Mbox input question

[Daenn]

I unfortunately record all my guitars direct because I live in a NYC apartment. Amplitube sounds better than my amp miced at low volume. So please don't tell me how I'm going to hell for recording guitars direct.

With Amplitube, the high the volume of input, the more balls you get out of the sound (like a real amp). Unfortunately, the input gain on my Mbox has to be all the way to the lowest setting when the guitar is plugged in otherwise it clips and will probably blow out the input. Therefore, the Amplitube is not at it's best potential and it doesn't have the balls that it could have.

Is there a way around this? It sounds awesome with the input turned up on the Mbox, except for the clipping.

 

[bennychico11]

do you have the Mbox input selected as Instrument?? It sounds like you might be using the Mic input. There is a switch on front to toggle between input settings.

 

[Daenn]

Nope, definitely have it set on instrument.

 

[reshp1]

Not sure if I completely understand the question but here goes nothing...

Record your guitar direct with enough gain to record a good signal on a raw track. Then send the raw track via a bus to an Aux track with Amplitube on it and control the input volume to the Aux track by controlling the send level.

 

[Daenn]

Hey, that's worth a shot. I'll give it a try. Unfortunately though it would mean 2 tracks for every 1 guitar track wouldn't it? If I'm limited to 24 tracks with the Mbox, and I generally use 10 guitar tracks that could be a problem.

 

[bennychico11]

no, first it's 32 tracks with PT.
second, the 32 track limit only has to do with VOICEABLE tracks...aux tracks are not considered voiceable tracks. you can have as many aux tracks as you want (or your computer can handle).




and 10 guitar tracks?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

and 10 guitar tracks?

Thank you for not making me ask that same question

G.

 

[Daenn]

thanks for the update on that. I'm not really a Pro Tools guru.

And yeah, 10 guitar tracks is nothing. The last song I did had 3 rhythem, 5 leads, 2 acoustic tracks. If you think that's bad you should see the amount of vocal tracks I use. Gotta mask my shitty voice

 

[AlexW]

You may have better luck with a direct box rather than plugging your guitar straight in. Can't remember for sure, but I don't think the Mbox has a high impedance input.

 

[something cool]

Can't remember for sure, but I don't think the Mbox has a high impedance input.

The MBox pres do have an "Instrument" setting for Hi-Z inputs

 

[Halion]

Your problem might simply be that even though the preamp's input is set correctly (slightly under 0db) you are still sending a weak signal to the computer (don't ask me how). In that case, you can turn up the volume digitally. I'm not a protools user so I don't know where to do that but you need to turn up the gain on the audio file or the entire track. Then use Amplitube as an insert plugin and your set.

 

[reshp1]

You may have better luck with a direct box rather than plugging your guitar straight in. Can't remember for sure, but I don't think the Mbox has a high impedance input.

No, I think he's okay without a DI. Inst Impedence on the Mbox is 1MegOhm according to the digidesign site.

 

[Daenn]

Oddly, I can turn up the input gain when I plug my bass directly in, but not the guitars. I can turn it up slightly for my 6 string guitar, but not enough to make a difference in the amplitube. The 7 string I can definitely not turn up, and even with the input as low as it goes, it still clips a bit when I hit the low B string. Maybe I need to compress it before going in?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Humbuckers?

G.

 

[Daenn]

Yeah, both guitars have humbuckers.

 

[Shadoe607]

BOMFACTORY!!!!! It will allow you to adjust your input signal and output signal and comes with most protools set up. you can set it up as you record or use it in a send/bus situation after the fact.

Also if you ever exceed the 32 track limit, just mix what you have record it in another track then you have 31 new tracks on top of the mixed one.

Suggested reference: Protools for musicians and songwriters, by Gina Fant-Saez
i don't agree with all the her opinions and such, but as a reference this book has been great.

Warning!!!-less is more and you can easily use this to much.

I myself am going hunting for a DI box. Also have you tried recording through and amp with headphone jack or record out? I've done this in the past with some good results, just that a di box tacks less space and is more mobile.

my apologizes for the long post.

 

[Shadoe607]

bonmbfactory s the proper spelling

 

[Shadoe607]

lol BOMBFACTORY

i'm not a great editor