HX Stomp as Interface

[ericvoorhees1]

@datacommando

 

Thank you for the response! I accidentally deleted the original post. I apologize!

 

However, I still don't think I'm explaining myself very well. I'm new! haha. Anyway, I certainly know how to hook up the Stomp as an interface and I've been using it. I'm just not getting any type of variety in my levels, and they are extremely low. I will try to screen shot my situation here. The first screen shot image here shows me playing through the Helix Native to Garage Band using my PreSonus interface. The wave is noticeable and you have peaks and valleys. The second screen shot is my issue. This displays when I record through the HX Stomp into Garage Band. The levels are all the same and they are extremely low. I have had no luck in getting the levels any different than what you see here. The master volume on the Stomp box affects it none, and neither do any types of settings that I've messed with in Garage Band or the Global Settings on the Stomp. 

 

I hope this better explains the issue I'm having. Am I doing something wrong? Do I have a bum Stomp? Again, any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all!

[datacommando]

22 hours ago, ericvoorhees1 said:

I hope this better explains the issue I'm having. Am I doing something wrong? Do I have a bum Stomp? Again, any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Eric,

 

When you encounter this sort of thing when using different interfaces, and the levels are completely different between one and the other, then the problem is usually with the interface setting. I’m  going to guess that what you are experiencing is purely to do with “gain staging”.

 

I’m not sure what model your PreSonus interface is, but if I recall correctly they work at +10dBu.

 

Rather than type all the options available I will point you to a similar discussion that was addressed by “rd2rk”, a regular contributor to the Helix forum.

The important bit of the SOS article is in the section headed “Setting Initial Levels”

Hope this helps/makes sense.

 

[ericvoorhees1]

Thanks for the help! I'm still not being successful in this little issue. I have played with virtually every setting that I can find and regardless of how high or low I have the volumes on the output of the HX Stomp, the levels still record the exact same as show in the picture above. There is no difference ever in how hard I attack the string, how high/low I have the volume knob on the actual Stomp box, or how high/low the levels are in the garage band prefences............it still looks exactly like the 2nd picture above when I record. 

 

Is the volume knob on the actual HX Stomp box supposed to help anything? For instance, on my PreSonus, input 1 has a volume knob on the interface and I can turn levels up/down from there. Is there a reason why the Stomp isn't allowing me to do that? Maybe that's the problem....

 

Again, any and all help is appreciated. Thanks!

[datacommando]

5 hours ago, ericvoorhees1 said:

Is the volume knob on the actual HX Stomp box supposed to help anything?

Yes, if you take the audio out from your HX Stomp to the instrument input on your PreSonus, and the HX volume knob is set at the maximum, then that will be “unity gain”. 
 

I guess that you are actually sending the audio from the HX into GarageBand via USB, which is unaffected by the volume knob. If that is represented by the second screen shot, then you getting a usable recorded signal level into the DAW. As long as that recording level is not noisy then it should be adequate. The size of the waveform might not be actually relevant. If you can hear it and it is not distorting, it should be O.K. It looks as if maybe your PreSonus is presenting a hotter sIgnal. There are ways to add gain to your Stomp recorded tracks after you have captured them in GarageBand and running them through Native. Are you sure that none of the channel strip effects are modifying your input, the compressor can squeeze your signal.

 

Hope this helps/makes sense.