My guitar is giving very low output

Discussion in 'Guitars' started by reignerrr, Aug 19, 2024.

  1. reignerrr

    reignerrr Ultrasonic

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    I have a jackson js22 7 and i don't know what happened but i left it a week and then i have this problem, i'm using cakewalk, same settings in the project, i didn't changed anything and went from this:

    sshdfgot-1.png

    to this:

    sstehot-5.png

    if i increase the gain in my focusrite or the gain of the track it starts to sound very bad, i've checked the wiring and everything looks fine and the cable is a mogami and looks brand new
     
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  3. ClaudeBalls

    ClaudeBalls Producer

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    You need to isolate your variables. You need to rule out either your guitar or your interface mechanics and or software settings.

    Are the audio volume levels on the audio meters the same and the graphics display are just zoomed out?

    1. Do you have another guitar or bass that you can test? Is the level also "low" into your interface? (is it guitar or interface/computer settings)
    1b. Are there active pickups that have a dead battery? Are there pedals in your input chain that have dead batteries?
    1c. Do you have the same levels across all inputs of your interface?
    2. Do you have an amp that you can test the guitar on to see if the output is lower there or is it the computer?
    3. is the level drop on both pickups or just one? It is possible that you had a short in your pickup winding and the output drops to less. Depending on where in the winding the short is.
    4. It is possible that the volume pot shorted out as well. It is possible that you need to replace it.
    5. The most likely issue is the cable. Do you have the same low level with a different cable. Although it is unlikely that the cable would short out and not have an intermittent signal/level.
    6. With some interfaces there is a separate control panel outside of the DAW. It is possible that your settings got updated or tweaked and your interface's inputs got toggled from -10/+4 input sensitivity. Check and see if you can access

    7. If you really want to get to the bottom of things you need to get a signal generator plugin and route your outputs to your inputs. See if when you set your output to -6db you are getting -6db at your inputs? (this should probably be your first move). If you can't find a single generator just a synth with a sine wave or square wave will work.
     
  4. evolasme

    evolasme Producer

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    what pick ups are in the jackson?
     
  5. evolasme

    evolasme Producer

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    somewhere different almost every night
    if its active pick ups its defo the battery
     
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  6. tylerv

    tylerv Platinum Record

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    what u said!

    that was my first instinct as well. just had the exact same thing happen a few days ago. picked up my gibson lp studio and jacked into my quad cortex to start tracking guitars and the input was nada. scratched my head for ab 5 minutes before remembering that i had swapped the stock pups out for some fishman fluence moderns ab 6 mos back and they're active. swapped out the 9v battery and bam boom, high output sledgehammer achieved.
     
  7. mk_96

    mk_96 Audiosexual

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    This. And i would also add to check if the input of the interface is on intrument or line mode (if there is any option to toggle between the two).
     
  8. clone

    clone Audiosexual

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    I would test the interface with another sound source if possible. It's a Focusrite. I had an 18i20 for a while, and it's software would do all sorts of weird things like this. So I would trust the guitar way more, unless it is something very simple like the mentioned battery, incorrect cable type, connected to an audio input that does not have a preamp, or anything basic like that. Mogami cable "looks brand new" but that would still be worth checking because of how easy and quick it is to do.
     
  9. Lad Impala

    Lad Impala Rock Star

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    I have a guitar that had a bad connection on the input jack.
    depending on how you'd move the jack or the cables the signal would get from very quiet to normal levels.
    pretty easy to fix
     
  10. Strat4ever

    Strat4ever Rock Star

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    The simplest test
    1. plug your guitar in your amplifier to see if it sounds the same at the levels you usually use.
    2. if it sounds weaker it may be a loose wire in your guitar. open it up and verify the wiring.
    3. if you don't see any issues leave the cavity open plug it into your amp at a low volume, try touching your guitars internal wires wires to see if the level changes, play with the PU selector switch to see if there is any difference. If you have Active PU's change your battery.
     
  11. reignerrr

    reignerrr Ultrasonic

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    thanks for all the help, i'm an idiot, it was the damn little switch of the focusrite, it was in ''line'' instead of ''inst'' hehe
     
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  12. Smeghead

    Smeghead Producer

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    Or it could be that :rofl:
     
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