axe i/o bad signal?

[mdfk79]

Hey guys,

I just got an AXE I/O, set it all up, running it through Ableton live 10 with asio4all, no matter what I do the sound is always really harsh and distorted, i've tried a Schecter omen 7 and an Ibanez sr305e bass, the harsh clipped buzzing type sound is like a really bad distortion pedal, and that's before adding any effects, should just be a clean guitar tone, any idea what the problem might be?

[dlgebert]

with asio4all, no matter what I do the sound is always really harsh and distorted,

The AXE I/O is a class compliant device and doesn't require asio4al! or other external drivers. I have an iMac, so I double-checked and found this quote from Peter from IKM about AXE I/O and Windows:

We're also happy to deliver AXE I/O with its own Windows drivers. No more ASIO4ALL or similar!

https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=518336&start=30

Here's the official FAQ for AXE I/O:

https://www.ikmultimedia.com/faq/index.php?category=13&topic=axe-io

Dave

[mdfk79]

Thanks for the reply, will try it tomorrow!

[mdfk79]

Nope, still as bad, uninstalled asio4all, used mme/directx and its just as bad, it's like a clipped buzzing distortion, used a bass as it was easier to set up, this is my second interface and will probably keep it but now have 2 that are pretty much useless for their intended purpose, been creating stuff in daw for years and have a few guitars and basses, thought i'd give it a go again and nope.

[Peter_IK]

Nope, still as bad, uninstalled asio4all, used mme/directx and its just as bad, it's like a clipped buzzing distortion, used a bass as it was easier to set up, this is my second interface and will probably keep it but now have 2 that are pretty much useless for their intended purpose, been creating stuff in daw for years and have a few guitars and basses, thought i'd give it a go again and nope.

Our driver is not MME/DirectX it is an official ASIO driver. You should make sure you install the AXE I/O drivers & control panel from your IK User Area and use those drivers. I use AXE I/O on Windows 10 and it is amazing. Even outside my bias as an IK employee, I have been recording for decades and this is hands down the best way to get guitar/bass signal into a computer that I've ever used and I've used a ton of interfaces. The preamps are really great too for other recorded instruments/vocals and I do like the control options but as a guitarist I really get "that feeling" when I plug my guitar in and GO.

[mdfk79]

Thanks for replying again, will try downloading the driver, wish I could find an audio interface that I could just plug in and go lol This is my second attempt with one and have nothing but problems.

[mdfk79]

Just looked on the site, says no drivers download for your product, and I remember trying the firmware earlier and it said it was up to date.

[Peter_IK]

Firmware and drivers are different things. You don't need drivers for Mac but Mac users should still install the Control Panel. For Windows the drivers are included in the Control Panel software download in your IK User Area under My Products.

[dlgebert]

We're also happy to deliver AXE I/O with its own Windows drivers. No more ASIO4ALL or similar!

Peter, sorry I misunderstood when you said "with its own Windows drivers" to mean class compliant like on a Mac.

I have the Control Panel installed on my iMac and I use it all the time. AXE I/O has changed my sound immensely because with the super low latency it works flawlessly with T-RackS 5 and Amplitube 4.

Dave

[mdfk79]

The harsh clipping has gone, but it still sounds like crap and is only coming through the left of my headphones. the info in the control panel is

App: 1.1.0 9D01
Firmware: 1.04
Driver: 4.58.0

[Peter_IK]

Sounds like there is something else going on. I'd recommend working directly with the experts in IK's tech support staff at http://www.ikmultimedia.com/contact-support so they can troubleshoot directly with you and get this resolved.

[dlgebert]

is only coming through the left of my headphones.

You're getting there, a couple more things to check out...

In the Control Panel application, under the [Configuration] section, what is [Direct Monitoring] set to? To hear on both sides of your headphones, change the setting to [Mono]. Does that work? This doesn't mean you can only record mono tracks, it just allows you to hear a mono source input, like an electric guitar on both sides of the headphones. Below is from the AXE I/O user manual.

Code: Select all

Direct Monitoring:

Here you can determine how the two input channels are mixed on the Direct monitoring path.
“Mono” means that both channels are mixed to mono. This is the most useful setting when you want to monitor one channel per time as this way the input channel will be monitored on both channels of your monitors or headphones.

“Stereo” mean that channel 1 will be routed to the left side of your monitors or headphones, and channel 2 on
the right side. This is the most useful setting when you need to monitor stereo sources, like stereo microphones,
keyboards, sound modules etc.

sounds like crap

The next thing to check is how the physical [ MONITOR] knob is set. The knob is on the right side the AXE I/O next to the [HEADPHONE] knob. Make sure it is turned all the way to the right, pointing to [DAW]. Whether you are using a DAW or the standalone Amplitube application, it needs to be turned all the way to the right to hear just the signal processed thru the Amplitube standalone application or the plugin inside your DAW. When using a DAW, like Studio One, which I use, you'll need to turn monitoring on to hear the dry signal.

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Setup your DAW

The AXE I/O is compatible with any Windows-based DAW that supports ASIO or any Mac-based DAW that uses
Core Audio. After installing AXE I/O Control Software and connecting the hardware, you can start using your
AXE I/O with the your DAW.

It is possible that your DAW may not automatically select the AXE I/O as its default I/O device. In this case, you
must manually select the AXE IO as the audio hardware on your DAW’s Audio Setup page. Please refer to your
DAW’s documentation (or Help files) if you are unsure where to select the ASIO/Core Audio driver.

Once the AXE I/O is set as the preferred Audio Device in your DAW, all 2 inputs and 5 outputs will appear in your
DAW’s Audio I/O preferences.

Can you try those two things and let us know if you see a difference?

Dave

[mdfk79]

Hello. thanks for the help, I was messing around with it earlier and It just started to work I think? was using a bass but will try it again tomorrow with guitar to see what happens.

[dlgebert]

Cool...

The other thing to watch for is making sure your input signal isn't clipping. I use the meter in the Control Panel application and increase the physical [GAIN] knob until my signal is around -6db when playing aggressively and try not going over that.

Dave

[mdfk79]

Just tried it with a guitar, seems to be working ok now, might have had something to do with a bad cable? that's the only physical change I made I haven't played guitar for years, glad it's working as I gave up for a while after my last audio interface didn't seem to work, just need to learn recording guitar now lol another rabbit hole to go down,

thanks again,

Martin.