Recording Distortion/overdrive
- Thread starter Sound
- Start date
Treeline
New member
The fact pattern can be anywhere from soup to nuts here, but two things occur to me. First, you may be overloading the recording input. Second, what you're sending, particularly if you're recording direct, is simply not clean.
Unless you have a higher end system, the best practice would be to record the signal clean and then apply distortion through an effects program.
If hearing the distortion in real time affects how you play the instrument, consider running the clean signal into a mixer, run direct to record, tap from a utility out or using the insert-jack-one-click-trick to feed a signal to the distortion box and monitor that with your amp or with a headphone setup.
The computer gets a clean signal and you hear the distortion while playing. Then apply similar distortion as an effect to the recorded track.
I suppose you could also use this to run the distorted live track into a second channel of the mixer, pan the clean signal hard left and the distortion hard right, and record as two mono channels - you can then mix to taste and see if that helps.
Unless you have a higher end system, the best practice would be to record the signal clean and then apply distortion through an effects program.
If hearing the distortion in real time affects how you play the instrument, consider running the clean signal into a mixer, run direct to record, tap from a utility out or using the insert-jack-one-click-trick to feed a signal to the distortion box and monitor that with your amp or with a headphone setup.
The computer gets a clean signal and you hear the distortion while playing. Then apply similar distortion as an effect to the recorded track.
I suppose you could also use this to run the distorted live track into a second channel of the mixer, pan the clean signal hard left and the distortion hard right, and record as two mono channels - you can then mix to taste and see if that helps.
legionserial
New member
Are you recording direct or with a microphone?
No, the mic is to record flute and violin and some vocals..
And those don't have distortion
No, It's one blues with guitar, distorted guitar and drum.. And an other with flute violin and piano.. cusebassman
Freakin' sweet
So... you are recording the guitar direct then?
We need specifics here - the way the instrument is hooked up to the computer, the interface you are using to record, and what software you are using. In most cases you are going to find that recording direct and applying distortion is going to sound pretty, well - bad. At least fake/cheesy, if not anything else.
If you are recording your guitar through an amp, that's a different story.
We need specifics here - the way the instrument is hooked up to the computer, the interface you are using to record, and what software you are using. In most cases you are going to find that recording direct and applying distortion is going to sound pretty, well - bad. At least fake/cheesy, if not anything else.
If you are recording your guitar through an amp, that's a different story.
The normal distorted guitar sound is not as simple as it seems. Guitar amps are normally valve-based (tube to an American) and when overdriven they create a particular kind of distortion which is different from overdriving a transistor amp or a computer A/D converter/interface. Then that distorted sound is filtered by the loudspeaker in the guitar cabinet and it is that filtered sound we are used to hearing.
So, you won't get that sound by overdriving a computer interface's inputs or the input stage of a traditional sound board or by taking a "line-out" from the guitar amp that has been turned up so it distorts.
So the choices are:
1. Use a mic to record the guitar amp.
2. Record the guitar clean and then use an effect that simulates the whole amp/speaker combination in the digital domain.
HTH.
So, you won't get that sound by overdriving a computer interface's inputs or the input stage of a traditional sound board or by taking a "line-out" from the guitar amp that has been turned up so it distorts.
So the choices are:
1. Use a mic to record the guitar amp.
2. Record the guitar clean and then use an effect that simulates the whole amp/speaker combination in the digital domain.
HTH.
legionserial
New member
or...
3) Go line out from your amp, with the amps distortion switched on (usually crappy sounding)
4) Get something like a POD and go direct with that
....but I don't want to start a mic vs POD thread here. Personally I always mic my amp...but then I have a nice amp, so preferred to spend my money on a mic and preamp...I also don't have a wife to bitch about it(!), and my house has thick walls so neighbours aren't an issue. But it may not be an option for some due to the aforementioned reasons.
3) Go line out from your amp, with the amps distortion switched on (usually crappy sounding)
4) Get something like a POD and go direct with that
....but I don't want to start a mic vs POD thread here. Personally I always mic my amp...but then I have a nice amp, so preferred to spend my money on a mic and preamp...I also don't have a wife to bitch about it(!), and my house has thick walls so neighbours aren't an issue. But it may not be an option for some due to the aforementioned reasons.
This is what I'm doing..:
-I put my guitar in my ME-50 effect pedal (boss)
-From the ME-50 to the line-in of my soundcard
But I think I found the problem... On some other forum I
was asking something about balanced/unbalanced cables..
And what I discovered is that I use a long unbalanced cable..
And it runs next to a lot of electrical things.. So I think the cable picked up
some noise from all those things.. And I tried to use the noise suppression of
the ME-50.. It removes all the noise when I'm not playing.. So it works..
But can you use balanced cables in a guitar? And would it help?
-I put my guitar in my ME-50 effect pedal (boss)
-From the ME-50 to the line-in of my soundcard
But I think I found the problem... On some other forum I
was asking something about balanced/unbalanced cables..
And what I discovered is that I use a long unbalanced cable..
And it runs next to a lot of electrical things.. So I think the cable picked up
some noise from all those things.. And I tried to use the noise suppression of
the ME-50.. It removes all the noise when I'm not playing.. So it works..
But can you use balanced cables in a guitar? And would it help?
Kevin Lowe
Who is Keyser Soze?
Hey, Sound:
Your problem probably lies in the fact that you are direct inputing a pedal that is designed to work with an amplifier. Here's a excerpt from the ME-50 overview:
"Designed to work with your amplifier, the ME-50 focuses on killer multi-effects (like COSM® overdrive and distortion) rather than amp modeling."
It's an effects modeler, not an amp modeler (i.e., not a POD). So, if you are going from the guitar outs to your computer interface, it will likely sound pretty bad -- just like using a direct line from a typical stomp box.
The unit's manual says it has a headphone out, which can be fitted with a Y chord to go into a mixer. If you must go direct, that is probably a preferable route. However, based on its description, I'd guess that the unit would probably produce the best sounds through an amp into a microphone.
Good luck!
- Kevin
Your problem probably lies in the fact that you are direct inputing a pedal that is designed to work with an amplifier. Here's a excerpt from the ME-50 overview:
"Designed to work with your amplifier, the ME-50 focuses on killer multi-effects (like COSM® overdrive and distortion) rather than amp modeling."
It's an effects modeler, not an amp modeler (i.e., not a POD). So, if you are going from the guitar outs to your computer interface, it will likely sound pretty bad -- just like using a direct line from a typical stomp box.
The unit's manual says it has a headphone out, which can be fitted with a Y chord to go into a mixer. If you must go direct, that is probably a preferable route. However, based on its description, I'd guess that the unit would probably produce the best sounds through an amp into a microphone.
Good luck!
- Kevin
Hey, Sound:
Your problem probably lies in the fact that you are direct inputing a pedal that is designed to work with an amplifier. Here's a excerpt from the ME-50 overview:
"Designed to work with your amplifier, the ME-50 focuses on killer multi-effects (like COSM® overdrive and distortion) rather than amp modeling."
It's an effects modeler, not an amp modeler (i.e., not a POD). So, if you are going from the guitar outs to your computer interface, it will likely sound pretty bad -- just like using a direct line from a typical stomp box.
The unit's manual says it has a headphone out, which can be fitted with a Y chord to go into a mixer. If you must go direct, that is probably a preferable route. However, based on its description, I'd guess that the unit would probably produce the best sounds through an amp into a microphone.
Good luck!
- Kevin
Hmm.. I'll try the mixer way.. Tomorrow I'm going to borrow my neighbour's mixer.. I'll try it that way, because I don't have enough money for a mic for the moment..
Thanks for the replies
Somnium7
Noise Criminal
I have been using a preamp (with instrument input) between my guitarist's overdrive stomp and my mixer channel. The only trick here, and it's been very effective for me, is to engage the Pad on the pre and turn the gain down all the way. From this I get a good sound with minimal noise and the signal level is close to zero dB with my channel fader at -5 dB.
Do I get the same effect is I use the mixer's preamp?
Somnium7
Noise Criminal
If the mixer channel has a Pad control and a Gain (Trim) control you should be alright. All you really need to achieve is the proper signal level. Give it a shot.
On my band's Myspace page you can listen to "Lessons in Trust" to hear how my direct-from-stompbox guitar recordings sound.
On my band's Myspace page you can listen to "Lessons in Trust" to hear how my direct-from-stompbox guitar recordings sound.