record marshall mode four into laptop.

[bigals]

As you may tell from the title of this thread I'm trying to record into my laptop using my line in and my marshal mode four amp.

I can use the line in, going into sony/sonic foundry Sound Forge 7, to record amaazing quality clean guitar, vocals and acoustic, but I cannot get a good distorted guitar sound, it sounds as though I'm recording over the telephone.

I have no idea why, can anyone explain a good process for setting up all levels and maybe a better program to record into? I want to use axcid idealy but am just using sound forge at the moment.

Also I have been using the simulated mic out built into the back of my mode four head, instead of MICing up the cabinet.

Hope this makes sense, can anyone please guide me, I'm really stuck not knowing what to do!

Cheers,

Bigals.

 

[wesley tanner]

you'll never get a great distortion tone going line in, and the mode four has always been a behemouth for me to try to work with... it has power and control yes, but you take away the volume and it's a very flimsy sound. sorry man, I don't mean to burst your bubble or anything, but I've NEVER had good luck with that amp.

 

[bigals]

OK CHeers Wesley,

You speak about not usoing the line In.

What would you recomend instead?
I am new to this so any advice for recording distorted guitars into my laptop is great.

cheers,

Alex.

 

[manning1]

bigals.
i'm prepared to help , but i need to know something - are you using
the standard sound chip that came with your laptop to record with ?
also - do you need software suggestions that will give you level control
prior to recording a track ?

 

[NYMorningstar]

You won't get a good sound using a line out of an amp. Micing the amp is the best way to go and back off on the distortion when you do because you won't need as much as you think when recording.

Also,
don't listen to a thing manning1 has to say. He's just an old man trying to sell you cheap software.

 

[manning1]

bigals.
you will need to understand i'm a computer engineer just trying to help.
so you will have to decide whether to believe me or not.
read some of my back posts over the past year.
and if you want some serious help just ask.

 

[bigals]

ok yes you guys i'm using a standard sound chip built into my fujitsu amillo
laptop,

MY amp has a simulated mic out, but if MICing up is better then I'll do that.

I am using soundforge to record into, and if thats good enough then I'm going to try an record multiple parts with acid, but the latency might be crap.

cheers,

Alex.

 

[kid klash]

ok yes you guys i'm using a standard sound chip built into my fujitsu amillo
laptop,

MY amp has a simulated mic out, but if MICing up is better then I'll do that.

I am using soundforge to record into, and if thats good enough then I'm going to try an record multiple parts with acid, but the latency might be crap.

cheers,

Alex.

Your software is fine.

The audio card may be a problem. If you've got a USB connector on your laptop, check out one of the many mic preamps with USB outputs. Buy yourself a mic (there are MANY to select from... check out the mic forum for reference) to go with the preamp. Mic up your amp, crank the volume, press record.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

You'll not find a better or more accurate recording app than Sound Forge, that's just dandy.

However, I'm completly with Morningstar; you want the right e-guitar sound, you really ought to mic the cabinet.

G.

 

[wesley tanner]

a new route into your laptop and just a 57 will do wonders for your sound, even though it is a mode four... heh... I got the most useable sound out of the crunch 1, if I remember right... way way less distortion than you think you need, play with ye old compressor's attack and release and add a touch of EQ perhaps (for somereason, I love it right around 700-900, and play around with the area right below that a bit, too)

 

[bigals]

You guys are thew best!

I never expected such great feedback as this, I'm so impressed,

Thanks a bunch!

Right I already have an SM57 Beta mic, so all I need is a USB pre-amp then,
can anyone recomend one in particular, and are they expensive at all?

Cheers,

Bigals

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

You can get something anywhere in the US$130-$199 price range that should do the trick for you. M-Audio has a couple of boxes in the low-to-mid part of that price range which would most likely fit your needs. At the top of that price range is the Tascam us122; a unit that I fell in love with when I used it on a baby grand piano recording a few weeks back. Well worth the $199, if you can afford it.

G.

 

[wesley tanner]

if you search used on ebay, you can often pick up a 428 for about that same price, and you can do a whole lot with one of those.

 

[bigals]

You guys are the best seriously, don't know what I'd do whithout you!

Right I've been looking at the tascam US122and it sounds perfect to me!!

£150 quid in England and $200 dollars in the U.S. wish I knew somemoe in the U.S. haha!

Earlier I mentioned a latency problem, when playing back tracks in ACID and recording new tracks over what I currently have, i have a latency issue of about a quarter of a second, so I'm playing back the current sound and adding the new part over it but its not lined up when i play it back.

Should I get a little more RAM or will it perhaps be sorted IF I'm using a USB mic PRE AMP soon anyway?

Any Ideas?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

If latency is your only issue, I'd wait and see what the USB I/O will do for you. If the latency disappears, then - as my friends over on your side of the pond would say - brilliant! If you still have latency problems, then at least you'll know the soundcard/USB thing wasn't the problem and you can move on with your troubleshooting to possible memory or mobo issues.

G.

 

[bigals]

Brilliant!! HAHA! Cheers! Will give it a try when my pre amp arrives and post my results

Thanks again,

Bigals.

 

[bigals]

Hey guys right I've bought a behringer EURORACK UB1102 10 channel mixer with 2 built in invisible MIC pre-amps!

I have been MICinc my marchall up but there isn't much difference so far but I'm using a normal jack not an XLR MIC cable, can anyone tell me whether the pre-amp only work with the XLR part of the MIC input channel.

basically you can either using an input jack or the XLR port in channel 1, it says pre amp on the XLR port so is it only affetcing the XLR port and not the jack socket?

cheers,

Bigals.