HELP - can't get a decent HIGH GAIN tone

Just lower the pickups until the clipping goes away. It should take about 5 minutes with a screwdriver to adjust properly.
Thank you, I've managed to lower them. But still with the lowest height, there remains some "distorsion" when (really) hard picking (however it's much better now).
 
I'd recommend not lowering the EMGs, and instead using a different pickup entirely if you don't like the preamp/op-amp clipping they naturally impart. That IS what EMGs are, and once you're losing its magic in order to avoid its magic, you may as well try a different set.

My understanding is that Duncan actives use different components to avoid this, so consider those if you still want actives but for some reason don't like EMGs... I'd be wary of looking too hard at waveforms, though. Use your ears.
 
I'd recommend not lowering the EMGs, and instead using a different pickup entirely if you don't like the preamp/op-amp clipping they naturally impart. That IS what EMGs are, and once you're losing its magic in order to avoid its magic, you may as well try a different set.

My understanding is that Duncan actives use different components to avoid this, so consider those if you still want actives but for some reason don't like EMGs... I'd be wary of looking too hard at waveforms, though. Use your ears.

Are EMGs THAT loud though?
I know pickups naturally clip if they are hot enough (my ceramic PRS Tremonti pickup does) but that’s one hot signal.
 
Are EMGs THAT loud though?
I know pickups naturally clip if they are hot enough (my ceramic PRS Tremonti pickup does) but that’s one hot signal.
No, in the sense that they're not putting out a signal that's that much hotter than passive, at least a hot passive.

But what we're dealing with is internal clipping, not clipping down the chain - the problem is the headroom of the components within the pickup, so the output isn't relevant.

I've heard arguments against it, but adding a battery and running it at 18V may well help prevent this.

Note: Passive pickups can't "naturally clip", there's nothing to clip. I assume of course that we're not talking about whatever is downstream, i.e. the input of the Axe, because that's adjustable there.
 
I'd recommend not lowering the EMGs, and instead using a different pickup entirely if you don't like the preamp/op-amp clipping they naturally impart. That IS what EMGs are, and once you're losing its magic in order to avoid its magic, you may as well try a different set.

There's nothing to lose by at least trying a height adjustment.
 
Are EMGs THAT loud though?
I know pickups naturally clip if they are hot enough (my ceramic PRS Tremonti pickup does) but that’s one hot signal.

Thx everybody for your advices so far:) As stated before, I think my dry sample has a higher volume because I've recorded it in a wrong way using the focusrite (wrong input gain level)... In the following quoted post, there's a sample of my dry signal but recorded with the axe fx as the main interface (axe fx bypassed - you can check if there's an issue with the output level).
I didn't want you to try my dry signal recorded through my axe, 'cause if there's a problem with my unit (e.g. hardware) it might affect the record of the dry signal and therefore your reamping.


Hi, sorry for the late answer - was quite busy today. :sweatsmile:I think I may have not recorded my guitar properly for reamping with the axe. Actually I've turned the input gain level on the focusrite up to just before it started clipping red. This may have led to the 5-7db of extra gain. Should I have turned it all way down to zero ?

Here's the same riff but recorded through the axe fx (everything bypassed) instead of the focusrite (so that you can see the real level output of the pups). Anyway I agree that the guitar kind of "fizz/clips" a little when I dig hard on the strings. I will look after that at the music shop.

26. Ibanez RG2627ze dry signal Axe FX MONO
 
This probably won't help you at all but I reamped that DI with my current main patch, mainly for my own entertainment (good playing).

Despite the EMG clipping, I think it sounds good. Thats just part of the game with EMG's, they're very compressed. Like some others said, another 9v battery in series to give 18 volts of headroom helps, but they'll still be compressed sounding as thats kind of the EMG sound.



I think I may like a much darker, and looser tone than you do. You might have to turn it up, I didn't even normalize it in the DAW.

edit - i usually play with a solidstate power amp into a guitar cab, so I just flipped through some impulses until i found a couple I liked.
 
This probably won't help you at all but I reamped that DI with my current main patch, mainly for my own entertainment (good playing).

Despite the EMG clipping, I think it sounds good. Thats just part of the game with EMG's, they're very compressed. Like some others said, another 9v battery in series to give 18 volts of headroom helps, but they'll still be compressed sounding as thats kind of the EMG sound.



I think I may like a much darker, and looser tone than you do. You might have to turn it up, I didn't even normalize it in the DAW.

edit - i usually play with a solidstate power amp into a guitar cab, so I just flipped through some impulses until i found a couple I liked.

Thank you for your sample, man ! Would you please share your preset/cab so that I can try it with my axe and see if I get the same result ?
 
Uh, that was five months ago.
Well not so fresh I admit. ^^ But since it's supposed to last about 1500 hours of playing for two emg pickups, I think that 6 months isn't that much (I play like 1-2 hours per day). However, I will give it a try.
 
Thank you for your sample, man ! Would you please share your preset/cab so that I can try it with my axe and see if I get the same result ?

sure thing, here you go. I think its attached.
 

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The clip posted by mnemonic is 2.3dB louder, however both sound identical after level matching.
Yep, I agree. I think I will look into getting other pickups for my Ibanez and see if I can achieve better results with the axe. Thx again to everyone here for your help.

Still I find strange how the presets of other people (e.g. Jason Richardson, Rings of Saturn, Interloper, Northlane, Periphery) sound radically different (in a bad way) with my axe. Could this be a matter of guitar for the most part? Do some of you experience the same result with official presets you bought?
 
Yep, I agree. I think I will look into getting other pickups for my Ibanez and see if I can achieve better results with the axe. Thx again to everyone here for your help.

Still I find strange how the presets of other people (e.g. Jason Richardson, Rings of Saturn, Interloper, Northlane, Periphery) sound radically different (in a bad way) with my axe. Could this be a matter of guitar for the most part? Do some of you experience the same result with official presets you bought?

The EMG 57/66 set is amazing for metal. i have them in two guitars and i couldn't be happier with the results. plus they are a drop in replacement for your 81/85 set.

I just finished a recording today using them.

 
The EMG 57/66 set is amazing for metal. i have them in two guitars and i couldn't be happier with the results. plus they are a drop in replacement for your 81/85 set.

I just finished a recording today using them.


nice! like the tropic thunder quote ^^ btw which amp do you use for the guitars?
As for the pickups I think I will look for passive ones.
 
nice! like the tropic thunder quote ^^ btw which amp do you use for the guitars?
As for the pickups I think I will look for passive ones.

I used the 5153 red, the greenback mix cab, and an enhancer block. that's it. i then ran the axe fx into a tc electronic mimiq pedal into a scarlett 2i4 interface. used logic pro x to record.
 
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