Hoping someone can help me with this. Even on super-clean amp presets I’m getting some distortion when I start to hit the chords a little hard. The input level doesn’t even get into the top zone. Output levels looks fine. Thinking maybe I was over driving the input with my RC Boost pedal, I plugged straight into the QC with my Strat. Still happens.
The biggest problem with it is that because I have to bring the input down so low to avoid that distortion, even with my 500-watt ASC-10 turned all the way up, the max volume isn’t great.
Have you dropped the “In level” on the swipe down from top menu? The other thing is in the amp block you can drop the gain and make up for volume with boosting output knob in amp block.
Also big volume knob turned 100 percent? That seems to be what is recommended in these forums.
I’ve decided it’s just a shortcoming of the Fender Twin model. I thought all the clean models and captures suffered the same issue, but now I don’t think so.
Plus, when I bypass the amp altogether so that there’s just the cab or even nothing at all, it sounds different. Like, maybe, no distortion!
I guess the Fender Twin model has at least one flaw. Otherwise, I think it sounds pretty great.
Update: The amp model seems fine. The problem is that optimizing the QC’s input level (i.e. setting peaks to just below top-of-scale) is too hot for the model! The peaks must be way lower in order to present a signal to the amp model that it considers to be what a normal guitar would provide. Like 10 or 20 dB lower.
I see it as a design flaw in the QC. We really have no useful reference for setting the input level. The input meter calibration is actually misleading and encourages problems.
I’m surprised this hasn’t been a more prevalent controversy. I can only guess it’s because most users are doing high-gain sounds, which would mask the issue.
Could be your pickups, or how you have the amp set. Actual amps will distort a little if you dig in, depending on the setting + how how the pickups are voiced/their output level + if you’re using the bridge pickup. Also could be string buzz from the action being lower, and when you’re digging in it’s adding that.
Try it per my suggestion with the Fender Twin model. I think you’ll have the same result.
Optimizing input gain according to the input meter creates distortion on what should be a nice, clean sound. This is not how the real amp behaves when plugging in a guitar.
Well, it turns out not to be lowering the gain so much as not turning it up. If you leave the QC input knob set to 0.0, The peaks fall way short of top-of-scale, but, allegedly, that’s unity gain into the signal chain. This is my current understanding.
I have noticed that the Fender Twin model adds unwanted distortion, and have come to the conclusion that it’s just that amp model. It’s a bummer, but there are plenty of other clean amps that are useful.
I don’t have issues with other amp models when I leave the input gain at 0 dB for passive pickups. [I turn input gain down by 2-3 dB for an active-pickup guitar that I play.]
There was talk early on right around release time that perhaps the amps they modeled were just ‘hotter’ specimens than usual. We definitely discussed having to lower input settings to clean them up- I think it was even featured in one of the Stephen Ward deep dive videos.
It was never officially explained why we need to do that, but users have been talking about it since the QC first came out.
Great perspective! Thanks for that. I think I’m finally starting to get an understanding of the lay of the land around this whole QC input level thing.
A new idea! Raise (Up) the input volume level (level in) to tickle red with a strong attack, and then lower the input gain at the beginning of the preset to the same value. maybe it’s nonsense, but I can hear the difference. do not forget that you will have to lower signal in each preset. my clean amp have become real clean. If possible, try this trick and tell me about your result, please.
Yes been playing around with that concept, higher input say 6db and then put a vol pedal at front of change and lower 6db. I actually found lowering 4db was pretty clean. Seems a little fuller and more responsive.
The problem of course is the input is global and not Setlist or Preset settable. So am having to change with different guitars.
Having seen that approach by a few others, I have started trying it out for myself. I can’t make sense of it logically, but maybe there’s something going on. I’d love it if someone could explain why it would react any differently than leaving everything set to zero. So far, nothing to report. But I’ve only just begun…
If you leave the QC input knob set to 0.0, The peaks fall way short of top-of-scale, but, allegedly, that’s unity gain into the signal chain. This is my current understanding.
