Just got myself a RME fireface 400.. question though.

[Black neon bob]

As i can't test it yet because this older PC does not have decent firewire, and my new PC is still a few days away from arrival, i need to ask my noob question here..

I have read the manual but could not really find anything on this subject..
I know that channel 1 and 2 are mic inputs with decent pre-amps build in, however that is no option for me now as im wont be micing up amps or vocal chords in the near future.

What i want to try is give the old POD XT a break and try impulses and amp-sim software like revalver, amplitube, wagner, etc.
Can i go straight into the FF400 with my guitar? (EMG 81/85).
Or is it recommended or even neccesary that i use a external pre-amp for better sound/input?
Im planning the same with a bass guitar, just really curious if a exta pre-amp is needed for all of this.

Probably extremely noobish, but hell.. im used to software only, so any help is appreciated.. cheers!

 

[Metaltastic]

Haha, wow Bob, I never thought I'd hear a question like that from you, but I guess if you've been using that wretchedly outdated kidney bean (with great results, I admit), you wouldn't have a reason to know! But yeah, you can plug into one of the inputs on the front with a standard guitar cable (the shorter the better), though you'll wanna be sure to toggle the "instrument input" option in the FF utility on the compy, which makes it a high-impedance input that the guitar requires. Have fun dude, I know I did when I got my Onyx and went the ampsim/impulse route over my Pod!

 

[jhrv]

Can i go straight into the FF400 with my guitar? (EMG 81/85).

- Yes.

is it neccesary that i use a external pre-amp for better sound/input?

- No.

 

[Metaltastic]

What might give you better sound/input, though, is a good DI box, and if you got a LL Redeye, it can be both an awesome DI and a re-amper

 

[Ermz]

You can do everything you need with your guitar with just the FF400.

However 'need' and 'want' can oft times be different things. The preamps on the FF400 aren't fantastic. They're about smack bang average. The in-built DI is likely not going to be all that wonderful either. Depending on how you go when you plug your guitar right in you may consider grabbing an external preamp and DI down the track. Both of those will retain more clarity from your guitar, more high-end etc. This will lead to an inherently open sound that's easier to process later on and leads to better overall results. The quality of your clean DI signal is of utmost importance when reamping or running through amp sims. Reamping for the past few days has taught me that. Some signals either don't have it, no matter how you tweak the amp, and others just have the sound as soon as you run them through.

 

[Black neon bob]

Haha.. you guys are great! Cheers...

Marcus, yeah dude... im getting a LL redeye as well later on in the process of taking over the world, but for now as you sharply noticed from my noobish question, little babysteps.

Thanks!

 

[Black neon bob]

You can do everything you need with your guitar with just the FF400.

However 'need' and 'want' can oft times be different things. The preamps on the FF400 aren't fantastic. They're about smack bang average. The in-built DI is likely not going to be all that wonderful either. Depending on how you go when you plug your guitar right in you may consider grabbing an external preamp and DI down the track. Both of those will retain more clarity from your guitar, more high-end etc. This will lead to an inherently open sound that's easier to process later on and leads to better overall results. The quality of your clean DI signal is of utmost importance when reamping or running through amp sims. Reamping for the past few days has taught me that. Some signals either don't have it, no matter how you tweak the amp, and others just have the sound as soon as you run them through.

Good read!

I hear you kind sir, im thinking of picking up a redeye and maybe something like a ART goldmic later on when everything is working 100%..

 

[Melodeath]

You can do everything you need with your guitar with just the FF400.

However 'need' and 'want' can oft times be different things. The preamps on the FF400 aren't fantastic. They're about smack bang average. The in-built DI is likely not going to be all that wonderful either. Depending on how you go when you plug your guitar right in you may consider grabbing an external preamp and DI down the track. Both of those will retain more clarity from your guitar, more high-end etc. This will lead to an inherently open sound that's easier to process later on and leads to better overall results. The quality of your clean DI signal is of utmost importance when reamping or running through amp sims. Reamping for the past few days has taught me that. Some signals either don't have it, no matter how you tweak the amp, and others just have the sound as soon as you run them through.

A DI will still wind up going through the preamps of the RME, though. Would that sort of "smack bang average-ify" the DI?

 

[Ermz]

The FF400 has line inputs.

@Bob: Sweet as. I wish you the best of luck. From my experiences the Little Labs has been astounding for a passive unit. The transformer in here appears to kick all kinds of arse. Plus Marcus' DI tracks have been the best I've been handed so far (he used the LL).

 

[Melodeath]

Right, but doesn't a DI lower instrument level to mic level?

 

[Ermz]

I was assuming he'd be running the DI via an external preamp into the line inputs on the FF. Although even just an external DI running into the mic pres on the FF should lend itself to more clarity. I can't quite decide whether the DI or mic pre is more important in this situation, but given that the FF has at least decent pres, the DI would likely make more of a difference. Funny how an impedance matching device can impact tone so much.

 

[Melodeath]

Indeed. Myself, I'm trying to decide if I want a Redeye (passive), or to get an active DI and reamper.

 

[Metaltastic]

I definitely think the quality of the DI is more important than the quality of the preamps, cuz a DI takes a high-impedance, unbalanced signal, and turns it into a low-impedance, balanced signal, which is not an easy change, so the quality of the transformer definitely makes a difference (and the only reason an active DI is advantageous is because it can put out a hotter signal, so if you're gonna be running more than 10 feet or so of balanced cable from the DI to the preamp, active is the way to go) - all the preamp does is amplify the signal, so if you've got a poorly transformed DI signal, the nicest preamp in the world isn't gonna make it any less muffled and lifeless sounding.

 

[Melodeath]

Makes sense about a DI being more important than the preamp.

However, the real advantage of an active DI is that it is capable of much higher input impedance (which you want on the input because it is "measuring" the guitar, which is high impedance) than passive units are. Furthermore, this input impedance is independent of the amp you plug in at the same time, whereas (most) passive DI's input impedance IS dependent on the impedance of the amp you plug into as well.

The only real disadvantage to active DI's is that they need power, which can possibly introduce noise.

 

[Metaltastic]

Furthermore, this input impedance is independent of the amp you plug in at the same time, whereas (most) passive DI's input impedance IS dependent on the impedance of the amp you plug into as well.

I've never heard this before, and while I'm no electronics expert, it doesn't really make sense to me; the output to an amp on a DI box is a parallel through output, so I don't see how the amp's impedance would make any difference to the input impedance of the DI box (and usually, I don't even run anything from the thru output, instead just using an ampsim from the mic input fed by the DI balanced output, so how does that work out?)

 

[Melodeath]

From what I understand, when you hook up an amp, its parallel in the circuit with the passive DI, so the input impedance of the amp plays a role in conjunction with the input impedance of the DI box.

When you don't hookup an amp, the overall input impedance of the passive DI is lower, I believe.

 

[fistula]

got myself a fireface 400 too - seems like a really solid piece of hardware... playing around with it

 

[Torniojaws]

I've had my Fireface 400 for 1,5 years now and I still haven't had any problems