What's wrong with my Rig???

[pc131]

Hi All,

My question is like theme says. I am not satisfied with the sound of guitar amp simulation that I can hear. I use Guitar Rig 3/Amplitube 2 and hi-gain, even crunch modelers sound harshy to me. I know it is all digital inside, but I read so much that you coped to achieve good sounds from GR3/AT2.

Here is my rig:

Guitar:
Ibanez Prestige 1570 ---> THIS

Preamp:
Soundcraft Compact 4 Mixer ---> THIS

Soundcard:
M-Audio Delta 24/96 Audiophile ---> THIS



PC ---> Intel E2180, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD

Speakers....... Stereo Genius Speakers 14W RMS (wooden box) ---->

Not professional monitors, but far better that any mutimedia speakers for PC.

These speakers are active (one of the spekers has amplifier), tall about 15 inches, weight some more that usual computer speakers.... off course they are not Mackie or Tannoy monitors.....

CABLE CONNECTION
My audio card has only unbalanced inputs, my mixer has balanced&unbalanced outputs, but I use unbalanced cables - the same as inputs on my sound card. Cable (double RCA) length is 1,8m. It is good thick cable. I also used the setup: balanced outputs at mixer and unbalanced inputes at soundcard (using balanced<->unbalanced adapters at mixer) but honestly it didn't improve much.... if anything.

I use 2 RCA cables which go into 2 RCA inputs of soundcard which in fact is stereo - and my soundcard has only RCA inputs. I know that 3.5" JACK balanced cables have extra hot wire (2 wires in total) inside and shield (RCAs have 1 hot and shield) so one wire transmits signal and second transmits signal reversed. So if any interference happens onthe way, both wires get inteference but at the end the singals are summed (normal and reversed) so there is no interference in theory. RCA have 1 wire and shield, so they are more likely to get interference. But do you think this can colour the singal so muddy? I don't get any pops or cracks from that.

NOTICE
But what I noticed is that when I use balanced output at mixer and unbalanced inputs at soundcard (only choice) playing with mixer EQ does really change the sound. Earlier when I was connected all unbalanced, playing with EQ on mixer really didn't changed anything... But I am still half balanced (balanced at mixer, un- at soundcard).

Guitar plugged into Mixer (DI-Input, 300k resistance), analog mixer connected with RCA cables (good quality cables) to soundcard, soundcard equipped with ASIO 2.0 compatible M-audio driver (Cubase, Guitar Rig), soundcard output to speakers with RCA cables.

Here is how it is all connected (blue means input black output, letters to indicate signal flow direction):



But my problem is (and I try to investigate is since long time) that the sound I am getting from Guitar Rig 3/Amplitube is not satysfying. Not mentioning hi-gain recto's. I do not expect to get sound of 2000$ Mesa head, but what I'm getting is harshy distortion, even the lighter one. My Ibanez has V8/S1/V7 pickups that are not the best, but better that INFs mounted on korean ones. I have analog preamp. M-audio (soundcard) makes good stuff. So maybe my speakers are the reason? Should I replace them with studio monitors? But anyway what I discovered muddy signal can come into my PC.

CLEAN RECORDING
I recorded clean guitar without any VST in cubase, and played it after that (because playing while recording makes you hear your strings anyhow). I didn't touch mixer's onboard EQ (12 o'clock default HI MID LOW).

And the result is not satysfying I would say.

Here I put my recording in 5 pickup positions (japanese IBANEZ RG1570)
1) HB bridge Ibanez V8
2) SC Ibanez S1 + half of HB bridge Ibanez V8
3) SC Ibanes S1
4) SC Ibanez S1 + half of HB neck Ibanez V7
5) HB neck Ibanez V7

MY RECORDING
(it is Polish site but just press play in the flash player - I played the simple chords). Well it means Cubase gets this and GR3/AT2 can't make heaven out of it. I don't know if there are some ways to tweak cubase for incoming signal, I doubt.

Then I googled for my mixer review and I found its review on Polish site (english translation: Przemko-Mjuzik (Compact 4 review)) and the person that reviewed that device was using the same soundcard as I (M-Audio 24/96 Audiophile) and the same RCA unballanced cables, even longer (3 meters).

And the sound recorded but not from Ibanez but from Fender Stratocaster is like that:
RECORDING ON THE SAME DEVICES (Polish site, just press play in flash player).

Difference, huhhhhhh? The sound is open and crispy. I know fender has 3 single coils. But maybe they are better quality.

I also connected headphones to mixer monitoring section (AKG Studio K271 ~250$ in cost) THESE and I fell like the sound is better there, although it is hard to predict, these are headphones. But like the muddyness is somehow gone especially on single coil and single coil mixed with halfs of humbuckers.

Any ideas? I don't want to swap my guitar, which is realy nice to play (in terms of playability & feel in hand) it is anyhow better that chepaest Ibanezes, maybe stock pickups don't shine, but swapping them, also costs, and still why headphones are much better than Cubase recording? Maybe it is all about unbalanced connection? But you can hear the guy that recorded clean guitar using the same mixer, unbalanced cables and the same audiocard..... damn I'm tired to get good basic sound our of my guitar.

Any clues? Suggestions? I will appreciate.

Sorry for the longness of this post, but I have no clue what to do.

Regards,
Tom