Redeye and Fireface 400, reamping doesn't work?

[Torniojaws]

I'm getting absolutely no signal. The only thing that tells it may work somehow is that I get a bit of humming without ground lift pushed in on the Redeye. The chain goes like this:

DI track (mono) -> Mono output 6 (Analog 6 of Fireface) chosen in DAW -> Fireface 400 analog output 6 in the rear
-> unbalanced 6 meter regular guitar cable (Cordial + Neutrik) -> Redeye Instrument In (I tried both the front and rear in)
-> Redeye reamp out -> 0.9 m mono cable (Cordial + Neutrik) -> amp input

I tested all cables going directly to the amp with a guitar, and they all work. However, with the setup above there is no sound at all on the amp. The Redeye is in Reamp mode (though I also did try pushing the button just in case, no sound either), and the amp works as normal when I plug just a guitar in it.

What gives? I also tried setting the Fireface to all three available signal modes (Hi Gain, +4 dBu and -10 dBV). Nothing changed. I also tested all outputs on the Fireface and nothing. When I tested the outputs going into monitors, they play normally, so the outputs do work on the Fireface 400, so that leaves only the Little Labs Redeye to blame.

 

[Torniojaws]

Alright, I just tried out with Reaper and took the Redeye off the signal chain, so that it's Fireface output -> amp input, just for testing. And what do you know, I get a loud and clear signal, albeit very ungainy due to no impedance matching happening at all. It looks like the Redeye is dead, since when I put it in the chain, there is no signal at all regardless of what settings I use on it. The strange thing is that the DI mode works normally on the Redeye, but reamping seems to cut off all signals.

 

[greyskull]

you should be plugged into the line level in input on the redeye, with a balanced trs - xlr

 

[Torniojaws]

Mmm. But isn't it the same thing as changing the output mode to Hi Gain on the interface and using a regular instrument cable? In any case, shouldn't there be at least some signal from the amp? Right now there is absolutely nothing at all even with the output at max volume, the reamp level at max and amp at max.

 

[AdamWathan]

No you have it hooked up entirely wrong, there won't be any output that way. There is no signal that runs between the instrument in and the reamp out. You HAVE to plug into the XLR Balanced input on the back using a balanced cable and out of the reamp out. The instrument in is only functional when being used as a DI.

 

[Torniojaws]

Ah, the manual was very vague about that "little" detail But where can you get a balanced mono jack - male xlr cable. The only ones they sell are stereo TRS - male xlr, and that won't do right?

 

[Torniojaws]

This one should be correct right? http://www.thomann.de/fi/cordial_cpm_5_mv.htm

 

[greyskull]

stereo is what ya want!!
i understand your pain; took me a while to get my head around how to hook it up!!

 

[Torniojaws]

I just bought an adapter (Male XLR -> stereo 6.3mm TRS, Neutrik) and now it works beautifully

 

[AdamWathan]

A balanced TRS cable is mono, you can't have a balanced stereo TRS cable. The way a balanced cable works is it sends 2 copies of the signal through the cable, but it switches the phase on one of them before it sends it, and then switches it back to normal once it gets to the next device it's hooked up to. So any noise or anything that the cable picks up is canceled out when the phase is switched. A stereo cable sends a L and R signal down the cable but since a balanced cable needs both signal paths for the normal and phase reversed mono signal, you can't send left and right.

A balanced TRS cable is the same as an unbalanced stereo cable, it's what you are plugging it into that determines how it functions.

 

[Torniojaws]

The chain is like this now:

Output (female 6.3mm TRS) -> Stereo TRS adapter to male XLR -> regular female to male XLR cable (6 meters) -> Redeye line in (female XLR)

It works and there's no hum/buzz, and the level is equal to plugging in a guitar so that's all that matters to me

Here's the adapter:

 

[AdamWathan]

Awesome man so you like the Redeye? I was planning on picking one up myself to do my reamping, seems like a good buy vs. getting a separate DI and reamp unit...

 

[deLuther]

How redeye as directbox good or not?
Did you compare it to some other reamp boxes?

But I`m have ProRMP and thinking about getting Waves PRS guitar interface wich seems very interesting device because can output at +4db level unlike traditional DI.

 

[Torniojaws]

Didn't compare other reamp boxes (I bought this one after thorough research), but for DI functions I do have reference to others. I don't know what is going on, but I think the Redeye has the best end-sound out of all three (Tech 21 Sansamp Bass Driver DI (works for guitars too), Fireface 400 stock DI and the Redeye). The Redeye has the most attack and clarity out of the three of them, and when reamped it sounds closest to plugging in a guitar directly. It's nothing that will bug you or like that, but you do notice the small difference, but in the end I think it's basically about preference. They'll all work just fine.

So, now that I got it working, I do like it. It does exactly what it's supposed to do Mind you, so far I've only tested it with passive pickups (Seymour Duncan JB and Invader).

 

[imaginarybooks]

Let me know how you're tests are going dude, I’m very interested in the little labs redeye for use on both passive and active equipped guitars (including bass guitars - if that is possible).

 

[Torniojaws]

I'm reamping this weekend, so I'll post some clips.

 

[Torniojaws]

Here's a snippet from a single Marshall track:

http://koti.mbnet.fi/juhau/marsuexile.mp3

DI signal -> Redeye -> Digitech Bad Monkey overdrive -> Marshall JCM900 SL-X 2500 -> Engl Vintage 2x12" (Celestion V30) -> two SM57s (both on-axis, one points directly at the dustcap center and another is at the edge of the cone) -> RME Fireface 400 -> Cubase

No processing on the clip other than a limiter that just keeps the track from clipping during the last palm mutes (0 dB threshold and -0.2 dB level). Have fun