Clipping - Can someone explain this?

[Webb]

This clipping is driving me nuts! Why is that whenever I try to use someone else's patch they created, I get crazy amounts of clipping even with output 1 gain turned down globally to -12? I mean it sounds great on the clips I hear...that is until I try to use it. That's right about when I get my head blown off with deadly digital distortion. Ok, it doesn't happen with every user patch, but enough to make me question what I'm doing wrong.

I'm going balanced out to Mackie Onyx line in through Yamaha HS-80m and Blue Sky Media Desk monitors. Any advice (besides don't use those patches that make it clip)??

 

[DJD100]

Are we to assume it's the Mackie that's clipping (clip lights not lighting on the Axe)?

If yes, then make sure you're in the switched to the line input (not in the mic in etc), turn down the Axe's output one knob, use an input pad if there is one on the Mackie, good luck.

 

[tubetonez]

If you're talking about the AxeFX' clip lights, I also have posted about this. Besides other user's patches, just starting with everything at default and making a new patch with only an amp block and cab block at default settings, it's clipping with most of the amp models other than a few clean amps. I have an Ultra, and usually play a Strat loaded with Kinman pickups, it does it with my other guitars as well.

 

[Webb]

Are we to assume it's the Mackie that's clipping (clip lights not lighting on the Axe)?

If yes, then make sure you're in the switched to the line input (not in the mic in etc), turn down the Axe's output one knob, use an input pad if there is one on the Mackie, good luck.

No, it's the Axe Fx that's clipping. That little red light is full on!

 

[emperor_black]

If it clips, why not reduce the level of the Amp block? That should solve the problem. Either that, or its way too bassy. Reduce the bass. Every pickup is different. Everyone sets their input levels different. If someone created a patch with a weak pickup, then that patch would have higher levels of gain than yours. Why have you set the global gain to -12? Never heard of that.

 

[DNW]

I find I get a lot of output clipping when I try other people's patches too. I'll audition the patch, hit one chord and go "WTF?! :?". I just go into the amp or cab block and reduce the volume to a reasonable level. I'm guessing some people have their global volume or something set lower for some reason, so their individual patch volmes go straight into clipping territory for anyone whose global volume is untouched. Coz I can't imagine these people are actually playing their patches with that much clipping thinking, "Shit yeah, I need to put this up online for everyone!!!"

That said, clipping-aside, most of the stuff up on AE I find useless anyway. I've found a few things I like, and usually they're all coming from the same few users, but mostly the stuff is just miles away from my tastes.

 

[yek]

The Output 1 knob controls the overall output level, it has no effect on clipping!

I like to keep things at unity gain.
So I keep the Mixer level in the Layout menu at 0, the Global EQ levels at 0, Cab level(s) at 0 (unless I'm using parallel cabs).

I adjust the Amp block's level to avoid clipping. The Level needs to be turned down if the Master Volume or Drive is turned up.

The signal can also clip if there are paralell rows in the routing. Parallel rows will increase the signal level (when not being bypassed). Avoid this by setting Mix to 100% and using the effect's Level to dial in the desired amount of effect.

 

[javajunkie]

I find I get a lot of output clipping when I try other people's patches too. I'll audition the patch, hit one chord and go "WTF?! :?". I just go into the amp or cab block and reduce the volume to a reasonable level. I'm guessing some people have their global volume or something set lower for some reason, so their individual patch volmes go straight into clipping territory for anyone whose global volume is untouched. Coz I can't imagine these people are actually playing their patches with that much clipping thinking, "Shit yeah, I need to put this up online for everyone!!!"

That said, clipping-aside, most of the stuff up on AE I find useless anyway. I've found a few things I like, and usually they're all coming from the same few users, but mostly the stuff is just miles away from my tastes.

Patches created with older firmware can have a tendency to clip because of changes in the amp block and other effects. They may not of clipped when they were created.

 

[Mike Snider]

Effects such as wah and phaser can easily cause clipping as well- pushing some frequencies right thru the roof. Cliff mentioned the wah adds 6db by nature (so reduce your wah's level by 6db to run unity)
I will agree with most that you will typically find the amp block is driving the signal to clip,however; I would isolate by bypassing each block and turn each effect on one at a time. Strip it all down to amp and cab- verify levels and add any additional blocks in to the chain by un-bypassing.
One other thing to look for- when effects run in parallel, if not configured to mute when bypassed then that signal gets added to the total output....this could cause clipping and have nothing to do with the amp settings per se.

 

[bluffalo]

If you haven't "installed" any user cabs in the user slots and the patch you downloaded selects one of the user cabs - it will just clip.

without changing any other settings, Try changing the cab sim to one of the "stock" cabs, and see if it still clips.

 

[Webb]

If it clips, why not reduce the level of the Amp block? That should solve the problem. Either that, or its way too bassy. Reduce the bass. Every pickup is different. Everyone sets their input levels different. If someone created a patch with a weak pickup, then that patch would have higher levels of gain than yours. Why have you set the global gain to -12? Never heard of that.

I only turn the global gain to -12 when auditioning patches to try to prevent blowing my speakers. But like I said, even all the way down is not low enough with some of the patches.

Here's an example that sounds great in the clip but cause me major clipping: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=17603

I've also tried to turn down the level in the amp block after it clips, and the clip light no longer lights but it still sounds weird. I don't know. I'll try it with my strat or tele. So far I've only used my Wolfgang which has pretty hot pickups.

 

[DNW]

I find I get a lot of output clipping when I try other people's patches too. I'll audition the patch, hit one chord and go "WTF?! :?". I just go into the amp or cab block and reduce the volume to a reasonable level. I'm guessing some people have their global volume or something set lower for some reason, so their individual patch volmes go straight into clipping territory for anyone whose global volume is untouched. Coz I can't imagine these people are actually playing their patches with that much clipping thinking, "Shit yeah, I need to put this up online for everyone!!!"

That said, clipping-aside, most of the stuff up on AE I find useless anyway. I've found a few things I like, and usually they're all coming from the same few users, but mostly the stuff is just miles away from my tastes.

Patches created with older firmware can have a tendency to clip because of changes in the amp block and other effects. They may not of clipped when they were created.

Good point that I hadn't considered. Don't remember if it was only older patches where it happened or if I was finding it with newer ones as well. I'll keep that in mind next time I'm playing about with patches of AE.

 

[javajunkie]

If it clips, why not reduce the level of the Amp block? That should solve the problem. Either that, or its way too bassy. Reduce the bass. Every pickup is different. Everyone sets their input levels different. If someone created a patch with a weak pickup, then that patch would have higher levels of gain than yours. Why have you set the global gain to -12? Never heard of that.

I only turn the global gain to -12 when auditioning patches to try to prevent blowing my speakers. But like I said, even all the way down is not low enough with some of the patches.

Here's an example that sounds great in the clip but cause me major clipping: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=17603

I've also tried to turn down the level in the amp block after it clips, and the clip light no longer lights but it still sounds weird. I don't know. I'll try it with my strat or tele. So far I've only used my Wolfgang which has pretty hot pickups.

Turning down the level on the amp block does not effect the amps or axe-fx tone unless there is a non-linear effect like compression or drive after it. It merely reduces the volume.

It looks like those patches in the link you gave use USER cabs, did you load the same cabs in to the user slot as he is using?

 

[claudel]

Personally, I like to use unity gain on most every block and I also like to use parallel routings, which pumps up the overall gain..

I use the output mixer and master gain to set the overall level so that there's no clipping

For whatever reason, this seems to sound better to me than padding individual blocks, although
I occasionally cut or boost level at the block if it seems necessary.

YMMV

 

[marshall2553]

It looks like those patches in the link you gave use USER cabs, did you load the same cabs in to the user slot as he is using?

This. It got me the first time I downloaded someone else's patch.

 

[Webb]

It looks like those patches in the link you gave use USER cabs, did you load the same cabs in to the user slot as he is using?

Ok, so I'm an idiot. That was the problem. I had loaded up an IR in user slot 1, but had nothing in the other slots. The patches that were clipping made use of 2 user cabs. Once I loaded another cab or changed it to a stock cab everything was fine.

Thanks for everyone's input! Love this forum!!