What’s the right Reamp box for me ?

[Vincent_123]

Hi Guys,


I have some questions about Reamp Boxes cause I would like to be sure what I need.

To resume my problem, I'm using a PreSonus FireStudio Project to record guitars on my studio computer. Actually, I'm recording directly from my electric guitar to my soundcard instrument input (Hi-Z). I'm using some guitar amp simulation (plugins) and the sound is acceptable. I've been wanting to buy a reamp box for several years, so that I can rework my sound through my real amplifier and record it later with microphones If I want.

Out of curiosity, do you think that a DI Box will be better that my preamp soundcard or a DI box is useless If my soundcard has already preamp and Hi-Z input according to your experience ? That seems to be the source of debate on the internet if I'm not mistaken .

Otherwise, I'm looking for a good Reamp Box to record at least one electric guitar. I know that Radial Engineering seems to be a good brand. If I would like to use It to record my direct sound in my DAW trough my soundcard and at the same time, playing in my real guitar amp and later, resend my guitar DI signal to my real guitar amp, what Reamp Box should I get ?


As I see in this web page from Radial, If I understand ( without a work around), I will need an active DI Box ( If It could help my dry sound trough my soundcard, my electric guitar has passive pickups) and a Reamp Box to meet my needs ? I saw that Reamp Box are passive (except for more than one output signal copy, cause It will lower the signal quality).

The Reamp JCR seems to be very good and the Radial J48 DI too.


https://www.radialeng.com/product/jcr


Thanks a lot for your help,



Vincent

 

[Ujn Hunter]

So, a DI Box and a Reamp Box are two separate things. I assume you can probably get something that does BOTH, but for the sake of what you're asking... they are separate. I'm sort of confused when you say you're using a Presonus AI, but then you say you're actually using a soundcard? Or are you calling your Presonus AI a soundcard? I personally own and use a Radial ProRMP Passive Reamping Device (open box for $86) but I've also recently got an Orange OMEC Teleport which is actually easier to use for reamping in my current setup (no re-patching things or changing track sends, etc...) that also acts as an iOS/iPhone/iPad/Android/MAC/PC input device if need be...

 

[Folkcafe]

So, a DI Box and a Reamp Box are two separate things. I assume you can probably get something that does BOTH, but for the sake of what you're asking... they are separate. I'm sort of confused when you say you're using a Presonus AI, but then you say you're actually using a soundcard? Or are you calling your Presonus AI a soundcard? I personally own and use a Radial ProRMP Passive Reamping Device (open box for $86) but I've also recently got an Orange OMEC Teleport which is actually easier to use for reamping in my current setup (no re-patching things or changing track sends, etc...) that also acts as an iOS/iPhone/iPad/Android/MAC/PC input device if need be...

Not necessarily. A passive DI box makes a good reamp box and is not very different than one that is marketed as a reamp box. You just use the output as an input. Gender changer on the XLR or a TRS to female XLR cable and you are good to go.

 

[Folkcafe]

Hi Guys,


I have some questions about Reamp Boxes cause I would like to be sure what I need.

To resume my problem, I'm using a PreSonus FireStudio Project to record guitars on my studio computer. Actually, I'm recording directly from my electric guitar to my soundcard instrument input (Hi-Z). I'm using some guitar amp simulation (plugins) and the sound is acceptable. I've been wanting to buy a reamp box for several years, so that I can rework my sound through my real amplifier and record it later with microphones If I want.

Out of curiosity, do you think that a DI Box will be better that my preamp soundcard or a DI box is useless If my soundcard has already preamp and Hi-Z input according to your experience ? That seems to be the source of debate on the internet if I'm not mistaken .

Two separate things in this post. Reamping and are you adding using the DI as a guitar input via the XLR pre? Why?

Otherwise, I'm looking for a good Reamp Box to record at least one electric guitar. I know that Radial Engineering seems to be a good brand. If I would like to use It to record my direct sound in my DAW trough my soundcard and at the same time, playing in my real guitar amp and later, resend my guitar DI signal to my real guitar amp, what Reamp Box should I get ?

Again, wouldn't use the DI to record. Continue to use the instrument input and only use the DI for reamping.

As I see in this web page from Radial, If I understand ( without a work around), I will need an active DI Box ( If It could help my dry sound trough my soundcard, my electric guitar has passive pickups) and a Reamp Box to meet my needs ? I saw that Reamp Box are passive (except for more than one output signal copy, cause It will lower the signal quality).

For reamping, use a passive not active DI. I presume by workaround you mean using a cable or an adaptor to make the XLR output the input. If your output is TRS on the Presonus, then a TRS to female XLR cable is all you need.

The Reamp JCR seems to be very good and the Radial J48 DI too.


https://www.radialeng.com/product/jcr

Lots of fancy features. Do you need them? I used a Whirlwind IMP for years to do reamping. Worked fine.

Thanks a lot for your help,



Vincent

 

[Vincent_123]

So, a DI Box and a Reamp Box are two separate things. I assume you can probably get something that does BOTH, but for the sake of what you're asking... they are separate. I'm sort of confused when you say you're using a Presonus AI, but then you say you're actually using a soundcard? Or are you calling your Presonus AI a soundcard? I personally own and use a Radial ProRMP Passive Reamping Device (open box for $86) but I've also recently got an Orange OMEC Teleport which is actually easier to use for reamping in my current setup (no re-patching things or changing track sends, etc...) that also acts as an iOS/iPhone/iPad/Android/MAC/PC input device if need be...

Hi Ujn Hunter,

I called my PreSonus Firestudio Project a soundcard, sorry for the misunderstanding. I will read about the OMEC Teleport , thanks for sharing this option.

 

[Vincent_123]

Two separate things in this post. Reamping and are you adding using the DI as a guitar input via the XLR pre? Why?

Again, wouldn't use the DI to record. Continue to use the instrument input and only use the DI for reamping.

For reamping, use a passive not active DI. I presume by workaround you mean using a cable or an adaptor to make the XLR output the input. If your output is TRS on the Presonus, then a TRS to female XLR cable is all you need.

Lots of fancy features. Do you need them? I used a Whirlwind IMP for years to do reamping. Worked fine.

Well, I have to admit that some people said that It's better to have a DI to record dry electric guitar signal than using the instrument Input from a soundcard (in my case, the Firestudio Project), maybe that ground loop cancellation could help to avoid some noise in my signal, but generally, according to you, I will not see any benefits (signal quality) at all to bying a DI compared to my sound card input ?


I have a silly side question, If I use a TS 1/4” Cable (from my guitar) to XLR (HI-Z input soundcard), Is It better than just using the regular TS 1/4” Cable guitar cable end to end ?



Thanks a lot,


Vincent

 

[Folkcafe]

Well, I have to admit that some people said that It's better to have a DI to record dry electric guitar signal than using the instrument Input from a soundcard (in my case, the Firestudio Project), maybe that ground loop cancellation could help to avoid some noise in my signal, but generally, according to you, I will not see any benefits (signal quality) at all to bying a DI compared to my sound card input ?


Thanks a lot,


Vincent

I want names.

Just kidding. Noise you say. Need more details but if the noise is from the pickup, with single coil for instance, the DI may or may not help much. Ground loops if that is your issue, I'd start looking at how everything is connected electrically and physically as a start. Am I misunderstanding the issue?

Benefits? The interface you have is pretty old. Don't know enough about it to say but many devices with instrument inputs have had decent performance for some time. That said, I'm using an old firewire capture device on an M1 Mac without issue. If you can, borrow a DI and try it. Just remember, it is going through the same preamps.

Where I use a DI in a session is if I am recording a guitar part with an amp but want a security clean take. I'll plug the guitar into the DI and plug the loop out to the amp and record both clean and mic'd amp. Otherwise I use the DI to reamp the clean take later. Yes people, I'm still doing this. Some guitar players like recording an amp at least initially. Once you show them what you can do with the clean signal later, they come around. Did I mention I'm old and hang out with really old musicians?

I now have the ik multimedia Axe I/O which has a good instrument input and reamping built in. Slowly converting old farts habits, one player at a time.

 

[Vincent_123]

I want names.

Just kidding. Noise you say. Need more details but if the noise is from the pickup, with single coil for instance, the DI may or may not help much. Ground loops if that is your issue, I'd start looking at how everything is connected electrically and physically as a start. Am I misunderstanding the issue?

Benefits? The interface you have is pretty old. Don't know enough about it to say but many devices with instrument inputs have had decent performance for some time. That said, I'm using an old firewire capture device on an M1 Mac without issue. If you can, borrow a DI and try it. Just remember, it is going through the same preamps.

Where I use a DI in a session is if I am recording a guitar part with an amp but want a security clean take. I'll plug the guitar into the DI and plug the loop out to the amp and record both clean and mic'd amp. Otherwise I use the DI to reamp the clean take later. Yes people, I'm still doing this. Some guitar players like recording an amp at least initially. Once you show them what you can do with the clean signal later, they come around. Did I mention I'm old and hang out with really old musicians?

I now have the ik multimedia Axe I/O which has a good instrument input and reamping built in. Slowly converting old farts habits, one player at a time.

Well, I don't know why, but these people want to be anonymous haha.

I'll try to borrow a DI, It's really a good idea. I will plug the DI output to my other soundcard input (mic-level) and that's It.


While waiting to try a DI, If I use a TS 1/4” Cable (from my guitar) to XLR (HI-Z input soundcard), Is It better than just using the regular TS 1/4” Cable guitar cable end to end according to you ?


The IK multimedia Axe I/O seems to be awesome....maybe one day I'll get that soundcard, thanks for mentioning it.

 

[Farview]

A mic input is a certain impedance and expects a mic level signal.

In instrument input is a different impedance that won't load down the pickups and it expects an instrument level signal.

If you get an external di, all it will do is change your instrument signal into a mic signal. Your interface already has that built in.

You can use a di backwards as a reamp box, but it isn't technically right. A reamp box is designed to take a line level signal and make it mimic an instrument.

Since a passive di takes a line signal and attenuates it while lowering the impedance, hooking it up backwards would take the incoming signal (line level, high impedance) and amplify it, while raising its impedance.

If the goal of reamping is the give the Amp the same type of signal it would get if the guitar were plugged in, a di backwards won't do it.

That doesn't mean that you can't get a usable sound doing that, it just will be different than plugging the guitar directly in.

 

[rob aylestone]

If we’re talking about a backwards DI not being the same, which is true but it’s worked in studios for years, the one thing that always happens is rarely talked about, and it’s not electronics, it’s playing style.

People are often not pleased when they use a re amp system later in the recording. So they recorded the guitar clean, then later shoved it back into the amp, and recorded the output with a mic, but are not happy. If you crank a tube/valve amp up you play differently. How you mute the strings before you bash them, how you move from fret to fret making more or less noise with your fingers etc etc. you play to what you hear. For convenience, I grab a guitar, jam the cable in record. Then when I have found just the right effect a few days later, on what I decided was a perfect take, the effects and amp sims take a tiny little mis fret that was quiet and turn it into a full blown loud note! To me this is vastly more work to sort than any differences the reverse DI causes or differences in reamp boxes? Recording, while using the insert loop live works much better, but for me, these tend to be decisions I keep making for the future. Do most people here set up the whole thing first, or just do what somebody else said, plug the guitar into the recording system and fiddle later?

 

[Ujn Hunter]

Do most people here set up the whole thing first, or just do what somebody else said, plug the guitar into the recording system and fiddle later?

Well I think it's agreed that getting "close" to the final Amp (Gain/Settings/Etc) sounds as possible while recording should be what you're trying to accomplish. Perhaps later in the mix you realize that the "Bass" or the "Mids" aren't quite right, or you want to turn the "Gain" down a tiny bit because you've double tracked and the gain is just too much... so you Reamp to tweak those settings. I don't think anyone should be playing into a Clean amp, recording the DI and then try to Reamp it with a 5150 after the fact.

 

[Vincent_123]

Very interesting, I totally agree with you guys.

In a context of currently living in an apartment (house in the future not too far I hope ), does anyone have tried to record directly from your soundcard with some amp simulation (plugins in a DAW) like Neural DSP to get a sound that you like when you're recording, build a rough mix with other instruments and later, when you have the chance, send the dry guitar signal in a real amp to create a kind of more realistic (organic) sound that you expect from a real amp ?

The break point with the amp simulation vs real amp seems to be the distortion for some people, but I found that clean sounds from plugins is quite very good as I heard.

 

[Ujn Hunter]

I use both real amps & amp sims (I don't hear any difference...) but, yes, I have recorded using an amp sim and then later re-amped out into one of my real amps (using stomp boxes) to get a specific sound.