Recording and online collaborating again! Focusrite, JamKazam, Quilter Interblock 45

[sunvalleylaw]

Hi all! Remember me? I’m back! I will post a more social post in the off topic section.

In this post, I wanted to pick your brains about getting set up for recording and for online collaborating. I have not been playing, and I am really rusty. Partly because I just have had no one to play with, and I am very unmotivated to just play with myself, or with backing tracks only, or etc. I need some social input.

And Covid-19 kind of put the kibosh on any efforts to get my own local “garage band” going. Our area was hit pretty hard, and is in critical zone again with infection, so, as we head into winter and inside months again, I have to figure out how to connect with people.

In the past, you may remember I had a Toneport UX2 interface, and just used GarageBand, as I have been, and still am. Dusted that TonePort UX2 off, and found out it is not much supported any more. So I got a new one.

Now I have a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8. One of the reasons I went with this, is that I wanted a few inputs, and I wanted it to work with JamKazam, which is a program that lets you jam with others online, as long as your internet is fast enough (and can be connected via Ethernet rather than WiFi, to help with lag and jitter issues).

I still have a couple mics that I can use to record both voice and my amp. But then, I wanted to be able to go direct in rather than mic’ing my amp sometimes, so that I could play at night and not be bothering the family.

I so I went from my pedalboard to the Focusrite and plugged a guitar cable into one of inputs that can take either and XLR for a mic, or can be used as an instrument line in. And connected a mic for my voice. Worked just fine, for the most part.

The only thing that didn’t work is that without some sort of amph speaker cabinet emulation, (which I guess is sometimes called Impulse Response, or IR?), the effects don’t work and sound the same as if they were running through my amp and amp cab, and being mic’d.

The friend I was trying things out with had a Quilter Phantom Block, that adds in a speaker cabinet sim and some controls. Then you can run effects into that, and to your board or interface, and it sounds better, and more like an amph with a mic.

For a little more, I can get the Quilter InterBlock 45 that does all that, with some more options, AND can act as a solid state amp to power a speaker cab. Was thinking I might go that way. Or you can get a box that has lots of speaker cab sims, or “IR’s”.

Any of you guys trying any of this stuff to record, or play online?

If I can get this figured out, it seems like a good way to start to be able to play with other musicians and have some social connection during these pandemic times.

Hope you all are well! Let me know thoughts if any?

[Jipes***]

I try the online Jamming during the pandemic but quickly let go since the sound was thin and horribly crispy, couldn't really get something decent and didn't want to spend too much time on figuring out what was wrong. I try to go with my interface and some pedals but nothing really worked properly. Sorry that I can't help

[sunvalleylaw]

I try the online Jamming during the pandemic but quickly let go since the sound was thin and horribly crispy, couldn't really get something decent and didn't want to spend too much time on figuring out what was wrong. I try to go with my interface and some pedals but nothing really worked properly. Sorry that I can't help

Well, I will be the experiment for us then!

I agree with your assessment of the online sound from some pedals and my interface. Too sterile, flat, all the touch and control of my favorite dirt pedals (Catalinbread Formula No. 5, and 55, I have both) was gone. Normally, that pedal gives nice organic support, just below break up, at low volume, in a tweed style, and then when you dial up volume, it kicks it into overdrive. Direct in, it just sounded harsh and flat.

I guess the signal needs to go into something with a speaker cabinet emulation for it to work well at all. And I am looking at those options. The Quilterblock Interblock 45 has some options and possibilities, and can also be used as an amph head. So kinda leaning toward that one. A friend of mine, and guitar pro, from another forum uses a similar thing from Quilter, without the included amph, and he sounded good on Jamkazam. His is the Quilter Phantom Block pedal. That was what got me listening to the Interblock 45, which has similar options, though instrument cable/line out rather than XLR out, both can go to the front of the house, board, or interface. And the Interblock 45 can go out to a speaker cabinet.

So leaning toward that. Another option would be a cabinet simulating or IR type pedal. Would take care of the flatness in the signal going to the interface, but does not have the amph option.

[Robert****]

Hm, I think I'm not really understanding all of this, but there should be people who have figured it out. Maybe some Googling will help you solve it.

Glad you are playing though!

[Robert****]

Hm, I think I'm not really understanding all of this, but there should be people who have figured it out. Maybe some Googling will help you solve it.

Glad you are playing though!

[sunvalleylaw]

I found some stuff to help me figure it out. I don't have time right now, but will come back and try to explain more clearly what I was trying to ask about. It might be something some of us around here might find useful.

[tjcurtin1]

Hey Steve - nice to have you back!