Direct Guitar Recording

  • Thread starter Thread starter tonyA
  • Start date Start date

DO YOU RECORD DIRECT?

  • Never, that is lame. I mic everything - vocals, guitars, keyboard, drums

    Votes: 63 14.8%

  • Need to mic Drums, Vocals and Lead Guitar

    Votes: 81 19.0%

  • Except Vocals and Lead Guitar, I could plug everything direct

    Votes: 29 6.8%

  • Yes, with a little work I could get a good sound from it

    Votes: 254 59.5%
  • Total voters
    427
I found that using a bbe sonic maximizer wether it be a rack effect or using the directx plugin that I get really good tones w/ it whether you want to beef it up or tighten it up this seems to work good at DI.
 
I do a lot of 'direct recording' using my PC, M-Audio OMNI studio audio interface and Line6 equipment....It's definitely convenient, very consistant (signal wise)...and pretty good.....Not as good as mic'ing up a real amp/cab in certain respects (ie: there's no speaker - AIR - to mic component)....but, within a full MIX, I don't believe anyone can really tell the difference.

Here's a whole bunch of tunes I did via 'direct' recording in Cubase SX last year.....All guitarzzz & keyboards, etc were recorded direct....in my home studio.

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=78884&T=3364

Take a wee listen, and let me know what ya think...

Cheers,

KEV
 
This is a touchy thread, so I just want to give my own h.o. I've used DI for guitar in the past and it works, but I usually mic my amp with a good Shure mic and experiment poisitions, room placement, etc. Guess I like the noise, air and compression of the speaker. I've got nothing agaist DI, bass is DI all the time around here, just sounds better with comp. Also live I prefer mic'ing the amp, never use a DI, this kind of goes along with using wireless, I've got two of them and never use 'em, seems I loose some sonic quilities, so I use a good cable. The original post was about recording and not disturbing the people in the basement or neighbors? Go for it, you may have to experiment with different sims, but you can get a good recording. It's all in the "ears" of the beholder. Have fun
 
I use a Carvin Guitar - DBX 266 - Mesa Boogie V-twin - Mackie 2408 - Otari 8 track analog. Sounds real good and I don't have to worry about the neighbors.

But nothing beats turning up a Marshal real loud and pointing a 57 at the deep ring of one of the speakers, especially if the guitar player is in the same room as the cabinet during recording (feedback heaven). You get more tone than grit.
 
Here is a question:

I want to record my Gibson Chet Atkins SST. I love its sound through my SWR strawberry blonde amp. I was thinking of using a mic on it (either my Shure SM-58 or Behringer B-1 Condenser). This would go to track 1. I would also record to track 2 using the XLR direct out on the amp.

The question is should I record these two method simulataneously or should it be two different takes.
 
dmbpettit said:
Here is a question:

I want to record my Gibson Chet Atkins SST. I love its sound through my SWR strawberry blonde amp. I was thinking of using a mic on it (either my Shure SM-58 or Behringer B-1 Condenser). This would go to track 1. I would also record to track 2 using the XLR direct out on the amp.

The question is should I record these two method simulataneously or should it be two different takes.
Click to expand...

It all depends IF you want the two tracks to be 100% the SAME (ie: playing wise) or not...

The method you describe is simply "double tracking", using two simultaneous input sources...which for rhythm creation is a good way, coz you will get two tracks of the SAME music, but both with a slightly different end-result EQ...

You could then add a small delay between the tracks, and hard PAN both L&R, to obtain a very BIG sound...

In a way it's similar to reamping, but different :)

KEV
 
I always direct record my guitars. All of them except for acoustic of course. I always get a good sound. Mic the bass unless you are real good. I will do direct in and mic on the bass. I can usually get a real good sound.
 
Micing up

I used to be reasonably content with the sound I used to get by DI ing my Telecaster via a Zoom foot pedal. Now i realise I wasn't really 'happy' just settled for the best i could achieve via DI'ing. Because I got hold of a condenser mic and mic'd up my Marchall combo and wow! NOw I'm happy. The guitar sounds so much better. I also routinely 'doubletrack' the guitar by playing the same part twice and hard panning L+R - sounds great to my ears.

Trouble is, songs i had 'put to bed' as being finished I am now wanting to go back and re-record because i know i can significantly improve the recordings :-( so many tunes, so little time!
 
Direct recording is a useful tool. Hell, it's indispensable for bass guitar! Direct recording is commonplace for synthesizers and results in a pretty clean signal. Part of the reason why rap, techno and other electronic music is so easy to record and mix.

Myself I've found that under the right circumstances direct recording guitar using tools like the POD can work miracles in the right contexts. I mean, you're on a tight time budget but want some clean guitars--plug into the POD instead of setting up and miking a cabinet, dialing in sounds, etc... It can be very convenient.

My take on direct devices like the POD are they sound better than the average AE's attempt at recording guitars. It's a sore blow to many's ego but based on the recordings I hear I know that I could plug into a POD 2.0 and blow away the sound they got.

However, if you want something really fancy, or specific, or are pretty good at miking guitars you can blow away DI gear. Of course, the associated hardware required to do so is three or four times the cost of a POD. :)

Personally, the most amazing guitar DI in existence now is the Vox Tonelab. Before that I'd say the Johnson J-Station was the best up until the Tonelab came out. The Tonelab utterly blew me away and I can't wait until I can get one.
 
i didnt read through this thread so i dont know if any one else has mentioned it but....

There is a plug in called amplitube, its a guitar and bass amp modeler.
And there is a di pod from line 6 and a rack mount unit for guitar and bass modeling.

Out of these two soft and hard ware units i can pretty much conjure up anything i want.
And with a little fine post treatment(i.e. Sending it throughsome tube outboard stuff, maybe some early reflections reverb too)
It can be hard to tell if its a mic'd signal or not.

my 2 cents ;)
 
Last edited:
I've been wanting to try Amplitude, but there doesn't seem to be an OSX version. Is there anything of similar quality for the mac?
 
Daenn said:
I've been wanting to try Amplitude, but there doesn't seem to be an OSX version. Is there anything of similar quality for the mac?
Click to expand...

Thats not true.
I run OSX and i use amplitube all the time.
 
I direct record with my J-station via S/PDIF all the time. The only things that I do Mic'd are vocals and acoustic instruments of course. I also run the J-station through my MPX500 incase I want to add any effects from that into my sound. All in all it works out pretty good.
 
I see Amplitube has an OSX version, but I thought there was a free one named Amplitude?

Maybe I'm just confused :)
 
Daenn said:
I see Amplitube has an OSX version, but I thought there was a free one named Amplitude?

Maybe I'm just confused :)
Click to expand...

did you get the pm i sent you?
 
Ah nope, I never check those things because no one ever PMs me. Will check it. Thanks!
 
Mic the guitar amp to give the best sound and use a tube amp. Definetely. The louder the amp the better the sound from the tubes, which also produces natural compression i heard.
Mic everything but the bass guitar is really good with an amp modeller straight in. (D.I'd also)
 
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