Better to MIC amp than plug directly to mixer with no preamp?

J

Jeremy Clarkson

New member
When recording electric guitar, would it be play through a micd amp or plug directly into a mono track without using a preamp?

I'm using a behringer usb interface between my mixer and comp

And why, thanks!
 
Guitarists sometimes complain that they don't get the same mojo if they record directly to the interface/console. They spend lots of time to fiddle and tweak with their guitar, FX and amp to get the sound they like, and the sound is generally a synergy of those factors. Omitting the amp and cab may make a significant difference to the sound. On the other hand, mic'ing the amp requires some experimenting with mic placement, in order to capture the tone so lovingly created above.

So the short answer is - do what works for you. If you're happy with the sound you get going direct then no-one can really argue against that. If you have a sound you use live, and you want to capture that, you might be better off mic'ing the cabinet.

Paul
 
IMO, a lot of it depends on the type of sound you are after. Some guitarists like to record a clean electric direct in to the mixer so they get just the sound of the guitar and not the room. You'd probably still use a pre-amp, because the signal from the guitar is too weak to record directly. For a distorted guitar, most people prefer to mic the amp, because the speaker is an integral part of delivering the distorted sound. If you bypass that by recording direct, it's harder to get the bite and crunch you want. Of course, this also requires (1) a decent mic, and (2) an environment where you can turn the amp up loud enough to overdrive the speaker; that can be hard to come by.

Hope this helps,

David
 
I like guitar amp sims. I love to tweak sounds and swap out "cabinets" and "pedals" and what not with the click of a button. Amplitube 3 is a sound designers simulated wet dream. I'm not much of a guitar player though so maybe I don't have any mojo to capture with a live amp :(
 
+1 on the amp sims and lack of guitar mojo ...

Barking dogs and telephones aren't nearly as annoying with a direct setup ... Besides, I like to run through a noise gate when tracking guitar (I use a hardware DAW and a PodXT), which I can do without an external preamp if I eschew a mic.
 
The signature lead guitar part on Edwyn Collins A Girl Like You was apparently a Strat through a fuzz pedal straight into the desk - came out pretty well...

Personally it depends on environment - usually if I'm recording the guitar on its own I'll mic the amp, but if there are other instruments played at the same time I'll split the guitar, record one signal through a Pod and the other clean in case I want to reamp it later.
 
clivus said:
It just depends on what you are going for--I have heard great results using all of the possible methods of getting a signal into the recorder. I dig the variety!
Click to expand...

I agree that you can get great results sonically, but it still doesn't have the same feel, and feel affects the way something is played. I find that there's a slight disconnect using a sim. For example, you can't lean into a cranked sim and get feedback.
 
bouldersoundguy said:
I agree that you can get great results sonically, but it still doesn't have the same feel, and feel affects the way something is played. I find that there's a slight disconnect using a sim. For example, you can't lean into a cranked sim and get feedback.
Click to expand...

Yes you can. Turn your monitors up.
 
Greg_L said:
So let's see....American mid 50's black rhythm and blues music, and he's got his "mojo working".........so mojo is segregation?
Click to expand...

That's some "interesting" logic you use and conclusion you arrive at. :D

I was actually just kidding around, because the song talks about "mojo".

AFA what is "mojo"...?
It's just another word for charm/spell...and certainly, one can say that using a real tube amp has a certain charm/spell that a POD may not for some people.
It's similar to "vibe". Some things have a good vibe and some have a negative vibe.

IMO...if anyone gets a certain vibe or feels some mojo from a particular guitar or amp they use, or from a situation they are in, or from the environment that surrounds them...it's a valid observation to make and it can impact how they then react.
Getting a good vibe, or feeling some mojo from a tube amp, and thereby playing a certain way becuase if it is nothing unusual or odd.
 
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