Noise

[CandyAppleHead]

Hi

Can anyone help me with an issue about background hiss from Amplitube 5? No matter what I do I can't seem to eliminate it. I'm running ASIO4ALL drivers and have a Roland VS-100 interface for input and output. The problem isn't pickup hum as the hiss is there even without a guitar plugged in, and I can use a noise gate to kill noise but the hiss is audible over the guitar signal (and is more noticeable when a distortion is engaged). Input and output levels are at 0dB.

Any advice on settings etc would be welcome.

[garfy]

Hello CandyAppleHead

I'm not familiar with that interface, but it does appear that Roland have their own set of drivers and I would suggest that might be the first place to start, rather than ASIO4ALL. I suspect it won't make a huge amount of difference, but probably worth a shot during fault finding. Also, make sure you have the Hi-Z button switched in on your guitar input channel so the interface is dealing with the correct impedance from the guitar.

The other thing is, looking at an image of the device, it seems to have some kind of on-board compression and EQ that can be switched on for the input channels. If that is switched on and the compressor is set particularly heavily this will probably increase the noise floor and therefore hiss. Alternatively, if the hi EQ band is boosting then this will increase hiss as well.

Let us know how you get on.

[CandyAppleHead]

Hi Garfy

Thanks for the reply. I've switched between ASIO4ALL and the generic ASIO drivers but it makes no difference. Also toggled the Hi-Z switch which makes only slight difference. Even with the input gain set to 0 on the Roland there is still hiss. The comp/EQ is set to off. I'm sure it's something within AT5 as I also use the interface as an out for the PC generally for Spotify/YT etc with no problems and if I play guitar through real hi-gain pedals in front there's no hiss.

[garfy]

When you are in AT5 does the noise register on the input meters in the bottom left-hand corner? Does the noise happen with specific presets or all of them?

When you say that

Input and output levels are at 0dB.

what gain have you got set on the interface?

Have you tried opening AT5 without the interface selected, just to take that out of the fault finding process?

[CandyAppleHead]

When you are in AT5 does the noise register on the input meters in the bottom left-hand corner? Does the noise happen with specific presets or all of them?

It registers on the output meter but not the input meter.

When you say that

Input and output levels are at 0dB.

what gain have you got set on the interface?

I have the gain set at 12 o'clock i.e. 50%. But even at zero the hiss is still present at the same level.

Have you tried opening AT5 without the interface selected, just to take that out of the fault finding process?

With the interface not selected, obviously there's no output so I can't hear anything but the noise still registers in the output meter as above.

[garfy]

With the interface not selected, obviously there's no output so I can't hear anything but the noise still registers in the output meter as above.

It registers on the output meter but not the input meter.

So this is possibly down to the noise being generated by AT5 that simulates the noise of the real amp/cab. As a solid test, try these two presets from the AmpliTube 5CS preset folder. I've checked these without a guitar plugged in.

Bad Rock - you should hear hiss and it will show on the output meters.
Route 66 - this should be clear and nothing will show on the output meter.

Let us know if this matches in your setup.

[CandyAppleHead]

Thanks Garfy

Yes, those two presets behave exactly as you describe.

I guess that means there's nothing wrong with my setup then, that's the way it's supposed to be. Seems a bit daft though. I'm all for authenticity but I would have taken the opportunity to not have noise especially if a lot of the time AT5 is going to be used for recording!

I do appreciate your help and patience Garfy, thanks very much indeed.

[garfy]

No problem CandyAppleHead (Hüsker Dü fan?) happy to help.

[DarkStar]

At the risk of stirring up a hornets' nest (pun intended):
Can you let us know an AT5 preset (a factory preset or one that you have saved) that clearly demonstrates the noise problem? And upload a recording with the noise in it?

Other users can then try out the preset and report back their own results.

--------------------------
The neighbours were flying a drone over the week-end. Until I spotted it, the noise was like an angry swarm of attack wasps

[livesforrap]

Forgive my pea brain, but wouldn't a noise gate on the front help with this? There used to be one built in but I think now you have to select one from the stomps.

[garfy]

I'm not sure there is a problem.

A noise gate would clean up the guitar input, but we've ascertained that it's got nothing to do with the OPs input device. Inherent in the AT5 amp sim is simulated noise of an overdriven amp that is there even without a guitar plugged in, just like a real amp. In some of the cleaner amps there is little to no noise.

[livesforrap]

Oh, sorry, I must have skimmed too much.

[CandyAppleHead]

Forgive my pea brain, but wouldn't a noise gate on the front help with this? There used to be one built in but I think now you have to select one from the stomps.

A gate does eliminate the noise but only when not playing a note. The noise is audible over a sustained note.