Guitar without Amp Sim

Louie Louie

New member
Lads,

I’ve been in a struggle with my amp sims (guitar rig 5 and amplitube 4). I just can’t find the tone I want. So, I was wondering if any of you already recorded an electric guitar straight in the audio interface (without amp sim and DI). I’ve already tried but the sound was a bit poor. Added some eq, compressions, reverb and echo, but there is still something missing. Any tips? Experiences?

Cheers!
 
Are you asking for people's Guitar DI tracks or Guitar Amp Sim help? Google is your friend if you're looking for DI tracks, heck look at URM or NTM as they usually send out free DI tracks for you to mess around with. It's hard to know what you feel is missing in your current Amp Sims however, maybe you just need to try some different IRs if you don't like the final "tone" of your Amp Sim. Turn off the Sims Cab section and download NadIR to run your own IRs. STL Tones just released Ignite Amps Emissary 2.0 with NadIR 2.0 including some free IRs for free recently... try that?
 
Well thought, mate. Indeed, I've only tried Guitar Rig 5 and Amplitube 4. Maybe other amp sims have what I want. I just assume that those two were the top ones and that wouldn't have better options.

However, I was actually thinking about not using DI, or amp/cabinet sim at all. My question was if someone already did it. Recording only the pure guitar sound, running it through the audio interface into the DAW, and nothing else. What do you think about that?
 
The pure guitar sound into your audio interface into your DAW with nothing else *is* the DI. DI is Direct Input... it's the sound that comes directly from your Guitar's pickups. If you want to mix a recording with Raw DI guitars as your sound... I don't think many people would find it appealing in a mix.
 
I don’t think so neither. Sounds like crap. And I meant without using a proper DI Box for the guitar, like Radial Pro or something like that. Anyways, keep on working. Thanks mate.
 
If your interface has a 1/4" input with a INST switch, then you don't need a DI - it's built into the interface. About the only reason for a DI is to send a clean signal a long distance (with balanced cable connections), perhaps to record a dry guitar/bass for mixing, or possible re-amping later. But, just about every electric guitarist would want to record a track that sounds like the guitar being played through an amp, whether by using a sim, external box, like a POD/Helix/Bias FX/etc.

You should be able to get something decent with those sims - maybe not what you're looking for, but I played around with amplitube on my iPhone actually, and thought it was fairly usable, if limited. (Never bought all the extra amp packs/apps.)

P.S. When I was using my POD HD, there were tons of presets on the internet to download and play with. I would think there's the same thing for Amplitube and Guitar Rig?
 
I have successfully recorded direct without an amp sim and have gotten acceptable tracks without amp sims by using channel strip emulations or any plug in with analog saturation/overdrive modeling. The Waves TG12345, Omni channel and Kramer HLS can all be overdriven, most all the Soundtoys stuff has saturation and just the Decapitator by itself sounds great. The analog eq emulations by softtube , waves and arturia all have inputs that can be overdriven to get good tone ie: the 1073 and trident a range emus. Running through multiple plugins with saturation is where its at for the best results. I will always prefer to mic a good amp, but I have found when necessary it can be done ITB. Try Bluecats free amp sim, test waves PRS emulations too. Running through a gain pedal can change the tone as will using an active direct box . Note: the guitars basic tone has a huge affect on the what can be done in or out of the box. Different guitars often need different methods to sound there best.
 
Figures that after posting on this thread, I'd see an example of something that goes against everything previously stated. Rick Beato just broke down The Doors' song "Touch Me" in which the guitar track was recorded DI straight into the desk. So... go ahead and feel free to use whatever you feel is best. ;)
 
Figures that after posting on this thread, I'd see an example of something that goes against everything previously stated. Rick Beato just broke down The Doors' song "Touch Me" in which the guitar track was recorded DI straight into the desk. So... go ahead and feel free to use whatever you feel is best. ;)

The Beatles did it all the time which is why i suggested the TG12345 and other emu's
 
Mates, thank you all for the replies.
Yes, Guitar Rig and Amplitube are great simulators. However, I guess my struggle was about the project itself.
I mean, when I was recording voice, double track guitars, bass and midi drums, the sims worked perfectly. However, now I’m engaged in a voice & guitar only project - Billy Bragg/Jeff Buckley style, do you know what I mean?
That’s when I felt the sims were not doing a good job anymore. It just doesn’t work.
As for DI, I guess I just don’t have the knowledge and skills to make it sound good enough just yet. Need to improve it and understand how it works with my guitar, my pickups and my style of playing.
Anyway, thanks a million, one more time. Once I achieve a nice result, I share with you lads.
Cheers!
 
Well, different guitars are going to sound a lot different. Not specifically familiar with those artists but a quick poke around YT and it seems like a single coil sound into a clean amp, which is not far from a DI sound back in the 60s, since you were effectively going through tube preamp stages anyway. Obviously that only works with certain styles where the guitar sound outweighs the amp/fx.

What guitar and amp-sims are you trying and what's the reference?
 
Yup. Jeff Buckley played mainly a fender tele (through a 65 twin reverb and, sometimes, in a stereo dual rig with a mesa dual rectifier). Billy Bragg plays some custom boutique guitars, mainly t-style or jaguar style (through a fender hot rod deville, I guess).

I have Gretsch G5425, with two Gretsch Dual-coil Humbuckers. Usually, I play in middle bridge/neck positions, volume and tone dialed half way. Strings are D’addario nickel 0.10, adjusted in average action. I play mostly full open or bar chords, with loose rhythmic strumming and some licks - oh, and use a lot of capo (at least half of my songs, capo on 5th or 3th fret).
I was aiming for something close to a folk-country guitar style, but with an alternative rock (almost) clean tone.

I’ve tried everything with my amp sims, but even with an excellent room simulator (as in Amplitube) it stills sound artificial. I guess it is because there is nothing else happening besides de voice and guitar, so it is realy easy to realize the digital simualtion.

Moreover, I’m recording just one guitar track, panning 50% left and sending the signal to an auxiliary channel with a slap echo, panned hard right. Vocal is in the middle and everything is routed to an ambience channel with some small room reverb.

So, it is really a challenge for my newbie skills to make it sound good.

Good news is that I just trade my old $70 les paul for a Fender Frontman 30w. I guess now that I’m going to be able to record the guitar amp, even a cheap low budget one, I’m going to have more possibilities.
 
Yup. Jeff Buckley played mainly a fender tele (through a 65 twin reverb and, sometimes, in a stereo dual rig with a mesa dual rectifier). Billy Bragg plays some custom boutique guitars, mainly t-style or jaguar style (through a fender hot rod deville, I guess).

I have Gretsch G5425, with two Gretsch Dual-coil Humbuckers. Usually, I play in middle bridge/neck positions, volume and tone dialed half way. Strings are D’addario nickel 0.10, adjusted in average action. I play mostly full open or bar chords, with loose rhythmic strumming and some licks - oh, and use a lot of capo (at least half of my songs, capo on 5th or 3th fret).
I was aiming for something close to a folk-country guitar style, but with an alternative rock (almost) clean tone.

I’ve tried everything with my amp sims, but even with an excellent room simulator (as in Amplitube) it stills sound artificial. I guess it is because there is nothing else happening besides de voice and guitar, so it is realy easy to realize the digital simualtion.

Moreover, I’m recording just one guitar track, panning 50% left and sending the signal to an auxiliary channel with a slap echo, panned hard right. Vocal is in the middle and everything is routed to an ambience channel with some small room reverb.

So, it is really a challenge for my newbie skills to make it sound good.

Good news is that I just trade my old $70 les paul for a Fender Frontman 30w. I guess now that I’m going to be able to record the guitar amp, even a cheap low budget one, I’m going to have more possibilities.

Double tracking is your friend in getting good tone at times. Also DI benefits from being full on volume, the tone controls not so much. Which is why a powered DI can be useful to use guitar with the volume pots rolled back. Dont forget, eq is your friend in cases like this. So are saturation plugins , used sparingly add harmonic richness, not distortion.
 
I won't say a powered DI or not is good. I don't use them.

But I would go with Gtoboy on, EQ, reverb, delay, (you pick from whatever). Back in the analog days, a good amps was pretty important to get the sound going in, I mean to many, it still is, but really, it is an electrical signal that one is trying to get a sound out of, so you really don't "need" an amp sim. It just makes it easier or maybe get that "sound".

Try it, what do you have to lose, you already have a dry signal. Plus, it will always sound different based on what you are mixing to.
 
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