Reamping. Signal I'm getting is not hot enough for my amp?

[ArsMemoria]

So, I'm exploring reamping, I used the Lasse/Mago DI pack and got a really nice and saturated sound, even out of my Micro Terror head. Trying to reamp using DI's from the Pinball Map cover posted in the Practice Room. It's nowhere near as saturated and ballsy as what I had with the other DI pack. Could it be just a matter of the DI's not being the same level. The Lasse/Mago DI's peak around 6db, the Pinball Map DIs I have peaking around 18dB. Also, I think I remember reading here a while back, and I can't find the thread anymore, about tracking DI for reamping, which I think is where I got the 18dB level. Is there a normal level for tracking DI and reamping them later?

 

[BassTard]

I don't think there's really a rule about how hot your DI should be tracked.
It's quite a good idea to calibrate your equipment: matching -18dBFS to +4 dBu and to a playback level of 85dB SPL c wgt. (pink noise). Therefore prevailing a somewhat a "analogue-like" headroom in a normal listening enviroment. (Very simplified.) If you got an "all-in-one" interface, part of the calibration is already made by the manufacturer and may vary.
A lot of plugins are using this level as a reference, too. Especially analogue-modeling fx. Which is why it is recommended a lot. But we're talking about average levels here - not peaks.
I aim for the -18dBFS to be the average level (not the peak and not even the RMS). Which might result in peaks around -6dB if the signal is quite percussive (like a guitar DI).

-6dBFS (for peaks) on the other hand is used to prevent clipping (while just one bit stays "unused"). And it is - at least in my experience - quite a good idea if you aim for analogue reamping. (Not necessarily plugin-amps.)

But then it depends a lot on your reamping chain, since you will want to convert line- to instrument-level...

EDIT: foreign language...

 

[mva801]

Yea just gain up the di's until their peaks are closer to -6. BassTard explained it but the AVERAGE level of around -18 is what you're shooting for if tracking. The PEAK level will be higher for percussive sounds (di's or drums)