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How do i make sure my gain staging is correct when re-amping?

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  • 05-03-2013 3:12pm
    #1
    JuneBug29
    Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭


    I have been trying out re-amping lately and find it very useful. I'm pretty happy with the sound i am getting but i'm just curious about gain staging and want to make sure i'm doing it right.

    1. I have attenuation pads on my DI box. I assume these should be bypassed?
    2. There's setting the preamp level. How do i know exactly what level to set it to and does this have an effect on the output signal? If it's hotter or lower in level, i'd imagine this would affect the sound.
    3. Then there's the level on my re-amp box. I leave this up fully. Is that correct? I assume that turning it down would only be attenuating the signal and not touching it lets it through at the optimal level?
    4. Also, what should my interface be set to? +4/-10? I assume this makes more of a difference for the outputs seeing as i dial in the gain before the inputs anyway?

    I just want to make sure i know how to do this right and if there's any rules of thumb on how to get the levels set easily. So, i suppose my question is, how do i get what's coming out of my re-amp box to be as close to what's coming out of my guitar?


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    #2
    SeanHurley
    Registered Users Posts: 347 ✭✭SeanHurley


    Yep you are right, gain staging can have a huge effect on the tone of what is coming out of you amp.

    As a starting point, try recording your guitar d.i. track peaking roughly around -18dBfs, this is what most equipment is calibrated to. This is good practice generally and will mean you are safe from any clipping when recording and your reamp box is getting signal at a level that it was designed to take.

    Now use your DAWs fader (or the level control on the reamp box if it has one) to match what the amp sounds like when you plug the guitar straight in - trust your ears and a/b the two signals. You are never going to get it exactly as if you plugged directly in because you have introduced a whole heap of electronics into the signal path, but you will get it very close.

    The main thing to remember tho is that if it sounds good it is good. Don't sweat the science too much.


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