Recording Woes....

[nateb]

So hears the deal....

I am very novice with working with modelers. On top of that, I am new to recording myself. I have run into a interesting problem and I want to know if the workaround is acceptable.

First off, the equipment I am using -

PodXT Pro running into a PV 2.6c 130x2 stereo Power amp
It has a TC Electronics G-Major in the loop. But, lets leave that out of the equation.
Out of the Poweramp, I am running into 2 Genz Benz 2x12 G-flexs.
The Recording software that I am using is Adobe Audition.

I love the sound I get when playing live. But, when recording, I am getting VERY high frequencies through the direct inputs. I already know the reason why. I am not using full range speakers and because of that, the tone that I get out of the Genz's does not represent what is coming out of the PODXT Pro. But, the thing is, I really love the tone out of the Genz's. It is exactly what I like even though it is unconventional.

So, back to the recording questions -

1) Is it ok to use a software parametric EQ to notch off the highs/specific frequencies and make it sound close to what I am hearing in my room or am I butchering something in the long run?

2) how can you tell if you are clipping or your audio is "clamped"? In other words, and I will have to explain in a world that I understand a little better... In the video world, if you have whites or blacks outside of a given limit, it will be clamped to a maximum or minimun range. How can I tell if I clipping or my origional signal is getting clamped?

3) Would it be more appropriate to run out of the Digital outputs -> A Parametric EQ -> M-Audio Device -> Software?

Should I post samples?

-Nate

[Newc]

Re: Recording Woes....

PC speakers or headphones (whatever you're listening to the playback with) will definitely not sound the same as the cabs.

Try running your Out of your sound card to the PV amp into the cabs and see what it sounds like.

Also, since you're miking the amp, the location of the mic has a lot to do with how the mic translates the sound coming from the cab, which in turn affects how the computer interprets the sound.

To save yourself some headache, I'd monitor myself through the cabs but feed a direct line from the POD into the PC and EQ it to sound "kinda" in Audition.

Question #1: It takes some long-term experimentation of recording and playing back in different systems (car, house, friend's house, friend's car, WalMart displays, etc) to get a good impression of how mixing and EQing anything will sound in the "final product", so if you just jump straight in and EQ it now according to your speakers/phones, it might sound dull and muffled in another setup.

Question #2: Audition has a function to let you monitor the input levels. Use it. Watch the Clip Indicators, then adjust your LineIn volume or your POD's Output accordingly.

Question #3: By all means, yes.

Question #4: By all means, no [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]
Just kidding [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

Post samples, you'll probably find that some will say they hear no ultra-highs, while others will. It all depends on the system.

[nateb]

Re: Recording Woes....

[ QUOTE ]
PC speakers or headphones (whatever you're listening to the playback with) will definitely not sound the same as the cabs.

Try running your Out of your sound card to the PV amp into the cabs and see what it sounds like.

Also, since you're miking the amp, the location of the mic has a lot to do with how the mic translates the sound coming from the cab, which in turn affects how the computer interprets the sound.

[/ QUOTE ]

The POD uses a USB connection that allows me to use it as a output device (not using the pre-amp section (basically a bypass mode)) Kinda how you can redirect a output audio stream to a M-Audio device. So, I have tried the outputting directly to the PV and it sounds the same. Just to clarify, I am not mic'ing the cabs at all. It's all direct input.

It's just when I listen to it though a headphones (Sennheiser HD 580 precisions) or my PC speakers, you might as well be running your fingernails down a chalkboard.

Tomarrow, when I can make a lot of noise(almost 2:30am lol), I will post a quick before/after clip and let your hear what I am talking about.

-Nate

[Newc]

Re: Recording Woes....

Ok, I think get it - you're just using the cabinet as a guitar monitor, but runing directly into the PC from the POD as well as into the power amp?

If you're going into the PC via the USB conection from the POD, and it bypasses the actual preamp/cabinet simulators of the POD, what are you using for distortion in the PC? [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

I'd say run the Left of the POD into the power amp and the Right into the sound card's LineIn if that's the case, because if you're adding distortion to the track in the PC, that's probably where the problem is.

[nateb]

Re: Recording Woes....

Ok.... damn... sorry I am being unclear about this.

Output from the PC to the POD via USB, you get a bypassed signal (basically all your windows sounds bypass your pre-amp section). In other words, it treats it like a soundcard.

Output from the POD to the PC, you get the whole effected / distorted signal.

So basically, if you record direct to disk, and then playback from Audition out to the pod(and out the rig), you will get exactly the same sound as if you were playing it right then and there.

Where the problem lies is when you try to play the signal on reference speakers and/or headphones, you get the bad, high pitched hiss.

-Nate

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Recording Woes....

You should be able to record direct from the PodXT to you PC using the soundcard card in your PC. Use the audio out of the Pod into the audio in on your soundcard. You should be able to set levels approriately with you recording app.

[Newc]

Re: Recording Woes....

Ok, NOW I get it. You can run your PC's sound out the USB port into the POD for playback through whatever the POD's hooked to - TV, Stereo, Amp/Cab, etc, PLUS you've already got the POD's Output going into the PC.

Ok, since the crappy sound is only in headphones or other non-guitar-amp speakers, it's gotta be the headphone/speaker frequency response (which would be higher than a guitar cab).

Is this high-pitched hiss coming AFTER you save the file or immediately upon playback?

Whenever I save a file as a Windows Wav using what looks like the best settings, when I play it back I get tons of hiss and crap. I have to save as either an ACM Waveform (CD Quality) or the highest MP3 setting there is to keep it from screwing it up.

If it's immediately upon playback without saving the track as a file of any kind, you might need to check your Options and see what it's converting the input to on Record (if anything) or make your LineIn volume lower and your POD Output higher, or vice versa.