Recorded guitar tracks too quiet, etc.

  • Thread starter Thread starter rockynroll
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rockynroll

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Hi. Semi-noob here wondering what to do about my direct recorded guitar and bass tracks being much quieter than anticipated given that I just picked up a Behrenger Ultra-DI DI100 active DI box in order to improve things, etc. I'm running guitar/bass into the DI box and then running the DI box into the mic input of my Tascam US-144 interface, which connects via USB to my computer. The sound through the DI / US-144 is really good when monitoring w/headphones plugged into the interface but seems to get much quieter and thinner sounding when the track's played back, even when levels are increased in the software (Ableton, MixCraft, Audacity, etc.) to try to compensate for the significant decrease in volume on playback. I'm just trying to get a handle on this direct recording thing as it's new to me. I'm mostly playing guitar (electric mostly but some acoustic) and dabble a bit with bass and keyboards, so I'd like to know how attain better levels and sounds on playback, etc. I didn't think I needed a preamp if I was going DI box to USB interface to computer, but maybe I do. If it helps to know, the guitars and keyboards I'm using are Gibson USA Les Paul Traditional, Fender USA Stratocaster, G&L Tribute ASAT, Gretsch Electromatic hollow-body, Seagull M6 acoustic, Fender USA Precision Bass, and Kurzweil K2VX/K2000 keyboards. I'm also tinkering with my Line 6 Pox X3 and GuitarPort interface (as well as GearBox and PodFarm standalone programs and VST plugins), and other audio equipment in my setup are the M-Audio Audiophile 2496 PCI card in my computer and M-Audio Studiophile AV40 monitors. I just include all of this info in case it's useful in coming up w/solutions for my wimpy audio tracks issue. Any help you might have would be appreciated!
 
guitar direct

im using a line 6 toneport into usb too Ableton 7 with the pod farm vst and get great guitar sounds,the newer version of pod farm (2.0) is nice,i also have amplitude vst but use pod farm allways
 
perhaps your recording levels were low, try increasing gain before recording

or check all output levels in the program and on your interface.
 
When you're using plug-ins like Pod Farm, do you hear just a plain clean guitar signal while laying down the track or do you hear the better tone at that time? Just wondering because I've been going in via ASIO bug only hear that plain clean tone when laying down the track and can only hear the better tone once it's already recorded and while tinkering with the PodFarm or GearBox plug-in, etc. Is that normal or should you be able to hear the better tone when laying down the track, as well? Also, I'm wondering if I need to go through a preamp of some type because I do have the level on the interface dialed up to just before clipping -- maybe I need to do something with the audio program levels but I thought I had them up, as well. Also, would it be better to run the interface into the RCA inputs on my M-Audio Audiophile 2496 soundcard (rather than running the interface via USB)? Also, none of my equipment is active (except for my DI box, that is), just in case that's relevant info. Thanks again for your help!
 
So, what exactly are your peak and average tracking levels, in dBFS?
 
do you have the monitor mix set up right?

long shot, but this happened to a guy a few days ago. had had the mix set closer to input, so when he played live it sounded loud and great, and when he played back the recording, it was obviously a lot quieter.
 
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