Reamping

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oz_fenda

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Hi guys,
I'm looking to record my strat through micing a tube amp and have the typical 60 cycle hum when I turn up the gain. Aside from replacing pickups and increasing shielding the guitar (I've tried all the easy things like different power sources, turning off lights, monitors etc) would reamping work? Recording a clean guitar sound direct to pro tools then send it back out through the amp, with the theory being that as its just a plain audio signal it won't have the pickup hum when its send back through the amp? I've been looking at something like this Radial Pro RMP - passive re-amping box, DIs, Splitters, etc

Thanks,
Matt
 
That's an interesting question. I suspect that the nature of the single coil pickups is that they just hum, regardless of what you plug them into. but it would be worth a try.
 
Farview said:
That's an interesting question. I suspect that the nature of the single coil pickups is that they just hum, regardless of what you plug them into. but it would be worth a try.
Click to expand...

I agree. What amp are you using? Some amps just hum, period. In which case, it will still hum when you re-amp. Try using a humbucker, if you have one available, and see if it still happens. You should try recording just 30 seconds or so, and try your theory out. I highly recommend the Boss noise suppressor. Yeah, it isn't completely colorless, but it sure beats the alternative. Good luck, and post your findings back here.
 
BTW, I'm assuming you're a 'Fenda' player, and if you're playing a Blues Jr., it's one noisey amp. It can be corrected, though. I'm hoping to take mine in soon to have it done.
 
Don't forget to spay or neuter your amps.


This has been a public service announcement.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Unfortunately its not something I can test out, as I havn't bought the reamping box yet, was seeing if I could get some opinions before I splash the cash on a 'maybe, maybe not' solution.

I can generally get quite a clean sound from the strat if I record direct, its only when you crank up the gain that the buzzy hum rears its head, so I thought that if I record a clean (relatively noisefree) direct signal to PT then output it it won't be connected to a humbucker so (theoretically) it might be a much better result. The amp is a blackstar ht-1 I bought specifically for recording, but I guess because I've never run my strat through a high gain tube amp pushed to its saturation point I've never had much of a problem with it. I've tried it through other amps cranked right up afterwards as a test and its the same result so I don't think the amp is to blame.
 
The buzzing is always there on a strat, but you don't notice it until you turn the gain way up. When the amp distorts, you bring up the noise floor of the guitar, which brings up the hum. Its all part of the adventure with single coil pickups.
 
I think GC has the Boss on clearance for $75 right now. Or you can pick up a used on for about $40.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone! I ended up getting the Boss noise suppressor and it seems to be doing the job nicely, cheers all!
 
Re-amping with the method you described would have worked. But I guess that's all moot now.
I stand 4 feet away from my Marshall and point it in the best direction for the lowest noise. I never get rid of everything but it's not noticeable in my mixes unless I'm soloing the guitar with no other instruments playing - which never happens in my songs.
 
I think that a key point here is also to make sure it is just the amp/pickups creating the hum. Yes, there is always going to be some, actually quite a bit when using a high gain amp, but without a sample of the sound, we are really just guessing.

I have had good luck with the noise suppressor as well, but make sure there isn't another problem. The pedal is only cool if it doesn't suck out your tone, and it works quite poorly if you wish to have dynamics. Example: fading out guitars at the end of a song. It pretty much works like a gate. Blah blah blah...

:)
 
IoanIancu said:
Re-amping is a technique that gained a lot of popularity in the last 15 years. The technique’s obvious advantages are numerous:

1: Direct recording is an ideal way to reserve tonal flexibility for mixing (especially useful in the DIY world);
2: Instrument amplifiers and stomp boxes offer virtually limitless opportunities to create the right sound with a not-so-virtual interface;
3: It’s fun, which is still allowed.
Click to expand...

Hmm... Scrapbooking?
 
Single coil = noise, the end.
Beware of TV screens, CRT computer monitors and some flat screen monitors too.
I have 5 electric guitars and only one is NOT single coil.
I like the sound & accept the noise as part of the package.
SIMS like Sans Amp etc certainly boost the noise when they ramp up the levels and effects - "drive" in particular does that a fair bit..
I've only heard sc noise that bothered me on 1 album.
Reamping is fine but you'll get some sc noise in your clean signal and that will be boosted in the re-amping process unless you block it with a gate or clean up the noise in the box.
Post a clip when you've done some.
 
IoanIancu said:
Re-amping is a technique that gained a lot of popularity in the last 15 years. The technique’s obvious advantages are numerous:

1: Direct recording is an ideal way to reserve tonal flexibility for mixing (especially useful in the DIY world);
2: Instrument amplifiers and stomp boxes offer virtually limitless opportunities to create the right sound with a not-so-virtual interface;
3: It’s fun, which is still allowed.
Click to expand...

jimmys69 said:
Hmm... Scrapbooking?
Click to expand...

... and you haven't banned him yet?? Have I taught you nothing?? Woe, is me....

Here is a link where this little Cut and Paste Queen got his post from:
A Guide to Re-Amping Techniques
 
I don't think re-amping would have worked to remove the hum.

here's my thinking on that ..... the entire premise of re-amping is that you can record the git direct and then run that signal into an amp thru a box that makes the amp 'see' the same signal as it would have if you had plugged the git directly into the amp.
It seems to me that if the recording truly does capture the guitar well enough for it to sound exactly the same reamped then it would have to capture all the nuances too which would include the hum that comes along with that git.
IF you're gonna get the same sound after reamping as you do before then you're gonna get ALL the sound and it won't selectively not reproduce the hum.

Well ? .... what do ya' think?
 
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