Help, please: THRii and Cubase

[Rob MacKillop]

Technophobe here...

I managed to download the Mac driver and installed CubaseLE.

I managed to connect the amp to my iMac.

I even managed to set up Cubase to recognise the amp.

I recorded a 10-seconds test.

It plays back...amazing...but I had to turn my output volume all the way to the max to hear anything.

So...

How do I adjust the input volume to be 'just right' for normal playback volume?



The next project will be to also record the iRealPro backing at the same time. I've managed to connect it to the amp's speakers via Bluetooth. Does it require a separate Input in Cubase, or will guitar and backing just record in the same track as guitar solo? I guess I'll find out.

Thanks in advance,

Rob

[Rob MacKillop]

Did a second test, this time with the iRealPro app as well as the guitar...only got the guitar on playback.
Hmm.

[kris]

I don't have THRII or Cubase.
But recording is probably similar to other DAWs.
ThrII is an amp and audio interface.
It is necessary to adjust the input signal in the interface.
If you have already recorded a track and it is too quiet, you can apply normalization - this will automatically increase the volume of the recording.
I record backing on one track first and guitar on the second track.
If I want to record everything at once, then a stereo track will be recorded.
I then have to connect the source to the backing track like a guitar.
Maybe this help.

[Rob MacKillop]

Maybe it will. Thanks, Kris.

[Bop Head]

Level the amp master volume so you do not get clipping (level must not go into red) in Cubase's input peak metering when you play louder notes or chords.

EDIT: Normalizing is not the best solution. Setting healthy input levels is better.

[Rob MacKillop]

Tried that, but it blew my ears off!

[Bop Head]

Tried that, but it blew my ears off!

As far as I can see in the manual there are two potis for playback on the right. Does the poti called "guitar" influence the recording level? It might be only for the output to speakers or headphones. Also you could try to mute the playback of the input channel in Cubase while recording. (It's been longtime since I used Cubase.)

[Rob MacKillop]

It might, but I’m away from my computer now for a few hours. Will check later.

I don’t have a manual…didn’t come with the free software when you buy the amp.

[Bop Head]

It might, but I’m away from my computer now for a few hours. Will check later.

I don’t have a manual…didn’t come with the free software when you buy the amp.

This is the manual for the device. According to the signal flow diagram on p. 18 the GUITAR knob levels only the output to speakers/headphones, so you should turn that down to sane speaker/phones level.

[Bop Head]

Manuals for Cubase AI and Cubase LE.

[Bop Head]

Did a second test, this time with the iRealPro app as well as the guitar...only got the guitar on playback.
Hmm.

Export IReal playback to audio (best use WAV), import that audio track into Cubase. Playback level for that track is the AUDIO knob on the device.

[Jazzjourney4Eva]

I need to hook my Cubase back up as I am rusty. I remember setting the volume on my Scarlett amp or preamp to a certain level (using a mic) and my guitar/amp to a certain level.

other tracks were brought in to play along to etc. once I had my “mix” the way I wanted it, it needed to be mastered.

one way was to export and send it to an online mixer dude (there were many), for about $75 bucks a song. Then I discovered that uploading to SoundCloud (free) had an option to “master with one click”, but was also configurable (although I didn’t understand what it was doing). Anyway, that made it much louder for playback and didn’t cost $75. Amazing. Might want to check that out.

[Rob MacKillop]

Thanks for all the comments. Now I have the manual (thanks, Bop Head) I'm good to go.

Worst-case scenario is not a bad one: I put my Rode NT4 mic in front of the amp. I've done that before, and it doesn't sound bad at all.

[Bop Head]

Thanks for all the comments. Now I have the manual (thanks, Bop Head) I'm good to go.

Worst-case scenario is not a bad one: I put my Rode NT4 mic in front of the amp. I've done that before, and it doesn't sound bad at all.

Welcome Rob.

I just hope "in front of the amp" does not mean close-miking like with a Shure SM57 but room miking ... (Although in those18 years working at concerts in another life as a lighting technician and as a stagehand on and off I have seen close-miking with condenser mics as well or in combination with a dynamic mic -- mostly ShureSM57, sometimes Sennheiser MD421, MD441 or MD409 -- in thoses cases where bands carried their own mics. I think e.g. Metallica used Alesis condensers IIRC, but not all condensers are suited for close-miking.)

[Rob MacKillop]

I usually place my mic either 18 inches from the unplugged guitar for acoustic playing, or as much from the amp+guitar combination, or in the middle of the room for just amp. But I only play in my small teaching room these days.

[xavi1239]

I remember scratching my head over the same thing. On my setup, I bumped up the input gain—there's usually a slider or a knob in the software for that. Just keep an eye on the meter: green is good, yellow is caution, and red means you've gone too far.


For your backing track, yeah, you'll want a new track. I learned the hard way when I tried to mix both on the same track and ended up with a mess. Separate tracks mean you can adjust each one without affecting the other.


And hey, when all this tech stuff got overwhelming for me, I stumbled on FAQ Audio - Friendly, helpful community to learn about making music. by chance. It's got these easy-to-digest guides that explain things without all the jargon. Helped me figure out a bunch of recording issues without feeling lost.