VST distortion plugins make whoosh/howl noise. what am I doing wrong?

[frantic_fingers]

I am trying different VST distortion plugins, such as
compact distortion
devastator
drivefactor
gravel
marauder
Rdistortion
roktion 808
twin crusher

but they all make a horrid whoosh/howl noise. I try adjusting all the knobs and controls but it doesn't go away on any of them. this can't be right. what am I doing wrong?

[ere2learn]

Devastor is the only one i recognize, so, are you running your levels into it hot , on the default preset just moving the preamp to 10/11 o'clock adds a nice bit of distortion on some material

[thecontrolcentre]

they all make a horrid whoosh/howl noise. I try adjusting all the knobs and controls but it doesn't go away on any of them. this can't be right. what am I doing wrong?

What exactly are you doing? What audio are you distorting? Does the sound change at all when you change the settings? More specific info needed

[TIMT]

NM

[frantic_fingers]

I am using a Behringer UM-1 USB interface, normally with a guitar, but for checking audio levels I am using a keyboard because it has constant volume.

I notice weird things.

I plug the keyboard into Input 1 (mic level) and because that is meant for higher gain, it must be padded, because I have to turn up the input volume on the UM-1 all the way and it's still not very loud. however, the VST host has an onboard dB meter, which is pegged out. can't tell if that is 0.0 dB or more because no numbers on it, just a bar meter. so I run a vU meter plugin (maybe not calibrated correctly. bias set at -18 vU) and it says -4 vU.

so then I plug the keyboard into Input 2 (instrument level) and because it's meant for lower gain, I have to turn down the input volume on the UM-1 all the way, and it's still louder than the other setup, yet the VST host onboard dB meter is substantially less. the vU meter is substantially more, showing +3 vU.

the vU meter plugin seems correct while the VST host meter seems to be whacked.

so, to check input level when using the distortion plugins, I will use the keyboard in Line 1 (mic) of the UM-1 and rely on the vU meter plugin to tell me what input level there is, before the distortion in the plugin chain.

Roktion 808: input -4 vU, so much background noise it sounds like inside your mouth at the dentist's office. reduced VST host input from 0 to -6 dB, plugin vU meter now shows -18 vU, output and noise both get proportionally lower volume, but S/N ratio the same. on the Roktion 808 tried changing the gain 1, gain 2, EQ levels, buffer on/off, of course they have an effect but only what you would expect from an extremely noisy pedal. either a quiet clean tone or more noise with more distortion.

reset VST host input volume to 0 dB
plugin vU meter still shows -4 vU

Mokafix Audio Metal Clone (nice and simple): same level of background noise as the Roktion 808 only different character because it's a different pedal. reduced VST host input from 0 to -6 dB, plugin vU meter now shows -9 vU, not hearing any difference in sound volume or noise. reduced VST host input to -12 dB, plugin vU meter shows -18 to -19 vU, same reduction characteristics as the Roktion 808.

both distortion plugins are NOISY.

reduced UM-1 input level to half, no change in S/N ratio (pedal turned on). reduced to 0, keyboard silent but practically the same amount of background noise.

bypassing the distortion pedal results in clean keyboard audio and zero background noise, at any level of UM-1 input, with the VST host dB meter showing a little flutter. S/N ratio is excellent.

[thecontrolcentre]

[/i]

both distortion plugins are NOISY.

Distortion pedals are noisy in general ... proper gain staging is important.

[Davias]

I'm very not used into guitar n distortion, but I bought a cheap chinese guitar for fun, and I really really need a gate to supress the heavy background noises before even thinking to put any distortion after

[frantic_fingers]

I'm thinking about using a noise gate, maybe low and high pass filters too. but I shouldn't have to do that.

[frantic_fingers]

[/i]

both distortion plugins are NOISY.

Distortion pedals are noisy in general ... proper gain staging is important.

not like this. it's ridiculous.

[osiris]

I had a bad noise on a track. Sounded like a pre amp pushed way too hot. Turned everything down. Still that electrical hum. Surprisingly what seemed to work was Dither. And not just slap on a Dither, but Izotope Dither which has a lot of settings. Whatever I did, when I hit one setting, the hum went away. I will remember this trick and see if it works again.

[frantic_fingers]

I tried a noise gate in front of the distortion, and that didn't help because you can still hear the whoosh/hiss/howl behind the note, which becomes quite apparent as the note decays and the noise does not. I could set the release as short as a note to cut off the noise after that, but obviously notes are going to be all different lengths so that is not a solution.

next I tested the distortion itself. I clamped down on the noise gate so all background noise was cut (using a spectrum analyzer plugin to verify), and the Roktron 808 (noisiest of them all) was making zero noise.

then I inserted a keyboard plugin between the noise gate and the Roktron 808, and found that it was making no whoosh/hiss/howl whatsoever. only a distorted keyboard and nothing else.

which sounded awesome by the way. someone needs to start a heavy metal band with distorted keyboards. could possibly replace guitars if the keyboardist is good enough.

so the whoosh/hiss/howl must be generated by the distortion from the low background noise that I get when using the keyboard (into Line 1 of the UM-1 USB interface) or the interface itself.

it's not the sound driver because I tried direct sound vs. ASIO and no change.

I unplugged the keyboard and still get background noise and when the distortion is turned on, get the whoosh/hiss/howl.

so it must be the USB interface.

shutdown the VST host, unplugged the USB interface, started VST host and played the keyboard plugin through distortion absolutely free of whoosh at any volume level.

it was the USB interface.

[frantic_fingers]

bypassing the distortion pedal results in clean keyboard audio and zero background noise, at any level of UM-1 input, with the VST host dB meter showing a little flutter. S/N ratio is excellent.

there wan't zero background noise, there was some, and it was the cause of the problem

[frantic_fingers]

I bought a Line 6 Guitar Port. problem solved.
the Behringer has way too much background noise.

[Ah_Dziz]

Powered USB interfaces can pick up all kinds of bad noise.