Amp into Recording Device?

Novice1345

New member
I’m recording in an apartment so I can’t turn my amp up loud enough to get a good mic’d sound. Is it possible to plug my amplifier into my recording device? If so, how would I do this? I’m using a Peavey Classic 30 amp and I record with a Tascam US 16 x 08.
The reason I want to use the amp is because I replaced and upgraded the spring reverb in the classic 30 and it sounds fantastic for my music (washy/surfy) so I’d prefer to use that for guitar reverb rather than onboard effects or reverb pedals.
Can’t I just plug the speaker out into the instrument input? I read the Behringer Ultra G might be an option but I’m not clear why that would be necessary if I run the speaker out from my amp to the instrument input of the Tascam. I don’t care about speaker or room emulation, really. I want the reverb from my amp and the character of the amp itself to come direct in.
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!
 
***** Do not plug into a 'speaker out' unless you can be sure the output transformer is properly loaded. ***** Bad things can happen to tube amps if a speaker or load is not connected.

You can try running an instrument cable from the Classic 30 effects "SEND" jack to a line input on the US16x08. This taps the signal just before the power amp, so it will have the reverb as well as the EQ section of the preamp. Set the amp volume low to start with as well as the gain on the interface. This does not cut out operation of the power amp and the speaker, so you'll still have sound from the amp. If you don't want to hear the speaker insert a 1/4" plug into the "RETURN" jack to break the connection of preamp to power amp.
This method won't sound as good as micing the amp, but might be good enough.
 
The Ultra G is just the ticket BUT you must leave the speaker in circuit as a load. As Mark says, you must never run a valve amplifier without a load of around + or- 50% of nominal and of adequate power rating, in anycase the potential voltage from a speaker jack could easily bugger a line or instrument input. There are however operational problems with this procedure since you need the DI box AND speaker connected to the same source. How to do?

Maybe the amp has multiple speaker jacks for different speaker impedances? If so, easy peasy. Speaker goes into the "right" jack and the DI box goes into any other. Set the Ultra G to its maximum attenuation and get a good tone from the amp. Do you get a good recording signal? If not, crank the attenuation back until you do.

No spare speaker jack? You will need either a jack splitter box, easy to make if you can solder, or a TS jack cable with "croc clips" at one end. These clip directly onto the speaker terminals. (this is all "old school" Stooodio practice!) That done, follow the attenuation regime above.

Neither of the above techniques will give you the sound of the speaker but will likely be better than the line out. As has been said, good results can be had from load boxes (aka Power Soaks) and speaker emulation filters but these things are expensive. If you can get a clean signal "in the can" you can chose from 100s of software plugs to further process the sound, many of them free!

The problem of getting a good,OD electric guitar sound recorded whilst not waking the chavvy next door is a perennial problem seen in recording forums week after week. Essentially there IS no substitute for a Smokin' Stack but people seem to get acceptable results anyway?

There is an Ext speaker jack but the manual does not make it clear if plugging in there disconnects the internal speaker. You can test this, power the amp up and put all controls to minimum. Now put Mk1 lug against the speaker and you should hear a bit of hiss and hum. Now plug a jack into the speaker skt, anything will do, a guitar lead sans guitar. Does the speaker go silent? If so, NBGood then. If not get the Behrry box!
Dave.
 
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There is an Ext speaker jack but the manual does not make it clear if plugging in there disconnects the internal speaker. You can test this, power the amp up and put all controls to minimum. Now put Mk1 lug against the speaker and you should hear a bit of hiss and hum. Now plug a jack into the speaker skt, anything will do, a guitar lead sans guitar. Does the speaker go silent? If so, NBGood then. If not get the Behrry box!
Dave.

Plugging into the 'Ext Speaker' jack does disable the internal speaker according to the amps schematic. Internal speaker is on the 16 ohm tap, external on the 8 ohm tap.
 

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There are however operational problems with this procedure since you need the DI box AND speaker connected to the same source. How to do?
Are you ok?

Most DI boxes, this is included, have a parallel jack right there specifically for the purpose of splitting things this way. That's at least half the point. In this case it even says "To Cabinet".

If this amp is built in such a way that the internal speaker is connected to the chassis via 1/4" cable, you just need another speaker cable. Otherwise hopefully they're on spade connectors. You could hack together a pair of adapter cables pretty quick. One speaker cable, hack it in half, add crimp on connectors to the loose ends but solder them anyway, make sure they're insulated from each other. If the speaker is soldered in, I'd say desolate and clean up the posts convert to spade connectors, and then build the adapters.

The actual correct answer here is to tap the FX loop, though. ;)
 
Plugging into the 'Ext Speaker' jack does disable the internal speaker according to the amps schematic. Internal speaker is on the 16 ohm tap, external on the 8 ohm tap.

Bugger!

The Torpedo is one of several such loads but as I said, pricey! One fortunate fact, 4X EL84 will struggle to exceed 40 watts so a 50 W load should be quite safe and not quite such card crippler and in any case, most valve amps "come on song" at about 30-50% of full chat.

Dave.
 
Are you ok?

Most DI boxes, this is included, have a parallel jack right there specifically for the purpose of splitting things this way. That's at least half the point. In this case it even says "To Cabinet".

If this amp is built in such a way that the internal speaker is connected to the chassis via 1/4" cable, you just need another speaker cable. Otherwise hopefully they're on spade connectors. You could hack together a pair of adapter cables pretty quick. One speaker cable, hack it in half, add crimp on connectors to the loose ends but solder them anyway, make sure they're insulated from each other. If the speaker is soldered in, I'd say desolate and clean up the posts convert to spade connectors, and then build the adapters.

The actual correct answer here is to tap the FX loop, though. ;)

Actually Ash' I am not! I have had a shocking cold and hacking cough for over a week. Just back from the Doc's and started on antibots.

Er? The jack paralleled in a standard DI box is designed to feed an amplifier input so the player can have mic level into AI and guitar into amp at the same time (and mic the amp as well if rqwird)

The Berry G box has optional attenuation on the input jack but I don't have the schematic so I don't know if it can carry a speaker level thru? It is rated capable to 3kW amps and that is far too much power to put through any jack (in fact 3kW at 8 Ohms is 155V and beyond jack ratings I would say?)

As I said, we had a box with crocs and a gash 30:1 (backwards) valve mic traff. Loooong before there were such things a "DI" boxes! Used it to pinch a recording feed from in house PAs in hotels and theatres.

Dave.
 
My apologies Ash, I have just downloaded the manual for the G box and yes, it seems the two jacks are linked and so if OP has a head and cab it will work (I STILL wouldn't put a kW thru it, leave alone three!)
Might be a bit of a faff with a combo? (wipes screen AGAIN)

Dave.
 
My apologies Ash, I have just downloaded the manual for the G box and yes, it seems the two jacks are linked...
Yeah, this one is pretty specifically designed to do this, but this is (or used to be) pretty common usage for a passive DI. As long as it's got a 20db pad, it will usually work fine.
 
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