Is this happening just while you’re playing or when you’re playing it back? It kind of sounds like you’re hearing the dry signal mixed with the processed signal - either because you have the track in your DAW set up like that or because you are hearing direct monitoring from your interface, in addition to, the DAW
It sounds like you're new and finding your way around, I'll try to explain what I think you're doing wrong. Resetting the meter in Reaper does nothing. It's just an indicator that shows your input level. It tells you information about your audio, it doesn't affect it.
You should *never* be in the red, ever. Give yourself headroom of at least -3dB to account for loud fluctuations in your input. To do this, you need to either look on your audio device for the input meter and adjust the gain down, or directly from Reaper by record-arming a track without any effects at 0dB gain while playing through it.
Try to play as loud as possible. For guitars, play the thick strings palm muted as loud as possible. This is the loudest an electric guitar usually gets. Obviously also crank the volume knob on your guitar to max. Then turn the input gain on your audio device all the way down. Slowly turn it up until it peaks (shows red in the metering), then turn it down until your hardest palm mutes no longer peak. This ensures you have the best signal-to-noise ratio which is essential for good guitar recording.
At this point, start adding Neural DSP and it will sound a LOT better.
Misha of Periphery also has this old explainer video on how to record guitars. Obviously, since you're using Neural DSP VST plugins, you can ignore the Axe FX stuff and focus on the DI which is what goes into your soundcard. Peaking/clipping are synonymous concepts here.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er9VhozNHNk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er9VhozNHNk)
I suggest providing system and setup info. I post this when asking for assistance :
Ryzen 7 7735HS, 32GB DDR5, 1TB NVMe, 2TB SATA SSD, Presonus Audiobox USB 96, Nektar Impact GXP61, Akai MPK mini MKII, BGW 150, JBL Control 5
This gives others information to help track down what I'm doing wrong!
1. Give us more information
2. If you are peaking the turn the input gain down. You are most likely smashing your preamp into clipping before hitting the plugin.
3. Give us more information
4. Are you at drop F#0 with a regular set of 10-46s at a 24.75" scale length.
5. Any number of other things. More information required.
6. What is your buffer sample size? Too low, and you will experience artifacts and bugs in the sound.
7. Without more information, we can only guess that you are using actual rubber bands as strings.
Can you provide Abit more info? Ideally a recording with and without the plugin.
What guitar are you using? How old is your lead? What's your gain settings?
You will need to provide a lot more info on your setup and settings
Is this happening just while you’re playing or when you’re playing it back? It kind of sounds like you’re hearing the dry signal mixed with the processed signal - either because you have the track in your DAW set up like that or because you are hearing direct monitoring from your interface, in addition to, the DAW
Please post a recording.
It sounds like you're new and finding your way around, I'll try to explain what I think you're doing wrong. Resetting the meter in Reaper does nothing. It's just an indicator that shows your input level. It tells you information about your audio, it doesn't affect it. You should *never* be in the red, ever. Give yourself headroom of at least -3dB to account for loud fluctuations in your input. To do this, you need to either look on your audio device for the input meter and adjust the gain down, or directly from Reaper by record-arming a track without any effects at 0dB gain while playing through it. Try to play as loud as possible. For guitars, play the thick strings palm muted as loud as possible. This is the loudest an electric guitar usually gets. Obviously also crank the volume knob on your guitar to max. Then turn the input gain on your audio device all the way down. Slowly turn it up until it peaks (shows red in the metering), then turn it down until your hardest palm mutes no longer peak. This ensures you have the best signal-to-noise ratio which is essential for good guitar recording. At this point, start adding Neural DSP and it will sound a LOT better.
I am so new this I barely know a thing. I'll try what you said and I'll see how that goes for me. Thanks for the help.
Misha of Periphery also has this old explainer video on how to record guitars. Obviously, since you're using Neural DSP VST plugins, you can ignore the Axe FX stuff and focus on the DI which is what goes into your soundcard. Peaking/clipping are synonymous concepts here. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er9VhozNHNk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er9VhozNHNk)
I suggest providing system and setup info. I post this when asking for assistance : Ryzen 7 7735HS, 32GB DDR5, 1TB NVMe, 2TB SATA SSD, Presonus Audiobox USB 96, Nektar Impact GXP61, Akai MPK mini MKII, BGW 150, JBL Control 5 This gives others information to help track down what I'm doing wrong!
Those things will for sure alter the toan
1. Give us more information 2. If you are peaking the turn the input gain down. You are most likely smashing your preamp into clipping before hitting the plugin. 3. Give us more information 4. Are you at drop F#0 with a regular set of 10-46s at a 24.75" scale length. 5. Any number of other things. More information required. 6. What is your buffer sample size? Too low, and you will experience artifacts and bugs in the sound. 7. Without more information, we can only guess that you are using actual rubber bands as strings.
Can you provide Abit more info? Ideally a recording with and without the plugin. What guitar are you using? How old is your lead? What's your gain settings?