as much or as little as you need)

??? Every interface I've ever had the level for the instrument input is effected by the gain pot. Your signal is still going through the mic amp, just it's coming in via the instrument input which adjusts the impedance for a guitar/bass.

Also be aware folks, buying a DI box isn't necessarily going to solve your problems in a situation like this. Or at least not without possibly causing more.

The problem is caused by the interface being designed with a high amount of gain even at the pot's lowest position (I think on the Focusrite's it's something lke 10-13dB!)

Using a DI you can pad the signal, but depending on the design this can alter the input impedance to something less than optimal. For example the BSS AR133 goes from 1 Mohm at 0dB, to 47 Kohm with the -20dB pad in. With a BSS AR133 I can still clip the input of my A&H Zed R16 (6dB minimum gain) if I play hard enough. Also turning a signal down at the DI box in order for it to be amplified at the preamp isn't exactly best practice from a gain staging point of view.

Overall your best bet is to get an interface that has a 20dB pad, so regardless of if you're using an external DI or not you should be able to get a decent input signal.

 

[kass]

Same problem others and I had with the saffire 6

I even sent mine to the factory for service. They sent it back and said it worked fine.


Fuck focusrite. Never again....


What good is a fucking DI input that clips with a fucking guitar

 

[Star Ark]

I've read this many times on andy sneap and gearslutz but it isnt true. Well at least for my scarlett 8i6 it isn't

I have always used my ua solo 610 as a di so it never bothered me. But out of curiosity I just did a test a minute ago with some emgs 81s seymore duncan jb and dimarzio evolutions direct into the inputs of the interface and it didnt clip. Inside the scarlett mix control software there are controlls for high and low gain inputs or line and instrument. I've got the gain of input 1 set at 5 and all three pickups sound great, right in the sweet spot for amp sims.

Maybe it's a problem they have recently fixed, I bought mine about 6 months ago. Mine works great, da sounds great and the price is low

 

[bassguy]

??? Every interface I've ever had the level for the instrument input is effected by the gain pot. Your signal is still going through the mic amp, just it's coming in via the instrument input which adjusts the impedance for a guitar/bass.

Derp, I'm thinking of line level. Sorry for the confusion haha

 

[dale_a_smith]

Saffire Pro 14 still clips with the input gain all the way down.

Really?? I use mine for bass, and even with active EMGs or Sadowsky pickups I can get a nice signal well below clipping...

 

[MystycalFanfare]

I've read this many times on andy sneap and gearslutz but it isnt true. Well at least for my scarlett 8i6 it isn't

I have always used my ua solo 610 as a di so it never bothered me. But out of curiosity I just did a test a minute ago with some emgs 81s seymore duncan jb and dimarzio evolutions direct into the inputs of the interface and it didnt clip. Inside the scarlett mix control software there are controlls for high and low gain inputs or line and instrument. I've got the gain of input 1 set at 5 and all three pickups sound great, right in the sweet spot for amp sims.

Maybe it's a problem they have recently fixed, I bought mine about 6 months ago. Mine works great, da sounds great and the price is low

Scarlett MixControl doesn't came up with 2i2 model due it's lack of i/o routing.

Here's I've seen on Focusrite Answerbase (FAQ):
Can I use Scarlett MixControl with the Scarlett 2i2?
No, the Scarlett 2i2 is not compatible with Scarlett MixControl. All of its controls are hardware based instead. To change buffer size and sample rate go to the audio preferences in your DAW (Mac) or press the control panel button from the audio preferences in your DAW (PC).

"To change buffer size and sample rate go to the audio preferences in your DAW (Mac) or press the control panel button from the audio preferences in your DAW (PC)." Any idea how to figure it out guys? I'm sorry for noob question.