Crunchy Guitar Recording

N

Neonlite

New member
I'm posting this in newbie instead of n-tracks or guitar forums because I am a newbie. :)

I tried recording some crunchy metal guitar sounds in 2 ways through my delta 66 card and omni IO box.

1) using my Korg Toneworks Pandora 4's stereo headphone output into an input jack of the omni. I turned the volume way down on the Pandora.

2) I miced my amp without using the Pandora using a Shure SM57.

Both ways gave me a great deal of hiss and background noise. Is there a way to minimize this at the recording phase? If not, is there a fliter plugin that will cut some of the high-end noise without losing the nice tone and crunch of the guitar?

Thanks in advance!
 
The Pamdora only has one output and it is listed like this in the specs:

Line/headphone dual-purpose output (stereo phone jack)

Do I need to switch something on the pandora to make it a line-out signal?

Aside: On the pandora site, they have several mp3 files with samples played with different presets on the pandora and the one I used (Wild) has some noise, but not nearly as much as I got. I have a good cable (Monster) and my guitar is a 6-month old Jackson RR. So I don't think they are the cause. Could I be picking up noise from the pickups? Maybe computer noise?

-------

Yes, when recording with the microphone, I used the built-in pre-amp in the M-Audio Omni IO breakout box.
 
Seems like you are using it correctly then. Is there a lot of noise or just a bit of hiss?

What bitrate and sample rate are you recording at and with what software? You should be recording at least 16bit and 44.1khz. What level are you recording at? Your signal should peak around -5 to -1 for best results. But even -10 shouldn't have too much hiss.

How are your monitoring everything? It's important to make sure that the hiss is not just in your monitors and not the actual recordings.

Check all of that and we can go from there.
 
I was just looking at the Korg website. Is that thing noisy when you use the headphones? Usually those mini 'do it all' boxes are pretty noisy.
 
I bet the input levels on the computer are too high. If you have meter displays in your recording software, and you see it flickering along even though you are not doing a thing......too high.

Go to your sound properties in windows:
Open Volume control....
Click options......
click properties.....
click "recording"....
be sure your input line is checked..... click ok
Looking at the sliders..... lower the level of the appropriate line....

Keep this properties window open for a few minutes as odds are you will be dicking with it for a few minutes. Record a few seconds of guitar as a test. Adjust as needed.
 
TexRoadkill:

Yes, there is a bit of noise using the dirty amp sims, but no high-end hiss. I record 24-bit at 44.1khz using n-Tracks Studio. I hope to get other software eventually, but thats about all my budget can take for awhile after buying the Omni-Studio (delta-66 + Omni IO breakout box). My signal is a little low (peaks around -9). I didn't know a low signal would give me hiss. I thought 0 or over might. (told you I was a newbie) :). I still hear the noise in my mp3 mixdowns, so its not the monitor (just headphones so far. I hope to get a decent monitor one day).


Even:

I do see flickering when not doing a thing, but I am also not using a windows-type sound card (Sound Blaster?) to record, either. I don't think the control panel will help. My delta-66 has a mixer screen I will look at though.


Thanks, guys, for trying to help! Are there any reasonably priced filters that could remove some of the hiss without damaging the tone too much?
 
Hi Neonlite. I will pick up a little on the low signal part of things.
the point is you should use your delta 66 mixer screen and your output control on the pandora to achive the maximum signal to noise ratio. This means use the adjustments to make the signal when you strike the guitar as far above the noise (noise floor) as possible. The wider the difference the better. it may be that as you bring up the output on the pandora that the noise level follows it exactly, or not. it may be that when you turn down the pandora you achive a higher ratio, and then can turn up the input on the delta mixer..... Work with them a while and see what you come up with..


I would also try turning on and of electrical devices in your home and see if they make a difference.

Some times with a high gain sound on the guitar you just need to clean it up some by fading out and deleting sections too. I run high gain and I just have to live with it. I trim and fade out sections with no playing as needed.

Good luck

F.S.

PS I would suspect also that the inputs on the delta are to high as well. try turning them down and turning up the pandora to get to around -3 on the recording.
 
Thanks Freudian Slip. That seemed to help a lot. I guess with any high gain recording there will be some noise, right? I also turned down the gain in the Pandora which helped a lot with the hiss, too.
 
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