Reamping: No longer necessary to reduced send level?

guitarnerdswe

Fractal Fanatic
On page 22 of the manual, it states that we should reduce the send level of the direct signal audio going to input 5/6 with 6 dB. I found that when doing this, the signal is hitting the signal chain with a weaker level than when I actually play through the preset in real time. In fact, not reducing the send level at all is the same as actually playing through the preset.

So is this line in the manual no longer correct? I have all USB input levels on the Axe itself set to stock 0 dB.
 
Yeah, that doesn't sound right. He was obviously contending with a mono/stereo summing issue when he wrote that. He wouldn't have written it if he didn't actually encounter that situation but, off the top of my head, I can't think what that situation might have been.
 
It depends on the input select setting of your amp blocks and whether or not you are sending stereo or mono DI back for reamping.

For example, if you have the amp block input set to SUM L+R and you send a stereo DI back via USB Outputs 5 and 6, your level going into the amp block will be +6 dB higher than if you only sent a mono DI back via just Output 5.

USB Inputs 5 and 6 contain the same signal, so there's nothing to gain from recording a stereo DI via both. I just use Input 5 and Output 5 for reamping and never need to adjust the DI output level.
 
It depends on the input select setting of your amp blocks and whether or not you are sending stereo or mono DI back for reamping.

For example, if you have the amp block input set to SUM L+R and you send a stereo DI back via USB Outputs 5 and 6, your level going into the amp block will be +6 dB higher than if you only sent a mono DI back via just Output 5.

USB Inputs 5 and 6 contain the same signal, so there's nothing to gain from recording a stereo DI via both.
I thought of that, but I don't think that would explain it. You would need to add 6dB in that case, not subtract it, to be equivalent to the guitar input (which duplicates the signal in the L&R channels), right?
 
I think it's reduce. When you only send a mono DI via USB Output 5, that signal is automatically duplicated in the right channel of the IN 1 block and I think the level is somehow compensated differently than when you send a stereo DI signal via both Output 5 and 6. Because the IN 1 block has a stereo output but is normally fed by the mono instrument input jack, it mono and stereo input signals are handled differently.
 
I just tried it and I don't think that's how it works. There's no automatic duplicating of the usb input channels like there is with the analog input 1 jack. For that reason, I always do a stereo send from my mono DI that duplicates the channels in my DAW when reamping, since that more closely mimics the guitar input. No level adjustment is required.
 
Yeah it's been a while since I've messed with it. You are correct, USB input is channel specific and is not centered like the analog signal from the Instrument jack. I know I ran into the varying levels at some point and it's probably just the difference between the amp input select settings. I couldn't remember if I sent reamps to just Output 5 in mono or to both Outputs 5 and 6 in stereo. I just checked a few of my projects in Reaper and I've got it sending to both 5 and 6, so it seems my usual method is to record a mono DI on Input 5 and send it back panned center to both Outputs 5 and 6. The amp blocks are typically at the default setting of Sum L+R, and I've not really ever needed to mess with the DI level.
 
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