Help! JamUp XT Pro sounds weak/tinny recorded --> AudioBus --> DAW!

JeffHomuth

Here's my problem, and I am EXTREMELY frustrated by it. I have JamUp XT Pro for guitar amp modeling on my iPad 2. I connect that with the JamUp (3.5mm headphone) jack and have GREAT results recording and listening through my headphones. I record the tracks into either GarageBand or DAW, and it sounds great playing back through my headphones on the iPad. The guitar sounds full and very balanced compared to the drum tracks, etc.

BUT, when I upload that file to SoundCloud or MP3, the guitar (and only the guitar) sounds VERY tinny. As if you were plugging a headphone jack halfway in. Is there some glitch (iOS7?) where JamUp XT Pro doesn't work through AudioBus? Is something being lost in the conversion process? This happened through two different DAW's. If I record within the app (8-track recorder), the guitars sound normal.

Interestingly, I have the Agile AmpKit (free version), and guitar tracks through that seem to work fine. I would pour all my eggs into that basket, but I get TERRIBLE feedback with any type of gain, probably because of the interface I'm using.

I'm just extremely frustrated because JamUp XT has great amp models and effects (which I spent some money on, though not an unreasonable amount). But I haven't been able to translate that into any useable recording. Am I doing something wrong? Thank you!

wayni

If you are recording into GB and are hearing the results you are after during playback in that app you should be golden. JamUp, AB are doing their job. Please confirm this.

Also, after converting to MP3/Soundcloud are you using the same headphones when you playback your tune?

JeffHomuth

Yes. In fact, I'll try to link/embed a couple of samples here that show what I'm talking about. I just (very quickly) did the guitar part for Hard to Handle, recorded once with JamUp and then re-recorded the part with Agile AmpKit. Yes, different amps, settings, etc., but if you play that back as an MP4, the JamUp one doesn't have any low or mid-range whatsoever.

(Disregard sucky playing. Was just noodling to try and hear the tone)

Again, what concerns me is that I can record an MP4 directly through JamUp and it sounds fine, but if I import it into GarageBand or Multi-Track DAW, it sounds tinny! Aaarrggh! I must be doing something wrong because I haven't seen widespread complaints about JamUp not working with AudioBus. In fact, a lot of people prefer it over Amplitube and AmpKit.

wayni

So you have JamUp as a source, GB as an Destination. You record your guitar into GB - sounds good. Then you play it back in GB - still sounds good. You mix down your project and it sounds bad?

Also, that JamUp recording has no guitar. Just drums.

Tarekith

Are you maybe importing it as a mono track and not a stereo one?

JeffHomuth

Guitar kicks in at 0:04, it's just very weak compared to the other one. And it actually does play out L and R speakers (stereo), just very anemically.

JamUp is the input and GarageBand/DAW is the output. There's no way this is right. I've used Fender Bassman's, '57 Tweed, Marshalls, whatever, they all sound like that on the recording. But when I'm monitoring it while playing, it sounds great.

JeffHomuth

@Tarekith said:

Are you maybe importing it as a mono track and not a stereo one?

I know that in Multi-Track DAW, it recognizes JamUp as the input and shows it recording as a stereo track.

wayni

Wow. I know I'm just listening through my iPhone's speaker but I can't hear a guitar at all. In your audio recorder (GB) input settings do you have monitoring enabled and noise gate disabled?

Seriously. I'm at a loss. I can give it a try later and see how it works for me. I normally use Cubasis as opposed to GB but it sounds like you are doing everything right.

AlterEgo_UK

@JeffHomuth
Which audio interface are you using to get your guitar into your iPad?

I use a Behringer UCA222 and I find that the sounds I record with Jamup, into Cubasis, seem very thin, compared to when I use Amplitube. So I wonder if the recording process in combination with the audio interface has something to do with it. I too find that just listening to the guitar through Jamup sounds much beefier than when I record.

JeffHomuth

First, thank you very much for helping. I went from very excited about finally being able to start mixing and recording to very disappointed that my projects weren't turning out. Nice that there's a community of people to work out solutions with.

Seriously, it sounds like playing with out-of-phase single coil pickups, it's that bad.

I've recorded through Audacity on my desktop computer and it sounded great. Last night I plugged the same guitars using just the GarageBand software, and I'm able to record something like this without barely tweaking any settings:

You can just look at that visual readout for those SoundCloud files and tell somethign isn't right. There should be saturated output with guitar chords, but JamUp barely registers the guitar at all. So I must be doing something right all those times, and yet the only thing that isn't working is JamUp XT through Audiobus to GarageBand.

My interface is the JamUp Plug designed for the JamUp XT program, run into my iPad2 with iOS 7.0.4.

http://www.lonephantom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/JamUp-Plug.jpg

Entry level equipment, sure, but it seems to capture the guitar just fine for everything else. I'm going to try the same thing recording into my iPhone, since all these apps are universal. Can't imagine it'd be different, but just curious.

Keebo

Probably nothing to do with your issue but I bought that Jam Plug last year after I installed Jam Up Pro. I found that it worked fairly well going to my mixer but was unusable into my Roland Cube due to crosstalk distortion. Positive Grid sent me another one after a few emails explaining my situation. The second unit worked much better all around but due to its nature of design, the crosstalk issue still comes into play albeit less pronounced.

Any interface that uses the 30 pin/Lightning connector will yield a much, much cleaner signal. I've since bought a Griffin StudioConnect and the difference is night and day though so was the price before the sale.

I hope you get things sorted so you can begin to enjoy making music on your iOS device filled with great apps.

wayni

I had no issues.

I loaded AB. Set GarageBand as destination. Woke it up. Created a new project with a drum loop.

Went back into AB. Set JamUp as the source. Woke it up. Played a couple chords to make sure it was working.

Went back into GB. It had created an audio track for me. Using the AB panel, went back into JamUp. Began recording in GB from the AB panel. Played a little over the loop.

I then went back into GB. Played back, no problem. Shared to my SoundCloud, no problem.

Maybe try deleting and reinstalling both apps?

JeffHomuth

@wayni - Based on what I see and hear through the iPad, I would agree with you 100% Everything seems to work fine, and sounds great. But the end product is busted somehow.

If AudioBus2 comes out in the near future, I can revist this. As it turns out, AmpKit+ went on sale for $8.99 and I like it better than I thought I would. Here's an example with the "Brit" (Vox AC30) amp into Multi-Track DAW:

Thanks again for the help!

SidewaysGrin

Looks like you have a DC offset problem
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/DC_offset

EDIT: never mind I guess that's just how soundcloud displays their waveforms....go figure.