I have an ESP with EMG'S also, don't worry man, I have the same thing going on. Fresh battery, good cable, pickups really close etc.. On the I/O menu anything from 70 percent up to 100 percent doesn't tickle the red hardly ever while I am playing (constantly playing). Now try this, if you haven't already, start with your instrument level in your I/O on 50 percent, now just chunk the strings once pretty hard, (no constant playing). Seeing no reds yet, up the percentage a little then chunk it again. This is pretty much the only way I see the reds myself, I keep my instrument level at around 72 percent, and I won't see reds unless I stop completely and chunk the strings. It might be a good idea to try this without the any noise gates now that I think about it, the results I gave above were with my gates going strong. Hope this helps man. Oh yeah, this is with Sum L+R, but do what the others said and go Left only.