Recording directly off the AX8 into computer and avoiding CERTAIN TYPES OF NOISE

dsouza

dsouza

Experienced
Just curious if I record directly off my AX8 Into my Ableton Live 10 will it pick up the "pic" noises hitting the strings? Will it pick up any screechy noises when sliding chords , especially power chords?

I have my AX8 going into a set of Mackie Monitors (4" I believe) which is good enough for studio use. I have the AC10 with the Sm 57 mic which doesn't capture the noises I mentioned above, but I want to use the full amp modelling of the AX8 so I don't currently have the AC10 hooked up.
 
What would be the best workaround then? To record off the monitors with an sm57 (which won't pickup the sound of pics hitting the string, string screeching etc, or to buy daw noise reduction software which reduces background noise? However, I don't know if the latter option would do anything more than reduce hiss or hum in the final recording?

I also noticed in the last 2 days since I ran my AX8 through my 4" mackie monitors and set the Output 1 knob on the AX8 to noon, and set the volume of my mackie monitors to 3 pm, I am now getting static noises intermittently from my monitors even when no sound is being produced and they are just left turned on with the AX8 powered off. I never had these static noises before. Why?

Anyone own a pair of Mackies? Ever try the 8" ones? Any better? The best monitors I've ever heard are the RedSound and they come with a HEFTY price tag, but the sound is glorious!
 
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Have you even try recording direct yet? It seems you are anticipating some noise before you have even recorded. I go from AX8 into my Presonus Studio 24c and have no issues with "pic" noises hitting the strings...screechy noises when sliding chords..." etc. Experiment with different methods of recording and you will find the one that works best.

As far as the static noise from the monitors, check the cables. It can't be the AX8 if it is powered off.
 
Habuman said:
Have you even try recording direct yet? It seems you are anticipating some noise before you have even recorded. I go from AX8 into my Presonus Studio 24c and have no issues with "pic" noises hitting the strings...screechy noises when sliding chords..." etc. Experiment with different methods of recording and you will find the one that works best.

As far as the static noise from the monitors, check the cables. It can't be the AX8 if it is powered off.
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For cables I used the same humbuster TRS to TRS 1/4" cables that are intended to be fed into amps to reduce noise. I doubt the humbuster would make a difference in a negative way over regular TRS to TRS 1/4" cables. I'll experiment with direct.
 
@Habuman

I actually found a way to record off the AX8 without using mic.. And I don't know if this is technically called going direct.

But I have one XLR - XLR cable fed from my AX8 into my Audio Box to my monitors.

I have the other XLR cable fed from my sm58 into my Audio box to my monitors.

The Audio box is hooked up to the PC via USB.

The PC is hooked up to the AX8 via USB.

I use Ableton Live 10 to do all my recording.

I am going to experiment some more with this.

Note: This setup let's me use my single set of monitors for both my PC and my AX8 without constanty rearranging cables. :)
 
dsouza said:
@Habuman

I actually found a way to record off the AX8 without using mic.. And I don't know if this is technically called going direct.

But I have one XLR - XLR cable fed from my AX8 into my Audio Box to my monitors.

I have the other XLR cable fed from my sm58 into my Audio box to my monitors.

The Audio box is hooked up to the PC via USB.

The PC is hooked up to the AX8 via USB.

I use Ableton Live 10 to do all my recording.

I am going to experiment some more with this.

Note: This setup let's me use my single set of monitors for both my PC and my AX8 without constanty rearranging cables. :)
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If you record the AX8->Audio Box signal in your DAW then yes, that's going direct. If you just route the AX8 signal to your monitors and record the SM58->Audio Box signal in your DAW then that's not direct recording but micing a cabinet (even if the cabinet is a monitor).
 
ChristThePhone said:
If you record the AX8->Audio Box signal in your DAW then yes, that's going direct. If you just route the AX8 signal to your monitors and record the SM58->Audio Box signal in your DAW then that's not direct recording but micing a cabinet (even if the cabinet is a monitor).
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The SM58 is not mic'ing a cabinet, or monitors, but a vocal microphone for recording speech/song into my daw. The SM 58 is connected directly to my audio box into my DAW. Yes I have audio coming out of my monitors but I don't mic the monitors. So this is still direct recording?

Yes the AX8 guitar sounds are being recorded directly into my DAW via the output 1 XLR -XLR and Audio Box connection. So this is definitely direct recording.

Note: I still get the screechy noise problem even with monitors and output 1. The reason is the custom presets I bought produce too much feedback in many songs with high gain and whatnot. So I have no choice but to play around with the IR in the AX8Edit software.
 
To be clear: the AX8 will NOT record the acoustic sounds of the pick and string squeaks through the air. It will record exactly what a mic would pick up if it were placed on an amp in isolation "behind the glass".
 
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dsouza said:
The SM58 is not mic'ing a cabinet, or monitors, but a vocal microphone for recording speech/song into my daw. The SM 58 is connected directly to my audio box into my DAW. Yes I have audio coming out of my monitors but I don't mic the monitors. So this is still direct recording?

Yes the AX8 guitar sounds are being recorded directly into my DAW via the output 1 XLR -XLR and Audio Box connection. So this is definitely direct recording.

Note: I still get the screechy noise problem even with monitors and output 1. The reason is the custom presets I bought produce too much feedback in many songs with high gain and whatnot. So I have no choice but to play around with the IR in the AX8Edit software.
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How about reducing the gain and adjusting the tone stack / EQ ?
 
dsouza said:
@ChristThePhone

Having reduced gain from 5.0 to 3.5 I seemed to have reduced feedback considerably, and improved the sound. I may add in a little reverb to smooth out the edges.
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I have the same problem with a lot of presets that were apparently dialed in at bedroom level or for studio purposes. They tend to have way too much gain for live situations and produce nothing but feedback. There's basically not a single preset I grabbed from AxeChange that didn't need tweaking but that's how it is. Setups and use cases are rarely identical, too many variables in the equation : guitars, cabs, stage volume, playing style, ...
 
ChristThePhone said:
I have the same problem with a lot of presets that were apparently dialed in at bedroom level or for studio purposes. They tend to have way too much gain for live situations and produce nothing but feedback. There's basically not a single preset I grabbed from AxeChange that didn't need tweaking but that's how it is. Setups and use cases are rarely identical, too many variables in the equation : guitars, cabs, stage volume, playing style, ...
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Are you telling me that once presets are working at bedroom volumes like my home studio , I would have to tweak them for every venue I play at down the line? Each venue would require different room dynamics due to its size, acoustics , crowd sizes etc. I thought with an FRFR unit once a preset works at whisper volumes it works even at 1000 watts?

The only difference is if you go too high in wattage it will become muddy.. But most gig size nightclub venues wouldn't require more than 1000 watts I would think.
 
dsouza said:
Are you telling me that once presets are working at bedroom volumes like my home studio , I would have to tweak them for every venue I play at down the line? Each venue would require different room dynamics due to its size, acoustics , crowd sizes etc. I thought with an FRFR unit once a preset works at whisper volumes it works even at 1000 watts?

The only difference is if you go too high in wattage it will become muddy.. But most gig size nightclub venues wouldn't require more than 1000 watts I would think.
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Not necessarily for each and every venue. First of all playing at loud venues needs less gain in my personal experience, it also helps cleaning out the mud. Depending on the venue you also might want to adjust reverb levels and tweak the global EQ to get the best possible results.
 
ChristThePhone said:
Not necessarily for each and every venue. First of all playing at loud venues needs less gain in my personal experience, it also helps cleaning out the mud. Depending on the venue you also might want to adjust reverb levels and tweak the global EQ to get the best possible results.
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All sounds easy to do on my traditional tube AC10 and pedals (adjusting gain on amp, volume, bass, treble, adjusting reverb levels on my Verbzilla etc) but on the AX8 it's all programmed in. I don't have the luxury to cart my laptop, AX8Edit , and monitors on stage nor do I want to.

I would just like to cart my AX8, guitar, and maybe a Headrush or similar FRFR unit if I buy one soon enough. There are some controls on the AX8 box like drive, bass, mid , treble, Presence, depth, master, Level. Is this what you mean by global EQ?
 
Gain can be easily adjusted using the controls on the AX8 but changes only one preset/scene. Reverb requires an external pedal or pot controlling the reverb level if you want to avoid diving into menues. The same approach could be used for gain as well. EQ would be the global EQ setting to compensate the venues room characteristics. Being global it applies to all presets at the same time.
 
@ChristThePhone

Here is a clip of me playing a portion of vertigo with the screechy noises in the background. Any help appreciated. I recorded direct.

I am using an AX8, Mackie 4" multimedia monitors, a USA Fender Strat in noise cancelling 4th position.

The squeaking seems to happen when I shift power chords.

P.S. I put on BRAND new strings so it can't be the strings.

Attached is a file on soundcloud!
 
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dsouza said:
The squeaking seems to happen when I shift power chords.

P.S. I put on BRAND new strings so it can't be the strings.
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brand new strings squeak louder because they're clean right?

this sounds like technique causing the noise. you have to lift your fingers off the strings to prevent string noise.

but the song actually has the chords changing while holding many of the chords down. so lifting up between chords is what's adding the string noise compared to the original.
 
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