input signal lights/sustain issue

D

disinformation

Member
Posting here as opposed to the bugs/wishlist page as it doesn't seem to be a bug of sorts, but more an issue of "user error" (read: user doesn't know how to effectively use settings), but feel free to scold me and move it if necessary.

TL;DR
- my red lights on the input signal dont blink when setting input levels, but work on unit start up
- Can't seem to get pinch harmonics to sustain, even with a basic drive/amp/cab patch - yet I can hear the ringing out "acoustically"

Bulk:
Firstly, I was having an issue where I would get a ridiculous amount of feedback from other sound sources - mainly the drummers snare drum in our rehearsal room - turns out the input level (Via the "I/O" menu) was set to 100%, be it via an update or due to my son fiddling with it (I back up ANYTHING worth keeping just in case). So I rolled that back to about 50-60% and problem solved.

Since doing that, I've had an issue with sustaining pinch harmonics where it will Severely limit it as though theres a half a second of decent signal, then a very hard limiter/gate chomping it off. So I thought that maybe I rolled the input signal down too far and decided to reset and chugg palm mutes while setting it (as that's usually the "strongest" signal I find) only to find that I can't seem to get it to "tickle the red" as is usually suggested. I get all the way to 100% and I get 0 red light action. "maybe my red lights on input 1 are busted??" I thought - power cycled unit, during light check on start up, lights operate fine, so I roll it back to about 60% just to be safe and figure I'll try a clean slate. Open axe edit and clear a preset to start fresh - reset input gate to default settings, load a drive, amp and cab (ts808 mod, 5153 red and the ultra res OH 412 marshall 75 - all with default settings) and theres an improvement, but I know it's still not quite right for some reason.

I keep getting told to use a compressor or to try all these different things and I can never figure out how to set a compressor to save my life - even though I know how each function works, I can't seem to get it to help sustain these damn pinch harmonics (although, I can get the tone "crisper").

Guitar is an RG with an EMG 85 in the bridge (yeah, I know, the 85 is predominantly a neck pickup - maybe this is the issue?), I've tried a passive pickup guitar and it has the same issue.

Any thoughts??
 
For the red LED check if Input 1 mode = left only. Sum L+R will prevent lighting red.

It's unusual that you'd hear a P.H. acoustically but not through your speakers, unless there was gating. I don't remember what the default input gate settings are; did you try disabling it completely (threshold = off)? If it wasn't off, verify that the global gate offset is 0 dB as well.

If you can post a recording that might be useful.
 
I'll see how I go for a recording - but yes, it is set sum L+R (is this wrong??), so that clears that up then.

The default gate setting is threshold: -80, ratio: 1 which in theory means it aint doing squat really, but I'll see if turning the threshold off works (still wont help if it does given a gate is pretty much a staple for most, if not all modern metal players.)

Just seems to decay a LOT quicker than it should, but after a bit of playing around, I've managed to make it a little better, but it seems to be only in certain positions (usually combinations of picking hand position and fret/string number), some frets dont work in the normal position I would usually use, yet will sustain fine at others (probably making a stronger signal) - maybe the strings are a bit dull (they arent old by any strectch) or my techniques just sloppy?? yet I sort of doubt that would be the case as I've been fine with playing them for the last few years and strings being old has never seemed to cause me any great deal of issue.
 
VegaBaby said:
have you checked your settings for Global Gate ? should be set to "0".
Click to expand...

I havent touched ANYTHING with the word "global" attached to it - I read a *little* bit about it when I got the unit, but got confused and didn't touch it (am I missing out on secret sauce by not using global settings??)

I re-set the input setting to Left and the light works fine now - so that fixed. About to jump on and have a play (had a NGD yesterday, so I'll be playing heaps more for the next little while), so I'll fiddle with these things and see how it goes
 
disinformation said:
I havent touched ANYTHING with the word "global" attached to it - I read a *little* bit about it when I got the unit, but got confused and didn't touch it (am I missing out on secret sauce by not using global settings??)

I re-set the input setting to Left and the light works fine now - so that fixed. About to jump on and have a play (had a NGD yesterday, so I'll be playing heaps more for the next little while), so I'll fiddle with these things and see how it goes
Click to expand...
check the Global Noise Gate. even if you haven't touched anything, it might NOT be set to "0".
 
VegaBaby said:
check the Global Noise Gate. even if you haven't touched anything, it might NOT be set to "0".
Click to expand...

sure enough, it was set to -40db for some reason (I'm going to imagine that this is a "default" setting?) Many thanks, this seems to have cured the issue.

I'll try to read up on global settings and see if theres anything I'm missing that will make general use better - All my patches are the same (theres a patch for each song in our set and a "master" patch, but theyre all the same except for the tempo setting) and I use scenes within them, so I don't know how handy global stuff would be to me
 
Sounds like your noise gate is cutting off the signal , may be set too high!
 
disinformation said:
sure enough, it was set to -40db for some reason (I'm going to imagine that this is a "default" setting?) Many thanks, this seems to have cured the issue.
Click to expand...

That probably didn't change anything. If the ratio was 1 as you mentioned earlier, there's no gating and threshold is irrelevant. If ratio was greater than 1, increasing threshold will start gating at a higher level, making the sustain issue worse if anything.
 
Bakerman said:
That probably didn't change anything. If the ratio was 1 as you mentioned earlier, there's no gating and threshold is irrelevant. If ratio was greater than 1, increasing threshold will start gating at a higher level, making the sustain issue worse if anything.
Click to expand...

I was referring to the global gate offset - thats what was set at -40db - I've changed that to 0, switched off the block input gate and placed one after the drive pedal and before the amp (found a thread with some good settings advice and made up my own version of what worked for him), seems to be working a treat now.

Just surprising that this has either changed in one of the updates or never had that kind of effect before...
 
disinformation said:
I was referring to the global gate offset - thats what was set at -40db - I've changed that to 0, switched off the block input gate and placed one after the drive pedal and before the amp (found a thread with some good settings advice and made up my own version of what worked for him), seems to be working a treat now.

Just surprising that this has either changed in one of the updates or never had that kind of effect before...
Click to expand...
As per FW14.0 Release Notes:

"Added Global Noisegate Offset parameter. This parameter allows offsetting the Noisegate threshold for all presets. This can be used to increase or decrease the threshold to compensate for varying interference levels. Note that if the Threshold parameter in the preset is set to “Off” the Global Offset will have no effect. NOTE: This parameter will default to -40 dB after installation of the firmware. Be sure to set to the desired value. The default value is 0 dB and is set to that upon System Reset."
 
disinformation said:
I was referring to the global gate offset - thats what was set at -40db - I've changed that to 0
Click to expand...

I realize that. I think you're mistaken about it having an effect if the global (layout menu) gate ratio was 1. That's no gating at all so the threshold doesn't matter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom