Using two different guitars with different output levels.

Ant Music

Ant Music

Fractal Fanatic
Hi guys. I am using two different guitars live. I'm using one as much as the other. One of them is a new and I have my input settings dialed in for my older guitar so that it is tickling the red. My newer guitar is never tickling the red. What should I do?
 
don't worry about it. if you want to quickly beef up the new guitar, place a null filter or volume block with a little boost at the start of your chain and enable it when you switch. if the block bypass is set to an external, it will remain on across all your patches as long as the external is on. you can flip the state of the external in the I/O pages, or use a switch
 
Are they similar pickups on each guitar ?

If so, maybe adjust pickup height on both guitars so they output similarly.
 
simeon said:
don't worry about it. if you want to quickly beef up the new guitar, place a null filter or volume block with a little boost at the start of your chain and enable it when you switch. if the block bypass is set to an external, it will remain on across all your patches as long as the external is on. you can flip the state of the external in the I/O pages, or use a switch
Click to expand...

I've put a drive block in each patch I use the quiet guitar for so as to compensate for the level in the output.
 
geamala said:
Hi guys. I am using two different guitars live. I'm using one as much as the other. One of them is a new and I have my input settings dialed in for my older guitar so that it is tickling the red. My newer guitar is never tickling the red. What should I do?
Click to expand...
Lower the pickups on your older guitar and raise the pickups on your New guitar and meet in the middle. Use your ears
 
Or have an a/b switch with both guitars permanently plugged in, except on the quieter guitar have a slight clean boost inline before it hits the switcher.

That way, as soon as you switch guitar you have already compensated for volume. Guitar changes look slicker too as you aren't messing around with cables between songs.
 
I'd say just use a nullfilter as a booster at the end of your grid (and map it to an IA-switch) to match the output volume of your presets.

You don't want a booster before hitting the amp block as it will change the preamp distortion.
 
Hmm, I'd say you want it first and hitting the amp block and change the preamp distortion. Otherwise the two guitars will have very different drive levels. I have so far just created two different banks of presets for two different guitars but after reading this post I may take simeons advice and setup a null filter first and attach to an external I/O switch.

One thing that would be really cool is if Cliff added a guitar selection global input block. Where it would be possible and simple to change different guitars with different input levels and a simple EQ if one guitar is darker than others.
 
hmm just curious...

what is about the input level with 2 different guitars?
should we adjust it to the high output git. and then don't care if we use a other git. with lower output...
is it a issue ? If so then we need a solution like a/b switch with clean boost like tommyco10 mention...
 
allard said:
One thing that would be really cool is if Cliff added a guitar selection global input block. Where it would be possible and simple to change different guitars with different input levels and a simple EQ if one guitar is darker than others.
Click to expand...

Kinda kills the beauty of different guitars though...
 
In your situation, I think about what I'm going for tonally.

Do I want the passive guitar to breakup the same as the active guitar? less? equal?

Once I have in my head the tone I want, I approach the presets with that in mind.

E.g. for less break up do nothing in front of the amp block and up the level towards the end of the chain to normalize the volume...
 
I get confused when I see stuff related to this because I always just ask myself, what's so hard about going to the I/O menu and changing the input level? I don't mean that in a condescending way, it just seems like the easiest solution would be to press a button and turn the dial quick. Or is there something I'm missing?
 
JoeyBTL: You’re right. We’re most likely overthinking this. It’s probably easier to just remember to press I/O and turn the dial than dealing with additional blocks and programming and stuff. And if I forget to change the blocks, I’m going to forget changing input levels as well. I can just write a quick reminder what the different input levels are for my different guitars and put that on a sticker on the Axe Fx case. Thanks for reeling us in and pointing out the obvious :)
 
Not sure if this is the best solution, but you can try connecting the other guitar to Input 1 R at the back. Then in the amp block create an X/Y where X has input select set to left, and Y's input select is set to right. Adjust the levels in the amp block accordingly. This way when you switch guitars you only have to switch the amp blocks X/Y.
 
I use different guitars & pickups because they sound different. I don't understand wanting to give them all the same output.
 
I have a question also regarding the output issue. I have one active and one passive. The I/O input setting for my active is 20 and if I play my passive guitar with this setting it barely lights up and never hits anywhere near red no matter how hard I hit the strings. How do you compensate for this? I wish you could set the input for each patch instead of it being a global setting.
 
tommyco10 said:
Or have an a/b switch with both guitars permanently plugged in, except on the quieter guitar have a slight clean boost inline before it hits the switcher.

That way, as soon as you switch guitar you have already compensated for volume. Guitar changes look slicker too as you aren't messing around with cables between songs.
Click to expand...

Not going to work. They are both sharing a wireless pack which I keep in my pocket. My pedal board is full already. Not buying anymore gear.
 
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