Best way of putting effects on a guitar

[fletch1988]

Hi

I'm quite new to recording, just a query.

I am going to be recording an epiphone les paul electric guitar, and will want to use various effects on it - is the best way to do this by using an effects pedal or multi effects processor (connected to the amp which is connected to the mixer, then into the soundcard) or is it best to use various plugins to get the desired effect once it is recorded?

Thanks

 

[guitarplayr82]

This is an issue of personal preference. Either way will work the same. You could even do a combination of both effect pedals and software effects. I will say one thing, though: software effects you can have more control over when you're mixing and they can be better if you need to sync a timed effect to the tempo of a song. They are also more forgiving in the sense that you can easily undo a software effect or modify the settings on a software effect whereas if you record with an effect box the effect will be stuck on the recording forever. However, there are some effect boxes that you may want to use rather than using a software effect. For example, a wah or whammy pedal you might want to use an effect box for rather than a software effect because it can be easier to control the effect with a real effect box and it can help to get the feel of the song if you use the effect while tracking.

 

[ranjam]

This is one more example of why I am 'weird'. I just believe that I play 'differently' with the effect now as opposed to playing clean and adding a plug in later. Maybe I'm the only one? Plus, I figured out to save CPU I always record the effect as a pedal into the amplifier. For me it's win-win, but you might be 'normal' and can play what you want to hear with an effect 'later'. I don't know, but this is just my 2¢.

 

[ocnor]

It doesn't need to be one way or the other. With a little creative routing you can listen to a wet signal while recording dry and/or wet. It's always better to be able to change effect settings later during mixing instead of being stuck with an unusable track.

 

[John Sheehan]

+1 I consider myself a Guitar Vst whore but also love a bunch of my pedals.That and I like to keep a dry signal recording of all my guitar tracking for backups regardless of whether or not I plan on adding after effects

 

[miroslav]

It doesn't need to be one way or the other. With a little creative routing you can listen to a wet signal while recording dry and/or wet. It's always better to be able to change effect settings later during mixing instead of being stuck with an unusable track.

Right.
I like some reverb and/or delay when I'm recording guitar...but I only apply those FX to my headphone mix. The stuff getting recorded is just the dry guitar signal.
That said...there could be some cases where the FX really IS the whole point of what you are playing. Like a Wah...or even others, a phaser or OD pedal...etc...etc....so you make the call, always keeping in mind that once you record WITH the FX as part of your signal...you're stuck with it, unless you re-record.