Help w/ Pod X3 Live + Reaper 4.7

[mjkj98]

Greetings,

I just purchased Reaper today. I've been in need of a DAW that suits my needs more effectively than audacity. Audacity simply wasn't cutting it.

Let me preface this by saying I am extremely impressed with the GUI and preference options. There are endless customization options.

Anyways, as the thread title would imply, I am having problems with my pod x3 live and my Reaper software.

I just purchased some studio headphones. I have them plugged into my pod x3 live directly. When I play and listen to it play back to me immediately I am blown away. The tone of my les paul is warm and clear. No distortion, no fuzzy ness. Its clear.

When I record that via usb to reaper, it sounds tinny. Like, a tin can. It also sounds like its lacking bass. Unlike the headphone jack which has it coming it clear as a whistle. Warm and clear.

Any help with this?

Thanks,
Mj

System Specs
i5 3570
~1-2 tb's of space on diverse drives.

Mobo
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...px?pid=3970#ov

[FKAB]

Originally Posted by mjkj98

Greetings,


Anyways, as the thread title would imply, I am having problems with my pod x3 live and my Reaper software.

When I record that via usb to reaper, it sounds tinny. Like, a tin can. It also sounds like its lacking bass. Unlike the headphone jack which has it coming it clear as a whistle. Warm and clear.

What are you listening back to your recording with?

[mjkj98]

Heyo,

So the way the pod works is I plug it into the computer and the pod becomes the computer's sound card.

The usb port on the back of the pod is running the sound to the pc. The pc also sends sound it creates to the pod out of my headphones plugged into the pod.

So...

Guitar-> Pod ->Headphones
---------/\ |
---------| \/
--------Computer

When I hear the guitar prior to being recorded via reaper it sounds phenomenal.

When I listen to the recorded sample it sounds terrible.


In my experimentation I've discovered that if I do a wet L + R over top of a Dry L + R it sounds closer to what my headphones sound like, but still not really.

There are 8 Audio Channels through ASIO that the pod x3 live gives the DAW.

I am new to this and sort of need a crash course on this stuff. I hardly know what Dry and Wet mean.

-- From the manual --

• 1-2 is the main signal, configured on POD X3’s Outputs page for Digital Outs.
• 3-4 is Tone 1 separately in stereo.
• 5-6 is Tone 2 separately in stereo.
• 7 is the sum of the inputs you’ve chosen for Tone 1.
• 8 is the sum of the inputs you’ve chosen for Tone 2.
You can also connect your headphones or powered speakers

Thanks,
mj

[FKAB]

Originally Posted by mjkj98

Heyo,

Yep, I've got a POD. I just wondered were you listening back through the cans also! Are you recording in mono or stereo? Right click the 'record' button on your fader for options.

[mjkj98]

Greetings,

Thanks for the reply.

I am in fact recording in stereo. Either via doing left and right alone and panning, or in one channel. Both function correctly.

I just listened to it again, perhaps its due to the volume. I don't know, maybe it is as good. But it just sounds... worse. More thin, less bass, less warmth.

Are there settings I am forgetting?

You say you have a pod, can you describe to me how you set it up? Like, how should I set the sound options in the sound settings in windows, and how you have your preferences tab set up. If you could help me in those areas, that'd be stupid helpful.

Godbless,
Mj

[4x4uk]

not sure on the pod but on all the boss guitar fx there were different output options (to cater for what the unit is hooked up to) which applied slightly differing eq and the headphone out definately had eq applied

[mjkj98]

Interesting, so there is a potential my headphone jack is having an eq applied that isn't present in reaper. (Due to being plugged in via USB.)

That's alright. I can fix that.

Am I correct to say that reaper has eq features?

And if not, I have Izotope Ozone 5, Would that help in that area?

(I understand Ozone 5 is a mastering software. Not sure if that inlcudes eq.)

So, again. If the EQ is the problem, can I apply an EQ within Reaper, or with the help of Ozone?

Thanks,
Mj

Also, I am having the pod be requested of 192 Khz. If my pod cannot put that out, could that lead to audio degredation. Or if I am not on the exact highest number, instead of defaulting to the highest available Khz, it bumps itself down to 41000 Khz?

I'm just trying to determine why the sound quality sounds as it does.

[brainwreck]

Is your signal clipping in Reaper (any red on the meters)? Check that no effects have been inserted, and that faders for the track and master are at 0.

Reaper has an eq called reaeq, but you should not need to use an eq to work this problem out. You should be hearing virtually the same thing recorded as what is coming directly out of the pod. The manual for the X3 says that the same signal goes to the headphones and usb, with the exception that the master volume on the pod does not control the volume going to usb out.

On the sample rate question: 192k is a high sample rate, and it will unnecessarily tax your computer for no real sound benefit. Try 44.1k or 48k to begin with by clicking the ASIO configuration button in Reaper's preferences. Also, check the sample buffer while you're in there. Try 256 to begin with.

[mjkj98]

Hi!

Thank you so very much for the info. Thanks for looking into the manual.

The settings in reaper are default. I just installed it yesterday. That is good to hear that the audio should be identical. That's the root of the problem I guess.

Cool about the 192k sample rate. I'll clock it back to 48000 Hz. I just initially was trying to figure out why it sounded so tinny relative to the direct out (my headphones) when I played directly.

With respect to clipping. The bars that show my volume, the one that is representative of the track is red no matter what. I mean, it doesn't reach the top, I just mean that the bar itself is red. The volume meter.

Now, the volume meter on the master is never clipping the blue bar that goes up and down, it remains within the threshhold. So now its just trying to determine why it sounds worse.

I have the connection secured well, it has the drivers installed. The device is from 2008, so I doubt it has anything to do with USB 2.0 and not 3.0.

I'm telling you, it sounds stellar through my headphones. It just gets... crappy after going through reaper.

To eliminate unnecessary variables, I will try recording through my headphone jack (analogue). If it still sounds poor, that will tell me that the Windows output is the bottleneck.

Because the sound I hear through reaper goes -> Windows PC -> Pod x3 Live -> Headphones.
As opposed to
Guitar -> Pod x3 live -> Headphones.

Keep the replies coming, I am greatly appreciative of any and all help.
Godbless and most sincerely,
Mj

[Edit]
I just listened to it directly, without the pod. The recording from yesterday. It still sounds colorless and dull. Its not like... low sample rate? Its just dull relative to what I heard yesterday.

I can upload a sample if you'd like to hear it, but it wouldn't necessarily do you any good because you couldn't compare it to the control (my pod directly.)

[brainwreck]

When I say 'red'...I mean clipping at the top of the meter, not the moving meter. If you aren't seeing clipping at the master, then the signal isn't clipping.

I want to figure this out for you...not sure what it could be, though. Have you looked at Windows sound settings? Maybe some crud is being applied there? If you want to check it:

Control Panel > Sound > Playback > right-click your playback device > select properties. Any sort of 'enhancements' or other processing should be disabled and the level should be at 0.

[mjkj98]

Greetings,

No, it is not clipping.

I just tried it through the port in the back, and it actually sounded worse. So I don't believe that is the solution.
In the sound settings, everything seems normal. No custom enhancements are enabled. All default.

Perhaps its in my head? I don't know. I just feel like the audio output by my pod is so much fuller than what is recorded. The recording feels soulless. Perhaps it is an EQ thing?

I mean, is there an EQ that is applied to the headphone out that is not with the USB?
Lastly, with the 8 different ASIO channels, should I be using the 1 and 2 channel? Or should I be using others?

Thanks,
Mj

[Edit]

Here's the primary thing I'm noticing.

Through the pod there's overwhelming bass. Through the reaper recording playback, its not that way. The bass is gone.

Hope that helps.

[Edit]

I don't know what I did, but its fixed. I just made two audio channels and ensured both the L and R tracks were being recorded.

It sounds identical now.

Thank you so very much for the help Brain!

/thread

[brainwreck]

Glad you got it worked out. Have fun, and welcome to the Reaper forum.

[mjkj98]

Thanks,