Tonestack and iRig HD2

pipelineaudio

OK, I jumped deeper into the rabbit hole and got myself an iRig HD2 to replace the iRig 2, but now I'm having this issue, especially when I go into menus in Tonestack

I seem to be having the same problem as in this thread

http://cgi.ikmultimedia.com/ikforum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12867

I can be playing just fine and at random, the signal will go into full distortion, and seems to be a feedback component as well. Unplugging the lighting cable usually but not always fixes the problem.

I have updated the firmware to the latest.

It seems to be a similar noise to the noise you get when switching amplitube presets, except instead of being gone momentarily, it stays on until I unplug the lightning cable

pipelineaudio

Is there any way to set the sample rate in Tonestack?
It seems like it keeps trying to switch back to 48khz for amplitube, maybe...Trying to see if it goes away if I set Tonestack to 48khz

panthemusicalgoat

Strange. I’ve never had this issue. Using an original hd2 and an iPhone 6s plus

pipelineaudio

I found a forum post saying that another company was saying this likely wont be fixed on older devices. I tried on an iphone 5 for hours today without issue, guess its time to upgrade past my iPad Mini 1

panthemusicalgoat

You could use your iPhone to run tonestack and an ipad for mixing later or something

kenellis

I went from an hd to an hd2 and found issues when I first opened tonestack (3). Sometimes Big feedback, and sometimes no output (though it shows an input signal). Often I have to unplug the audio out and then plug in again on an ipadair2 to resolve. Also, sometimes I have to adjust the crappy connection to the hd2's power supply. Lastly, when I play with a chain using a lot of distortion I will notice the volume will soar on some notes, or the chain tonality will change and become mudier intermittently. Frankly I've found that same last issue with modeling amps and distortion + fast picking + pick attack; and doing it in a prolonged fashion. Lotta stuff going on and it seems a bit ambient. Still, it's a marvel.

pipelineaudio

I'm running an iPAd Air 2 now and it stopped happening, however, the output levels are ridiculously low...There really should be big warnings on the sites that sell these types of interfaces when its seriously known issues

http://pipelineaudio.net/2017/10/18/low-output-on-ios-guitar-interfaces/

panthemusicalgoat

The irig hd 2 doesn't have a power supply??? It runs off your ios device so I don't understand your problem. Also the gain works fine. Maybe you have a broken one? I've been using one (almost daily for a year) when I don't use my prosonus itwo and ive never experienced these issues

pipelineaudio

Are you able to get equal levels at the output of the HD 2 as your guitar output? That's what I'm asking, there's a possibility I got two broken ones in a row, its infuriating that IK has gone a dozen emails back and forth without answering this question. If it turns out it really only is supposed to reach to 12 db below a standard guitar, I'll try the HD Pro which claims to have, if I remember right, +2.2 dBu out. The HD 2 claims 1.6Vpp, which is a little higher than a guitar, but the only way I can get that is at the 1/4" out with the "Thru/FX" switch set to thru.

At FX setting, the maximum I can reach, even maxxing out all the software into extreme clipping, that I can get is .4Vpp or -14.8dBu

panthemusicalgoat

Just turn the input in tonestack up. It's running off your phone/ipad battery so you really don't want it sucking the battery dry by being a huge preamp. Also I think thats a IKmultimedia forum question

pipelineaudio

I have a thread at IK as well, as well as at tech support.
Again, its not an input problem, as I can get the signal to saturated at the software output knobs and it will only reach .4Vpp and thats at square waves! Can you actually just try and see what you are getting with thru vs fx? See if your FX level is at least as loud as when you set it to thru. Turn the input gain up all the way if you want and the output too, turn tonestack's input and output all the way to +24

panthemusicalgoat

That would blow my system out. It's pretty loud honestly even with the fx bypass on the hd2

pipelineaudio

I think you aren't reading this right. On mine, FX Bypass is fine, with FX in it is 12 dB lower, even if I crank everything in the software.

The specs for the iRig HD 2 show the maximum output at being 1.6vpp, which is roughly equivalent to a guitar output (my EMG 707’s put out about 1.5vpp if I hit an open A chord). If anything, these devices should be capable of MUCH more output, a regular audio interface will be on the order of +10 – +20dBu (1.6vpp is around -2.7dBu for reference). But I digress

I can’t get the actual output going through this device and through any software (even with everything bypassed) to get anywhere near this level. Here are the results of some testing I did, first setting guitar to DI to -15dBFS for reference levels

guitar into DI = -15dBFS

guitar into iRig HD 2 (not connected to lightning) into DI = -28dBFS Gain controls have no effect but Thru/FX switch mutes when set to FX

guitar into iRig HD 2 (connected to lightning) into DI = -15dBFS Thru/FX switch set to Thru. Gain controls have no effect

guitar into iRig HD 2 (connected to lightning) into DI Loudest with no distortion = -28dBFS Thru/FX switch set to FX. All Amplitube FX bypassed.

guitar into iRig HD 2 (connected to lightning) into DI Using Amplitube’s in/out controls to set for highest output, allowing distortion = -27dBFS
Thru/FX switch set to FX. All Amplitube FX bypassed.

I have exchanged some emails with IK’s tech support over this, and tested roughly the same on an iRig 2. Anyone know if the Sonicport has higher output levels?

I have heard from IK Multimedia tech support and they say I should definitely be getting higher levels and perhaps I have gotten two defective units…Stranger things have happened
Could there be some setting on the iPad telling it to drop the lightning connector’s audio 12dB?

panthemusicalgoat

OK I did misread that. That's very odd. I dont think I've had this issue