Setting different input levels for multiple guitars?

Bodde

Fractal Fanatic
I use two guitars at gigs. One has active pickups and has much more output. The other one is a strat with passive single coils. My inst. input setting is at 31% now which works fine for the strat but when I plug the other guitar in the input goes into red.

I have two questions:
1) Can you store input settings for different guitars somehow? If not; is there another way to do this (other settings in one of the blocks or gate/input)? In other words; how do you handle the different input levels when using multiple guitars live?
2) Does it make a difference in sound if you turn the inst.input to a lower value? I don't mean difference in volume but does it influence the sound character in any way or does it sound exactly the same if you have it set to 25% compared to 50% for example?
 
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For I'm working on the electronics of my guitars, I usually make the output level similar, so that there's no problem when changing between differenz guitars. But maybe my "emergency plan" helps you:
In normal gigs I change between different acoustic and electric guitars. But for very small stages and/or broken strings I do also have some electric guitars with piezo bridges so that I can do "all" with one guitar. Of course a Telecaster with graphtech ghost sounds different to a Martin GPC-PA1 and the same is with the magnetic PUs in comparison to a PRS with humbuckers. For that I've made a second preset pack that starts from 129 that took care of all these dfferences. With a simple change in the global section (receive MIDI program change 001 and switch to 129) I can just step through the presets like always - but with different tweeking for this guitar.

If you change always to another guitar during a gig, just do the presets and/or scenes accordingly.
 
For I'm working on the electronics of my guitars, I usually make the output level similar, so that there's no problem when changing between differenz guitars. But maybe my "emergency plan" helps you:
In normal gigs I change between different acoustic and electric guitars. But for very small stages and/or broken strings I do also have some electric guitars with piezo bridges so that I can do "all" with one guitar. Of course a Telecaster with graphtech ghost sounds different to a Martin GPC-PA1 and the same is with the magnetic PUs in comparison to a PRS with humbuckers. For that I've made a second preset pack that starts from 129 that took care of all these dfferences. With a simple change in the global section (receive MIDI program change 001 and switch to 129) I can just step through the presets like always - but with different tweeking for this guitar.

If you change always to another guitar during a gig, just do the presets and/or scenes accordingly.
Different presets are not relative to the Instrument Level setting, which affects only the A/D converters and has no impact on input gain or tone.
 
I gig 6 guitars. Each one is different. Sadly this is a global setting, so ya... I just manually adjust the input when changing guitars.

For example my loudest is at 24%. My quietest is at 100% when playing the quietest at 24% it has no balls at all and feels weak.

I couldn't care less what the specs/manual/designer says, I've tested at gig volumes and this is my experience.

Dial each guitar in to tickle the reds. Take note of the number. Adjust it when switching.
 
Set for your loudest guitar and leave it.

Yes I think that is the only solution. But for the loud guitar I have to set it to maybe 15% or so. That might not be a good overall setting? Not sure if this affects the signal noise ration? Is there more noise with (too) low Inst input settings?

It is kind of confusing to me since Severed says in his post above that his quiet guitar doesn’t have any balls with low Inst input setting. Other people say it doesn’t matter. So not sure what to do.

Wish that you could somehow save a few Inst settings. Is that possible with the Axe fx III?

Dialing in a different Inst input setting for each guitar manually is very cumbersome on a gig.
 
My solution was to use a clean boost on my pedal board, the first pedal my guitar sees is a CAE Boost powered at 18v for more headroom.
I then change the pedal gain for different guitars. This way AxeFx II is set and forget.
 
It is kind of confusing to me since Severed says in his post above that his quiet guitar doesn’t have any balls with low Inst input setting. Other people say it doesn’t matter. So not sure what to do.
The only thing to do is try it for yourself and listen to the result. Do what works best for you. Again, it is designed for you to set to your loudest guitar and leave it there.

Perhaps a guitar needing 100% input level can sound different if set to only 11% for example. But consider what we do with real amps and different guitars. We don’t change any “input level” - we just increase gain or turn up the master a bit. Preset per guitar is generally the recommended work flow.
 
I actually haven’t played with this setting in n over 2 years.
I seem to remember setting it around 23% for a Tremonti passive pickup equipped guitar. As long as it set well it shouldn’t really matter. Go with the “ set for loudest and leave it” advice.
 
ok, thanks guys. I will go 'set to to the loudest guitar' then.

So is it possible to save different inst input levels in the Axe fx III? Maybe with the input blocks? I don't have a III but it is good to know anyway,
 
ok, thanks guys. I will go 'set to to the loudest guitar' then.

So is it possible to save different inst input levels in the Axe fx III? Maybe with the input blocks? I don't have a III but it is good to know anyway,
no, you cannot save different Input Levels. but you can adjust the Presets and save them. again, it's usually recommended to have different Presets for different guitars.
 
no, you cannot save different Input Levels. but you can adjust the Presets and save them. again, it's usually recommended to have different Presets for different guitars.

But how do set the input levels in the Axe fx III presets then exactly?
As this cannot be done in the Axe fx II.
 
But how do set the input levels in the Axe fx III presets then exactly?
As this cannot be done in the Axe fx II.
you can use any block to increase volume near the beginning of the Layout, or simply increase Input Gain or Trim in the Amp block. then save.

on the Axe3, the Input blocks have an additional Level control which can be used to increase level from the guitar. (i don't remember if the Axe2 also has this in the Input block.)

i.e. increase level any multitude of ways in the Preset and save.

the Input Level setting in the Global/Settings menus sets Signal to Noise ratio. i personally have not experienced any additional noise with a guitar that "should" be set higher.
 
you can use any block to increase volume near the beginning of the Layout, or simply increase Input Gain or Trim in the Amp block. then save.

But on the Axe fx II there is no way to decrease the input volume of the guitar in a block or in the gate at the beginning (?). You can use input trim in the amp block but that doesn't help when you overload the input with the guitar and the lights go into red?
 
But on the Axe fx II there is no way to decrease the input volume of the guitar in a block or in the gate at the beginning (?). You can use input trim in the amp block but that doesn't help when you overload the input with the guitar and the lights go into red?
And you can't do that on the Axe3 either. that's why you set the Input Level in the I/O or Settings menu to your loudest guitar, so you'll never clip into red for the Input.

are you discussing something different now?
 
Ok thanks for your help. That was what I wanted to know.

I thought the Axe III had this option to save different inst level or input settings in the input block somehow but now I know it doesn't.
 
I thought the Axe III had this option to save different inst level or input settings in the input block somehow but now I know it doesn't.
it does, per preset.

the Input block is per preset. this is different than the Input Level that's a global setting, which is the main topic of this thread.

i think you're calling "Input Block" and "Input Level setting" the same thing, which they are not.
 
Now I am confused. So can the inst input level (how the guitar enters the Axe fx III) be set in the input Block as well? So per preset. So that the input lights don't go into red when changing guitars. I think not.
 
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Now I am confused. So can the inst input level (how the guitar enters the Axe fx III) be set in the input Block as well? So that the input light don't go into red when changing guitars. I think not.
the Input block is per preset. this is different than the Input Level that's a global setting, which is the main topic of this thread.

i think you're calling "Input Block" and "Input Level setting" the same thing, which they are not.
 
Now I am confused. So can the inst input level (how the guitar enters the Axe fx III) be set in the input Block as well? So per preset. So that the input lights don't go into red when changing guitars. I think not.
There is a global setting for Input Level (may be called Instrument Level). This is for optimisation of A/D converters only. As mentioned, set this once for your loudest guitar.

In each preset, there is the ability to adjust the signal level via Input block.
 
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