Favorite DI/Modeler for recording guitar?

E

EveningSky

New member
Hi,
I desire to try to escape some of the problems inherent in micing guitar speakers in my home by recording directly into my computer.
I was considering some of the products from Line6, Boss, Rocktron, Vox, etc.
I especially like those with a digital out signal, so that I do not have to deal with A/D conversion.
What is the experience with the readership of the BB?
Do any of you have favorites you could share with me?
Thank you,
ES
 
Line6 Pod. I have a client who uses his regularly for recording and gets excellent results.

But like any other piece of signal processing gear, what you get out of it depends upon how well you learn how to use it outside of it's preset settings. The more this guy uses it and the more he learns how to tune it well past it's presets, the better and better his results get.

G.
 
EveningSky said:
Hi,
I desire to try to escape some of the problems inherent in micing guitar speakers in my home by recording directly into my computer.
I was considering some of the products from Line6, Boss, Rocktron, Vox, etc.
I especially like those with a digital out signal, so that I do not have to deal with A/D conversion.
What is the experience with the readership of the BB?
Do any of you have favorites you could share with me?
Thank you,
ES
Click to expand...

The only thing I have found is no longer made. It is the Korg Toneworks 411fx box. I did a whole album with it and people keep asking me how I got the guitar sounds. If you find one used, jump on it or I will. I could always use another one.

This box is the real deal and is the one I use all the time. Makes guitar tracks easy and very powerful sounding.
 
chessrock said:
No, they pretty much all suck ass.

.
Click to expand...

As direct and negative as this response sounds... he is telling the truth. I would have to agree that those amp modelers suck. I was looking for a DI box for my guitar for a few weeks now and I have come to the conclusion that the only way to record guitar the way you want it is to mic your favorite amp. I tried a Vox tonelab this past weekend and it just doesnt sound good to me. Too digital and processed. Takes away too much of the guitars original tone IMO. The absolute worst amp modeler I've tried is the line 6 spider amp. Terrible. If the pod uses the same technology as its cousin amp... ouch.

Now for bass that is a different story. I've been happy with my Sansamp bass DI :)
 
i have to disagree on the line 6 spider amps......my guitar player has one and i mic it with my ldc mic and it sounds great.....now if you're talking about going direct...then thats another story.
 
i've heard great things about the sansamp psa 1(or 1.1). Check out the sound samples on their site. Also the huges and kettner(or something like that) tubeman 2 (3 is out now) sounds really good too.
 
the new guitar rig 2 is by far one of the best i've heard. If you don't believe me, go check out native instruments site and hear the samples they have on there. The program covers just about every option you could possibly have when trying to emulate a specific guitar tone. It also has a di plugin for bass and vocals. You basically have a lot of options, and it's something you should tryout atleast once. If there's anything else you want to know about it, let me know because I just bought the newest version of it. take care

mat
 
what are the computer recommendations for guitar rig2? i'm considering it. Would 1 gig of ram be enough? Or should I really have 2 gigs? I'm also planning on getting drumkit from hell superior. Now if I had both those I would probably definately need 2 gigs then right?
 
Thank you to all respondants

I have heard both good and bad about Line6 products. I would be curious to try.
Some respondants appear to pursue an exact mimic of a read amp with mic'ed speaker.
I am just looking for good and pleasing sound, and a simple way to get this sound into my computer.
I like the sound-out features of the Podxt pro with AES/EUB outs at sampling rates of up to 96k.
What experiences have respondants had with recording digital out signals from this preamp?
I have also reviewed the Rocktron Professy; no digital outs however, no headphone out.
Yours,
ES
 
Guitar rig

PS. I tried a demo of Guitar rig. I thought it had a fascinating interface and features. My Mac crashed while using it, and I was not so thrilled by the sound, but I did not experiment enough with the settings to fairly judge it. Impressive interface and features, no doubt.
ES
 
EveningSky said:
I have heard both good and bad about Line6 products. I would be curious to try.
Some respondants appear to pursue an exact mimic of a read amp with mic'ed speaker.
I am just looking for good and pleasing sound, and a simple way to get this sound into my computer.
Click to expand...
I can only comment on the Pod first-hand ("I have heard that..." posts are only rumor and hearsay), but I gotta say that it gets waaaaay too bad a rap on these boards. Put bluntly, most folks that bum rap them fall into one of three categories:

1) They haven't actually learned how to use them as modelers yet, they just switch to the Marshall preset and plug in some headphones, decide it doesn't sound on presets in headphones that much like a live Marshall set to eleven, and then move on. Using a modeler is like using an EQ or a compressor; presets suck and the instrument only shines as bright as the person twiddling the knobs. It also - just like any other instrument - sounds entirely different when used in a mix than when soloed on phones.

or

2) They listen to and work with BOTH kinds of music, metal and heavier metal. There is no substitute for live amps live miked for some kinds of music; of that there is no doubt. For the rest of the musical world, however, there is pleny of quality use for amp modeling that sounds just great.

or

3.) They haven't actually ever used one, but the running rumor of "conventional wisdom" on these boards is that modelers suck, so they just parrot that rumor.

If you want something that sounds like a pure Marshall stack rattling your mother's windows and nothing else will do, dude, there is no substitute for a Marshall stack. Period.

If, however, you simply want a variety of good electric guitar sounds and are willing to actually learn how to use the device as more than a guitar tuner, a modeler like a Pod can be very useful.

Especially if there is no Marshal stack in your future.

G.
 
I agree Southside...most people that dog things haven't twiddled with the knobs quite enough to know what they can actually get out of their gear...I have used with much success "junk" gear that friends have given to me, simply by playing around with it.

My suggestion is this...if you can't afford a POD, get yourself a nice little DI (they're pretty inexpensive these days), and some software. I would recommend Izotope Trash. It has amazing functionality, and some of the most interesting modeling and distortion sounds I have ever heard.
 
Well I personally used a Line 6 Guitar Port for 2 years now. Never did me wrong. But I am a shitty guitar player, so what do I know? Im hungry.....
 
Todzilla said:
Whatsa difference between a re-amp box and a passive DI box in reverse?
Click to expand...
Some of them have volume controls for managing the level you are sending back into the amp. They are built for this specific purpose so the impedances and levels tend to be a better match.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top