Noise when reamping. Why, oh why?

[Trondsa]

I am doing some re-amping and kind of testing how things work, but I seem to get a more noisy signal back to the amp when reamping than I do when the guitar is connected directly to the guitar amp.

The chain is: PRS guitar - Countryman Type 85 DI - Digi 002r preamps - Pro Tools LE - Digi 002r output - Radial X-Amp - Diezel Herbert ch. 3.

I`ve also tried a passive DI from Proco, but the noise level in to Pro Tools seems to be the same. The real issue seems to arise when I want to re-amp the clean guitar signal. The noise gets a lot louder in the guitar amp when I start the playback from PT.

I feel like I`ve tried "everything", but surely there must be an explanation to this? Does everyone else get more noise in the amp when re-amping? This can`t be the case, so something got to be wrong :-(

I`ve tried ground lifts, changed cables etc., but no luck so far.

Any input appreciated.

 

[Ermz]

Are your preamps boosting a lot of gain on the way into ProTools? It could be that they're adding the noise. Have you tried different channels on the 002? Is there a ground lift to mess with on the DI you're using to record the clean signal?

 

[Trondsa]

Are your preamps boosting a lot of gain on the way into ProTools? It could be that they're adding the noise. Have you tried different channels on the 002? Is there a ground lift to mess with on the DI you're using to record the clean signal?

It`s not a lot of gain on the preamps, and I`ve tried different channels and the DI ground lift when recording. The thing is, I can`t really hear the noise when playbacking the DI`d guitar on the studio monitors, but when I plug in the X-Amp and want to re-amp, the noise is very loud in the amp. The guitar amp is not noisy when the guitar is plugged directly into it, only when I start playback from the recorded track.

There seem to be a huge augmentation of the signal out of the 002 or the X-amp, I believe. When I turn the level knob down on the X-amp so the noise is barely audible in the guitar amp, the signal is too low into the amp so the guitar won`t sound any good at all.

 

[NickL]

I was actually thinking of trying this out with my Digi 002 tomorrow if I get the chance. If I run into the same issue Ill try to troubleshoot and let you know.

 

[sparkyness]

Was having a similar issue last week with my Radial unit (ProRMP) and my Fireface. Mine turned out to be the output setting from the Fireface to the Radial box as it was set to "Lo Gain" and should have been +4db.

As a bit of a troubleshooting tool, I hooked everything up and tested the reamp box in real-time while actually tracking to try and isolate the problem. I went from ESP Horizon > RME Instrument input (or DI) > RME output > reamp box > amp > RME line input > Monitors. It save me second guessing what the end product would be.

 

[Trondsa]

Was having a similar issue last week with my Radial unit (ProRMP) and my Fireface. Mine turned out to be the output setting from the Fireface to the Radial box as it was set to "Lo Gain" and should have been +4db.

As a bit of a troubleshooting tool, I hooked everything up and tested the reamp box in real-time while actually tracking to try and isolate the problem. I went from ESP Horizon > RME Instrument input (or DI) > RME output > reamp box > amp > RME line input > Monitors. It save me second guessing what the end product would be.

Did the same, with real-time "re-amping", and the noise was there, but it is not there when the guitar is plugged directly into the guitar amp. Maybe it`s the 002 outputs that is causing this problem? Are there any way to select -10 and +4 on the 002 outputs? I could only find this on the inputs. I`ve used outputs 3-8, but the same problem occurs nonetheless.

 

[axeman720]

More than likely its those evil little 002 preamps. Or the outputs, but i dont think its the outputs, just make sure the switch on the back is on+4 for those your using, or all of them actually. I've gotten DI tracks for records that have used those preamps or mbox pres, and the result is never too good. I actually just did a record where the di's were run through a behringer DI. WHYY!!!!!???? it was the worst DI in history, the noise was unbelievable and the signal was pretty much squared off due to the box clipping.

Just remember in this situation a good pre is VITAL because once you hit that distortion, your going through the most extreme level of compression possible. Every noise and nuance in that signal is gonna be brought right up front. For instance tracking with an old pod (the xt's arent as bad) with a DI is really risky, as those thing tend to cover up ALOT of bad string noises and squeaks that show alot more when it hits a real amp.