I have been experimenting with my ancient zoom 1010 guitar effects processor and my trusty SB Live. When i try to record a distorted guitar tone direct to the "line in" the sound is really crappy. Would a new effects unit, a POD for example,work better when recording distorted tone or do i have to buy a new soundcard...
POD + SB Live
- Thread starter King Soda
- Start date
Meshuggah
New member
It has nothing to do with the soundcard. Your Zoom sounds like crap because it's meant to be run into an amp and through a speaker, not direct. A POD would make a great difference for your sound. A good amp would make an even greater difference. It's really hard to fake the sound of a real amp.
Sonic Misfit
New member
I have used an old RP1, (not too much different from the Zoom in the output), with some success on an SB Live! What you need is to get a small mixer with pre-amps. You might also try an inexpensive DI box. The best way would be to mic an amp, but if you are trying to keep the noise down one of these methods might work.
Build yourself a speaker box and stick a mic in it if your worried about the neighbors. It'll sound just like you want it to and you won't have to blow more than a hundred bucks on materials, including the speaker. There's no way I'd spend 400 bucks on a Pod. There just isn't enough circiutry or hardware in that thing to warrant the sticker price and it won't sound nearly as good as your amp thru a speaker box anyway.
And no, your soundcard isn't the problem.
And no, your soundcard isn't the problem.
Nevermind the POD, people... Now you can get a J-Station for $150. 
I am not sure if an amp in a box would sound any good. It would have absolutely no natural room sound and the setup is only suitable for close-miking. You would get a very dry and inflexible tone.
And you still probably wouldn't be able to record at night (which, at least to me and most people i know, is the best time for songwriting and recording).
I am not sure if an amp in a box would sound any good. It would have absolutely no natural room sound and the setup is only suitable for close-miking. You would get a very dry and inflexible tone.
And you still probably wouldn't be able to record at night (which, at least to me and most people i know, is the best time for songwriting and recording).
Oh, it sounds great! Alan Holdsworth recorded half his albums with a homemade one which is where I got the idea. It's true you don't get any room sound but most of the people around here don't have the luxury of a nice sounding wooden-walled room to mic for ambience anyway. We're just close miking guitar cabs so you might as well stick the speaker in a box. I'm telling ya, it sounds just the same.Dimmi said:
You're probably right about the late night sessions though. Some sound still bleeds through even though the idea is to actually build a box within a box, with foam tape (or something like it) between the two. It's fairly soundproof but you'll still hear it.
Windowman, I have to admit, you have partially convinced me. I am yet to try that out one day!
Modeling is so much more hassle free though. I personally find immediate flexibility of amp modeling to be a very positive factor while producing anything. The fewer obstacles there are in the way of adjusting your actual sound according to what you have in your head, the less frustrated you will be at the end of the session, and the longer your inspiration will last.
Modeling is so much more hassle free though. I personally find immediate flexibility of amp modeling to be a very positive factor while producing anything. The fewer obstacles there are in the way of adjusting your actual sound according to what you have in your head, the less frustrated you will be at the end of the session, and the longer your inspiration will last.
Here's another photo pf one you can actually "buy" from Demeter. They want a whopping 350 bucks for it and that doesn't include a speaker or mic! It's insane! You can make your own out of 1/2"-plywood (or particle board) for for less than 50 dollars. I made mine so that the speaker was on its own plywood panel and made a little slot so I could slide it in and out if I needed to. You need to have a small hole in the box somewhere to accomodate cables for the mic and speaker. I also laid a 2" thick piece of foam down on the side where the mic sits so that the mic wouldn't pick up any vibrations from the wood. My box is about 16" wide by 24" long and has a single 12" speaker. You actually need to build a second box around the first one and get some of those sticky foam strips from radio shack (comes on a roll) and apply it to all the surface edges where the two boxs are screwed together. I highly recommend screws instead of nails. Nothin to it! 
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Sonixx
New member
hey Windowman, i think you're understating the case...
it's going to run a lot more than $50 to do it right but probably less than $250 by the time you've bought the fiber board, jacks, gooseneck, paint, handles, speaker cover, wheels (optional but recommended), door latch, door hinges, mic, and speaker. i recommend a WEBER or Celestion speaker.
i wouldn't use anything less than 3/4" medium density fiber board for the box with 3/4" or 5/8" plywood for the speaker baffle.
definitely use a lot of screws and glue (a must).
it's not a piece-of-cake to make but also not that difficult if you have a table saw and the proper drill bits.
when i played clubs with it, i used a Sidewinder. i blew the first Sidewinder during a gig one night. now i have a Celestion Vintage G12.
-kp-
it's going to run a lot more than $50 to do it right but probably less than $250 by the time you've bought the fiber board, jacks, gooseneck, paint, handles, speaker cover, wheels (optional but recommended), door latch, door hinges, mic, and speaker. i recommend a WEBER or Celestion speaker.
i wouldn't use anything less than 3/4" medium density fiber board for the box with 3/4" or 5/8" plywood for the speaker baffle.
definitely use a lot of screws and glue (a must).
it's not a piece-of-cake to make but also not that difficult if you have a table saw and the proper drill bits.
when i played clubs with it, i used a Sidewinder. i blew the first Sidewinder during a gig one night. now i have a Celestion Vintage G12.
-kp-
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Sonixx said:
Hey, you're hardcore aren't you?
I kept things very simple; certainly no cover because I never planned on it leaving the house. No handles either for similar reasons. I don't even use a mic stand, let alone a gooseneck. I just lay the mic down on that 2" piece of foam in front of the speaker. I've got a removeable top on mine so I can slide the speaker baffle in and out real easy in case I want to try different kinds. I used some thumb latches to keep it on with. No paint and no wheels. This thing just sits in a corner and looks ugly but it works. Deffinately the poor man's approach.
Did you build a box within a box? If you didn't then I'd say you're on the right path with the thicker wood. Since I went the two box route though, I've got a full 1" thick sides with both box sides combined. It seemed plenty at the time. It certainly wouldn't hurt to make it as thick as possible though just to help keep the noise inside even more. I don't have any kind of covering on mine either; just bare wood. It's good enough for what I needed but I would think that a good thick covering (even old carpet maybe) like Demeter has on theirs would make it even quieter. Depends on your needs.
I like your more professional approach but I need to eat too.