Low End Distortion

[Twentythirdeye]

Hello! I hate that my first post is me complaining, but I plan on being an active member of this forum

I got a Lexicon Alpha about 3 months ago. For about the last month, Ive been getting weird distortion on the low end. Bass in particular. And my guitar using the rhythm pickup. The levels are not peaking anywhere in the chain. Ive used 4 different programs, different usb ports, even different asio settings.

Ive included an audio clip of what i am talking about. This is a straight audio signal, nothing done to it whatsoever. You might need to turn up the volume a bit. And its much more noticeable with headphones.

http://lazysnowman.com/bullshit.wav

I named it bullshit cause its bullshit that this is happening

Any ideas what it might be? The interface itself? Something software related? Am I missing something completely obvious? Any help is appreciated

 

[Twentythirdeye]

Also forgot to mention, when I play higher strings and notes, the distortion goes away. Which is why you hear me playing higher up, just to demonstrate that it only happens with lower frequencies. check out the waveform too. It's pretty funky.

 

[mixsit]

I hear 'chours effect, a tad of what seems like normal bass string noise (high freq stuff) but nothing I wouldn't think is normal zeroing in in solo mode like that.
(AKG 240's, moderate volume- Maybe if I was on my mains I would pick up something more?)

You might need to turn up the volume a bit. And its much more noticeable with headphones.

Yikes I'm on phones, and then I just saw this. Are you sure it isn't a limitation of the phones?
..And/or-second clue- Why would you have to turn it up for example to hear a distortion?

 

[Twentythirdeye]

Theres no chorus on it, thats just the way the bass sounds haha

And it's not the phones, I've tried multiple sound sources. 2 different speakers, 3 different headphones.

And my main problem with this is mixing. If i try to normalize this or get more volume, The distortion becomes way to apparent in the mix. And obviously, lacks that low end clarity. Basically, my problem is volume. I am unable to mix with such a low signal. If I boost it to anything remotely normal, I get distortion.

 

[Twentythirdeye]

I just realized I left out some very important information...

This is recorded direct in. Into an instrument input on the interface. And like I said, happens with guitar as well. However, if Im using a mic, the signal is insanely clean. So maybe a problem with the D.I.? Is this just an inherent problem with recording direct in?

 

[timtimtim]

I don't hear any distortion, just a quite pleasant very slight chorusy/phasey effect which wouldn't be caused by any recording equipment unless there's some sort of feedback going on?

 

[mixsit]

..And my main problem with this is mixing. If i try to normalize this or get more volume, The distortion becomes way to apparent in the mix. And obviously, lacks that low end clarity. Basically, my problem is volume. I am unable to mix with such a low signal. If I boost it to anything remotely normal, I get distortion.

It really begins to seems like you have a relative mix or level problem then.

'And obviously, lacks that low end clarity'? Not obvious. Do you mean after you raise it and it becomes distorted?
First things first.
Do we agree the recording isn't distorted?
There's no limit to how loud we can play a nice clean signal like that- up to the point you run out of clean headroom somewhere.
What does 'boost to anything remotely normal' mean? Compared to what?
In other words, where in your set up does it begin to distort, and do you mean in relation to other tracks in the mix? Then begin by lowering everything.

 

[Twentythirdeye]

Well if I turn down the gain on the bass and bring all my other levels down, the audio is way too quite, so when i bring the entire mix up (once its all mastered and exported), the bass gets distorted again.

Im starting to wonder if its my computer. Ill listen to the sound clip on another computer next chance I get. Because Ive only been listening on this computer.

Thanks for the help everyone. Ill check back once I check it on another computer

Also for the "chorus," the bass really does sound like that. Even through a clean amp. Weird, but I like it

 

[Twentythirdeye]

Also, I might get access to another interface. One much nicer then my cheap $80 Lexicon. So Ill finally be able to see if its the interface or just an inherent problem with raising the volume.

 

[Twentythirdeye]

Problem solved. Its kinda weird. I guess all my speakers and headphones suck. (One of them was just iPod earphones, so yeah, obviously)

What I thought was my "high end" pair of headphones, a pair of Shure in ear phones, ended up being a not so high end pair of headphones. Since I assumed they were high quality, I assumed that the problem was elsewhere. However, I put a sample on my iPod and went down to Best Buy and tried out some of those Dr. Dre Beats headphones. It sounded perfect. I tried some other headphones while down there, even some kind of low end ones, and it sounded fine.

I dont think the drivers in the Shure headphones could produce the bass, making it distorted. Which would also explain why more volume led to more distortion.

Thanks for the help anyways everyone! Ill try to be an active member on this forum. Im really not as stupid as this post makes me out to be