guitar effects pedals as outboard effects advice please

the_womb · 21st May 2009

Hi i was wondering if anyone has any practical advice on setting up my ax3000g digital guitar processor to my soundcard as an outboard effect.

I've tried sending signal from the soundcard into the pedal and then from the pedal to an input (all as mono) and i get this annoying distortion or feedback loop that gets louder when i turn the gain up.

This happens without any DAW's running either. i searched the web for a bit and found some advice that said I should use DI boxes. is this the only way? or are there other ways to eliminate this uber annoying problem?

musikman1 · 21st May 2009

What kind of soundcard? Like one built into a computer?

the_womb · 21st May 2009

nah its an external firewire type jobby

the_womb · 21st May 2009

noone has any advice?

Insomniaclown · 21st May 2009

So, you are sending a signal out from your computer, through the guitar processor, and then back in to the computer right? All I can think it could be is that your interface might be sending out a line level signal, which is overloading the processor, and then the processor is sending back an instrument level signal, but the interface is expecting a line level signal. This can cause all sorts of nasty noise problems.

the_womb · 21st May 2009

i'm not sure, you may be right. any clues on getting it right?

Insomniaclown · 21st May 2009

I'd do a test first. Run a guitar into the effects pedal, and then the output of the pedal into your interfaces Hi-Z (if it has one) input. If everything is fine, then you have found the problem.

Some interfaces come with software that lets you change the output and input levels, such as +4 and -10. What type of firewire interface do you have?

rack gear · 21st May 2009

get a reamp box - essentially your effects box is expecting an instrument signal from a guitar, not a line level signal from a computer. the reamp will properly adjust the single for your effects box.

Reamp : Applications

http://www.littlelabs.com/redeye.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_womb

i'm not sure, you may be right. any clues on getting it right?

rack gear · 21st May 2009

substitute the "stompbox" with your ax3000g digital guitar processor and you're set...

the_womb · 21st May 2009

i have a focusrite saffire LE interface. not sure if its got that feature but i'll look it up, i'll look into gettin a reamp box too & will repost when i've unleashed the awesome on my studio. thanks guys

the_womb · 21st May 2009

that reamp box is cool but could i use any? as it looks a little out of my budget, are there cheaper alternatives?

OliverV · 21st May 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_womb

that reamp box is cool but could i use any? as it looks a little out of my budget, are there cheaper alternatives?

There's a little thing called a ToneFREQ Jr

Tweak Head Technology Home

steelyfan · 21st May 2009

Look at how you are sending and receiving the signals. If the signal being sent is being monitored and receiving it's "OWN" signal twice, you will get a loop hum. Try this.

In your software set up:

1>send the signal out of your computer through your recording device.(usb, firwire,etc.) through one of it's outputs in the back (1 - 8 ? )

2> don't send it to the main l @ r stereo outs, this is causing the loop hum.

3>So you should't be hearing this track, but you can see the meters are playing, the audio is waiting to be sent back in.

4> set up a track to receive the new processed information. and send that track to it. So you are audio is going OUT say line 8 on your outputs
, goes through the guitar pedal, then back IN to say line 2, and is now playing your new processed sound. You can now push the volume on your OUTPUT channel to get more volume on the INPUT channel.

5> i think the reason you are getting the hum is what you are sendng out is going out through the L@R buss, and then back into it it again, creating a never ending LOOP.

Protools Guy · 21st May 2009

The Ebtech Line Level Shifter does a nice job.

the_womb · 23rd May 2009

thanks steely fan, but i was sending it out on output 3, not the L&R output. my monitors occupy those anyway. i'm not sure if that was the problem.

Faderjockey · 23rd May 2009

Yes your trouble is impedance.. The pic above would work. Doesn't have to be a reamp. But you do need a box that will change the impedance to instrument level which is very low.

the_womb · 24th May 2009

nice one, I've already got a DI box and a reamp box on my wishlist. should be getting them within the next couple of weeks or so...

21st May 2009	#1
the_womb Gear interested Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 8 Thread Starter	guitar effects pedals as outboard effects advice please Hi i was wondering if anyone has any practical advice on setting up my ax3000g digital guitar processor to my soundcard as an outboard effect. I've tried sending signal from the soundcard into the pedal and then from the pedal to an input (all as mono) and i get this annoying distortion or feedback loop that gets louder when i turn the gain up. This happens without any DAW's running either. i searched the web for a bit and found some advice that said I should use DI boxes. is this the only way? or are there other ways to eliminate this uber annoying problem?

23rd May 2009	#16
Faderjockey Lives for gear Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Baltimore Posts: 1,892	Yes your trouble is impedance.. The pic above would work. Doesn't have to be a reamp. But you do need a box that will change the impedance to instrument level which is very low. __________________ http://www.myspace.com/bigbangstudios www.barberelectronics.com

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21st May 2009	#2
musikman1 Gear interested Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: TX Posts: 27	What kind of soundcard? Like one built into a computer?

21st May 2009	#5
Insomniaclown Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Now in Wellington Posts: 823	So, you are sending a signal out from your computer, through the guitar processor, and then back in to the computer right? All I can think it could be is that your interface might be sending out a line level signal, which is overloading the processor, and then the processor is sending back an instrument level signal, but the interface is expecting a line level signal. This can cause all sorts of nasty noise problems.

21st May 2009	#9
rack gear Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: the big rack Posts: 9,120 10 Reviews written	substitute the "stompbox" with your ax3000g digital guitar processor and you're set...

21st May 2009	#13
steelyfan Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,910	Look at how you are sending and receiving the signals. If the signal being sent is being monitored and receiving it's "OWN" signal twice, you will get a loop hum. Try this. In your software set up: 1>send the signal out of your computer through your recording device.(usb, firwire,etc.) through one of it's outputs in the back (1 - 8 ? ) 2> don't send it to the main l @ r stereo outs, this is causing the loop hum. 3>So you should't be hearing this track, but you can see the meters are playing, the audio is waiting to be sent back in. 4> set up a track to receive the new processed information. and send that track to it. So you are audio is going OUT say line 8 on your outputs , goes through the guitar pedal, then back IN to say line 2, and is now playing your new processed sound. You can now push the volume on your OUTPUT channel to get more volume on the INPUT channel. 5> i think the reason you are getting the hum is what you are sendng out is going out through the L@R buss, and then back into it it again, creating a never ending LOOP.

21st May 2009	#14
Protools Guy Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: US of A Posts: 1,261	The Ebtech Line Level Shifter does a nice job.

24th May 2009	#17
the_womb Gear interested Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 8 Thread Starter	nice one, I've already got a DI box and a reamp box on my wishlist. should be getting them within the next couple of weeks or so...