Does "reamping" degrade overall signal

Loxley

New member
Hey all,

I'm recording an album right now and I'm planning on adding a lot of effects later. Some are not in-box but will be run from the interface's line out through effects pedals and back into the interface's line in. Should I expect any signal degredation, loss of quality, noticeable effects, etc. from this extra step of digital to analog and back to digital signal again? I'm running a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 into Pro Tools 12.
 
Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. It really depends on what you are recording.

Always best to try first. Line out to line in levels are cool, but I am not sure how that works through stomp boxes. I have a Radial reamp box that I have used for 're-amping' through an amp from a direct signal that was recorded with a direct box straight from the guitar, but haven't tried running a recorded track back out to a pedal.

Hopefully others will have input here.
 
It's not so much the conversion that's the issue. I also wouldn't worry too much about level. Most pedals can handle healthy (not hot) line levels just fine. Don't let anybody tell you there's an impedance problem*.

If there's a problem, it's going to be noise. There's a pretty good potential of a noticeable ground loop to develop. I think many people expect that to sound like a hum, but when computers are involved, there are all kinds noises that can sneak though if everything's not sorted. That's the one place where a transformer isolated reamp box really can come in handy. There are other (arguably better) ways to try to fix the problem, but it can take a lot more messing around then just flipping the ground lift switch.



*Unless you're trying to use an honest-to-goodness old school transistor fuzz.
 
Hello Friends,

That´s my first reply at all, I´m from Brazil and sorry if I make some mistakes on language.
I´m planning on doing some reamping of my guitar tracks, I have a POD HD500, my plan is to return the signal through the USB connection to the POD and to the amp and so then to the mixer connected firewire. Am I doing a nice trick or I get problems? The track was recorded clear with no effects using the POD too.
 
Does the pod do that? It should, but I'd kind of be surprised. But then, why wouldn't it send the audio back on the USB, too?

One issue I see: If you're on Windows, it can be difficult to use two audio interfaces at one time with decent latency. The Pod will count as an interface here.

There are a lot of free and cheap amp sims out there which will do you at least as much good with a whole lot less hassle. If you just have to have that Line6 sound, buy PodFarm.
 
I have never noticed any degradation of signal quality.

Actually if anything I have noticed there is a lot less noise introduced.
 
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