Recording Electric Guitar (Revelation and opinion)

[Clark Grizwald]

I've been recording my guitar for the last several years, using an M-Audio Black Box for a preamp. (Which is actually a nice sounding unit once you update the software)
Most of the stuff I play is either distorted or semi-distorted. In my situation, micing a roaring 4x12 cab will scare the cats and make my g/f angry.
The Black Box has been a Swiss Army knife for me and is the best $200 I ever spent, but...
Recently I've been trying to record a CLEAN guitar sound, bluesy, soulful, full-bodied sounding. The Black Box just can't do it! No EQing, no effect will do the trick.
So...the other day, I tried this signal path.
Les Paul → Randall RM 100 head (using a modded Deluxe preamp module) → 4x12" Celestion → Blue Bluebird mic → Focusrite Trakmaster → M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 → Dell PC
The difference is night & day!
But the main thing that was sticking out before (giving me fits) was the full frequency range I get from going in direct.
Now, the string noise was almost nil and the other erroneous noises I didn't want were seemingly non-existent.
I'm starting to realize, micing my amp may just be worth the wear & tear on my relationship with my g/f (and the stress on the cats)
Is there a good therapy for traumatized cats?

 

[shortedaman]

IMHO! i don't understand why you are mic'ing your cab with a condenser mic. you don't have a good old 57 laying around. Ive been in bands for years and the 57 has always given the guitarists better results than condensers. i believe there is to much "air" in a condenser mic. also, why do you have to record at such a high volume, especially using a condenser mic? and as far as cat therapy the only thing i can say is give them a puff. if you get my drift.

 

[miroslav]

IMHO! i don't understand why you are mic'ing your cab with a condenser mic. you don't have a good old 57 laying around. Ive been in bands for years and the 57 has always given the guitarists better results than condensers. i believe there is to much "air" in a condenser mic. also, why do you have to record at such a high volume, especially using a condenser mic?

Maybe they only used 57's 'cuz they didn't know any better or 'cuz that's what they thought they were "supposed to" use?

I actully think 57's can sound rather lame unless you're going for that up-close, in-the-cone midrange distortion sound.

I prefer a condenser at least 2-3 feet back so that it DOES put some air in-between the cab and mic.
Lately I've also been using a ribbon mic for some real chunky fat tones (also a couple of feet back).

 

[johnsuitcase]

That's funny, the other day I recorded some clean parts with a client and he actually liked the reference tracks we'd done better, using a Line 6 Toneport. So, we went back and redid his clean bits with it.

In this case, the real amp (a Mesa Boogie triple rec) had too much dynamic range, and too extended of frequency range. The Line 6 version sounded more compressed and band passed. Of course, I could have gotten a similar effect with compression and eq, but heck, if the client is happier playing with the sound he wants, go for it.

I do find that the Line 6 sounds quite weak if you use it as the interface. I actually take the line outputs into my MOTU 828MKII line inputs, with the Line 6 outputs maxed. Sounds beefier for some reason!