Running an electric guitar through the Virus input... - The Unofficial Access Virus & Virus TI Forum

AlexHall74 · #1 28.01.2005, 02:48 PM

Hey everyone,

I am going to run my electric guitar through my Virus KC this weekend.

Is it necessary to run the guitar through a mic-preamp before connecting it to the Virus?

I plugged it in last night and tried to w/o a pre-amp while the Virus was set to one of the Input Patches on Bank B and no sound came through it.

Any info is appreciated.

Thanks!

Timo · #2 28.01.2005, 03:46 PM

Hi Alex,

I think the Virus inputs only accepts (unbalanced?) signals at line-level. Therefore you'd need a Direct Inject box or a pre-amp to get it up to line-level beforehand.

Electric guitar signal outputs are exceptionally weak as they have no power source and hence rely solely on induction to generate a small voltage (which then normally goes on to be amplified).

Don't plug an amplifier output into the Virus, though!

Juho L · #3 28.01.2005, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexHall74

Is it necessary to run the guitar through a mic-preamp before connecting it to the Virus?

Yes. The signal must be a line level in order to works properly. You could set the input boost to maximum to get a sound without a preamp, but I would call it just a sea of hiss that distantly reminds of guitar.

Edit:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timo

Don't plug an amplifier output into the Virus, though! ;)

Some quitar combos have a line out and/or phones jack.

AlexHall74 · #4 28.01.2005, 03:49 PM

Awesome info!

Thank you gentlemen.

I am really interested to hear what the arpeggiator setting can do.

Juho L · #5 28.01.2005, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexHall74

I am really interested to hear what the arpeggiator setting can do.

Nothing unless you ringmod or vocode. By the way you could record some guitars on our collab track.

Merlot · #6 28.01.2005, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juho L

By the way you could record some guitars on our collab track.

oh shit, forgot about that one. Need to get kickin on the drumz then.

AlexHall74 · #7 28.01.2005, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Juho wrote:
By the way you could record some guitars on our collab track.

Thanks for the invite Juho!
I did not know that you all were still working on that.

I am still awaiting the arrival of my mixer so I have no studio monitors at the moment.

Hell, I might just go and buy a cheapo little Behringer UB502 to be able to do this.

I'll get current on what is going on with that track and see if I can add something worthwhile to it.

What sequencer is being used?

How is the Chick Corea track coming along?

Would you want a WAV file for submission?

Cheers!

Juho L · #8 28.01.2005, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexHall74

How is the Chick Corea track coming along?

It was way too hard for all of us. Simple but still bloody difficult. So I changed the track to something more suitable so I picked one of my all time favourites: Genesis - Dancing With the Moonlight Knight. Fairly easy track, but still on of the best of 20th century.

Wandering Kid · #9 31.01.2005, 03:07 PM

Quote:

I think the Virus inputs only accepts (unbalanced?) signals at line-level. Therefore you'd need a Direct Inject box or a pre-amp to get it up to line-level beforehand.

ahhhhh, this'll be why my guitar sounds so pants running through the inputs. hiss and blurry bass pretty much sums it up. you can hear the sound alright. but the blurry bass is overwhelming and it just sounds...nasty.

AlexHall74 · #10 31.01.2005, 03:11 PM

Quote:

WK wrote:
ahhhhh, this'll be why my guitar sounds so pants running through the inputs. hiss and blurry bass pretty much sums it up. you can hear the sound alright. but the blurry bass is overwhelming and it just sounds...nasty.

That's exactly how mine sounded!

I ran my Ibanez six-string through a Studio Projects VTB-1 mic pre and then into the Virus with no problems.

It worked like a champ.

I got some really interesting sounds out of the combo.