Digidesign Eleven

[Brad Sayre]

I was wondering if anybody is using Digidesign's Eleven on this forum.

 

Thanks.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

never buy version 1 of anything.

[02R96]

Chicken!

 

[Caevan O’Shite]

I know a guy on these forums who recently got and loves their Eleven Rack HW/SW/DAW interface; I'll PM him with a link to this thread...

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Here's the point: how many things are 'the BEST!' this week, or this month or this year, and next year nobody wants them? I know nothing about the product in question, I just suggest that it isn't cheap, and it is an emulator, like many other emulators (some for far less...) and that if it is still as big a deal in a few months as it is now, jump on it. do know that they have been flying off the shelves,a nd I do know that few people will spend $800 on a device and then admit that maybe they made a mistake; and that it hasn't been around long enough for a non-biased consensus.

[02R96]

Bill, I was just kidding.

 

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Bill, I was just kidding.

 

Dan,

 

Yeah, I got that.

 

I just figured that i should try to be more clear.

[Brad Sayre]

Here's the point: how many things are 'the BEST!' this week, or this month or this year, and next year nobody wants them? I know nothing about the product in question, I just suggest that it isn't cheap, and it is an emulator, like many other emulators (some for far less...) and that if it is still as big a deal in a few months as it is now, jump on it. do know that they have been flying off the shelves,a nd I do know that few people will spend $800 on a device and then admit that maybe they made a mistake; and that it hasn't been around long enough for a non-biased consensus.

 

I know Bill, your right. I already have ProTools and Eleven looks like a possible bridge between my studio and live performance. I'm doing all the research I can before dropping thousands on an amp that I may not be able to record properly in my little room. I don't know if my studio chops are up to the challenge. Thanks for your input.

Thanks all.

[Fumblyfingers]

I know a guy on these forums who recently got and loves their Eleven Rack ....

 

I'm not the expert Bill@ is on recording and how things should be done, how it should sound etc..... this is just my perspective on it.

 

I really like mine and I was really expecting to not like it. I researched it a lot and I left the store thinking I was doing a dumb thing. I have been a Pro Tools user for some years so when this Eleven came out I watched it and read the Digi forums to see what guys were saying about it.

 

Turns out there was a problem with the #1 Output where it would hum/buzz when connected to an amp. The fix was to send the customer a corrected 1/4" jackplug.

 

I got quite vocal over there about how lame I thought it was to make the customer fix Digi's problem.

 

Anyway I waited for the corrected units to hit the field before I pulled the trigger.

 

It is a good unit.For those who do not know, it is not only a standalone amp sim, it is also a full Pro Tools interface and a reamping device. You set it to automatically record a straight guitar signal as well as the modeled signal into the session.

 

It comes with the latest version of Pro Tools 8 and TONS of really nice plug in's , virtual instruments, lite versions of other software.......

 

Pro Tools 8 is a serious step up from PT7..big time.

 

So Eleven...... I like the amp models in there and I love the effects. The main thing I find that just thrills me when I play it, is the feel and the response. When I hear what is coming back at me from my monitors and how the response and feel of the guitar/amp is, in my hands....... it reminds me of all the many, many times I was in a studio control room listening to my sound after the engineer had mic'd me up and tweaked the sound to perfection.

 

Better than that in a sense because I didn't always have nice amps. Definitely never anything really special like a Plexi Marshall or a vintage Blackface Twin or a Bassman or Princeton. The nicest amp I ever owned that I was a douche for selling was my 60's Vox AC30 Top Boost.

 

The AC30 model in there is very close to how I remember it.

 

Supposedly they went through these really nice amps like a super nice Plexi, AC30, Blackface Twin, Mesa Boogie Mk IV I think...Soldano etc etc and went point to point... seeing what was happening to the signal at each point and modeling from that.

 

Look, there is nothing like playing a real nice amp. Most of the time though you have to get the volume up and now you are pissing off the people around you....plus one good amp like this will cost a lot. Considering all the "amps" you get in Eleven Rack, this thing is cheap! $899 is nothing anymore...shit I spend $200 or more everytime I go to the supermarket. My cheap 2 input MBox Mini was almost $300 and my 002Rack was over $1200. I do not think it expensive at all for what you get. Hell, Fractal Axe is over $2000 and while many say it sounds great, many also say it is extremely complicated and quite a few people are selling them and getting Eleven Rack instead.

 

I love the effects....the Tube Tape Echo is amazing and as with the Leslie cab and other effects you can assign an expression pedal to control the feedback, echo time, speed, intensity etc etc while you play. The expression pedal becomes the wah wah or the volume pedal....super. I wish they had two expression pedal jacks.

 

I have a POD 2.0 which a lot of people say has better sounds than the XT Pro. Well Eleven Rack slays it in every respect.

 

Anyway, I have not had much time with it but I like it a lot. You have to play it to know what people are talking about.

 

Here's what....this is the way this technology is going. It is only going to get more intense from here.....the ball is rolling and there is no stopping it...some people may see it rather as a shitpile rolling down the hill, so be it. In the meantime I am going to go record stuff that most people will not be able to say is not a real amp....and it will sound very very good.

 

I don't have to have seriously good mics to put in front a real speaker cab loaded with very good expensive speakers, I don't have to have several seriously expensive boutique or vintage amps...... I don't have to have an acoustically excellent space to record these amps.......and I don't have to worry about being too loud and bothering my neighbors and my family.

 

I can record a guitar part and should I want to re-record some portion of it 2 years down the road...... I can get the EXACT same sound.....all saved within the session. Almost impossible otherwise. You will struggle to recreate that in a real studio..... just the mic'ing alone will be almost impossible to get exactly the same. I have seen this over and over where after everything has been torn down and we wanted to redo a guitar part.....you may as well track the whole thing again. With Eleven you just load the saved rig file and off you go.

 

Anyway...here is a link to the videos. Try the overview and then the others. Cool stuff!!

 

http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=100&navid=48&itemid=39631

 

 

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

About the whole emulation verses non-emulation thing... we went through a similar thing back in the 80s, when eventually it didn't matter what pointy-headstocked guitar you used through which model solid state Marshall, everybody sounded the same and it was not pretty. Then Slash and a few other guys came along with some real tone again, and the pendulum swung the other way.

 

It is clear from my posts that I personally prefer a high quality amp and guitar, with a good mic in front of it. But I really have no personal stake in what you choose to do, and I also have said many times that I own a couple of Digicheck RP units and use them for their convenience in appropriate situations.

 

I went though emulators. I've beta tested them. (I was testing one last year). I've recommended them. So I'm not against them for you, just for me. I went through a period where I used all direct feeds through emulation to track. Then I got bored with the sameness of sound and what i consider to be the really horrible distortions and mediocre overdrives. It was hanging around here which kinda pushed me into a higher quality amp and effect than I had previously considered. And I'm glad that I did go that route.

 

What concerns me about combo devices is their lack of upgradability. I often recommend inexpensive combo devices so that people can get some experience and get confident with processes. I seldom recommend expensive combo devices because they are static and will eventually hold you back in some area or cause you grief and cost you money to replace. But I did not voice this opinion here about this device, because you did not ask if we liked combo devices, you asked about this one.

 

[Fumblyfingers]

It was hanging around here which kinda pushed me into a higher quality amp and effect than I had previously considered. And I'm glad that I did go that route.

 

Absolutely. The amp I would like to have is a Carr model I played one day that, in the store ( yeah, I know....), sounded absolutely awesome.

 

For me.... I have a mediocre Fender Twin which would sound a lot better with nice speakers. I have a Marshall JCM 800 and a 4X12 cab..... which also would sound better with good speakers. It has 75W speakers.....25W Greenbacks would be awesome. I have a Crate V-18 small combo...the Valve Jnr....

 

I know how to mic my cabinets well enough to get a good sound.....most of us do yeah..some better than others...I personally get by ok.

 

I don't have the room though. My studio is typically home studio small. My neighbors are close by, pedestrians are always passing my house. Many of them fall into the category of those I do not want to know I have multiple thousands of dollars worth of gear and instruments in there. I don't want to even add it up.....I am afraid of how much it is. I don't want it stolen.

 

So a loud amp out in the garage space while I am tracking is not an option.

 

I could run a long mic cable into the house and maybe my family is out for that day and I can crank it a bit in there.......but now if I am on my own and the preamp is in the house as in a combo..... that's a lot of back and forth.

 

Eleven is very good in this respect.

 

Also...as far as sounding the same.....absolutely. Especially in the distorted tones you get that saturation that is identifiable. I think the idea is to put some analog pedals in front of it and try make it your own.

 

If you listen to the samples here ......Hiland and Jorgenson.......couple of the guy's get their own deal a bit. It is very tweakable.

 

Scroll down.

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/feature/eleven_rack/

[Brad Sayre]

Thanks Fumblyfingers for your personal input and the great links. Bill has a wealth of information and I like reading his comments. I appreciate your time. I'll be checking out everything. I'll keep you posted on what I decide and you can bet I'll post sound clips.

Thanks guys.

[Fumblyfingers]

Consider that it has a single XLR input with phantom power and a ground lift.

 

For that and general editing and mixing, I switch to the 002R as my interface with its 4 XLR inputs and I usually go through a preamp first when using mic's.

 

I love the way Eleven integrates Pro Tools with Eleven. You can have very good tones up and running in minutes. All save-able within the session.

 

Using virtual drum software and other audio is a breeze as far as importing etc. Very painless. Throw a bass guitar through Eleven and then put Amplitube Ampeg SVX on it as a plug in etc.

 

Or have a bass player bring his rig in and go direct into that XLR input....off you go.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

I love the way Eleven ....

 

 

Yes, the important stuff that is unique to 11 would be more helpful. Most of what it will do is not unique, and is doable from most any similar interface. Having the 02 and the 11, what does the 11 bring to the table that is unique?

[Brad Sayre]

Fumblyfingers,

sounds great man.

 

We have to update our operating system. Kind of a bummer since we have ProTools HD and Final Cut Pro Studio on the same computer and both of these have to be updated to run on the new operating system. (Just when everything is running great too). It sure gets expensive when updating. That's why Eleven looks so promising. It's not very expensive and it sounds like it kicks butt on a lot of levels. Compared to lets say a Shiva, cabinet and update my pedal board.... update the studio (which is happening, no questions there,) .... big bucks.

 

I know it comes down to what I can do with whatever I am using. I've been leaning toward an amp since I want to start playing an electric guitar again. (Both in and out of the studio). I've owned some fine amps in the past but never had the studio like I do now. Not so sure about recording a loud amp.

 

From the videos, Eleven sounds real. I'm very familiar with modeling since I've been using them for a lot of years now. I like the ins and outs on Eleven. Embedding information is cool. Being able to use it live is important. I have some serious gear I can run it through already... if I go that route.

Thanks again.

 

 

[Fumblyfingers]

....... what does the 11 bring to the table that is unique?

 

I don't know about unique. I reckon it has efficient functionality by the way it integrates with Pro Tools. Too much for me to explain. If you are interested just go to the link I provided earlier and poke around the video's. The guy explains it in fair detail.

 

As far as unique? What is really truly unique anymore? Almost everything seems a copy or a better version of something. A THD or a Bogner, Carr etc etc are all just copies of older circuits aren't they? Maybe more care went into the wiring than the factories provide....maybe a slight variance on a Fender or Marshall circuit or a better component used here and there. Most DAW's are a much of a muchness today, all doing everything equally well. Pro Tools has caught up well with MIDI and ease of workflow, Windows is becoming more Mac like.....etc etc There are many better moustraps and some highly or more desirable than others.....but how many are truly unique anymore? I don't know.

 

To answer the question.....I think Eleven Rack is the only current device that is these 3 or 4 separate devices in one hardware/software combination.

 

1)Eleven Rack is a standalone amp modeling device and effects processor that you can send to a power amp and cabinet, drive a guitar amp with it plugged directly into the front panel of the amp, send to tracks in a recording session or send the signal from it to a PA and bring it back to a stage monitor, it being a DI as well really with phantom power and a ground lift and pad.

 

2) It is also guitar modeling hardware/software that can be inserted on a Pro Tools track as a plug in.

 

3) It is also a full fledged DAW hardware interface-granted Pro Tools only. The non Tools user can still take the I/O out into his/her DAW interface using the main outs or 1/4" outputs.

 

4) It is a re-amping device. It automatically records the unprocessed guitar signal for re-amping, while the player is able to at least lay a track down with some semblance of tone he is getting off on. Nothing new about that and one can easily set that up in any recording environment by splitting the signal....it just does it all automatically for you. Saves a bit of time.

 

For those who don't know about re-amping, here is the Wiki version........" Reamping is a process often used in multitrack recording in which a recorded signal is routed back out of the editing environment and run through external processing or reverb chamber. Originally, the technique was used mostly for guitars: it facilitates a separation of guitar playing from guitar amplifier processinga previously recorded audio program is played back and re-recorded at a later time for the purpose of adding effects, ambience, or modified tonality. The technique has since evolved to include many other applications. Re-amping can also be applied to other instruments and program, such as recorded drums, synthesizers, and virtual instruments. "

 

So at this time I do not know of any other hardware device that does all three of these things....4 really if you differentiate between standalone hardware- preamp/effects processor and the hardware/software as plug in insert.

 

For the guitar player/recordist, it is an all in one solution for recording and live performance. Especially nice for the Pro Tools user.

 

That's my take on what makes it unique. Do you know of anything out there like it?

 

Again, not attractive to a large segment who would rather mic a gorgeous amp and send that to the digital or analog recording session....the act of which is a huge part of the beauty/zen of it and/or maybe even part of the bottom line on the W-2 at the end of the year.

 

 

 

 

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

" Do you know of anything out there like it?"

 

Well, in fairless, I'm not looking for anything like it.

 

And you know that I prefer not to have combo products because of the inevitable limitations that crop up in the future, so that is not an attractor -for me-.

 

But I'm not here to talk about what it isn't, other than unique. That would not be fair. (Bitching about a hammer because it isn't a wrench...) Do I think that I could put together a similar thing for less, yes I do. But it might not interface with PT like that...and then again, it might. (I'd have to see what and how and why and if that would actually be a big deal or not, and why wouldn't I just use Amplitube or something...)

 

But my usual warning about all new products stands... let someone else be the pioneer, and if the product is all that the manufacturer claims, it will be even better in version 2. If not, you'll be able to buy them used for almost nothing.

[Fumblyfingers]

... let someone else be the pioneer

 

I'm game!!! Well with a bit of research and maybe stand back a tad initially. It's solid advice though.

 

I also don't want to always be last into the corner though........ I was always the guy trying to win it when I raced motorcycles years ago.......carried through with everything I guess.

 

I might eat it with Eleven Rack...we'll see. I don't really care at the moment. I am definitely not saying it is the best or even that it will be a success. I just like the sound of mine so far.

 

The next 4 weeks will tell, I am off work and am going to really try and work my ass off in my studio, family permitting. I will use it a lot if I do.

 

As far as not buying the first version etc etc...... I have been looking at the Black Lion Audio Signature mod for my 002R for a couple years or so. I think I might pull the trigger on it.

 

It looks good. Do you know anything about these guys Bill?

 

This mod is supposed to get the 002 into Pro Tools HD quality for a fraction of the price. Here is the link.

 

BLA Signature Mod

 

Sorry to somewhat hijack or digress...... it is Digidesign related and who knows, since they mod 002 and 003 they may mod Eleven Rack in future.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

No, don't know them.

 

You might check with some of the pro PT users though.

 

Here is my take on modifying gear (outside of tube guitar amps, which are simple low component count circuits)...

 

 

I have a modified Music Hall CD player. (Got the level two mods, pretty pricey, but pretty cool.) I guess it sounds better than it did originally, I bought it new with the mods done before hand so I have no reference.

 

But in a LOT of years of working with consoles and other pro gear, somebody always has the idea to drop in this or that component to improve things. But a couple of different circuit designers I know have said that were they to start out designing with those 'replacement' components, then the whole support architecture for the piece would be different. The various resistors and caps would be revalued to take advantage of the 'improvement', the power supply might even need to be different. And some improvements can be made moot by the following circuitry. (shrug...) So I usually look at these offerings with a critical eye. I would have to run it by one of my designer buddies who is familiar with the 002 before I'd pull the trigger rather than just believe anecdotal evidence, (anecdotal evidence claimed that the $89 knockoff mics sounded identical to the multithousand dollar German originals, and we know that this is bull. And a green magic marker ring around your CDs make them play better...) or website claims.

 

What do you want to change on the 002?

 

oh.. and remember when the Twin was top of the game? I would have killed for a Twin when I was younger.

[Fumblyfingers]

What do you want to change on the 002?

 

I want to change that which I cannot hear yet anyway....... I think?

 

That's about as honest as it gets.

 

I often read about jitter, about phasing, master clocks, quality of the converters etc. I have heard you talk about converters and how at one time you had or still have RME Converters you praise highly. I read this stuff and I know.....according to all I read and not just at the BLA site, that the Digi 002 is a good entry level unit but that it has issues with all the above mentioned stuff.

 

So all the time I am recording and mixing and being somewhat happy with the sound I am getting...... it is in the back of my head that 002/LE is ......well.....Pro Tools Low End

 

I'd like Pro Tools High End....which is HD...but at the moment I cannot justify that kind of expense. Not for any reason. I do not for starters have the proper room to put it in.

 

So back to what I cannot hear.

 

You and other trained specialists, would likely hear immediately the problems in my recordings with jitter, poor A/D converters, noisy power supply, lousy preamps etc etc.

 

I would like to think that I will hear a stunning difference if I choose to mod my 002.......but the lure for me is knowing I have something better than 002 or at least corrected as much as possible.

 

I do get that modifying several items in a circuit board or signal chain still leaves the rest of the unmodified stuff that the signal still has to pass through.

 

I dunno Bill........... I suppose it would be similar to taking in my 70's Twin Reverb and having key components changed out like caps and resistors, power supply, transformers and tubes to get the amp closer to sounding and performing like a more vintage amp. It will not mod up to a vintage Blackface, maybe not even get close......but it would be an improvement.....perhaps, and for much less money than a 60's Twin.

 

But your observations are not lost on me........it is why I have not pulled the trigger yet.

 

There is some guy who really bags on BLA for not posting specs. He claims they are full of shit, but he is one voice in a whole slew of guys who love the mods.

 

He claims it is a sort of phenomenon where people spend the money on something......it makes little or no difference or is worse but they HAVE to justify the expense to themselves so they end up believing it really did meet the claims of the manufacturer or modifier...... and also end up sucking other people into paying for it by singing it's praises.....those people eventually doing the same thing and in doing so creating a big deal around something that does not really do anything well at all.

 

Something like that!

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

"There is some guy who really bags on BLA for not posting specs. He claims it is a sort of phenomenon ... they HAVE to justify the expense ... believing it really did.... sucking other people into paying for it by singing it's praises.... creating a big deal around something that does not really do anything well at all."

 

If so, it would not be the first time that such a thing has happened to the consumer. At one point a company was bragging about it's tube product, when the tube was not in the audio circuit... but a lot of people bought it anyway. Lots of snake oil.

 

But I'm not saying that. I will say that any mod that is not backed up with verifiable specs would probably not get my money.

 

No I don't use RME converters. I use Mytek converters, known for their fantastic clock. RME has been my choice of computer interface for a long time now. But I use external converters and preamps.

 

The reason that I asked what you wanted to improve... can't you run external converters through the 002? People eager for the latest best thing are selling Mytek 8x96 converter sets on ebay cheap so that they can buy 192s. Then your 002 stays stock. Oh, it looks from the 002 guide book that you are locked into their converters. (that is my big beef with proprietary systems, and all in one boxes.) If I were you I'd probably bite the bullet and look for some deal on a used HD system, there are a lot of them out there right now. In any case, I'd not modify an 002 with no independently verifiable specs to back up the claims.

 

Bill

[Fumblyfingers]

Mytek, that's right! i could only remember RME in my head.

 

That is a great idea about a used HD rig. I should look into that.

 

Thanks for the great advice and food for thought....much appreciated.

[Gifthorse]

What about Amp Farm? Dunno, but to me Line 6 OWNS.

 

Amp Farm uses X3 modeling. My buddy has it for his Protools HD setup and it is incredible sounding.

 

X3 sounds better than POD XT. And the one before that--is the one before that. The original POD came out like 9 years ago or more.

 

It can't compete with the later additions.

 

I can't comment on Digitech's contribution. Maybe it is revolutionary.

 

But so far in my experience Line 6 is a near perfect studio solution. With X3 it is insane how good it sounds.

 

I picked up a POD farm when I was in the US. It sounds INCREDIBLE!! I am not sure what modeling it uses, but I do know it sounds better than the XT I recorded with on our CD. More organic. Really 'real' sounding. It was only $100 USD.

 

I am going to record some stuff with it so you can hear it. And I can play some shred licks so you all know I am in fact not full of crap when I discuss it.

 

But I gave it to a friend here indefinatley. He can keep it as long as he wants. But at some point I may borrow it and dick around with it.

 

But the reason I got this was:

 

My buddy is from Ireland. My best friend in Taiwan. Super nice, high class person. Anyways, he does his own work on all of his guitars. A total tweaker if you will. But, though he has all these cool electrics, his amp is a total fartfactory. It is like a solid state Fender..

 

I HAD to give him POD farm so he knows what tone is. It was pathetic. He would plug into his amp and 'show off' a guitar and I was thinking how sad it is he actually knows nothing about a real tone.

 

Line 6 at least sounds like you are hearing a monitor mix of your amp cranked in the next room.

 

I would imagine the Digitech sounds good also. I haven't compared them. But I still think Line 6 rules.

 

I thought the Spidervalve II was insanely cool.

[Fumblyfingers]

I would imagine the Digitech sounds good also.

 

Digidesign, just to correct you Gift.

 

I dunno buddy......and with tone being so subjective....the Line 6 line might be perfect for you and others.

 

There is already a sort of Line 6 is better than Eleven...Eleven is better than Fractal Axe FX.....POD 2.0 is better than XT or what have you argument going on! Everyone has their deal. I could care less....... I do what's best for me and that's all that counts.

 

I am absolutely not suggesting Eleven Rack is better than anything else.

 

For me it blows my POD 2.0 into the weeds hands down. I have tried Spider Valves and do not like them at all. I mean.....whenever I hear someone who sounds phenomenal, he's playing a Mesa Boogie MkIV or whatever that small combo is called. So I was convinced I had to have one years ago when they came out and everyone had one.

 

I can not get a tone out of them for nothin'!!!!! I always sound like a RAT pedal turned up full with all the treble dimed.

 

For me the overall lure of the Eleven Rack aside from the tones and the way it responds to touch and pick dynamics etc was the integration with Pro Tools. It should speed up my workflow. Once I have my tone dialed.......if that should ever grace me with this unit........ I will be able to get the tones I want onto a track very fast.

[Gifthorse]

If it works for you Lister. I haven't heard it before. Also, being that I haven't heard it, I am not saying that Line 6 is better but I love them.

 

I think my XT tones on our cd sound authentic. The X3 sounds even better. I mean convincingly real. But I think of course it comes from your hands. A guy could play through a POD XT and sound amazing. Or other ones. I haven't tried any other modelers.

 

But I LOVED my Spidervalve. But I can see how it could give a bad impression with some of the aspects.

[Fumblyfingers]

Yeah, other guys sound great on them to me.

 

The Eleven has some good shred tones but more around a Satriani sound to me. I have heard some death type tones...heavy and they sounded good, but I would not know what is a good heavy sound by todays standards.

 

For me, give me a good Twin,Bassman, Marshal Plexi and AC 30 sound and I am stylin'...... for a minute

 

 

[Gifthorse]

Yeah, other guys sound great on them to me.

 

The Eleven has some good shred tones but more around a Satriani sound to me. I have heard some death type tones...heavy and they sounded good, but I would not know what is a good heavy sound by todays standards.

 

For me, give me a good Twin,Bassman, Marshal Plexi and AC 30 sound and I am stylin'...... for a minute

 

 

I checked out the links for the Digedesign. It does sound great.

 

Of course any guitarist will prefer a REAL amp, in the studio as you said it is SOO much more convenient to not have to mic, up and amp, and then deal with the volume.

 

This way you just get the mix as if your amp were micd in a sound proofed room. I really think that the difference between them in a recording would be close to impossible to distinguish, even to a trained ear.

 

As for what is better. NO idea. But based on the recordings on thier site, it sounds worthy to compete with anything. At that level, I think you could make X3 or this or another modeler sound great.

 

But as you stated, 2.0 still sounds great--in the right hands.

 

I think the most difficult thing modelers can accomplish are the higain sounds. It seems like the more gain that is added, the less complex and more compressed it can become--especially when you pinch a harmonic or something.

 

Thats with XT, with X3 or this new one I would imagine it has been solved.