Please help! Guitar / computer recording question.

[nikbone]

Hey. I am new to computer recording. I have a Mesa Boogie DC-3 with a recording out on the back. Could I plug a cable directly from that into my sound card? I have heard multiple answers. Also any more info to help me out as a beginner (i.e recording drums onto computer, and vocals) Thanks a lot.

Nik

 

[dmcsilva]

You can...but you'd get a much better recorded sound by mic'ing it.

 

[drstawl]

I'm jealous since I don't have the luxury of micing a Boogie in my studio. This apt complex is like an old age home when it comes to noise. The cabinet micing deal may be the best way to go but it certainly introduces a lot of extra variables in your sound chain that may be difficult to reproduce at some other time. My suggestion is to try the direct recording out from the Mesa Boogie as a reference (and to answer your question: if they supplied a line out on your Mesa Boogie, which I think they did- yes this works well)
and then move the mics around until it sounds better than the reference signal. This whole testing process shouldn't take too long at all. Try different distances and heights for the mic(s) relative to the cones in the speaker enclosure.