I’m plugging in a Strat with vintage style pickups into the QC. On the input I’m at 0 db. I peak at maybe -25 db on the meter. Is this an acceptable input?
It sounds good to me. If I turn up the gain much it just sounds like clipping
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Turn it up or down depending on the sound you want. I’ve found with my cleaner guitars and sounds they come in pretty low - 20ish to -18db so -25db doesn’t surprise me. My higher gain guitars come in at -12db (this is leaving the input gain at 0db). I’ve found this works great for me - sometimes I want a bit more gain/bite so I’ll drive the input a little more, 3-7db. Sounds very different!
I’ve always treated it like i’m plugging into an amplifier if you use lower gain pickups and want more gain use a boost. I’ve found its easier to boost input than trying to clean up high output pickups for clean tones.
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Yeah, nothing wrong with that. The signal path will naturally bring it up.
Unless you have actual problems, I’d say don’t think about inputs in terms of signal-to-noise. Think about them in terms of sound shaping via the level hitting your pedals and amps.
Deal with SNR at the output stage (the usual max without clipping + headroom)
It’s weird to me too but I just stopped worrying about what the number says and go by ear, I adjust output on the amp block if it’s too quiet. If I use the QC purely as an audio interface to use Neural plugins, the DI waveform recorded in the DAW is really small but it usually sounds perfect volume when the plugin is enabled, if anything I sometimes have to turn the input down on the plugin because it starts distorting.
I’ve heard a lot of people say this, but I just don’t understand it. Why not use any of the numerous other options to increase gain at the beginning of the chain that are programmable per preset and switchable with scenes or stomps?
For the past 14 years (starting with Fractal) I’ve set the input so my hottest guitar doesn’t clip and left it. Absolutely no issues with noise or anything. My QC is left at 0 db, and everything from lower output strat pickups to Fishman Moderns works great.
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I’m 1 week in with the QC. I’m using it for a few different things, one being as a stereo acoustic preamp/blender processor. It’s working really well btw.
I have a dual source passive set up, very low output passive pickups. I do need to turn up the input gain quite a lot to get a good signal, I’m only using EQ and effect blocks.
With electric guitar set ups, yes, I just stay at 0 db. Sounds and feels the best to me.
All well
For sure. Most of the time I leave it at 0db and boost with a pedal if I want to use it live that way - just like real amps lol. For home tinkering and recording I’ve messed with the input gain and trying out hotter/softer levels to see how certain models react. When I find a sweet spot that’s higher or lower than zero I set up a gain block for reduction or a pedal for boosting.
Totally not necessary for me but tinkering can be fun