Cannot get amp sims to sound right

Discussion in 'Rock, Metal' started by MaxSxB, Jun 22, 2022.

  1. clone

    clone Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2021
    Messages:
    5,953
    Likes Received:
    2,528
    How? Nyquist. 16/44.1 and 24/48 are predictable, expected by other plugins, and have headroom above Nyquist sample rate of at minimum 2x the highest frequency to accurately create the sample. When you start mixing them up, maybe it isn't a big deal. But if your next chained plugin is expecting certain formats of incoming data, or it is Missing Data; it's still going to get rendered/produced. This is where you can end up with nasty stuff like Truncation, where the incoming sample's bitrate and word length do not match what the plugin expects; and so it has extra data, it just dumps it. Maybe you get Dither Up, conversely; where the shorter digital word length causes noise to be injected into the sample to Dither Up (it can use extrapolation, which is just an educated guess)... You can easily end up with digital clipping already, at the input side of the next plugin. hope that is close enough to help you at least :)
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2022
  2. theperfumer

    theperfumer Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2016
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    12
    If you have 1st gen 2i2, I think I know exactly what's the problem, and that is the DI input on the 2i2. The input impedance wasn't high enough to resisting the load of hi-z signal, and that will cause some distortions such as fizz, buzz, mud, etc.
    The solution is either buy a DI box or buy new audio interface, and please make sure the DI input impedance has at least 1 Meg Ohm impedance.
     
    • Like Like x 3
    • Interesting Interesting x 1
    • List
  3. mefusbiggz

    mefusbiggz Newbie

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2020
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    New Orleans, LA USA
    I don't have time to read all of the replies, and I'm sure you've tried this. I don't remember the video I watched or where I got the info, but I saw or read something about needing to properly balance your guitar's input. I hade the same problem as you, fuzz, fuzz, and more shitty fuzz. I sounded like dogshit. BUT whatever it was that I needed, I found out that Boss Pedals have them built-in. So I go into a boss pedal, just sitting there, it's plugged in but not powered on, and thin into my audio interface and THEN into my computer. That made things a lot better. My tone isn't perfect but it's way way better than the fizz fuzz bullshit. I mean it used to sound like SHIT! I do feel like I should sound better though.
     
    • Interesting Interesting x 2
    • List
  4. Mister Grimm

    Mister Grimm Kapellmeister

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2017
    Messages:
    69
    Likes Received:
    47
    Hi !I struggled with the same thing for some years. I think your problem is not the guitar sound... But the BASS !!! Yeap, a great percentage of guitar tone comes from bass.
    Actually if your drums and your bass sound killer, your mix will sound great too. Also guitars will fit in the mix way-WAY easier. The same thing apllies even to guitar tones that are not so great.
    The key is not to have a great guitar tone, but a great mix. Build your tone after you record a great sounding bass and have a great raw sound on drums. Try to experiment with you bass sound and see how this affects the way your guitar sounds.

    Have fun buddy !
     
  5. ThorntonQ

    ThorntonQ Producer

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2018
    Messages:
    117
    Likes Received:
    87
    Input impedance is your first point of reference. All audio interfaces have shit hi-z inputs. You'll notice when you roll off tone controls how you lose top end and clarity. Simple cheap solution a Behringer TU300 Chromatic Tuner pedal. Plug into that first then into your Audio Interface.
     
    • Interesting Interesting x 1
    • List
  6. MaxSxB

    MaxSxB Platinum Record

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2014
    Messages:
    151
    Likes Received:
    163
    Ok. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY.
    Sizzle (excessive amount) in gone. For good. The rest seems totally normal and part of a decent tone, even with my bad stock R-457 pickup. 48kHz input did a great job, but man I grabbed a simple Behringer Ultra-G GI100 that's been sleeping in a box for years, went for a DI mix mic impedance, and I cannot even recognize my instruments anymore.

    Glenn and several other youtubers did videos about how the Scarlett isn't responsible of your bad tone/mix, but I learned the hard way that it contributes a lot.

    I finally have to "gargle" tube amps give to distorted sounds instead of a screamy mess. I thought it was 100% impossible to reproduce it in a sim and coped with it. I'm speechless and have made the greatest progress of my whole "carreer".

    As I mentioned in the beginning of this thread, I know bass and drums are like 90% of the perceived quality of a mix, but I could definitely tell there was a problem when comparing my guits to guitar-only parts of my reference songs. I didn't record anything this new way yet, but I already know I won't have any problem, it's just obvious when hearing the guitar by itself.

    @mefusbiggz and @ThorntonQ (and maybe others before) you had the greatest answer with going for a DI. I read about this but A/B video tests didn't convince me. Now I am, and maybe a Radial will show up soon !

    @clone thx a lot for the details on 44 vs 48, I admit I nearly understood nothing, but I got the idea and you were the 2nd half of my progress.

    THANK YOU guys, I love you so much, and I've never been this motivated to go on writing !
     
    • Like Like x 5
    • Love it! Love it! x 1
    • List
  7. mr.personality

    mr.personality Producer

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2017
    Messages:
    370
    Likes Received:
    126
    I bought the IK Multimedia Z Tone pedal (or box) as a sort of last resort attempt to tame harshness/fizz and it noticeably helped being able to variably dial in impedance. Think I got it just before Amplitube 5 & GR6 came out which I have and think A5 sounds much much better than previous versions. GR never really used much as I hate the GUI. Messing with mic positions also helps. In my limited dicking around with that feature it seems 90% of the possible places you can put a mic, it'll sound like shit, lol.

    Did try sticking some buffered pedals before interface as a first attempt but didn't notice much of a difference or very slight.

    Single coils are the worst offenders to tame shrillness in my own experience. I'd buy neurals Plini if it's on sale again because I found it really smoothed out my Fenders when I demo'd it.
     
    Last edited: Jun 28, 2022
  8. clone

    clone Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2021
    Messages:
    5,953
    Likes Received:
    2,528
    When you guitar players are experiencing even general high freq harshness like these, do you ever try to use a De-Esser? I ask because it is not very common for anyone but vocalists, to really care because of Sibilance. But using a De-Esser on exactly these types of more harsh/abrasive high end unpleasant sounds is possibly the most common reason for someone using one. If set correctly, you almost can't even hear it being applied when you A/B. I have not used one to play through, so you might only get limited mileage in realtime situations because of latency, etc. But it's still nice to know that once you bounce through it, the complaints about any harshness "magically go away".
     
    Last edited: Jun 28, 2022
  9. PifPafPif

    PifPafPif Rock Star

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2022
    Messages:
    544
    Likes Received:
    392
    I even seen mastering eng using de esser on master bus :D
    On guitar, i seen aural exciter first in chain to avoid "dullness"
     
  10. Lois Lane

    Lois Lane Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2019
    Messages:
    4,074
    Likes Received:
    4,059
    Location:
    Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Loading...
Similar Threads - Cannot sims sound Forum Date
Waves RET V14 cannot Codesign WavesLicenseEngine Software Mar 5, 2024
Kontakt 7 crashed, cannot open again Kontakt Feb 22, 2024
VST cannot be opened Mac / Hackintosh Feb 13, 2024
cannot remove unused instruments studio one (grey Lettering) Studio One Oct 16, 2023
Windows Security these files cannot be opened! PC Sep 20, 2023
Loading...