Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Jump to content

Digital Clipping?


Thurston9
 Share

Recommended Posts

I was playing last night through headphones and I'm pretty sure something was clipping.  Unless the distortion or amp models I used just sounded like it, but it definitely didn't sound "good".

 

Where might I be clipping and how to figure out exactly where and how to fix it?

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Without more details, the only answer anyone could give you is "just about anywhere". Are you monitoring straight from Helix? Through a DAW with an external interface? Are you using good cans that are up to the task or crappy $10 ear buds? What FX are in the chain? etc etc...

 

Or you might not be clipping at all. Headphones can bring out lots of unpleasant high-end fizz that could be mistaken for clipping, when all you might need is a little EQ.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I'm getting the same issue.  Not sure what the problem is.  I'm using Shure SRH840's.

I never had a problem using my headphones with my HD500 bean.  Signal always sounded great.

 

With my Helix, while the signal sounds great out of my L2t or my amp or my JBL LSR305's, it's impossible to listen to in my headphones.  All crackly and clipping sounding.  I haven't tried in a while, I'll look again tonight as I'm getting better at getting around in the Helix.

 

I haven't filed a ticket yet because it could well be a setting I haven't figured out yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahh, that makes sense.. though, why didn't the HD500 overdrive them?

Be that as it may, the impedance of the 840's is 44 ohms.  Seems relatively low to me, is there something I can do to not overdrive them... Or is that just turn down the volume knob?  But what if that is too quiet?  I'll check when I get home.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a silly thing to check.  I just bought a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 Studio 80 ohm headsets.  The first time I plugged them in I was getting some significant clipping even though they weren't very loud.  I checked my plug and it appears I didn't get the plug seated all the way in.  It felt like I had but it still has a little bit to go.  Once I did that they sounded perfect.  Just something you should check.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One problem with driving headphones right out of the Helix is the lack of metering, although I've had no problems with my studio Sennheisers clipping.  If you have a lot of gain in certain blocks on a given preset, the signal can get pretty darned loud and could possibly overdrive your headphones. Is the clipping coming from all your presets, or only really loud ones?

 

For critical tweaking (for recording purposes) with headphones or studio monitors, I send my Helix XLR output into my Apogee Duet interface, and drive my headphones from the Duet. That way I can monitor the input levels (Helix output), and the headphone output levels on the Apogee meters so I'm assured there is no clipping, and I get plenty of signal into my headphones. Any distortion I'm hearing is hopefully intentional, and coming from my Helix blocks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I often hate the sound out of the cans and I use high end Byerdynamics. You can easily clip them especially cleaner stuff or if you have powerful pickups. I get the best sound from a secondary source for my headphone feed. Sort of buffers it down instead of right out of the unit. I use a small Mackie mixer on my rigs which serves to convert my other chains from unbalanced to balanced for my FRFR rig. Running my cans off that helps a lot plus I use BBE units and that allows me to hear the BBE processor in line. I use multiple chains on my guitar not just the one XLR stereo on the Helix. Anyway, have the same thing with headphones, I have had many units and never really like the sound in cans on anything save maybe my GR-55 guitar synth. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...

I can verify that certain effects, depending on where they are in the chain and how much volume is hitting them internally, will clip. The Bubble Vibrato is a good example. Try placing it after an amp+cab block with some decent level coming out and you'll hear it clip. It's not pleasing distortion; it's the ugly digital clipping. It gets a little better if you crank up the headroom on the effect, but I've just settled for the fact that this effect only works if put before the amps. FWIW, lots of modulation effects, specifically chorus-types tend to run into this issue. It'd be worth Line 6 taking a look and determining what's causing it.

 

Turn the chorus effect on = clipping. Turn the chorus effect off = no clipping.

 

I have Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro headphones and UE in-ear monitors and whether I run them direct from the Helix or plugged into my Focusrite Clarette 8Pre I can hear the clipping. I can also hear it clip on my JBL4328P monitors. The issue is not the source you're listening on, the clipping is happening prior to the output.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, andymccraw said:

I can verify that certain effects, depending on where they are in the chain and how much volume is hitting them internally, will clip. The Bubble Vibrato is a good example. Try placing it after an amp+cab block with some decent level coming out and you'll hear it clip. It's not pleasing distortion; it's the ugly digital clipping. It gets a little better if you crank up the headroom on the effect, but I've just settled for the fact that this effect only works if put before the amps. FWIW, lots of modulation effects, specifically chorus-types tend to run into this issue. It'd be worth Line 6 taking a look and determining what's causing it.

 

Turn the chorus effect on = clipping. Turn the chorus effect off = no clipping.

 

I have Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro headphones and UE in-ear monitors and whether I run them direct from the Helix or plugged into my Focusrite Clarette 8Pre I can hear the clipping. I can also hear it clip on my JBL4328P monitors. The issue is not the source you're listening on, the clipping is happening prior to the output.


Well, it’s not really digital clipping. It’s more like an overload. The only block that you can really induce digital clipping in is the Vintage Digital Delay, and that’s only if you have the Bit Depth parameter set lower than 16 bits. For everything else, the signal path is always at 32-but floating point, so it’s virtually impossible to induce real clipping at that point.

 

One thing I’d make sure is that your preset level isn’t too hot. It is possible to clip the output converters, so it’s possible that you could be close and then a block pushes it over the edge. With the Bubble Vibrato, I’d suggest lowering the input going into the block. You can always lower the Channel Volume parameter in the amp block, for instance. Then compensate somewhere else down the line if you need more level.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...