Quick question (DI's clipping?)

[AgeOfGeburah]

So I'm sitting here recording, and I have never experienced this before.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1520413/CLIP.JPG
I have no idea what is going on.
This is a pic of my DIs from my EMG 81 in bridge pos.
And you can guess that they distort.


It has alot of headroom on the PA (Peaks around -10)

Are we talking pickups now, stringheight etc?

Any help would be great. Im just thinking irrationally now.

 

[Unavailable]

Pretty sure it's normal for EMGs. I've had the same thing.

 

[AgeOfGeburah]

Oh, Ive never noticed it.
This cant be right though, doing tremolo (B tuning) on open B makes the DI Clip, the clipped signal going trough the amp sounds really dirty to me :S

But it might be normal as you say, Im playing really hard now. You know deathmetulz

 

[Unavailable]

Yeah, if you search on it there's been other threads about the same thing.

 

[Dexter_prog]

Aren't you recording way too hot?

off-topic: what Reaper skin is that? looks really good

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah dude, that just looks like massive converter clipping - are you using the preamps built in to your interface? If so, it's surprising that the preamp meters would show that level pictured above as being well under clipping, but if you're using an external preamp, then that would explain it!

 

[lolzgreg]

EMGs do distort internally a bit. The best DIs I worked with were distorting minorly as per active PUPS from COBHC for a Crystal Light project. Got great tones in two minutes.

 

[Metaltastic]

Oh I'm well aware Greg, but if you look at the picture I think you'll agree that's a bit more than average

 

[lolzgreg]

Oh I'm well aware Greg, but if you look at the picture I think you'll agree that's a bit more than average

I wasn't talking about the OP. Just making a general comment.

OP, did you say PA? You're not using a dedicated audio interface? If not, it's time to get one. You have some nice gear. If all else fails, just turn that pre down!

 

[AgeOfGeburah]

Yeah I'm using my interface preamps, Saffire Pro 40 interface, The preamps are good, and the meters show peaks around -10db

This is starting to irritate me. I'm posting a picture with Full overview, I started using reaper a couple of months ago (Old cubase user) Perhaps there is something you might notice while checking this.
GTRL = EMG 81
GTRR = EMG 85

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1520413/DualScreenPrint.JPG

Physical meters say -13db peak

Might have something to do with Focusrites Mix Control thing.
Posting a picture of it aswell.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1520413/Mixcontrol.JPG
There's obviously something I haven't checked yet.

Thanks for the replies guys


Btw the theme is "Default_2.0" I believe, I feel it looks alot cleaner

 

[lolzgreg]

Try it in cubase with same settings and see if you have an issue?

 

[AgeOfGeburah]

Try it in cubase with same settings and see if you have an issue?

Same crap there..

Marcus how does you DI's look when you strum as hard as you can?

I might redo the electronics and check for something there.
Im running it without groundin within the guitar. I believe that's how active emg's should run, right?

 

[ScootBaloo]

My EMG 81's do exactly that when the battery is getting low.

 

[Harry Hughes]

Same crap there..

Marcus how does you DI's look when you strum as hard as you can?

I might redo the electronics and check for something there.
Im running it without groundin within the guitar. I believe that's how active emg's should run, right?

No grounded needed with actives, yup.

 

[Metaltastic]

Same crap there..

Marcus how does you DI's look when you strum as hard as you can?

I might redo the electronics and check for something there.
Im running it without groundin within the guitar. I believe that's how active emg's should run, right?

I'm doubting it's the wiring, though ScootBaloo may be on to something with battery life

Anyway, here's a screenshot, the top DI is a riff that I'm really thwackin' away at (and there's are old, from back when I still ran my 81 at 9v)

 

[updog]

Physical meters say -13db peak

You probably mean -18dB, there's no led for -13. Just in case it makes any difference in order helping you out.

 

[deLuther]

Amount of internal EMG clipping depends of how far is pickup from strings.
I`m using external mic pre for guitar and pretty sure that pre is not clipped and so are converters.
So I`m getting pretty serious clipping also. Far placement from strings gives less clipping, but I did not liked sound.
I`m tried once 18 V, this gives far less clipping, but I did not liked the result.

 

[Uncle Junior]

Awesome, some with the same problem I had/still have.


Yeah EMG81, great sound, I have EMG81 active set on my guitar. I have recorded some DI's myself and realised that my DI are clipping. There has to be tons of threads about that. So when I was asking questions here back then, I got answers and started my science project.

I checked: (/replaced and it wasn't the problem)

1. wiring
2. potentiometers
3. pickups
4. output socket

Then you have nothing else left but your, let's say DI box or soundcard. That might be the problem right, because I checked my complete guitar except the wooden body right... hehehe

.....yeah, but it wasn't the soundcard nor was it the DI box. Worked just fine with another guitar with EMG81.

so then I came up with my conclusion, that tight, heavy, massive wood can be one of the factors here. You see, I tried my EMG81 set on a Jackson flying V and the DI's weren't clipping. When I recorded with my guitar DI's were clipping. I was recording with the same gear and settings.

To sum tha fuck up once and for all, about this EMG81.
These pickups tend to clip, on some guitar less on some more. Wood and body structure( bolt on neck / neck thru body ) are only one of the factors. There is also distance between the strings and pickups.
So if it's clipping, check your devices and input levels, if that is OK, just accept that your guitar is clipping and make that 18V so the peaks of you DI signal will be cut far more less than on 9V.


Thank you and godspeed!

 

[Ermz]

Last time I recorded a guitar with an 81 really close to the strings the waveform almost looked square. Sounded great under high gain. Listening to the raw DI, it sounded horrid.

 

[AgeOfGeburah]

Thanks for the post Marcus, Atleast yours look good, and I know we have about the same distance between strings and pickups.

I just replaced the battery, didn't make a difference.
So it's all leaning towards what Junior said.

I'm not gonna bitch about this anymore, It sounds good under high gain, but I can't help but assume it would sound more defined and smooth if this clipping wasn't going on.
Gonna compare it with an King V on next recording session on friday and test my guitar on another interface aswell.

Ermz so you mean I should be satisfied with this then?

*edit*
This has been going on for a long time now when I check some old recordings with this guitar, no problems then.

Thanks for your insight guys