Guitar Recording - Amp Miking or DI?

Mish

Mish

New member
I suppose it's a very broad question, but I'd be mega-glad to hear some first-hand experiences before I decide whether to invest into a chain of effects processors, or a better amp + a good dynamic microphone.

The thing is, as opposed to miking an amp, I'm very happy with my guitar tone recorded thru mixer. But, I have a crappy amp (Marshall MG30), and a *very* crappy chinese mike. The sound is bad as it is coming from that lowest-range solid-state, and it doesn't get better.

However I had used tube Marshall amp in studios and my guitar sounded brilliant. So I have a dilemma. On one hand, if I get a good amp say, Marshall JVM205 I could also use it for gigging in the future. On the other hand, for that money I could get v-amp pro, 31 band equalizer and a tube pre, which I could use for any other intrument/vocals, hell even some of it for mastering.


I'd probably go for the later anyway, but it would be great to hear some alternative opinions on this.
 
To me it's a no-brainer:

You'll definitely make money gigging, you probably won't make money recording and mastering yourself.

G.
 
Awhile back, I did a guitar part twice, one track DI'd thru a Vox ToneLab SE and the other track with a 57 on the cab and A/B'd em.

There was no comparison. Against the mic/cab, the DI was fairly lifeless and kinda muffled. And the Vox is a pretty decent modeler. It just paled when put side by side.

If you add up that dullness with 3 or 4 other DI' trax............know what I mean?

Mic it baby. You'll dig it. :D
 
I second, third or whatever number I am on the list. Mic it. An SM57 is fairly inexpensive. Get yourself a good pre and that amp, and you won't be disappointed.
 
eyema_believer said:
Get both....
Click to expand...

Ha, in the perfect world!

Rokket said:
I second, third or whatever number I am on the list. Mic it. An SM57 is fairly inexpensive. Get yourself a good pre and that amp, and you won't be disappointed.
Click to expand...


Well looks like you guys have clued me in. One thing though, newbish question again but - why get a preamp if I'm going to get the amp head :confused:

Or you mean like a pre for a microphone?
 
Def. get the amp. and a sm57.


From your other posts i know you have distortion so you could even get like a black heart or epi valve jr. so you can get that tube tone and crunch
 
Just another vote for a better amp and micing it. Get an amp that has the sound you like and mic it to get that sound on your recordings. I don't mean to imply that you shouldn't ever use a DI to record, just that IMO micing an amp is a better way to get better guitar sounds on your recordings. Your MG30 should even sound better recorded through a decent mic (SM57 or other mic of choice) than it does recorded DI.
 
i like the ev635 for guitar amps and you can find them for way less than a 57.

i agree - the amp needs to be changed - but when you do - also do a DI or another mic. I have been having good luck using either a crappy DI track or a "crappy" sounding mic placed in the back of the amp in a towel and blending them...first in mono to check phase - then spread them in stereo.

good trick and cheap to do.

also - your amp doesn't have to be a top of the line thing...something like a fender pro jr is pretty brilliant compared to a really bad solid state thang.

Mike
 
My 2¢

I don't have one, but samples and talk I've heard say that a Fender Superchamp would work pretty well. Modeling power, but with tube tone.
 
i agree, get a nice amp and a decent mic. sm58/57 is a good inexpensive choice that you can also use for vocals and drums and whatever else you can think of.

i have recently taken to both miking and DI-ing (from the amp) and either using both or choosing the best and deleting the other. i nearly always stick 2 mics in front of a source nowadays.
 
I have a shit load of modelers and some nice amps. Hands down, just about any mic in front of an amp ALWAYS sounds better than the modelers. Not that I don't use the modelers. They're a tool and they all have their place. But all things being equal, a good amp miked up always sounds the best in my experience (tube OR solid state).
 
Funny thing, it's totally foolish but I'm for no apparent reason prejudiced against fender amps, probably because I associate them with 70s rock and blues (which is SO not my style). I played thru loads of fenders and I used Tube SuperSonic as my practice amp in university. They're good amps, but I can't get this stupid prejudice out of my hand anytime I play them!


I want to try this Blackheart thing coz I've read really great reviews about it on harmony central. Thing is though I'm not sure they have them in the UK, and I wouldn't want to order a cat in a bag. Can be a black pony, or it can be 100% that doesn't suit me. The logo of that Blackheart looks damn frigging sweet though ! (emo music, what can I say:cool: ).


I'm definately gonna get a good amplifier now. Alil more expences, considering this Sure mike and a good pre on top of that, but it beats spending even half of that money on something I might have ended up being disappointed with. Thanks for the feedback!
 
elly-d said:
i agree, get a nice amp and a decent mic. sm58/57 is a good inexpensive choice that you can also use for vocals and drums and whatever else you can think of.

i have recently taken to both miking and DI-ing (from the amp) and either using both or choosing the best and deleting the other. i nearly always stick 2 mics in front of a source nowadays.
Click to expand...

Actually that gave me another thing to consider.. Is it harder to overdub/multitrack while miking the amp as opposed to DI recording? Coz obviously with the later you can just run the sound source into control room and record as many tracks as you want.

With the microphone being infront of the rampaging amp, how do listen to the control room without making it bleed into the mike :| ?

I suppose I can send mic signal and pre-recorded tracks into the mixer and record with headphones on, but doesn't the volume of the amp you "hear" outside the phones screw it all up?
 
A set of closed back headphones. But the bleed from your cans isn't gonna do anything to your recording. Your mic will probably be right up on the grill (if you get a 57) and that little bit of bleed isn't gonna be enough for the mic to even pick up.

Hope it helps.
 
I never DI guitar. I've never really heard a DI sound that I liked. I don't even like that dead DI sound on RHCP Californication CD. I know he probably DIDN'T DI, but that's what it reminds me of. And I love John Fusciante's guitar work just for the record. But as for DI and the sound on that CD... BLEHHHH!
 
Buy your Marshall, and then spend $49 at Musicians friend on a Line6 toneport DI. Not to replace your amp, but just as another tool. That's what I recorded this little ditty with, in about a half hour, start to finish.... You couldn't even barely get an amp miced up in a half hour...


~Shawn
 
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