Analog Heat output levels low

Have you tried using simple unbalanced cables ?
Do you have the same problem ?

Could be that somehow there’s something wrong with your cable or one of the devices…

1 Like

Regarding use as a pure analog insert (no USB Overbridge): I have the have optimal signal input set to 80-85% as per manual, have tried unbalanced cables, swapped out all cabling, and used directing routing, have turned up preset and master levels, 100% wet etc… still not getting unity bypass. Now running through USB Overbridge as plugin I have no problem getting up to unity bypass levels and beyond… relieved to have this sorted but still slightly bewildered why I cant just get the hardware to level up without having to use the Overbridge method (as there is latency in the overbridge>metaplugin arrangement I must used to make it work in ProTools.

Why don’t you use 100% DRY instead of bypass ?

I suggest trying out some creative env follower-based modulations with your BD/BT heat processing before you consider swapping for a sherman… You might be pleasantly surprised!

“follower-based modulations” not sure what you mean with that?

I was planning to do more testing before considering the Sherman, so if you could explain a bit more that would be very welcome :slight_smile:

env follower-based modulations” = envelope follower-based modulations

I have both the AH and a Sherman FB 1. I love the Sherman as a guitar distortion but I don’t like it on my synths and beats. AH rules for me there. Subjective of course. Actually my Sherman is on sale as I haven’t been using it in too long.

I mean, using the analog heat’s envelope follower to modulate the heat’s internal parameters dynamically according to your kicks / bt’s.

One fave of mine is to

  1. crank up the drive amt, set wet/dry to a suitably ”wet” value so as to get an audibly distorted kick

  2. set up env follower modulation, target ”wet/dry”, amount ”-64” (or whatever is the maximum negative value)

  3. now, set the envelope follower threshold to react nicely to the incoming kick, not too much, not too little. Then adjust envelope attack value to taste, starting from shortest possible attack and increasing gradually from there

  4. Make sure your env follower decay is long enough to cover the entirety of your kick tail, but not too long of a decay so that the env will ”recover” fast enough for the next kick to come in

This allows you to dial in a kick sound that starts off clean (preserving the transient&punch) but becames more and more distorted as the kick decays… with the right envelooe attack value and (initial) drive amount, you can get some very cool kicks! Bonus points for massaging the original kick sounds amp env for maximum synergy with the processing…

the above is only one suggestion… feel free to experiment with other parameters for different effects, like using the env follower to control a resonant hipass/bandpass etc

6 Likes

Thank you both, that helps alot.

@ tsutek: I will def try that setting but i just messed around with the envelopes and allready have much better results out of it. I bet theres still much room to imprive aswell… I feel better about keeping the 2nd one now =)

2 Likes

for creative sound design (as in, running one sound throuh a heat as opposed to a full mix), the envelope follower and the LFO is killer and alot of cool happy accidents lie within! :diddly:

2 Likes

Yep, even with nothing plugged !
Self oscillation > out L > in R
Lfo, Freq pan, env…
You can produce good kicks, weird random sounds…

3 Likes

Definitely have a loss of signal going through mine as well from my OT2. When going direct it sounds like crap. When using in ableton there is no loss. I’ve tried the same using different cables and no luck. Needless to say this bums me out big time and yes I’m aware of the internal patch volume setting.

Having the same issue with level drop either bypassed or not. Not sure if there was some reasoning related to input with balanced and unbalanced cables.

I use balanced ins (via patchbay) to the AH. Could this be the reason for the level drop? And I checked all possible level adjustments…but max all of them out to get similar level and bypassing the AH gives me back a normal level. Actually all other effect boxes I have do not give me that trouble :man_shrugging:

Heat audio signal flow is somewhat tricky. Some parameters are somewhat buried in the menus.

Be sure to consider every gain staging parameters. They are quite a few of them. Seven in total. The first one (see graph) doesn’t count as it is the source sound level.

3 different scenarii (with their relevant gain staging parameters) :

  • Bypass: 1 - 2 - 8
  • 100% Dry: 1 - 2 - 7 - 8
  • 1-100% Wet: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of the second parameter, the Input Sensitivity,. It has to be correctly set (maximum without reaching the limit) in order for the Heat to have a coherent output level, that is to be able to have the same level for the three above scenarii.

9 Likes

Here is my External Audio Effect in Ableton flanked by two VU meters for proper gain staging.

image

Audio To and From Heat. Directly via audio cables with 5.3 ms of latency.

My Heat mkII has its own single output pair from my MOTU soundcard. That way, it can be used very quickly with all my synths (plugins and hardwares). You just have to drag the External Audio Effect (above) to the desired track in Live.

Nonetheless I’m sill eagerly longing for Overbridge. I used to play with it with the Heat mkI before and it was very satisfying to edit patches with it thanks to the visual feedback and the ablility to see the modulation matrix all at once.

3 Likes

Hello.
I also loose Gain if i connect my Analog Heat to the Insert of my Master Bus from my Midas FW32 Mixer. Are there already some Ideas to handle that?

Thx Dirk

Have you tried the different gain setting on the Heat inputs?

Hi Everyone,

My first post here. ;-))) I was reading about Low Gain Output problem because I have the same issue with my AH mk2.

What I figured out is that there is difference of Gain loss in different input sensivity mode.

I did experiment using RME FIreface UC and unbalanced cables (I have to buy balanced, I could check only one cable and it seems that there is no difference, have to check it anyway;-)).

I generated sinus sweep on lewel -20dB (FS on scale in Reaper), My RME inputs and outputs were set to +4dB standard (for profesional equipment;-)) I took the measurements from RME mixer and of course everything in bypass mode in Analog Heat mkII. Master Volume was set to maximum.

So… on the input of AH mkII I have -20dB all the time

Input sensivity LOW - I have on the output -34,3dB => 14,3 dB of loss,
Input sensivity MEDIUM - I have on the output -28,7dB => 8,7 dB of loss,
Input sensivity HIGH - I have on the output -22,6dB => 2,6 dB of loss,
Input sensivity MAX - I have on the output -12,7dB => 8,7 dB of extra gain!!!

Conclusion: Input sensivity HIGH is most optimal in my opinion if we talk about gain (I am not talking about quality of course, because I didn’t consider this).

And now I have some kind of solution for AH to make it work without GAIN LOSS:

  1. Set Input sensivity for MAX
  2. in Bypass mode calibrate Master volume (in my case it was “8,7 dB of extra gain!!!” to take off), Master Volume Knob arround 2 o’clock.
  3. Switch to active mode from bypass
  4. now calibrate Preset volume, in my case it was 90 although bar on the screen shows less on output, not equal input and output, I base on real mesurements on RME.

There is one problem with that method, you have to lower signal a lot to enter AH but I did another test. I recorded part of the song (had to lower it -20dB), then I normalized both recorded parts and I would say it is on very acceptable level if we talk about quality but mabye not for studio of course.

I would rather prefer to use “Input sensivity HIGH”

Sorry for my english, hope it will help to someone.
All the best.
Radek

P.S. mabye solution is in software to create 1:1 Input sensivity mode;-)

4 Likes