Help with Grace Design Alix Preamp??

[JGarofalo3]

Greetings!

Finally gave my acoustic board an upgrade (I actually run my electric and acoustic chains on one board). I stumbled upon Alix while ISO a clean boost I wound up re-doing my board and buying the Alix. A phenomenal piece of gear I am struggling to dial in a super clean warm (yet bright) tone. I keep getting grit so any experience, help, suggestions is GREATLY appreciated.

For context:

I play in an acoustic duo/solo act and am also rhythm guitar & co-lead vocals in a regionally touring country/beach-ish tribute project.

My primary guitar is a Takamine EF341 augmented with the CTP-3 cool, tube preamp. I use EB Earthwood Light Phos Bronze strings

I play through the mixer/PA for shows and in my home studio I plug directly into my JBL IRX speakers.

My board is strung as such:
Guitar---->Alix---->Fender Smolder OD---->LR Baggs Session Chorus------------>Fishman Acoustiverb Rever------>Alix-----> PA Mixer/speaker

I hope this help - I am not super tech savvy but not a novice either.

Thanks in advance for any help

JG3

[Doug Young]

I'd start by removing the extra effects from the effects loop (I assume that's what you mean by your signal chain), just while diagnosing. See if things sound ok with Alix alone.

Alix is a super-clean studio-grade preamp, so it's going to amplify what you have and not color the tone, so if you don't like what you hear, and can't dial in the sound you want to the tone controls, then I'd suspect your pickup as the culprit.

What you are plugging into matters as well, of course, the sound you're not liking could also be your PA.

If you can get Alix to sound good alone, then add your other effects back into the effects loop one-by-one and see how that goes.

[JGarofalo3]

Thanks. I think I may have actually read the manual of the JBL speaker as its really only gain and volume but those settings could very well be the culprits along with the preamp in my guitar. Not sure if the other 3 pedals in the chain are off how that would aversely effect the tone of Alix but I agree I need to isolate. Appreciate you taking the time to respond

[Doug Young]

If the other pedals are off AND are true-bypass, then they're probably not contributing. Regardless, as a diagnostic step, what I do is eliminate variables. Often something that "can't be" ends actually to "be". So I take things step by step to narrow down the possibilities.

[JGarofalo3]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Often something that "can't be" ends actually to "be". So I take things step by step to narrow down the possibilities.

100% the truth brother

[Chipotle]

I have an Alix and have no problem getting a nice clean tone. Guitar is a Composite Acoustics GX with Fishman Aura pickup. My usual chain is:

Guitar > Alix > (fx loop: Mooer Yellow comp > TC HoF2 reverb) > DI out to PA.

PA is usually a Behringer XR18 mixer and QSC K10.2 speakers, but I've also run it to other FoH setups with no problem.

Like Doug said, start with just the Alix and go from there. Try the Alix direct to the JBLs, and make sure the speakers are set properly. Are you using the Alix DI out or the Amp out? Try the opposite output. I'd also see if you can find something to plug in to besides the JBLs and see if things are any better. You might even try another guitar, to eliminate the possibility that the pickup/preamp are culprits.

Edited to add: I looked up the CTP-3. Never heard of an onboard tube preamp before! Could it be that the preamp itself is a bit gritty, and you're only now hearing it because the Alix is so transparent?

[JGarofalo3]

Thanks! I suspect its a combination of the JBL setting and the tube preamp in the guitar that is causing my issue. WIll be working on/with that today and will report back

[mondoslug]

I'd go with Doug's advice first, if I'm reading it correctly that you have your FX in the FX loop?. Pull everything out of the FX loop first and try it as is. You probably know that there's a little jumper inside for the FX loop. It's easy to overdrive the thing if not set "correctly". I have one.

And if that's not it...hope you are able to figure it out!