Maxed Waveforms in Reaper?

[aerolite]

Just started recording. Picked up an Alesis GuitarLinkPlus and Amplitube, and I've been using Reaper to record with the Amplitube VST.

Everything started well the first night (still learning how everything works in Reaper though). The first few recordings had "healthy waveforms" that filled around 70% of the bar, and then at one point I realized that all of my recordings had almost 100% waveforms.

Here's an example:
http://i.imgur.com/Nyjrj.png

Depending on what I'm playing (chugging riffs, etc.) it can even get worse than that.

I checked all of my input/output volumes and settings, and everything seems to be in check. The VST just seems to be recording it for whatever reason at 100% volume, even if I turn down the volume on it. This occurs in monitoring mode between recordings as well.

Any suggestions for me?

 

[LeSedna]

Is that the recording of your guitar's DI (alone, with absolutely nothing) or is it the result of amplitube printed on the track ?

I mean, is the amplitube VST applied to that track, or is that track recording the output of Amplitube a way or another ?

This is called clipping, it means you're losing information because your Analogue > Digital converters can't handle the amplitude they receive. Or in the second case, it's because the output information from Amplitube is too high and out of the range of the digital realm.

If it's your DI, then something is wrong in your guitar chain because it shouldn't clip that much,

If it's the result of amplitube it's either you're using a strong distortion, or yes some volume/gain setting is buggy.

I don't know the GuitarLinkPlus, is there a gain setting somewhere ? I know with my profire 2626 I can clip my DI easily when I move unintentionally a knob.

Try posting a mp3 of the result ?

 

[KHE]

does it clipp or are the waveforms just zoomed-in?

hold shift+arrow-down to check waveform-zoom....

edit: welcome to the forum!

 

[DanLights]

that can't be with amplitube processed, unless amplitube's doing a clean sound, because a distorted sound would never look like that.

Looks like you're clipping on input, lower the gain on your preamp.

 

[aerolite]

@k.h.e: Thanks! And the waveform is completely zoomed out, so it's not that.

I found out that it was simply because my volume knob on my guitar was on maximum. I found out that if I turn it down I can correct the issue I was having, though at the cost of lost distortion/gain.
I'm really new to production and any "advanced settings" on amps, etc. I've been playing for 10 years but I've never really gotten much into the production aspects until now. I love it so far though. My question is would there be any way to allow the same distortion and tone to come out when I have the volume knob turned down, or is there simply another way to remedy the situation?

If anyone has an example of clipping, I might be able to point out if that's the problem or not. The audio doesn't seem to be too much of an issue, simply the waveform.

I am noticing though that after say 30 minutes of recording I have to restart the program because I get a tic-tac-tic-tac-tic-tac repetitive sound in the background; I'm not sure on the term for it. Anyone care to give insight?

Again, I appreciate all of everyone's help! I definitely feel welcome.

 

[mva801]

You need to leave the volume on your guitar turned all the way up. After the guitar, you should be going into a DI box or the interface input, and from there into the preamp. It looks like you need to turn down the knob on your interface (the preamp) You should set your recording level WITHOUT amplitube on the channel, and playing as hard as the hardest you'll play when recording. After that is set up correctly and not clipping/ distorting, THEN add amplitube and work on your sound. You should definitely NOT have to turn down your guitar man...

 

[Habsburgs]

he is using:

how do lower gain on usb cable? ¯\(°_o)/¯

 

[mstone564]

^ I can't believe they make those.

 

[mva801]

Oh what the hell? Ha! I just assumed it had to have some sort of preamp on it.... That's ridiculous man...

OP: Get yourself a real interface, or a cheap mixer so you can turn your shit down BEFORE it clips on the input! That cheap cable is throwing off your groove and coming in way too hot apparently...

 

[nezvers]

I had behringer shit some ages back and I don't think that this interface can record audio SO HOT, because converter should be made so it records in right volume. So maybe there is some kind input gain into REAPER turned too much.
To be shure just do test record - just straight guitar with hard picking chord or just all strings, just to see how hot your input is. And after that listen your recorded audio - is SOUND distorted and not LOOK like that?
If sound ok (how much that possible with that guitar link), that live with that.
If your DI already sound distorted, you have to find way to lover input into interface (guitar volume knob should be last choice).

 

[thefalloftheheretic]

Go to your audio settings on your computer and turn down the gain for your device.

 

[nezvers]

Go to your audio settings on your computer and turn down the gain for your device.

I don't think that will change recording gain, but windows (if it is windows) monitoring volume.

 

[Strachan of D]

put a pedal inbetween the guitar and that thing . might help

 

[aerolite]

So I know you were all dying to hear what the actual problem turned out to be. :Smug:

I read over the posts here and thought back to when I got the cable. The product is definitely faulty and inputting way too much gain into my computer, so there wasn't a way to turn it down via recording devices, etc., just as nezvers had said.
No matter how lightly I played the input volume in amplitube/reaper still showed up at 100%, and changing each volume setting pre/post didn't help at all.

So here at the end of the road, I contacted Alesis (the company that makes the cable) and hopefully they'll either refund me or send me a new one.

I'm going to be looking into an actual interface now, seeing as these little cables aren't going to get the job done.

Thanks again everyone!