ROBSCIX

Hey guys, I am just getting into this ASIO thing I have a bunch of apps and free ware effects but when I enable the audio path to my guitar and turn the volume up it is like way to noisy to do any type of live playing any ideas guys?

TravelRec.

Is it a difference between ASIO and WDM or have you connected your guitar first time with the computer? In all cases you need a low-noise preamp to get a decent guitar signal without or with very low background noise. If you want to build a cheap but powerful module, you know....

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ASUS P4P800-VM P4HT 3.0GHz@800Mhz FSB, 1GB 400Mhz DDR DualChannel, Audigy2ZS with 2 optical SPDIF in, 3 optical SPDIF out, 8 analog mono in, 8 analog out // ASRock P4i65G P4HT 2.4GHz@800Mhz FSB, 1GB DDR DualChannel, Audigy SB0090 with 4 SPDIF in + 4 SPDIF out // Dell OptiPlex GX1+ PIII @ 600 MHz, 384 MB SDRAM, CT4670 with 2 SPDIF in + 2 SPDIF out // Toshiba Libretto 100CT, Audigy2ZSNB SB0530 // MSI MS-6151 PIII @ 450 MHz 384 MB SDRAM, CT 4790 PCI 512 // ATARI 1040 STE, 8Mhz, 4MB RAM, SM124 // ATARI 130XE, XF551, SIO <-> PC interface

dj_stick

Are you using a DI box, output from your amp, or one of the pre-amps on your mixer?

The DI box and the output from the amp are pretty much the same thing, and are the right way to go, to get the correct impedence and level

however if you using a mic preamp from a mixer, you get an impedence mis-match, which may mess up your sound…

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ROBSCIX

I have a digitech RP100, I put it into bypass mode, this will give me a clean guitar signal into the PC, then when I add any type of distortion or such it is just TOO noisy. I have used many different types of distortions, and nothing ever sounded like this, I get some good sounds as long as I am playing but as soon as I mute it with my palm or such I can hear, just noise..what am I doing wrong..I figured it may be because I am turning the gain up on the sound card so much that I can hear all the nasty EMI going on inside my case. IF I just use WDM and RP100 using distrotion it's fine....any ideas? I am totally new to this ASIO thing..but I want to learn it, I definatley see alot of creative possibilities...THX for any help.
BTW would it be better to connect the bypassed RP100 to my mixer first and the use the mixer to adjust signal levels?..

ROBSCIX

I thought the card itself my be picking up noise and adding it to the signal, I am gonna mess with it today..I have been playing with amplitube and if I can get the noise gate set properly it's all fine....Why is it SOOO noisy though? I have used stop boxes and such and nothing ever sounded like this. Do you have any idea of a good way to set things up so I can keep the noise to a minimum?

Maddogg6

Use good cables, turn off tube tv/monitor, florescent lights, AC motors etc...
Try not bypass the rp100 - try instead set it to a clean sound - and use a noise gate.

OR - are you saying its noisier with ASIO than WDM with exact same connectsion? - if this is the case, Im lost.

Btw - its best if you can send SPDIF out of the rp100 to the soundcard - even still, tvs and such will still add noise.

TravelRec.

Try to make a recording and post the link here - it may be easier to find the problem if we can hear the kind of noise; make some different settings during recording.

__________________
ASUS P4P800-VM P4HT 3.0GHz@800Mhz FSB, 1GB 400Mhz DDR DualChannel, Audigy2ZS with 2 optical SPDIF in, 3 optical SPDIF out, 8 analog mono in, 8 analog out // ASRock P4i65G P4HT 2.4GHz@800Mhz FSB, 1GB DDR DualChannel, Audigy SB0090 with 4 SPDIF in + 4 SPDIF out // Dell OptiPlex GX1+ PIII @ 600 MHz, 384 MB SDRAM, CT4670 with 2 SPDIF in + 2 SPDIF out // Toshiba Libretto 100CT, Audigy2ZSNB SB0530 // MSI MS-6151 PIII @ 450 MHz 384 MB SDRAM, CT 4790 PCI 512 // ATARI 1040 STE, 8Mhz, 4MB RAM, SM124 // ATARI 130XE, XF551, SIO <-> PC interface

dj_stick

if you can, send the guitar from a DI box to the mixer, and use your mixer's insert point for the RP100, see if that helps

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ROBSCIX

it's like if I try to get a usable distortion like a metal type sound the distortion is so high gain that it's picking up everything...is that possible? like if you guys do something similar use a high gain distortion do you hear like constand noise and such?..I will try and make a clip and post later..

Russ

Do not use bypass mode. It raises the noise floor by about 10dB.
Set AC97 to 100% and connect a peak meter to it in the DSP. Disconnect the cable that you use to connect your guitar to the RP100 (at the RP100 end), so you should only see the noise floor on the peak meter (or noise added by the RP100 and the cable going to your sound card). Try enabling bypass mode, and try some clean presets on the RP100 and see how it effects the peak meter (I think you will find thet bypass mode is noisier, like it is on my RP200). Then re-connect the cable from your guitar, but turn the volume knob on the guitar all the way down. See if the cable adds any noise. Then turn your volume up and mute the strings and see if the pickups (hot pickups can be noisy) or electronics on the guitar are adding any noise. Any noise that is added to the signal in the beginning is only going to be amplied as you increase the gain, so start with as clean a signal as possible.

Russ

BTW: What VST are you using?

You might want to give Free AMP SE a try. It is a little heavy on the CPU, but it has some half decent presets, and lots of configuration possibilities (and it's free).

ROBSCIX

I was using a free one called nails pedal board I htink I have free amp around..Russ what do you use for a host? Like that nails pedal board I use then it lets me load up VST effects...how do you configure your setup. I like the Metal type saturated distortion...but I can't get anything useable...

Lex Nahumury

Why? Very simple and I don't see why that is so hard to understand.

The further down the signal chain a Distortion Section is placed, the noisier it gets!
Why? Because every single electronic part (all cables, passive electronics, active electronics)
in that chain produces noise which all gets accumulated.
Then you put a distortion section (which is actualy a high gain amplifier) behind
that accumulated noise which amplifies it approx. 500x!!
That becomes very audible.

Now look at your signal chain counting from your guitar;

cable->RPxxx->cable->LineIn->AC97_device->AD_converter->DSP+HighGain_Distortion.

I count 6 noise producing stages before High Gain occurs.
Now AC97 device produces quite some noise.
Add to that the accumulated noise from all other 5,
and there you are 'at the beach'.

I hope you see now why your RPxxx fuzz, or a stompbox doesn't sound so noisy.
That is because their High Gain Distortion section is placed right after the guitar
at the very beginning of the signal chain.

It's all about amplifying accumulated noise,
so keep the signal path before HighGain;
- as short as possible
- as noiseless as possible (low noise cables and equipment)

Never use more High Gain then you need.
Put a noisegate *before* the HighGain in DSP.

Done right one can get an almost noiseless metal shread sound.

HTH

Russ

I mainly use Kristal Audio Engine as the host.
It is hard to recommend specific settings, as different gear (i.e. different pickups, even different guitar strings) can have a big effect on the sound.

What type of metal music do you like (metal covers a wide range of sound these days)?

ROBSCIX

SO the how does one use a guitar and VST effects for distortion?..sounds impossible, you could use other effects but if you use distortion then you will get this noise correct? I am out of luck here then is that what your saying? how does one "do it right" to get a almost noise less metal shred sound? I understand what your saying but I am pretty new to ASIO, can you impart some wisdom as to how this noiseless setup would be acheived?