2 quick questions
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Hi - new to Bias. I have Amp and FX. I love the tone. Two quick questions:
- I use 96Khz sample rate as I was told this gives the best latency. True?
- Does PG have a recommended procedure for setting input level to get the proper tones from the amp models?
Thanks for any info.
PS: In FX I find that the input meter is choppy, bounces around. You can't really get an active reading. On Mac OS 11
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Technically, higher sampling rates can give you lower latency at the same buffer size. In practice, the double rate is likely to cost you more than double in horsepower, even often much more than halving the buffer size.
If latency is your concern, make sure the interface you are using has good drivers. Most don't but even most of the bad ones are way better than they were just a few years ago. I've been trying to catalog round trip latency figures here. http://kailuamusicschool.com/tech/round-trip-latency-roundup/
Once you have gone as far as you can in buffer size, see what doubling the sample rate will get you. Often you'll find that the lowest safe buffer size for 96khz, is more than just double what it would be for 44k, but not always
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@pipelineaudio Thanks for the info! Appreciated
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For any kind of meter taking an analog signal, you want to 'tickle the red' when at max - in this case strumming really hard. Now I have found with any piece of gear or software, and any high gain-ish pickup electric guitar I've used, I keep the input level at stock 50%. The sound is thicker using the above method, but introduces more treble, resulting in fizz (and is not analogous to having your volume and tone pots at max, so rolling those back does not give the same effect), as well as compresses the signal.
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@Tannhauser thanks! so in the FX input meter..aim to be in the middle? I've found if my interface input is tickling the red, the input on Bias is pretty hot.
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In virtual case, you have two tone-effecting/creating input stages: your interface, and your software input. If using within a DAW, the armed channel input meter will show you the amount of signal reaching the software.
Typically I set my interface channel input to about 10.5 o'clock, or 3.5 if full left is 0. Perhaps 4-4.5 for a higher gain pick-up, a little less for a lower gain pickup.
The software input level I tend to leave at center because I want to hear a very clear sound. To me, without changing signal chain component values, the software input level doesn't change the overall tone much, just adds to it. The fullness I like, the added fizz I don't. (Electrical line noise will be amplified as well.)
But try both. Start with 50%, then increase by ticks...or half-ticks. Report back.
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@tannhauser Thanks. At the moment I only use the standalone app. I would like the input into the amp to be that of what it would be with a normal amp. For example, if the input is too high, you're not getting an accurate recreation of the amp are you?
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I went bonkers trying to figure out why in the world iOS interfaces' levels were so goofy, and what exact levels a guitar amp's FX loop would want
http://pipelineaudio.net/2017/10/18/low-output-on-ios-guitar-interfaces/
On the desktop world, in general, most interface manufacturers will (or should, $&^$&$*) tell you what their reference level is. For instance, RME used to be 0vu = -15dBFS = +4dBu. If you can figure out where that 0 is on your interface, I would say that is where your guitar is supposed to be, keeping in mind the difference between peak and RMS readings. After that, I'd adjust it in the software.
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@pipelineaudio : yeah, that sounds like what an engineer would do, because the variables dictate. I've read various bits here and there for audio and unity gain, etc, but haven't a great deal experience. I think I've been going that route of learning. Issue is even the experts (like a certain modeler maker, whom I think is an expert in general) advise the above-mentioned method. (Actually the method I recall being told by the guitar store dude in the 90s with my Rocktron Chameleon, but I didn't get it....and I had bad pick-ups....you know how it is. Yet even in recent years after acquiring another and really learning it and its features, I've stayed at 50% input level.)
And it's something people don't talk about it, share their experience of this crucial element in mine. I think Walliman has talked about basic input levels in a vid, but I'm not sure it was vastly if at all different than that of others.