eske4
Max Output Level: -90 dBFS
- Total Posts : 2
- Joined: 2017/12/12 11:59:04
- Status: offline
Preamp and pedal effects with daw help
I have a 2x2m audio interface and some effect pedals. I want to take the signal from my daw to the preamp and back to the daw again as a effect. Im a bit confused. I have tried to send the signal from the daw to the audio signal and back again it works but it all sound muddy should i buy a single preamp beside it.
|
rsinger
Max Output Level: -83 dBFS
- Total Posts : 387
- Joined: 2007/08/25 14:34:57
- Status: offline
Re: Preamp and pedal effects with daw help
2017/12/12 17:07:33
(permalink)
☄ Helpfulby eske4 2017/12/13 10:22:58
Is the output of your audio IF line level? If so you don't need a preamp, you should go into a line in. If the output is line level do your pedals take line level inputs? Guitar pedals normally take instrument level signals. If that is the case you will need to use an attenuator.
Sonar Platinum, 64 bit, win 7 pro - 64 bit
Core i7 3770k 3.5 Ghz, 16 Gb Ram, 480Gb + 256Gb SSDs, 1 Tb Velociraptor, Echo AudioFire4
|
Cactus Music
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 8424
- Joined: 2004/02/09 21:34:04
- Status: offline
Re: Preamp and pedal effects with daw help
2017/12/12 17:35:28
(permalink)
You really need something like this to do a proper job of it http://www.radialeng.com/prormp.php If you look into it you'll see they go up in price from there, but it is all about matching impedance to get a good guitar tone. 
|
tlw
Max Output Level: -49.5 dBFS
- Total Posts : 2567
- Joined: 2008/10/11 22:06:32
- Location: West Midlands, UK
- Status: offline
Re: Preamp and pedal effects with daw help
2017/12/12 17:35:59
(permalink)
I do this sort of thing quite a lot.
Their might be several reasons for muddiness or pedals not workiong like you expect.
The audio path should be Sonar -> interface->pedal->interface. Sonar’s external effects plugin can be useful for this but not essential.
The interface->pedal connection should use a line out output on the interface. It might be that you are overloading the pedals, in which case you need to lower the volume of the output to them. Either by using the interface’s controls to do that or lowering the track volume in Sonar. Sometimes both are necessary.
Another problem might be an impedance mismatch. Some pedal circuits are designed so that they only work properly if they are connected to a guitar or something else with a similar impedance. Examples are pedals like the Fuzz Face and many other older fuzz designs, where the guitar itself becomes part of the pedal’s circuit.
The only way to get such pedals to work properly is to feed them what they are designed to work with, which means line level low impedance outputs such as those on interfaces won’t be able to drive the pedal properly.
Sometimes pedals and other external effects don’t work as you would expect because the audio going into them doesn’t have the harmonic compexity of a guitar. For example, running a synth into a distortion/fuzz pedal or chorus/phaser/flanger pedal has been done for decades but not all such pedals do a good job of it. Some add hardly any distortion or noticable effect at all, it’s a matter of trying different ones to see which work.
Personally I find the MXR DIstortion+ can work quite well, though it needs both knobs set pretty high and sounds smoother than it does with a guitar. The EH Deluxe Electric Mistress can work, and most delays are fine. Big Muffs sound very muddy and some phasers do so little they may as well not be there.
Sonar Platinum 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro 64bit, I7 3770K Ivybridge, 16GB Ram, Gigabyte Z77-D3H m/board, ATI 7750 graphics+ 1GB RAM, 2xIntel 520 series 220GB SSDs, 1 TB Samsung F3 + 1 TB WD HDDs, Seasonic fanless 460W psu, RME Fireface UFX, Focusrite Octopre. Assorted real synths, guitars, mandolins, diatonic accordions, percussion, fx and other stuff.
|
eske4
Max Output Level: -90 dBFS
- Total Posts : 2
- Joined: 2017/12/12 11:59:04
- Status: offline
Re: Preamp and pedal effects with daw help
2017/12/12 21:43:42
(permalink)
rsinger
Is the output of your audio IF line level? If so you don't need a preamp, you should go into a line in. If the output is line level do your pedals take line level inputs? Guitar pedals normally take instrument level signals. If that is the case you will need to use an attenuator.
The sound is good now but when there is reverb from the pc signal the preamp destroys the sound any idea how to fix it?
|
rsinger
Max Output Level: -83 dBFS
- Total Posts : 387
- Joined: 2007/08/25 14:34:57
- Status: offline
Re: Preamp and pedal effects with daw help
2017/12/13 18:42:53
(permalink)
I'm not sure what the problem is. I've used various reverb pedals and rack units in front of guitar amps/preamps for years and haven't had a problem.
Sonar Platinum, 64 bit, win 7 pro - 64 bit
Core i7 3770k 3.5 Ghz, 16 Gb Ram, 480Gb + 256Gb SSDs, 1 Tb Velociraptor, Echo AudioFire4
|
tlw
Max Output Level: -49.5 dBFS
- Total Posts : 2567
- Joined: 2008/10/11 22:06:32
- Location: West Midlands, UK
- Status: offline
Re: Preamp and pedal effects with daw help
2017/12/14 12:14:47
(permalink)
eske4
The sound is good now but when there is reverb from the pc signal the preamp destroys the sound any idea how to fix it?
What do you mean by “destroy”? If the reverb is getting too boosted in level or distorted too much by the preamp the answer is to remove the reverb, pass the reverb-less signal through the hardware then put the reverb back afterwards.
Sonar Platinum 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro 64bit, I7 3770K Ivybridge, 16GB Ram, Gigabyte Z77-D3H m/board, ATI 7750 graphics+ 1GB RAM, 2xIntel 520 series 220GB SSDs, 1 TB Samsung F3 + 1 TB WD HDDs, Seasonic fanless 460W psu, RME Fireface UFX, Focusrite Octopre. Assorted real synths, guitars, mandolins, diatonic accordions, percussion, fx and other stuff.
|
bokchoyboy
Max Output Level: -86 dBFS
- Total Posts : 238
- Joined: 2015/07/20 11:05:13
- Status: offline
Re: Preamp and pedal effects with daw help
2017/12/25 17:17:56
(permalink)
Hmmmm... timely thread for me. I just got the Radial RMP for xmas and am having some basic reamp issues. Followed the mini manual on how to reamp a previously recorded track, and can't seem to get it routed correctly. Part of the problem is I am still trying to master the TotalMix software from RME that comes with my Babyface Pro.
Tried the interface outs from both the XLR out and from the Phones out...no luck so far :(
I seem to lose quite a bit of level when reamping, and the hum/buzz from my Fender Deluxe clone amp head makes is unusable, even with the RMP ground switch engaged. I'm hoping its just operator error, which is usually the case.
FWIW...
Salud and Happy Holidays all!!
|
MakerDP
Max Output Level: -88 dBFS
- Total Posts : 117
- Joined: 2016/01/20 22:33:03
- Status: offline
Re: Preamp and pedal effects with daw help
2017/12/30 03:33:45
(permalink)
I've used the ART reamping device with great success. But yeah, DAW -> interface -> anything-made-for-guitar-signals (pedals, amps, etc.) is going to require some sort of reamping device like the Radial or the ART. Even then you need to make sure your levels from the DAW are not too high so that they overload the device you are plugging into.
|
bokchoyboy
Max Output Level: -86 dBFS
- Total Posts : 238
- Joined: 2015/07/20 11:05:13
- Status: offline
Re: Preamp and pedal effects with daw help
2017/12/30 04:45:27
(permalink)
I guess most of my problems probably come from a tube amp that needs to be serviced... :(
|