Reamp tone problem in Reaper

WSSH · 08-16-2022, 05:13 PM

Hi, I've recently bought an Axe I/0 solo reamp/interface with single guitar input.

I am trying to reamp my clean DI tracks back through my amp with Reaper, which I have achieved BUT,
when I play it back through my amp (with or without my distortion pedal), I lose the ring-out sustain type sound in certain areas of my tracks, palm muted parts sound weaker and 'choppy',
pick scrapes sound weaker, the fret change string slide sound becomes inaudible and there are brief gaps where there are riff changes/merged sections in tracks...
I've messed around with amp,pedal and DAW settings so it can only be the interface that is cutting out these sounds

It's like the interface is putting a gate on the tracks but when I replay it with only plugins, it sounds like it should but it all changes when played through the reamp/interface.

Also, when I recorded my guitar, I had the gain on the interface next to the input off as it clips, all the gian I use is from the amp and my pedal and a bit in the DAW/Interface controller... But even when I have tried re-recording with higher gain on the interface guitar input I still can't get all those things mentioned to be audible, it just ends up sounding muffled.

Any help would be great thanks

MiddleC · 08-17-2022, 10:58 AM

Parts of this sound normal to me. There are a bunch of sounds that you hear during the performance that never get into the pickups. Pick sounds, slap sounds, fret slides... all very clear when performing, but lacking or even non-existent in the recording.

I've mic'd the strings and played through headphones to "reintroduce" those sounds into the mix, to varying degrees of success.

JonLinnarson · 08-17-2022, 01:25 PM

The re-amp output on the Axe I/O interfaces are a bit quieter than your regular guitar signal (don't know why). I have friends that have had this same problem.

IIRC, there was a firmware update like a year or two ago that was supposed to increase the levels of the amp out channel, but I'm not sure if it did that much. Check so that your interface is on the latest firmware, and if it's still way too quiet I'm guessing that the only way to "fix" this would be to place a boost pedal of some sort between the amp out and the amp.

WSSH · 08-19-2022, 07:36 PM

I have only just installed the firmware so I'm guessing it'd be the latest? I'll see if I can update it.

As for the boost, I have tried using an effects box that has multiple functions for gain etc cranked right up but that just makes it hiss more and doesn't boost the signal in any way it should.

Maybe I have the reaper settings/routing wrong. I've heard now that you have to pan the channel fully when reamping?

Ronquest · 08-20-2022, 05:43 PM

Not sure how your interface configures the output for the "amp out", however are you sending your DI track to audio out (amp out, channel 3)?

The track with your DI, goto > SENDS > AUDIO HARDWARE OUTPUTS > YOUR CHANNEL "3" FOR AMP OUT

From the DI track output (in Reaper) you can control the volume too.

By default you may be sending the master out (Hardware Output 1&2) and this may be the issue.

Another note on reamping, there is no feedback from your speaker > guitar so sustain and other things will be different, but it shouldn't be bad. The reamp process can be challenging to get sorted out.

You shouldn't have to pan anything, as amp out is a single/mono channel.

JonLinnarson · 08-24-2022, 01:16 AM

Have you tried asking in the IK Multimedia forum for help? I expect the people over there to be a lot more familiar with the ins and outs of the Axe I/O interfaces.

Here's a video of a guy talking about the same problem as yours:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0EO5rPAeBs

It seems like it might depend a bit on the type of pickups you use as well. Some have said that their high-output pickups sound weak going out of the amp out, while their low-output pickups can sound too strong.

It seems to work perfectly for this guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZuR6NFQtAY