Plugging Guitar Direct into RME?

[gvdv]

Hi,
I'm about to buy an RME Fireface 400 as the audio interface for my soon-to-be DAW, and was wondering what advice you all have about plugging an electric guitar into it.

I had just assumed that this is what people do, but then a friend cast doubt on this, so, for the record, is there any other way of going with an electric, a direct box, for example.

And while we're at it, I should ask about plugging in a CD player occasionally: is there some kind of RCA to TRS adapter or something?

Thanks,
GV in Toronto

 

[TelePaul]

DI'ing a guitar isnt so popular around here...most people will do it with a pod between their guitar and interface. It elminates the crucial interraction between a microphone, room ambience and an amplifier...particulary an amplifier speaker.

That said, I've done it myself....but if you have any kind of decent amp, mic it. Some ams allow you to take an emulated D.I form your amps pre-amp section (or head if you're lucky enough to have a stack). Again, this bypasses the crucial element of the speaker, but is viable if extraneous noise is a concern.

Heres what I would do....

1) Get a shure sm 57. Point it at your amp. Record that.

2) Failing the above, take a line out from your amp and hope the sound card's pre amps will give you a decent enough sound.

3) Failing that, get a pod or guitar rig or some kind of amp simulator and use that with your guitar going straight in.

 

[gvdv]

Hi TelePaul,
Thanks for the swift reply - and ironically, as you were responding to me, I was writing you a message in another thread.

I forgot to say that I don't have an amp and don't really want to go that way for a number of reasons. A few years ago I got a great guitar sound using my Les Paul standard into two guitar effects pedals (pre Pod, I think) and then directly into a Yamaha MD-8 8-track digital minidisk recorder; I got an absolutely massive, 'natural' sounding distortion - couldn't believe it, it was the sound I'd had in my head for that song for 14 years.

Anyway, not saying I'm the bees' knees or even that I know what I'm doing because I don't really, but I'm willing to fool around without an amp. And I'm sure that my neigbors will appreciate that, too.

If I have to, I'll find an amp that, as you suggest, allows me to take a line out from the pre-amp.

Thanks, once again, for the reply.

GV in Toronto

 

[TelePaul]

Hi TelePaul,
Thanks for the swift reply - and ironically, as you were responding to me, I was writing you a message in another thread.

I forgot to say that I don't have an amp and don't really want to go that way for a number of reasons. A few years ago I got a great guitar sound using my Les Paul standard into two guitar effects pedals (pre Pod, I think) and then directly into a Yamaha MD-8 8-track digital minidisk recorder; I got an absolutely massive, 'natural' sounding distortion - couldn't believe it, it was the sound I'd had in my head for that song for 14 years.

Anyway, not saying I'm the bees' knees or even that I know what I'm doing because I don't really, but I'm willing to fool around without an amp. And I'm sure that my neigbors will appreciate that, too.

If I have to, I'll find an amp that, as you suggest, allows me to take a line out from the pre-amp.

Thanks, once again, for the reply.

GV in Toronto

Hmm I dont suppose you have the pedals you were running the LP into? I assume one was a distortion pedal anyways. Alot of this comes down to what works for you, I was just voicing my opinion.

 

[gvdv]

Hi TelePaul,
I certainly do still have the pedals that I plugged the LP into, and the irony is that I didn't and don't like them individually because they produce s***, transistor like, soft mushy sound.

But, when I plugged them into each other, added a bit of reverb and whatever else I did, I got this wonderful sound. I put a lot of it down to the pedals enhancing or bringing out what the LP was capable of: that's one of the reasons that I bought the guitar, hoping that it would produce that kind of sound and it did, virtually first time that I used it. I still wonder, though, if I should buy an SG one day because I *really* like the sound of that guitar slightly overdriven a la AC/DC.

I hope that I didn't come across as snippy or anything (because you said "I was only voicing my opinion): I very much value your opinion, and others who take the time and trouble to respond to my messages and do so in such a conscientious way - so, sorry if I sounded reactionary; I didn't mean to.

All the best,

Geert