Is it my ears?...my last attempt to get a resolve.

  • lower the pickups a bit????

    ive been searching through many forums over the years concerning how high or low i should have my pickups (EMG 81) and most people seem to say as close to the strings as possible. Of course ive tried high and low and it seems i get a better attack/bite when they are higher and closer to the string.

  • I'd agree with trying to lower the pickups. Takes only a few seconds and you can always put them back. What works for other people really shouldn't be part of it. Set them to what you think sounds best, keeping in mind that even small height changes can make a difference.

  • I'd agree with trying to lower the pickups. Takes only a few seconds and you can always put them back. What works for other people really shouldn't be part of it. Set them to what you think sounds best, keeping in mind that even small height changes can make a difference.

    Yeah thats true dude i was just saying the general consensus within the EMG81 community seemed to be closer to the strings. I will have another play around tho and see what happens \m/

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    So i tried to capture the problem frequency that is plaguing my sound on EVERYTHING. This was recorded using a Neural DSP plugin my kemper was not even a part of the chain at all it was just direct into my interface using one of my other guitars and this time i recorded a direct sound AND another channel where i just removed all bottom end to flush out that horrendous noise im getting with all my guitars in all of my recordings.


    Ive also included a screen shot of the EQ i did in Cubase to show where the problem is living.


    EDIT: NO amount of EQ gets rid of it,It remains no matter what i do.


    EDIT 2: No amount of distortion reduction removes it.It is still there.


    EDIT 3: At the 0:22 mark that is the poison that is smothering all of my digital recordings. Its just constantly there.

  • How hard do you hit the strings?

    How hard is your pick? Material?

    What angel does the pick have when hitting the string?

    Do you hit 90° or does the pick "slide" a bit across the string,

    like hitting it with 45 - 50° angel ?

    New or old strings? What brand? "Right" guage?


    Cheers !


    Edit : Looking at your attached EQ "sample" now I would suggest a narrow Q -12dB cut around 2000 - 2500 Hz to start with ........ :/

    The adjective for metal is metallic. But not so for iron ... which is ironic.

    Edited 3 times, last by Hoki Toki ().

  • 1. Depends what im playing. Metal riffs medium to hard sometimes really aggressive.

    2. My usual pick is 1.10mm Black ice from D'Addario.

    3. Pick angle pretty standard at around 45.

    The only time i get this problem tho is when im playing through my computer. Ive been playing the same style/way for 25+ years without incident. I dont get this problem when im going through my actual amp/cab Orange Rockerverb/4x12 cab. its only when im going digital.

  • Yurrrp! Been all over that. Ive cut sooooo many times including insanely drastic cuts all over that range and its still there im trying to say there seems to be a digital interference somewhere in the signal.I can completely remove/cut/scoop out that whole area and it will be still sitting there...it will not go.


    I always change out my strings quite regular between 10/11 sometimes up to 12.None of this makes a difference new strings old strings different gauges or angles i can finger pluck the string strum it with a spoon rub it with the back of my head it does the same problem.


    Sorry brother i understand your trying to help and im grateful im just getting frustrated. This has been ongoing for years.

  • OK ... Better to ask than not . Maybe someone else gets something out of those answers ..... :/

    I have no more to contribute with as for now .... :wacko: I feel your frustration, but don´t give up :thumbup:


    Cheers !

    The adjective for metal is metallic. But not so for iron ... which is ironic.

  • OK ... Better to ask than not . Maybe someone else gets something out of those answers ..... :/

    I have no more to contribute with as for now .... :wacko: I feel your frustration, but don´t give up :thumbup:


    Cheers !

    Thanks dude i sincerely mean that...sorry again for venting my frustrations.


    Rock on man!


    \m/

  • Looking back at post #20 of this string, you said the Kemper sounds fine through headphones or when directly connected to your monitors. If that's right and you're using the same rig you are recording then your problem can't be with your Kemper, your guitars or with your monitors.


    Then maybe somehow in the settings on your interface or how you're connecting to it. Maybe try to rule out SPDIF as well by trying a recording with just the analog Kemper output. Set Kemper Main Output to Master Stereo (or Master mono). Check the Main Out -12db checkbox. Set all of the Main Output EQ's to zero. Verify that it sounds as you expect with headphones on the Kemper or direct to your monitors.


    Connect the Main Out to your interface and make sure you're not clipping the input. Record it and if it's still got the problem you might need to try help from the interface vendor. If it works analog, then maybe it's something in your SPDIF settings

  • So! This morning before work i tried a few things.


    I unplugged and turned off SPDIF and unplugged any cables i used previously to connect my kemper to my interface which through trial and error was balanced and unbalanced cables going from left out direct into interface trying Line and Instrument option on my interface that all ended in the same bad problematic result.


    This time i used an XLR cable out to XLR cable into my interface and something indeed happened.


    Maybe because at this point i just WANTED something positive to happen so my brain may have been tricked lol.


    I came accross a forum DEEP inside of the internet buried away where someone suggested without using an XLR cable on a focusrite interface the pre-amps arent even engaged and it resorts to using the built in soundcard...i was kinda confused by this...sounds a bit odd this would be the case but i tried it.


    Please understand and dont lynch me if i sound bonkers iam an absolute novice at anything PC related and the ins and outs of pre-amps etc so i couldnt realy figure out what was being said but at the core of the post there was a new option i hadnt tried yet so i went with it.

    So here iam XLR out to XLR direct into my 4pre.

    There is indeed quite a substantial quality increase...again i just hope its not my ears hearing what they wanna hear so im not gonna get too excited just yet lol.

    I will play around some more and let my ears adjust to see if anything has indeed changed.


    If this is a solution i will in detail post what i did.



    Fingers crossed! ??

  • I came accross a forum DEEP inside of the internet buried away where someone suggested without using an XLR cable on a focusrite interface the pre-amps arent even engaged and it resorts to using the built in soundcard...i was kinda confused by this...sounds a bit odd this would be the case but i tried it.

    Many interfaces work this way but “built in soundcard” may not mean what you think. In order to get a mic signal loud enough to be useable mixing desks, interfaces etc all have a pre amp to boost gain. Not all pre amps are created equal. Some destroy the tone, some are highly transparent and some even impart their own desirable fingerprint (like Neve 1073 etc). However, if the incoming signal is strong enough already the mic preamp isn’t needed. In many cases it can’t cope with the high input level and distorts (even with the input gain all the way down). With many interfaces you can manually select mic or lone level input (with or without mic preamp) but with some the switching is carried out automatically; if the interface detects an XLR input then it automatically engages the pre amp. If it detects a 1/4” plug it bypasses the preamp. In the latter you could describe that as just using the “built in soundcard” but it is really the interface doing its thing (A/D conversion) not just using the computer’s own built in soundcard which is what the description might be suggesting to you.

  • I suggested that in post #2 of this thread and in previous threads of Adam's, Damian.


    The idea was that old M.O. we know so well:


    Post a DI track and the result through his Profiler.

    Attach the Rig he used.

    We pass the DI track through the same Rig and compare the results.


    For some reason he's not gone down this road yet in this or his earlier attempts to resolve this AFAICT.


    Adam, don't forget that this option's been there all-along, mate. ;) I suspect you've been seeing it as a last-resort option.

  • Sorry dude lol so you want the DI the profiled sound and the profile...i was kinda a bit iffy doing this as the profiles i use are purchased commercial ones.

  • Sorry dude lol so you want the DI the profiled sound and the profile...i was kinda a bit iffy doing this as the profiles i use are purchased commercial ones.

    if it happens with all profiles then just do a take with something from the factory content or rig exchange. If it doesn’t happen with all profiles that suggests profiles themselves are part of the problem.

  • Many interfaces work this way but “built in soundcard” may not mean what you think. In order to get a mic signal loud enough to be useable mixing desks, interfaces etc all have a pre amp to boost gain. Not all pre amps are created equal. Some destroy the tone, some are highly transparent and some even impart their own desirable fingerprint (like Neve 1073 etc). However, if the incoming signal is strong enough already the mic preamp isn’t needed. In many cases it can’t cope with the high input level and distorts (even with the input gain all the way down). With many interfaces you can manually select mic or lone level input (with or without mic preamp) but with some the switching is carried out automatically; if the interface detects an XLR input then it automatically engages the pre amp. If it detects a 1/4” plug it bypasses the preamp. In the latter you could describe that as just using the “built in soundcard” but it is really the interface doing its thing (A/D conversion) not just using the computer’s own built in soundcard which is what the description might be suggesting to you.

    Ah! well that was explained WAY better than the forum post i read hahaha thanks for that matey :)

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    (DI track download link on the soundcloud track)


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    WITH profile.


    i couldnt figure out a way to attatch the profile the forum just says "file extension invalid" i dont have a dropbox account...hmmmm...oh1 i think this may work .


    https://drive.google.com/file/…3dzXXyHp/view?usp=sharing