V-Amp Pro. Signal too hot?

[jaykeMURD]

Alright, alright. You caught me - Behringer gear.

I just needed something to lay scratch tracks down with!

Anyhow, I've been fiddling around with this thing for HOURS now, trying to figure out what going on.

For starters, here's my current signal chain:

V-AMP Pro XLR (L,R) to Delta 1010LT XLR IN (1,2).
Simple enough, right?

I've got a few other pieces of outboard gear (preamps) and never have any problems with gain and volume levels. I do all my mixing in Sonar and easily make slight adjustments.

Now, when I'm in Sonar, just monitoring my XLR INs in stereo, there's between 25-30dB of hiss. Just plain old hiss. I've discovered that the hiss stays even when there is no guitar plugged into the V-Amp. Also, it's not the cables. I've got plenty of decent cables, and I've tried quite a few.

So I'm running balanced from the V-Amp to the 1010LT and it appears the V-Amp is just sending a signal that is much too hot.

Of course, I've got the V-Amp on the lowest volume/gain settings, and I'm pretty sure it's nothing I can directly edit on the V-Amp. So what's going on?

I have tried using the unbalanced line outs on the V-Amp, but then I loose my Cab/Speaker Simulation!

Is the V-Amp really that loud? If so, that's one hell of a noise floor; ie: a P.O.S.

[amra]

I've used a V-AMP Pro for a couple of years with a Delta 1010LT using line outs.

Couple things you might look at with your setup. Check the settings in the Delta control panel for those XLR inputs, the two choices are -10 and +4. Not sure what the V-AMP is sending out of it's XLR.

Also, the V-AMP Pro has pretty good cab simulation on the line outs, too. I have some samples of some pretty good sounding guitar recorded that way. If you can't get a good heavy sound using the line outs, something else is wrong with your guitar setup - strings to light, pickups too weak for the sound you are trying to get- something.

[therage!]

I've not had any noise problems with V-Amp Pro

I'm using S/PDIF connection on my 1010, haven't ever tried XLR's.

Are you getting this noise with every model? A lot of gain might cause this but on real clean settings this doesn't make any sense.

You might have a faulty unit.

Can you try it using S/PDIF?

[ocnor]

Are you using the V-Amp Editor software? You don't lose the speaker sim on the unbalanced outs if you set it to the correct mode. If the noise gate is not adjusted correctly then you will get hiss. My V-amp pro is dead silent while using any of the outputs. I mainly run the S/PDIF out to my Audiophile 2496 and the level is fine. I think that you need to read the manual as it explains everything that you need to know.

[SRR]

On the 1010LT card itself you have the jumpers, to line level not mic level right?

[thajeremy]

none of you guys are using pre amps with your V-amp????

my chain is

guitar > V-amp> pre > Delta 1010

and I have always gotten good results...I recorded 13 songs for one band and used the V-amp 100% of the time on guitars....

I can link you to samples if you would like to hear them...

[ocnor]

Originally Posted by thajeremy

none of you guys are using pre amps with your V-amp????

That would be redundant and you would be adding an unnecessary gain stage since the V-Amp is a preamp. I always use the least amount of gear in the chain as possible.

[Richard Monroe]

I sometimes use Bass VAMP Pro (it's a toy, what the hell?) It definitely sounds like a line level mismatch, a gain-staging issue, or a defective unit, which would shock me. It says Pro, doesn't it? Anyway, I've never detected unusual hiss in mine. One problem with pretty much all amp modelers- Most guitar amps produce some hiss, some more than others, and the modeler will copy the damn hiss! And yes, it gets worse with an old Fender.-Richie

[thajeremy]

Originally Posted by ocnor

That would be redundant and you would be adding an unnecessary gain stage since the V-Amp is a preamp. I always use the least amount of gear in the chain as possible.

The sound of my V-amp without the pre is pretty nasty and with the pre is a world of difference....unnecessary or not....im going with useable sound....

I have also tried a POD pro with the same results....basically unusable without the pre in the chain.

[amra]

Originally Posted by thajeremy

The sound of my V-amp without the pre is pretty nasty and with the pre is a world of difference....unnecessary or not....im going with useable sound....

I have also tried a POD pro with the same results....basically unusable without the pre in the chain.

Sounds like something is not configured right in your setup, too. Maybe you accidentally turned the cab models off? A level mismatch?

Do you have samples with the preamp, and without?

[jaykeMURD]

Originally Posted by thajeremy

I can link you to samples if you would like to hear them...

Please do!

SRR, I just did that. I changed my XLR jumpers to line level, and it fixed it!

I'm quite happy it's solved, and moderately pleased with the V-Amp's abilities.

[SRR]

Originally Posted by jaykeMURD

Please do!

SRR, I just did that. I changed my XLR jumpers to line level, and it fixed it!

I'm quite happy it's solved, and moderately pleased with the V-Amp's abilities.

Ya why they didn't have the ability to change it in software, instead of on the card itself is a pain. I mean technically I have two more channels of pres to choose from, but those channels are set to line level, and pulling apart the computer to change them on a whim is just not going to happen. But if that's the only fault of the card I can't complain about the $180~ I spent on it at fullcompass.

[thajeremy]

Originally Posted by amra

Sounds like something is not configured right in your setup, too. Maybe you accidentally turned the cab models off? A level mismatch?

Do you have samples with the preamp, and without?

I dont have any samples without but here is a link to one with...

Lucky (by A Road Eternal)

[LemonTree]

the MASTER knob on the right controls the recording volume, not the gain or volume....hope that helps.

Yeah it it a pretty hot signal, I usualy have the master at 9 o'clock