Setting input levels for multiple guitars

drh11

Member
I was reading in the manual that it is advisable to set the input levels on the Axe-Fx II Xl+ before using it. Is there a way to set the levels for more than one guitar and save each configuration? I did not see that in the manual. I will primarily be using two guitars, a Les Paul with 490R & 498T coil tapped pickups, and a Godin ACS-SA Slim nylon string electric with a Piezo pickup. If there is no way to save the settings for each guitar, do you have to redo it each time you switch instruments - or do you just leave it on the settings made for the hottest output?
 
My Axe-Fx II XL+ arrived and I did the Input calibration with the two guitars. The nylon string Godin ACS-SA Slim with piezo pickup was much hotter than the Les Paul. The appropriate input level for the Godin had to be turned down to 11 while I had to raise it to 100 for the Les Paul. If I was to just leave it at the setting of 11 for the hottest guitar (Godin) as suggested, wouldn't the signal to noise ratio be adversely affected when I switched to the Les Paul?
 
hi, I have a dozen electric I set the height of the pick ups and I set u values input next to intrument with most high output, I have no clipping and problems in the instrument changes ... works great ..
I was reading in the manual that it is advisable to set the input levels on the Axe-Fx II Xl+ before using it. Is there a way to set the levels for more than one guitar and save each configuration? I did not see that in the manual. I will primarily be using two guitars, a Les Paul with 490R & 498T coil tapped pickups, and a Godin ACS-SA Slim nylon string electric with a Piezo pickup. If there is no way to save the settings for each guitar, do you have to redo it each time you switch instruments - or do you just leave it on the settings made for the hottest output?
 
Wow. 100 for a lp.

I use 5 guitars.

The perfect trims are

Suhr modern - 35
Prs with bk mules - 45
Tom Anderson with P90s - 50
Tele - 60
Strat - 65

It's set to 35, and everything is good on all guitars.
 
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Wow. 100 for a lp.
Yes, I was a bit surprised that the Les Paul wasn't a stronger signal. The calibration result may be partly due to the fact that I don't play very aggressively, as well as the fact that those pickups are not as "hot" as some in the Gibson lineup.
 
I respectfully disagree. I have mostly active pickups on my guitars, except for my T598's on my Les Paul. Then I have another 10-12 guitars with EMG 81/85's and 2 with Seymour Duncan Blackouts (active pickups), one at almost 3x the output of my EMG 81's. I have to set the levels as I play them...or my gains and S/N ratios are not optimal...and it's noticeable too. I have like 2-3 different levels I use...one for the EMG's, one for the Duncans, and one for my Les Paul. The T598's are higher output than even the EMG 81's.
 
I am primarily interested in clean, jazz oriented patches. I presume that having an optimal signal to noise level is more of an issue for clean sounds than for high gain overdriven orientations. As I will generally only be switching between two different guitars it is easy to remember the setting for each and it only takes a couple of seconds to change the input level.

In a similar thread to this someone commented that this issue has been raised over and over again. It might be helpful if the manual was a bit more explicit in determining under which circumstances a user would change their input level. If you have 10 guitars and they are all reatively hot, and you only play heavy metal, it would be understandable that one setting would be fine for all. However, if you have a difference of 90% in the output levels of your guitars and want to have minimal noise, it is hard to grasp how one setting could still be optimal - or inconsequential, for both.
 
If you want the best from each instrument, set it FOR EACH instrument. I also have many guitars and NONE of them use the same setting. Yes it's an extra thing, but honestly I gig 6 guitars, each have their own setting, it takes literally 3 seconds to walk over to the Axe press a button and turn a dial. If you are recording, again, it's just part of the config and getting things tuned in for perfection.
 
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