Posts by stratology

Here's another recent thread that discusses SPDIF and sample rates in detail.

According to a survey by Ronan Chris Murphy, most pros use 44k/24bit for recording and mixing, higher sample rates are mostly (but not exclusively) used by amateurs.

I don't want to repeat the discussion from the previous thread, I'd rather add another point that may be relevant:

When you use the analog inputs of your audio interface, the preamps in the interface will colour the sound. Depending on the preamps, this can sound very pleasant (I very much like what the preamps in my Presonus interface add to the sound..), or it may not be what you're looking for. Try it out for yourself, and compare results.

I like the highest frets I can get. Had both a Strat and an old SG re-fretted with 6100s, huge improvement in playability.

I play with a light touch. High frets mean the left hand fingers don't have to touch the fretboard - less friction.

I don't recall who said it: good playing technique means that playing guitar is actually relaxing for the hands, rather than putting any strain on them. I found that good technique varies from individual to individual - everyone is anatomically different. Finding appropriate good technique requires exploration, not necessarily listening to teachers.

Quote from Jonathanrsullivan

As for the pack and church music, P&W dudes will definitely enjoy...

Are you or your company in any way affiliated with the P&W scene?

post removed by stratology

post removed by stratology

A relatively easy, straightforward solution would be the (much discussed) editor app for macOS or iOS. Native accessibility support on macOS and iOS is excellent, most apps are easy to use for blind musicians.

https://www.apple.com/accessibility/

Quote from Michael_dk

As long as you're not using any character plugins (or just slightly badly coded ones) in between

Haha, you're right, of course - plug ins that are supposed to introduce (good sounding) distortion will introduce distortion, and badly coded ones will misbehave.

Sample rate discussions often end in nasty catfights, I'm pleasantly surprised that a good, civilised discussion is possible on the Kemper forum. Great place.

Just to be clear: I'm fully aware that for someone who works in video, where 48k is standard, being forced to use 44k because the Kemper has to be clock master on SPDIF is disappointing. That's a very good point to make, regardless of possible differences in sound.

Quote from Dean_R

It's a different story if you record one at 48k and another at 44.1 and listen to the differences.

If you have a DAW and any drum sampler, start a project and insert a beat and add any reverb plugin then change sample rate from 44.1 to 48k and listen to the drum part. Who cares about theories. Let your ears decide and please report back if you're able as I'm also curious

No, it's the same.

If you use a drum sample, that sample was originally sampled at a specific rate, which may or may not be identical with the sampling rate of your DAW project. So it's not really a valid test/comparison, as additional processes take place. Why would a reverb plug in produce different results at 44 or 48k? If you have audio below Nyquist, the audio with reverb added is also below Nyquist.

So to do a real test, you would have to start with analog material and record completely identical material at 44k and 48k, then do a double blind comparison. Any comparison that is not done in a double blind test is meaningless, due to confirmation bias.

If you do hear a difference: it's entirely possible that the converter you use works/sounds better at 48k. A different converter may work better at 44k.

Caring about theories is important, because it lets you determine what is actually going on, e.g. comparing the quality of a reverb plug in (that is already in the digital domain) or a loop (that is also already in the digital domain) vs. comparing the process of sampling of analogue material (A/D conversion) at different sampling rates.

Once you are in the digital domain, issues with frequencies close to Nyquist are handled by oversampling. If you have a very old plug in that's not capable of that, it's an entirely different issue. Meaning, at the same project sampling rate, a plug in with better design will sound better, and show no preference to any project sampling rate .

Quote from sambrox

Here's a vid from Fab Filter showcasing their Q2 plugin and the "cramping" of bells in typical EQ plugins at lower sample rates, due to the Nyqvist filter cut off, versus the Q2

This has nothing whatsoever to do with the sampling rate for recording.

Most plug ins today use internal oversampling, so when you apply the plug in, there is no sound difference whatsoever between material recorded with 44k, 88k, etc.

Nothing against the (very good) Fab Filter EQ, but their advertising video makes it sound like it's the only EQ on the market that uses internal oversampling, and offers a linear phase option (linear phase is not inherently better, it's better for certain purposes, worse for others..).

I doubt that anyone can actually distinguish between audio recorded at 44k and 48k. If you think you can, do a double blind test: take any track recorded at 48k, and bounce it, once to a 48k target file, once to a 44k target file. Then do a double blind test, to hear if you can distinguish between the files (and please tell me what you find - I'm genuinely curious..).

To do a double blind test, you can either use Apple's free AUlab (if you're on a Mac - how-to video here), or any kind of ABX test app.

Slightly off topic: most DAWs today work at 32bit float internally. In a recent video I watched, Andrew Scheps explained that you can apply a Trim plug in to any DAW track, boost the signal by 80dB, so everything in the DAW's mixing board looks like it's peaking and distorting like crazy. Then you insert another Trim plug in to the sum that reduces the gain by 80dB. Everything will actually sound fine, no distortion whatsoever, due to the way calculations are done internally. Counterintuitive, if you think in analog gain staging terms...

Here'a a recent article from mixing/mastering engineer Ronan Chris Murphy, who mixed King Crimson, Steve Morse, and many others:

What Sample Rate do Pros use?

Bottom line: most pros use either 44.1k (when mixing for CD) or 48k (when mixing for video), higher sample rates are more popular among amateurs, according to his poll.

Here's an often linked white paper (pdf) by Dan Lavry, who builds high quality A/D converters. It covers sampling theory, and explains in detail why sampling rates higher than 96k are actually detrimental for audio quality.

And, for good measure, the (also often linked) video from the FLAC inventors at Xiph. It has a very good explanation of sampling basics:

Quote from HenryKemper

I finally got it working again.
When I re-installed RM (version 2) I noticed that the option to install the driver for 10.9 and higher was grayed out.
I had a (sorta) clean install of El Capitan on another bootdrive, I tried installing RM 2 and then it did gave me the option to install this driver...
Back to Sierra, still the same. Then I tried an older version of RM (1.3 Beta), This did install the driver, than I re-installed the latest version of RM an now it´s fully working as it is supposed to.

When the driver install is unticked (doesn't really matter if it's greyed out - the greyed out, ticked items are getting installed) it usually means that the driver already exists.

If you want to find out what exactly an Installer installs (that uses the Apple Installer app, like in this case), you start the Installer, then go to the File menu, and select 'Show Files'. There you can see that the driver you mentioned is getting installed into /Library/Extensions/, and is called 'KemperProfiler.kext'.

Anyway, glad to hear that you got it to work.

Are you using a USB hub? If you do, try to connect the Kemper directly to the Mac.
Do other USB devices work correctly?
When you say you updated the Kemper, I assume that means that the Kemper recognised a USB stick with the software update? If it's still plugged in, unplug it, plug in the USB cable from the Kemper to the Mac, restart the Kemper, see if Rig Manager sees the Mac now.

Do you have any security software installed, like antivirus apps, or Little Snitch? These can block outgoing network connections - I have seen Little Snitch cause iPod sync via USB to fail.

General troubleshooting steps for cases where the Mac does not see external hardware: reset SMC, reboot, then reset NVRAM.

I assume you use a regular Mac - on a Hackintosh, all bets are off...

Quote from Hurricane

Ich hab ne masterbuilt-Relic-Strat aus der ersten TimeMachine-Serie (2002), die auch hinsichtlich Materialqualität erwiesenermaßen ein hohes Level aufweisen dürfte und seit Anbeginn Probleme mit Saitenscheppern meistens im Herbst-Winter-Übergang hatte.

Das ist auch meine Erfahrung - eine Master Built Gitarre von einem früheren Fender Custom Shop Mitarbeiter - im Vergleich zur Ibanez muss die viel öfter nachjustiert werden. Die Qualität kann mit der '80er japanischen Ibanez nicht mithalten - nicht nur in Bezug auf Stimmstabilität...

Hängt wirklich von der Qualität der Gitarre ab. Ich habe eine alte Ibanez Semi, bei der musste ich in 30 Jahren noch nie den Stahlstab im Hals nachstellen, und sie ist extrem stimmstabil. Im krassen Gegensatz zu meinen Fender, Gibson und US boutique Gitarren, die viel wetterfühliger sind..

I found only 4 out of the whole pack that are usable 'out of the box' without tweaking. Most of the profiles have something unpleasant going on in the high end - that's with testing with a humbucker guitar with flatwound strings.
Tweaking cab and amp settings can make it better, but I wasn't able to get it to sound 'great' without any high end fizz.

That being said: the TAF Carmen Ghia profiles have something similar going on in the top end.
The TAF Z Wreck sounds fuller out of the box, smoother top end, but also more hyped. Bottom line: more usable for me with minor tweaking.

Many of the 'clean' profiles in the Z pack are not really clean, more like 'light crunch' profiles.
Many of the profiles in the Z pack have very good responsiveness to touch, good at controling harmonic content and sound with pick attack.

My preferred approach is to find profiles that sound great out of the box, and then tweak them to match the guitar, and my personal preferences. Not sure if I'll bother with the rest of the profiles in the Z pack..

Quote from Dimi84

But it's definitely do-able to tell the difference between kemper and real amp in recording.

Curious - have you actually done a double blind test?

If the answer is yes:
You speak about differences - what exactly are these differences?

Dumble Steel String Singer

Deacy amp

Customs charge for me was around €150.

Quote from MementoMori

Still have any FRFR solutions to compare?

I can offer half a comparison. After I received the refund from the faulty Xitone cab, I purchased a Dynacord AXM 12A cab from Thomann.

- it arrived within a week
- it came with 2 power cords (UK and Euro plugs - the Xitone did not include any)
- it sounded good right away, without doing any adjustments. I've only just started to look into the different settings, to further improve the sound. (Cannot comment on the Xitone sound, because I don't know what it sounds like when it works correctly.)
- it has an EQ, with factory presets (like the Xitone), and user presets that can be saved (unlike the Xitone)
- it has a display, that shows levels and overs
- it has more than 1 input, with separate volume controls, so it can double for vocals, etc.
- it offers phantom power for condenser mics
- it's significantly lighter than the Xitone
- it's fanless (the Xitone has a fan, but it's quiet, no distracting noise)
- external build quality on both is excellent. The Dynacord may have a small advantage, because it can be pole mounted. The Xitone may have a small advantage, because it's shaped like a traditional cab, and you can put the Kemper on top of it.
- the Dynacord came with a manual and technical specs
- 3 year warranty

So, after my misadventure with Xitone, you can probably tell that I'm quite happy with the Dynacord cab.

Quote from Monkey_Man

You didn't get to hear it working properly even for a few minutes?

No. When I first received it, it couldn't be switched on at all, because voltage was set to 110V. (I'm in Europe, 220V here). Mick suggested that I take it apart to flip the internal voltage switch. After doing that, it would turn on, but not sound right. To give a reference: the Kemper through the power amp/speaker of my Fender Blues Deluxe (awful sound in that combination) sounded closer to my studio monitors, more linear, than the Xitone cab.

Mick informed me that he had tried new tech on the internal pre-amp, and sent one of these prototypes to me, one to another unsuspecting customer. He suggested that he sends me a replacement pre-amp, and I build it into the cab. I simply don't have the electronics expertise to perform a repair like that, so I declined, and insisted on a refund. On top of that, I could not be sure that this was actually the root cause of the issue - I had connected it to power and tried to turn it on when I received it, unaware that it was set to 110V, which causes an automatic shut down. This should not damage the circuitry, according to Mick, but who knows...

For the record: Mick was always friendly during email communication, and came through with the refund in the end (I'm still in the process of trying to get the customs charge refunded, but that's got nothing to do with him.). But I had to push hard and repeatedly take initiative to get things sorted (example: he told me he was unable to arrange the return shipment to the US, so I had to take care of that).

I'm just glad the whole ordeal is over, and I didn't have any financial losses...