JeezyMcNuggles
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- Feb 23, 2018
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- 20,970
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- I suck, but nobody really notices
Yup, that's the wording I meant. Pre-baked eq in the headphone jack of the pedal.
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Scarlett 2i2 and low end tone suck
- Thread starter rtav
- Start date
It is the cabsim. The headphone output of the Scarlet has no problems with 55 ohm headphones. Record with the cabsim enganged, should be the same
- Dec 10, 2008
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- Douglas Castro, Founder: darkglass.com
Hi! Thanks for the heads up. You actually nailed the description.
The reason the cabsim is setup this way is that the 1/4” is mainly intended to go into an amplifier+cab setup while the DI can be sent to the PA with the cabsim.
If you don’t have an XLR you can connect the headphone output to the interface, just make sure to lower the master control on the pedal or the input gain on the interface to avoid any nasty clipping.
I also use a Scarlett 2i2 with a Darkglass Vintage Ultra pedal.
The headphones I use are KRK and so are the monitors. I have never noticed any bass loss from the 2i2. But I do notice that the Darkglass makes the bass much, much warmer and "bigger" sounding than any other EQs I've used - it's a great sounding pedal.
But there must be something up with the signal chain somewhere, because you should still have plenty of low end with a direct connection to the 2i2 while using its headphone jack.
The headphones I use are KRK and so are the monitors. I have never noticed any bass loss from the 2i2. But I do notice that the Darkglass makes the bass much, much warmer and "bigger" sounding than any other EQs I've used - it's a great sounding pedal.
But there must be something up with the signal chain somewhere, because you should still have plenty of low end with a direct connection to the 2i2 while using its headphone jack.
Yep, this setup makes complete sense.
The only thing that could be even better would be to have the choice to engage the cab sim also on the 1/4", via the DG Suite or a dedicated button.
I know I wish this was possible in the past, now I don’t really need it anymore (and I always have the option to use an XLR to 1/4" adapter).
OK - thank you to everyone who contributed and helped me sort out what I"m hearing.
To sum up: The issue seems to be with the headphone output on the 2i2 and is not a "tone suck" of the 2i2.
I took the advice of many (@PJsaure, @dkelley, @Geddy Claypool, etc.) and ran a DI out from my Darkglass into the 2i2 and recorded into Garageband using the "Clean Bass - HiFi DI" configuration, with no eq and no plugins. I made 3 recordings - one with the DI out to the 2i2 and NO cab sim, a second one with the DI out WITH a cab sim, and a third recording going 1/4" out of the Darkglass Vintage Ultra v2 into the 2i2 with no cab sim - same settings on the DAW.
I used my regular bass - a Yamaha RBXJM2 for all the tracks.
The DI out without any cab sim is the closest to what I hear when I plug my headphones directly into the Darkglass unit. It's not perfect but it's close (number 1).
The DI out with cab sim sounds the worst in my opinion - too much woolly fuzziness and lack of clarity (number 2).
The 1/4" out into the 2i2 sounded more like the DI, but didn't have the same fuller tone that the DI without cab sim provided (number 3).
Here are my results:
1) Darkglass Vintage Ultra v2 DI WITHOUT any cab sims into the 2i2 then USB connection into my iMac with Garageband's "Clean Bass - HiFi DI," no additional eq and no plugins:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
2) Darkglass Vintage Ultra v2 DI WITH default cab sim into the 2i2 then Garagband (same settings as above):
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
3) The Darkglass Vintage Ultra v2 quarter inch out WITHOUT cab sims into my 2i2 then Garageband (same settings as above):
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
IMO, the DI out without cab sim sounds best and is closest to the sound I get when I plug my headphones (AKG K240) into the Darkglass headphone out jack. It's not perfect, but it's close.
The 1/4" sounds closest after that, and the DI with cab sim sounds the least like it.
All in all, NONE of my recordings - DI or 1/4", cab sim or not - sounds anything like the headphone with direct monitor on the 2i2 - which is just thin and gutless.
In conclusion, I feel the issue is with the headphone output on the 2i2, and not a problem with the whole system I will be using a DI out thing to the 2i2 from now on.
THANK YOU everyone for your help and great ideas!
Stay loooooowwwwwwww.....
To sum up: The issue seems to be with the headphone output on the 2i2 and is not a "tone suck" of the 2i2.
I took the advice of many (@PJsaure, @dkelley, @Geddy Claypool, etc.) and ran a DI out from my Darkglass into the 2i2 and recorded into Garageband using the "Clean Bass - HiFi DI" configuration, with no eq and no plugins. I made 3 recordings - one with the DI out to the 2i2 and NO cab sim, a second one with the DI out WITH a cab sim, and a third recording going 1/4" out of the Darkglass Vintage Ultra v2 into the 2i2 with no cab sim - same settings on the DAW.
I used my regular bass - a Yamaha RBXJM2 for all the tracks.
The DI out without any cab sim is the closest to what I hear when I plug my headphones directly into the Darkglass unit. It's not perfect but it's close (number 1).
The DI out with cab sim sounds the worst in my opinion - too much woolly fuzziness and lack of clarity (number 2).
The 1/4" out into the 2i2 sounded more like the DI, but didn't have the same fuller tone that the DI without cab sim provided (number 3).
Here are my results:
1) Darkglass Vintage Ultra v2 DI WITHOUT any cab sims into the 2i2 then USB connection into my iMac with Garageband's "Clean Bass - HiFi DI," no additional eq and no plugins:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
2) Darkglass Vintage Ultra v2 DI WITH default cab sim into the 2i2 then Garagband (same settings as above):
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
3) The Darkglass Vintage Ultra v2 quarter inch out WITHOUT cab sims into my 2i2 then Garageband (same settings as above):
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
IMO, the DI out without cab sim sounds best and is closest to the sound I get when I plug my headphones (AKG K240) into the Darkglass headphone out jack. It's not perfect, but it's close.
The 1/4" sounds closest after that, and the DI with cab sim sounds the least like it.
All in all, NONE of my recordings - DI or 1/4", cab sim or not - sounds anything like the headphone with direct monitor on the 2i2 - which is just thin and gutless.
In conclusion, I feel the issue is with the headphone output on the 2i2, and not a problem with the whole system I will be using a DI out thing to the 2i2 from now on.
THANK YOU everyone for your help and great ideas!
Stay loooooowwwwwwww.....
Cool! I'd love to hear it from the DarkGlass headphone output one channel (left or right only) into your scarlet.... Using very simplistic logic, that should be exactly the sound you want.
However there are other variables in play that could adversely affect the recorded sound from the headphone output, so it might not actually sound the same after.
I'm glad the XLR out without cab sim sounds good to you, at least
However there are other variables in play that could adversely affect the recorded sound from the headphone output, so it might not actually sound the same after.
I'm glad the XLR out without cab sim sounds good to you, at least
Great to hear you found some useable tones !
However, I am not sure that the HiFi DI preset is the closest to what is put out by your interface.
I would rather create a "microphone" track (don’t remember how it is called in GarageBand) rather than a "virtual instrument" track, just to be sure the preset doesn’t add its own magic.
This particular one should be close to flat EQ wise, but it could very well add a bit of compression, slight reverb, that kind of things.
Anyway, your findings regarding the headphones output are interesting to me, as I am in the market for a new audio interface. My AKG 701 headphones are 60 ohm, so close to yours, so the Scarlett 2i2 is probably out for me.
This Axe I/O gets more and more interesting... Close to 0 ohm headphone output they say...
However, I am not sure that the HiFi DI preset is the closest to what is put out by your interface.
I would rather create a "microphone" track (don’t remember how it is called in GarageBand) rather than a "virtual instrument" track, just to be sure the preset doesn’t add its own magic.
This particular one should be close to flat EQ wise, but it could very well add a bit of compression, slight reverb, that kind of things.
Anyway, your findings regarding the headphones output are interesting to me, as I am in the market for a new audio interface. My AKG 701 headphones are 60 ohm, so close to yours, so the Scarlett 2i2 is probably out for me.
This Axe I/O gets more and more interesting... Close to 0 ohm headphone output they say...
That’s one of the great things about DG stuff : there are some useable tones even without a cab or cab sim. They can sound great on theirselves.
I found a marked discrepancy with bottom end between plugging a Lakland JO4 directly into one of the pres on an NI Komplete 6 interface vs. going through an external pre and comp. Considerably more low end when I tracked through the ART Pro MPA (with NOS replacement tubes) and a Warm Audio WA76 vs. going direct into the interface. I had to EQ more bottom out when I started going through the external pre and comp because all of a sudden the low end on the bass track was too much. Same headphone amp and monitors and other points of reference for listening to the mixes in both cases, so no other variables at work.
It was kind of funny because the plugin FX chain preset I'd saved when running direct had given (as you'd expect) consistent results in how the bass sat in the mix on the last several songs I had recorded. And all of a sudden the bass was overpowering. Then the light bulb went on - ahhh, I threw two additional devices into the chain and had shaken up the formula.
It was kind of funny because the plugin FX chain preset I'd saved when running direct had given (as you'd expect) consistent results in how the bass sat in the mix on the last several songs I had recorded. And all of a sudden the bass was overpowering. Then the light bulb went on - ahhh, I threw two additional devices into the chain and had shaken up the formula.
