New user with Muddy ER11

[1960lespaul]

Gotcha. Amp outputs it is!!

[singtall]

1/4" outputs are instrument level.

xlr outputs are line level.

if you need to drive your power amp harder, and your power amp is designed to run line (which most are), then running xlr is the only way to drive your amp to full power.

if you are running the eleven rack into the front of a guitar amp, then please use only the 1/4" outputs.

there is absolutely nothing wrong or odd about this. this is just simple info. anyone doesn't believe me, look it up.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by singtall

1/4" outputs are instrument level.

That is simply not true as an overall statement. While they are ofter referred to as "instrument level" the output levels of amp1/amp2 are adjustable and can certainly be turned up hotter than "instrument" and should be enough to drive the power amp/FX loop return of most amps (and the developers are not stupid and clearly intended these outputs to drive the FX loop return (where one is available) rather than the instrument input of amps).

I have trouble believe that an Eleven Rack with proper internal volume/level settings including the amp1/amp2 output levels is not enough to drive an amp. What amp are you driving with amp1 and amp2? With what amp1/amp2 output level? And with what amp sim output level?

I've got a Fender Hotrod Deluxe sitting in front of me and the Eleven Rack can easy to drive the amp1 input into the FX loop return much hotter than needed.

Of course you are welcome to drive any amp with whatever output you want but to claim amp1/amp2 won't drive stuff hard enough is umm pretty surprising. And again by all means share with us all the rig settings components and volume levels and what exact amp your are driving.

[Darryl Ramm]

And since its sitting in front of me, nothing actually beats measuring the levels...

To get an quick and dirty idea of maximum output levels I drove the Eleven Rack reamp input with the digirack signal generator plugin at 1kHz at -30dB. Dialed up the Plexiglas 50 W sim with 4x12 green 20 Cab sim and nothing else in the rig with amp1 position set at the rig output. Amp output, Main out and amp1 outputs levels all dimed. Then I turned up the amp sim vol1/vol2 gains until the the digial output level back to Pro Tools roughly maximized (both knobs around #4), all other amp settings at 12 o'clock. Then bunged a scope on the main outputs and amp1 outputs.

The amp1 "instrument level" max output is 2.3 VAC p-p. (that's a damn hot "instrument").

The Main Out L XLR output is 3.1 VAC p-p signal to ground and 6.5 VAC p-p differential.

All voltages open circuit.

So the Main Output single sided voltage what matters if you are diving any normal guitar power amp/amp FX returns) in this is only 20 log10 (2.3/3.1) = 2.5 dB. And at these lecels unlikely to make any difference between being able to drive a power-amp hot enough or not. Especially if using an actual valve guitar power amp, which are typically generous with the included gain/level adjustments (the Mesa Boogie and Marshall power amp rack boxes I can think of at least..).