Digital clippings mand distortions

[Morbido]

Hi there folks! I have been a pod hd bean owner for two years now and I have yet to find my perfect tone due to how easy my unit distorts. When I first bought it I noticed that a lot of people were using different eq modules after the amp block and after the mixer. I Can't do this becaus it will distort in a really ugly way. So I created a lot of my own patches and have been creating some really good sounding tones. But lately I have been watching a lot of people's tutorial vids and if I build my patches the way they do I turn up with wierd sounding tones. I am using a baritone guitar with bare knuckles aftermath and the clean patches sound really clean and clear but if I choose the treadplate amp with no other effect and turn the gain down to zero I get some ugly digital breakup distortion :( and every time I put a eq behind the mixer I get distortion. Before the mixer and before the amp is ok, but not after. No matter how low the volume or gain the amp has. Do I have a bad unit? I did order another unit that is in the mail now (the bean is on sale so I figured I have to try) so that I can compare them two. Any one out there that has had the same problem with their pod hd?

Cheers!!

[duncann]

I have a pod hd500 and experimented a while back with EQs after the mixer. This did indeed get some ugly digital clipping that I could almost dial out by adjusting each FX block (including amps and mixer) that had any sort of volume control. I've heard the term unity gain before, so I suspect that was what I was trying to achieve. So you might try that if you haven't already. But I could never quite get rid of the clipping entirely so I just abandoned the idea of putting any EQs post mixer. Although, if I remember right, the studio eq might not have this problem, but also might not be quite the EQ you're looking for.

 

I also have an hd500x, but never tried with EQs after the mixer.

[Morbido]

Thanks for your reply:)

If you have the time I would really appreciate if you could just put an eq like the vintage pre eq after a higain amp to se if the your new pod gets distorted :)

[joel_brown]

I assume you have Input2 set to Mic and not the same as Input1 ?

[Morbido]

I assume you have Input2 set to Mic and not the same as Input1 ?

Yes, the input 2 is set to mic. This is a strange feature thou. That the standard setting is set to "same" and acts as a boost with some kind of phase issue.

[Morbido]

yes, the vintage pre eq distorts very easily after the mixer..

 

you could try instead the MID FOCUS EQ which doesn't have any problem in all possible positions.. and it works very good..

 

basically it has 2 filters and an output gain control:

 

- with the low pass filter you can cut the high end (at 100% it doesn't do anything)..

- and with high pass filter you can cut the bottom end (at 0% it doesn't do anything)..

 

the 2 Q parameters regulate the stepping curve of each of the above filters (the default 50% is a good starting point)..

 

the above MF EQ works very good to tame both the fizzy and boomy parts generated/leaking from the modeled cab/mics..

 

----------------------------

 

if you want, you could try also to use the single input approach to get a more clear and definited sound

The mid focus eq is no good to put after the amp. It is a too aggressive mid filter eq that only works in the signal chain before the amp. Especially when creating high gain tones. My pick ups is medium output so the gain comming from them isn't really even enough to push the amp without the tubescreamer or a compressor. So all the distortion issues must be from within the pod hd.

[Morbido]

based on your first post, you were trying to use the Vintage Pre Eq placed after the amp, and I imagine that the included high and low pass filters were the controls you needed the most, but the problem was that the above FX placed after the amp/mixer tend to distort too easily..

well, the Mid Focus Eq doesn't distort so easily, has the same 2 filters with the same frequency range escursions, in this case the values are expressed in percentages, but in addition it has also the Q parameters.. so its high and low pass filters have more options compared the ones found into the Vintage Pre Eq..

surely the MF EQ default setting are not good at all if the FX is placed after the amp model..

but this Eq FX is very effective and IMO it's worth exploring it in more depth..

once placed after the amp, a good starting point would be to set the MF EQ as transparent as possible, which means setting HP FREQ at 0%, LP FREQ at 100% and GAIN at 0%..

then you can gradually turn down the LP FREQ until the nasty high end fizz disappears, if doing so you have the impression that the sound become a bit dull and with less attack and presence you can turn up a little the LP Q parameter (eg from the default 50% to 55%) to compensate..

in case of excessive boominess you can use instead the HP FREQ and gradually turn up its value until you like the results.. etc.. etc..

personally I really like the results I get with this MF EQ after the amp..

but YMMV

Thanks for your tips and your reply:)

All the eq distorts after the mixer expect maybe the MF eq. Why I choose to write about the vintage eq was that I saw a vid of a guy creating a djent tone with this eq after the mixer. And it didn't distort in that vid. So when I tried it distorted terrible. Even when I lowered the gain and output on the eq :( I will try some more and but in a lot of the vids on youtube the tones sound amazing no matter what effect they use and where they put it. And for me that is not the case.

[Morbido]

if the Vintage Pre distorts in a bad way it doesn't depend on its own gain and output settings, but instead on the signal level entering into the FX, therefore in your case you should check the mixer faders settings and the amp output volume value..

 

that said, I still believe that the Mid Focus Eq would be a more effective solution

But behind the amp and before the mixer the different eq doesn't distort. So the level is the same as after the mixer. That's what strikes me as wierd.

[Smashcraaft]

Hey Morbido. Did you found any solution to your problem in the meantime?

 

Are you sure your problem is based on clippings or could they depend on fizzy highs too? What happens if you cut the highs by using the Global EQ at a value between 3000-4000 kHz? Does the clippings disappear?

 

I'm using an aktiv EMG81 with very a high output and got some nasty tone too when I try to boost my high gain to lead.

Maybe I do have to lower my overall loudness by channel-volume but I'm not quite sure which volume types can cause digital clippings and which are on the safe side.

 

Maybe I'll give it a try to place the Mixer and its volume to the end of the chain.

[AlexKenivel]

What are your input impedance settings? What are you using to amplify your sound?

 

As for post EQ, the Parametric EQ is what I use. The Mid Focus is good too, but the PEQ is very transparent at its default settings. Like the MF, the PEQ tames highs, lows, but has a bonus frequency sweep and level.

 

And just for fun I thought I'd share my current high gain djenty settings. I'm on a 7 in drop A with DiMarzio Ionizers, inputs at Auto/Guitar/Mic, a screamer cutting bass and shaping tone before the 5150 with gain at 45%, low bass, resonance, presence and treble settings, mids at about 70%, into the Treadplate Cab with the 57on and the PEQs Highs set to 35%.

[Smashcraaft]

What are your input impedance settings? What are you using to amplify your sound?

Impedance is on "auto" but I´m unsure about the 1. FX in line (device is at home). Most times I use a noise-gate followed by a PEQ.

Do you have any hints for recognising a digital clipping vs. unwanted frequencies in the highs?

 

I will test your HG-settings when I´m able to do so.

[AlexKenivel]

Do you have any hints for recognising a digital clipping vs. unwanted frequencies in the highs?

Well, digital clipping sounds much more nasty than fizzy highs. Also, I plug my pod into my M-Audio Fast Track Pro interface, which has a small meter that tells me when I'm clipping. I use the headphone out from my interface (because the headphone output on my pod doesn't work properly) to initially make a patch (usually in the middle of the night) and further edit later through my Alto TS112a at loud volumes.

I will test your HG-settings when I´m able to do so.

And I'll post more details about my chain when I can

 

Edit: Here goes

[spaceatl]

This is just a guess....Have you tried turning the Master DEP control down to around 5-10%....I am wondering if you are hearing crossover distortion...They modeled this pretty decently and it can be pretty nasty sounding...Also, turn the RES down to zero in the cab DEPs can get rid of some additional nasty fizz...The Master DEP and the RES cab DEP are the main two that are most often defaulted with too high a value and can add some real nastiness to the tone. Maybe the increased energy of a baritone is contributing a little to this...

[Smashcraaft]

I will give it a try this evening at rehersal and get back to you. Thank you!

[Smashcraaft]

I have got rid of the fizz this evening :) The solution was a reduction of the Master DEP and RES in combination with increasing the BIAS to values over 50. And take care of PRESENCE on the amp! This can cause some nasty and unwanted frequencies too.

 

It took some tweaking on the amp-EQ to dial back in the wanted tone but now the fizz is no longer recognizable.

 

Thank you all very much for your support on this!