Dynatube background noise

Jonathan T · Post by **Jonathan T** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:52 am

Hi

I've got some good results form Dynatube but I get a lot of background noise especially with overdriven sounds - is this a common problem or specific to my setup/settings I wonder? Of course any real valve amp will produce a fair bit of self noise but this seems much higher than that. Any tips on minimising it (apart from gating)?

My signal chain is Strat Guitar/BSS DI box/Symetrix mic preamp/Luna input/Dynatube/STM2448

Thanks

Jonathan

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:32 am

I am pretty sure the bg-noise is a testament to the great modelling.

If it's noise picked up in your guitar you might try to eliminate.

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:36 am

A gate -if usefull, with faster attack settings with EQ set to typical freq. of the musical material- would be most adequate. Overdriving or compressing any analog input or recording always boosts noise levels as well as the "musical material". The usefull audio would then, after being boosted, be attenuated (in case of compression) or kinda warmed/folded (in case of overdrive/disto), while noise or lower levels of sound would just be boosted.

This is inherent to this type of processing, we're lucky in Scope to be able to easily compensate for this side-effect

H-Rave · Post by **H-Rave** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:23 pm

Try it with humbucking pickups instead of single coil strat pickups,they're clearer but make more noise.

Post by **garyb** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:38 pm

unfortunately gain amplifies the signal you want as well as any noise in the chain. real distortion pedals and amps have the same problem. guitar amps are noisy.

spacef · Post by **spacef** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 3:34 pm

i would say that most strats are noisy.
it's just much more obvious with software amps than solid ones (matter of frequency range probably).

I remember that Eric (from DAS , yes) had a tip to modify the internal circuit and minimize the noise (i don't have this tip anymore myself, there were pictures, not on a strat though - but a jazz one (2 mics, not 3).

good luck

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: spacef on 2006-09-27 16:40 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: spacef on 2006-09-27 23:45 ]</font>

Jonathan T · Post by **Jonathan T** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:18 am

Thanks for the replies. I'll experiment with a humbucking guitar but, of course, I like the sound of my Strat. It certainly does pick up any stray noise - I have to switch off my CRT monitors when recording for example.

I suppose Dynatube in overdrive is an accurate model of a noisy amp!

I don't seem to get nearly as much self noise from a Line 6 Pod or Celmo's plugins though.

Jonathan

spacef · Post by **spacef** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:42 am

if you have a crt monitor, then there is a position in which noise is cancelled... of course, it is quite difficult to play that way because the range of cancellation is just a few degrees (approximately guitar= perpendicular to crt monitor, with only a very few degrees of liberty). you might want to try that for fun, as i'm not sure it is manageable, unless you get a stand to put the gyuitar on, so the guitar doesn't move..

H-Rave · Post by **H-Rave** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:35 pm

You could of course go for a dimarzio hs3 humbucking pickup in single coil format brilliant pickups, but maybe that's going a bit far.

pollux · Post by **pollux** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:05 pm

I found that the JM (marshall) is way nosier than the other three amps in dynatube... just like good old real marshalls are noisy too

You can also try to insert a noise gate before the amp.

valis · Post by **valis** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 11:40 pm

On 2006-09-28 01:18, Jonathan T wrote:
Thanks for the replies. I'll experiment with a humbucking guitar but, of course, I like the sound of my Strat. It certainly does pick up any stray noise - I have to switch off my CRT monitors when recording for example.

I suppose Dynatube in overdrive is an accurate model of a noisy amp!

I don't seem to get nearly as much self noise from a Line 6 Pod or Celmo's plugins though.

Jonathan

Just to be clear, there isn't "self-noise" for these devices. They're in the digital realm. However the 'noise' you're picking up from your guitar rig might very well be weighted heavily in an audio band that is accentuated by a given amp 'model' (that freq. spectrum is given favor in the tonal shaping and/or gain/saturation/distortion model).

Post by **garyb** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 2:07 am

exactly.

H-Rave · Post by **H-Rave** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 2:29 am

That's the problem I suppose they're so bloody accurately modelled that you don't know if it's the guitar or the amp which is at fault.If they could only model a soldering iron to change all the capacitors going to earth.

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 6:15 am

Dynatube has some self-noise as it's modelled that way, regardless of connecting the device to anything.

kyunghwee · Post by **kyunghwee** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:27 pm

I just gate it out in Dynatube's Pre Insert location...the very same process I have to do when I use my 'real world' guitar amp (sort of like putting noise gate in the loop to block any unwanted noise from bleeding into the effects mix).

I find this set-up to be a lot more flexible since that 'noisy amp sound' is often times desired musically to bring out more 'raw authentic' feel.
Of course, the Dynatube lets you gate'em out too if necessary with gate inserts.
I say 'best of both worlds!'

And I love that dirty Strat sound, hehehe!

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 11:03 pm

Some times an expander works even better.

pollux · Post by **pollux** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 1:36 pm

kyunghwee wrote: And I love that dirty Strat sound, hehehe!

You should try them with a Les Paul

paulrmartin · Post by **paulrmartin** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 12:48 pm

This may be a bit of a late reply, but I believe the Symetrix mic preamp is adding to the noise level and not necessarily helping the tone of your instrument. Did you try cutting it out of the chain?

bill3107 · Post by **bill3107** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:15 am

exactly what i aws thinking of... A DI + a preamp seems too much? Dynatube sounds really great but it takes time to find the good settings VINCODT + Dynatube amp...

Jo

pollux · Post by **pollux** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:38 am

bill3107 wrote:exactly what i aws thinking of... A DI + a preamp seems too much? Dynatube sounds really great but it takes time to find the good settings VINCODT + Dynatube amp...

Jo

Personally, I only use a preamp (a behringer mic 200 with a tube to warm up the sound a bit).. no DI.

Another setup i'm starting to use is the DI output of my amp head, but I use no preamp in the middle