Input Clipping Thread

So “tickling the red” - which is how I’ve been set up for years - is no longer valid ?

And yes now I’m getting the warnings especially with EMG’s and Bare Knuckles.
 
Sorry to be a little off topic.

But if « tickling the red » actually make the input clip and 99% of people seems to dial down a lot their input, do you think it’s better to stay on the two green led on the FM3 ?

I know the input is not the same but as the tickling method is the same…
 
We simply went from a 6 dB window of ambiguity with the red input LEDs to a much finer threshold of 0.5 dB below clipping. If the on screen clipping indicator is showing, most likely it is clipping. Nothing else about the input processing has changed.

You can also go below 5% on the input sensitivity as well if needed. That is simply where the automatic level compensation stops. Below 5% you'll have to boost the level a bit to compensate manually using the Input Gain parameter in the I/O menu. Record a DI at 5% input sensitivity and then again at whatever setting you need below that and then use the Input Gain parameter to boost the level to match that of the 5% setting DI.
 
Gregmang said:
So “tickling the red” - which is how I’ve been set up for years - is no longer valid ?

And yes now I’m getting the warnings especially with EMG’s and Bare Knuckles.
Click to expand...
It's still valid but the setting will depend upon the pickups. The easiest way to check is to use an empty preset, place an In 1 and Out 1 block in the grid, connect them and strum the most aggressively you will play. Adjust the Input Sensitivity to eliminate any audible clipping. I chose to lower the setting an additional 15% just to make sure there's no chance for clipping with the highest output pickups I have. My setting ended up @ 30%.
 
The on screen clipping indicator will most likely show up before you can hear any clipping in the dry input signal especially if you're monitoring at a lower level and can hear the acoustic sound of the strings.

No need to over think things. If the on screen indicator shows up, turn down the input sensitivity and repeat until you don't see it anymore while playing normally.
 
Gregmang said:
So “tickling the red” - which is how I’ve been set up for years - is no longer valid ?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't go so far as to say it's invalid. It's intentionally vague, because without an input clip indicator on the Axe-FX that's as precise as the instructions could be. For years the advice on the forum has been that if you want to avoid clipping when "tickling the red", you have to go to the trouble of recording a DI and examine it. Now that there is an input clip indicator, it's a lot easier to dial in the sensitivity without clipping: Turn it up just shy of where you get the Input Clip warning.
 
For the sake of clarity, I'm only talking about A/D Sensitivity (NOT "Input 1 Gain" which is used to tickle Ole Red). I settled at 20% which works for my EMG and PAF style pickups.
 

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Shahar said:
For the sake of clarity, I'm only talking about A/D Sensitivity (NOT "Input 1 Gain" which is used to tickle Ole Red). I settled at 20% which works for my EMG and PAF style pickups.
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I settled at about 13%. Previously it was at 50%.
 
Shahar said:
I dont think the update change clipping behavior, it just brought it to light. I was digitally distorting since I got the unit :oops:
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I think that‘s a misunderstanding. The signal peaks “get clipped“ (compressed / limited) when the input sensitivity is set too high. It‘s not „digitally clipping“ in the sense of distorting. The soft clipper in the input stage actually prevents digital clipping (distortion). It just means that it compresses the signal.
 
Set your Axe to bypass, and play the shit out of it. You'll hear it if its clipping.

I was stunned. And it sounds SO MUCH better now that I have a transient instead of a squared off input signal going into the gain stages.
 
squealie said:
Set your Axe to bypass, and play the shit out of it. You'll hear it if its clipping.

I was stunned. And it sounds SO MUCH better now that I have a transient instead of a squared off input signal going into the gain stages.
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Do you mean "amp block"? And I do agree, naturally sounds much better sans input clipping, especially chugs on high gain models. I'm really glad that the beta release brought this to light.
 
Also experiencing input clip warning on my mk2 turbo
Guitar used : EBMM JP7
Previous input1 level : 60%
22.00b6 level in order to not get the warning : 10%
 
Tickling the red was supposed to be an indication that you still have another 6dB to go before you clip. If we've been actually clipping if you even hit the red a tiny bit than the manual was wrong all this time.

It also is mind blowing that the input sensitivity knob has a very small usable level if the new input clip warning pop up is correct. That further means that for many more people now, the automatic gain compensation is moot, since they'll have to readjust so low.

Can more users here repeat the year that @mr_fender and @GlennO have, to record a waveform tickling the red? I don't know when I can play next to run this test myself. This is a huge change, and I'm really surprised that the manual could be so wrong on this point.
 
State of Epicicity said:
Tickling the red was supposed to be an indication that you still have another 6dB to go before you clip. If we've been actually clipping if you even hit the red a tiny bit than the manual was wrong all this time.
Click to expand...

I suspect a lot of people were more than "tickling" the red thinking moar input is moar tonez and without a fine grained input meter/peak hold indicator on the front panel it was an easy mistake to make.. Slamming the input of something is almost hardwired into a lot of guitarists.
 
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The new input clip warning should, based on the way clipping is described in the manual, show up when you're pushing 6dB higher than tickling the red. I know for sure I was not at that level when I was playing. On the other thread I referenced, @mr_fender and @GlennO recorded signals to test. For Glenn's, he only tickled the red and found the input peaks flattened; I'm not sure of Fender's LED meter with his clip. If that's right, than the original guidance that tickling the red still have you more room was wrong. I'm going to test myself when I can find time to play again.
 
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State of Epicicity said:
The new input clip warning should, based on the way clipping is described in the manual, show up when you're pushing 6dB higher than tickling the red. I know for sure I was not at that level when I was playing. On the other thread I referenced, @mr_fender and @GlennO recorded signals to test. For Glenn's, he only tickled the red and found the input peaks flattened; I'm not sure of Fender's LED meter with his clip. If that's right, than the original guidance that tickling the red still have you more room was wrong. I'm going to test myself when I can find time to play again.
Click to expand...
I’m starting to think either the manual was wrong or we all misunderstood it - or both.

Either way the fact that we now see when we are clipping and are adjusting accordingly is a huge plus.
 
Is this only happening to MKII and MKII Turbo users? I have a MKI and I didn't have to change anything and I'm using pretty hot Fishmans and hot passives. I was able to put my input into the 80's before I saw the message.
 
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