Ringing with even slight gain?

H

Hayden Craig

Member
No matter what my preset is, just using an amp and a cab by itself, with only 5 on the gain, not only am i constantly getting that hiss all the time, but my tone has absolutely no power to it at all, it sounds very weak, like the notes are barely coming out. If I add anything more to it, it just starts to have a very high pitch ring permanently. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong here?
 
I had this with unbalanced and balanced cables. Using Mogami Gold cables. I have an Ibanez Universe 7 string. I'm going into an audio interface and just playing it directly through my speakers. Anything I'm forgetting?
 
It also sounds like what happens when there's no Cab block or the Amp or Cab block is bypassed.
 
Also, do you have any other amp you can plug your guitar into, or a second guitar to plug into the axefx to rule that out? If you have EMG's or other actives, are you sure the battery is good?
 
I obviously have a cab block and such on the tone. Amp and Cab are not bypassed. I have no other guitars or amps to try it on, but I've played my guitar at guitar center on random amps in the past and there was no crazy ringing. On the AXE FX it just seems like the tone is really weak all the time, and then if I try to increase the gain past like 5 it'll start to get really noisy or to the point where it just rings loudly like feedback.

I am basically not allowed to use Wah at all because it'll always ring when it's in the fully active position.

EDIT:
I'll add some stuff about my setup. The AXE FX input volumes are pretty low, like 25%. I go stereo with balanced cable out the back (Output 1) and it goes straight into both inputs of my Scarlett Focusrite audio interface. There's no clipping on the axe fx or the audio interface.
 
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Hayden Craig said:
I obviously have a cab block and such on the tone. Amp and Cab are not bypassed. I have no other guitars or amps to try it on, but I've played my guitar at guitar center on random amps in the past and there was no crazy ringing. On the AXE FX it just seems like the tone is really weak all the time, and then if I try to increase the gain past like 5 it'll start to get really noisy or to the point where it just rings loudly like feedback.

I am basically not allowed to use Wah at all because it'll always ring when it's in the fully active position.

EDIT:
I'll add some stuff about my setup. The AXE FX input volumes are pretty low, like 25%. I go stereo with balanced cable out the back (Output 1) and it goes straight into both inputs of my Scarlett Focusrite audio interface. There's no clipping on the axe fx or the audio interface.
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Did you try listening through headphones plugged into the Axe FX's headphone jack? Have you tried plugging the guitar into the rear input?
 
Hayden Craig said:
I obviously have a cab block and such on the tone. Amp and Cab are not bypassed. I have no other guitars or amps to try it on, but I've played my guitar at guitar center on random amps in the past and there was no crazy ringing. On the AXE FX it just seems like the tone is really weak all the time, and then if I try to increase the gain past like 5 it'll start to get really noisy or to the point where it just rings loudly like feedback.

I am basically not allowed to use Wah at all because it'll always ring when it's in the fully active position.

EDIT:
I'll add some stuff about my setup. The AXE FX input volumes are pretty low, like 25%. I go stereo with balanced cable out the back (Output 1) and it goes straight into both inputs of my Scarlett Focusrite audio interface. There's no clipping on the axe fx or the audio interface.
Click to expand...

Nothing obvious about it at all. When someone shows up and has their 2nd or 3rd post on the forum asking for help with a problem, the best guess is that they're new to the AxeFX, and everything, no matter how simple, is in consideration as a cause.

The headphones suggestion from ChainOfThought is really good, as it cuts out all other considerations of external power amps and off-board equipment issues. You should try it and let us know how it works.

Using a factory preset is also a good idea, as it cuts out any errors you might have made in setting up your own preset. A unmodified factory preset through headphones would be the best test. Make sure the output 1 volume knob is turned up. If you still have problems, I'd recommend a factory reset and then try again without touching any other settings. This should rule out anything you might have inadvertently messed up when you first started working with the unit. The AFX should work reasonably well with any guitar straight out of the box into headphones.

If you do that and you still have problems, I'd suggest called Fractal for support.

If a factory preset works into headphones, but not your own preset, then you can upload your preset here and someone will be able to tell you what's wrong with it pretty quickly.

Also, perhaps obvious, your speakers are powered, right? I don't think the Focusrite acts as a power amp.
 
Sorry guys, busy life, which makes it that much more frustrating that I can't seem to get a single decent thing out of any preset or tone I try to create.

JJunkie said:
does it also happen on factory presets
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All the factory presets sound like almost nothing. They sound very low-power, have no sustain whatsoever, and most of them sound very much the same.

StickMan said:
Nothing obvious about it at all. When someone shows up and has their 2nd or 3rd post on the forum asking for help with a problem, the best guess is that they're new to the AxeFX, and everything, no matter how simple, is in consideration as a cause.

The headphones suggestion from ChainOfThought is really good, as it cuts out all other considerations of external power amps and off-board equipment issues. You should try it and let us know how it works.

Using a factory preset is also a good idea, as it cuts out any errors you might have made in setting up your own preset. A unmodified factory preset through headphones would be the best test. Make sure the output 1 volume knob is turned up. If you still have problems, I'd recommend a factory reset and then try again without touching any other settings. This should rule out anything you might have inadvertently messed up when you first started working with the unit. The AFX should work reasonably well with any guitar straight out of the box into headphones.

If you do that and you still have problems, I'd suggest called Fractal for support.

If a factory preset works into headphones, but not your own preset, then you can upload your preset here and someone will be able to tell you what's wrong with it pretty quickly.

Also, perhaps obvious, your speakers are powered, right? I don't think the Focusrite acts as a power amp.
Click to expand...

Sorry man, I was just a bit frustrated. It's not obvious, because none of you know my setup or anything. My apologies. It sounds bad even through headphones. All the presets are basically nothing. This is even MORE annoying because you can watch guys on youtube play the factory presets and they sound absolutely fantastic, and mine all sound like complete garbage.


6stringscott said:
Check the input levels... see section 3 (page 15) here
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I remember following this when I first set it up. I was confused because it doesn't tell you what to put the input at, and even then, like it says right there, it always sounds exactly the same. So what's the point? My axe-fx never shows red though, so doesn't seem to ever be clipping.
 
Hayden Craig said:
Sorry guys, busy life, which makes it that much more frustrating that I can't seem to get a single decent thing out of any preset or tone I try to create.



All the factory presets sound like almost nothing. They sound very low-power, have no sustain whatsoever, and most of them sound very much the same.



Sorry man, I was just a bit frustrated. It's not obvious, because none of you know my setup or anything. My apologies. It sounds bad even through headphones. All the presets are basically nothing. This is even MORE annoying because you can watch guys on youtube play the factory presets and they sound absolutely fantastic, and mine all sound like complete garbage.




I remember following this when I first set it up. I was confused because it doesn't tell you what to put the input at, and even then, like it says right there, it always sounds exactly the same. So what's the point? My axe-fx never shows red though, so doesn't seem to ever be clipping.
Click to expand...

Have you checked the following parameters:
AxeFx itself...
Global / Config / Power Amp Modeling = ON
... Cabinet Modeling = ON ?

Maybe, that one of these parameters have been set to OFF!
Just an idea ...
It also may help to reset the system parameters.
Even a reinstalling of the firmware.

Regards
Mike
 
I remember following this when I first set it up. I was confused because it doesn't tell you what to put the input at, and even then, like it says right there, it always sounds exactly the same. So what's the point? My axe-fx never shows red though, so doesn't seem to ever be clipping.[/QUOTE]

Perhaps your input setup in the I/0 menus is too low. It should at least tickle red when strumming hard.
 
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