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Recorded Guitar Sounds Far Different Live Vs. Playback.


innerimposter
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Hello.

 

     I'm using POD HD Pro with Sonar X2. I'm using the POD HD as my interface via USB.

 

     I have created a rhythm patch that I'm very satisfied with. I created a test track in Sonar and recorded with the patch. I recorded the guitar at around -3db input level. Upon playback the results sounded very different from when I play live. I'm using the same monitors live as I am for playback.  My setup is simple. POD HD into PC via USB and monitors from the POD HD outs. 

 

     Live, the guitar sounds very robust, percussive, and articulate.  On playback through Sonar it sounds very different. Muddy and fizzy. When I turn the Master Volume up on the POD face plate the tone improves and gets closer to the live sound, but becomes too loud in the room. I tried double track which also improved the sound but still wasn't nearly as good as the live sound.I have tried recording mono and stereo tracks.

 

     Is this just me or am I not balancing my inputs or monitors correctly? Is there something in Sonar that I may need to adjust? 

 

Thanks.

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Off the top of my head, your monitor mix also has the acoustic tones of your guitar at quiet listening levels. Your ears are getting both.

 

Do not use the fader or trim to control the track input record level as it really only effects the signal post the input stage.

 

Double check the that the input is indeed averaging -3 db  using the HD output volume with no digital peak overs go into Sonar. You cab right click the X2 metering and choose a more accurate representation then the default. Hopefully it'll be one of these

 

But I really think it is just matching the output volume to the input volume so you don't have to use the HD Master volume which can be done globally in the preference page under devices,recording playback.

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That's quite normal to every amp. Less volume, less saturation.

Also the environment affect your sound: glass, blank walls or carpet an covered walls.

how about atmospheric pressure. do you think that would affect your sound? B)

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Hello.

 

... Upon playback the results sounded very different from when I play live. I'm using the same monitors live as I am for playback.  My setup is simple. POD HD into PC via USB and monitors from the POD HD outs. 

If you're using the same monitor, the sound should be identical. I suspect the settings you have in Sonar need tinkering. What driver are you using? I highly recommend using the ASIO driver in Sonar which will also allow you (if you need to) to monitor effects that you apply in Sonar. Since you have a simple setup I don't want to confuse the issue, but at a minimum, the ASIO driver should be selected in Sonar and from there any minor thing can be worked out. I use the POD HD500 and my live sound is identical to the recorded one using the POD HD ASIO driver.

I highly recommend that at least temporarly setup sonar for sofware monitoring using the POD ASIO driver just for the sake clearing that there are no other issues. Software monitoring means that you won't hear a sound until you activate or arm a track in SOnar. IN the case of software monitoring latency becomes an issue and you need to lower the buffer settings to get low latency. Whatever you record should be exactly what you hear if using the same monitor.

 

Later you can use a different setup (Direct monitoring so latency isn't an issue)

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