what's the best rig to record direct with?

[AASteveo]

i hear good things about the POD. is that any good? i just got the pandora box thing and it's great for practicing, but it's noisy as hell and sounds terrible when i go direct.

i know that nothing going direct will sound as good as mic-ed through a good amp, but i almost always go direct when i record simply because i don't want to get out all that gear or risk ruining a take cuz someone's knocking on the door or there's a train going by or something. i'm not doing any professional stuff, just recording myself track-by-track. right now my amp is in storage, so i have to go direct this whole summer. what do you guys suggest?

 

[perceive]

Do you want many effects like delay etc? If so the POD is till probably the bets, but, if not many people are also getting great results out of both the sansamp PSA-1's and also the Vox Tonelab SE's. I'd suggest finding mp3' clips of both of those and see what you like..
BTW the sansamp is located at www.tech21nyc.com ...

Cheers,
Steve

 

[Superhuman]

Have a PODxt and I hate it, find the settings too noisy and the overall tones too unrealistic - that's just me though, I'm a tone freak after all. I get a much better tone from my Digitech GNX3 and an even better tone from my Boss GT-Pro (same as the GT-8). When it comes to recording though and if budget is no issue then I advise the Mesa Boogie Triaxis. Damn fine DI sound, you simply will not get the same texture of sound from anything else barring a mic'ed up amp or stack.
The benfit of the PODxt is that the editing software for the pc is very user friendly and the cost is quite reasonable... my PODxt just sits in my studio gathering dust though.

 

[Dr_simon]

I have a pod XT and a Podpro and love 'em both ! I've never had any problems with noise with either even using a strat w/ single coils.

I have used the podPro more than the XT but that is just cos its older.

When I A/B them the XT (which is much more tweak-able and has lame distorted stock patches) wins hands down. Out of the box I think the PodPro has better preset patches.

For clean Jazz / surf guitar Im plugging into and ART TPS which I also really like.

 

[ocnor]

The Behringer V-Amp Pro works very well as long as you use the Ultr-G cab sim instead of the crappy digital cab sims. The distortions are as good as the Pod XT but the FX are not great. The Pod XT has decent FX but if you are recording dry then it isn't worth the extra cash.

 

[amra]

Depends on what kind of music you play, what kind of guitar sound you want.
I think all the modelers have their strengths and weaknesses, it just depends on what you want to use it for.

 

[Double]

I have a Vox ToneLab SE and I am very happy with the results I get from it. Though I still prefer the sound of a good small tube amp miked with a SM57.

 

[myhatbroke]

I tried the PODxt at guitar center cus I TOO have that undecisiveness of whether to mic an amp or get an effects processor

The tone on the PODxt sucked balls for what Im going for, Im trying to get a metal tone. BTW theres a thread i started and it has a link to another thread that has a link to Metallica's notes on their set up. Hope I didnt confuse you.

So in conclusion I am thinking that the mulit effects just dont replicate cabinets and mics very well, it can only SIMULATE. I have a digitech rp300A and ehhhh its ok for direct recording. I still dont like the tone and its REALLY difficult to adjust the tone. I had 0 bass on the pedal and it STILL came out muddy in the recordings...

 

[GONZO-X]

if you're Joe Satriani, the best rig to record direct is a peavy JS head, into a palmer speaker simulator.

there are tons of options out there, including pure direct boxes.

i had a pod xt.

Had.

i still prefer the issues involved with micing a real cab, over the direct sound.
personal preference.....

 

[amra]

I don't see how you can't get medal tones out of modelers. It is so freaking easy. I've said this before and I'll say it again, modelers will get you closer to metallica's tone (for instance) than anything that costs less than $800 or so.
For real.

Sucess with modelers depends on:
a. How you use them. IMO, they work best through full range speakers or headphones, or recorded direct. They for the most part, suck through an amp. You have to be realistic. They are not going to sound better than a Mesa Dual Recti, or a JCM800. They can get you in the neigbourhood, and loads better then all the cheap amps and stomps out there.

b. What kind of guitar/setup you have. You are not going to get a super heavy sound out of a guitar with weak pickups and light strings. Not easily, anyway.

c. Technique. Two people can play through the same rig and one person can make it sound heaver by how they attack the strings, palm mute, and their overall playing technique.

d. Taking the time to learn how to dial it in. Most people never learn how to get the most out of a modeler. Once you do, you can get sounds that the stock settings can't touch.

I tried the PODxt at guitar center cus I TOO have that undecisiveness of whether to mic an amp or get an effects processor

The tone on the PODxt sucked balls for what Im going for, Im trying to get a metal tone. BTW theres a thread i started and it has a link to another thread that has a link to Metallica's notes on their set up. Hope I didnt confuse you.

So in conclusion I am thinking that the mulit effects just dont replicate cabinets and mics very well, it can only SIMULATE. I have a digitech rp300A and ehhhh its ok for direct recording. I still dont like the tone and its REALLY difficult to adjust the tone. I had 0 bass on the pedal and it STILL came out muddy in the recordings...

 

[Superhuman]

if you're Joe Satriani, the best rig to record direct is a peavy JS head, into a palmer speaker simulator.

there are tons of options out there, including pure direct boxes.

i had a pod xt.

Had.

i still prefer the issues involved with micing a real cab, over the direct sound.
personal preference.....

Yeah the Palmer PDI-03 is a great piece of gear. I run my Triaxis through it and the tone kicks ass. BAically it's a speaker simulator that you run either a head/preamp through and it will simulate the big sound of 4 -6 cabs mic'ed up in a good room. Bonus is you can play as loud as you want and still play with your headphones on or just DI into a quality A/D convertor for high end production recording (or of course, you can then run it into the desk and out of the PA or straight through a set of cabs - very flexible).

They are expensive as hell in the US, I got mine from a German site for under $300, highly recommended.

 

[SuicideNote]

As far as distorted guitar goes, the Pod XT line is fucking awesome, especially if you have the Metal Shop upgrade. I have a regular Pod XT for recording that sits next to the computer and an XT Live for gigs/rehearsal. The thing that really owns is that the tones are interchangeable between units. Just hook up the usb and I can transfer my tones from the XT to the XT Live.

For recording I run the stereo outs right into mixer most of the time. When I get the itch, I run the XT through some amps and mic the cab. Also, it's sweet butter if you run the XT through your favorite T00B preamp, if you fear that your sound is too "digital" but thats just BS because, 99% of people out there can't tell an XT tone from a vintage rig. The clean tones sound sweet too but the compressor in the XT could be better. When enabled it is very noticable and I'd rather compress the guitar once it has been recorded.

 

[jonnyc]

As far as distorted guitar goes, the Pod XT line is fucking awesome, especially if you have the Metal Shop upgrade. I have a regular Pod XT for recording that sits next to the computer and an XT Live for gigs/rehearsal. The thing that really owns is that the tones are interchangeable between units. Just hook up the usb and I can transfer my tones from the XT to the XT Live.

For recording I run the stereo outs right into mixer most of the time. When I get the itch, I run the XT through some amps and mic the cab. Also, it's sweet butter if you run the XT through your favorite T00B preamp, if you fear that your sound is too "digital" but thats just BS because, 99% of people out there can't tell an XT tone from a vintage rig. The clean tones sound sweet too but the compressor in the XT could be better. When enabled it is very noticable and I'd rather compress the guitar once it has been recorded.

Well I must fall in that 1%. I've heard several amp vs. pod shootouts and could always pick out the pod. IMO something that emulates another sound is never going to be better than the sound it's emulating.

 

[tom18222]

i get great tones out of my XTL. i usually use one amp on the left and one amp on the right. you cant lose. i just love it so much.

 

[myhatbroke]

I also fall in that 1%, the PODxt just doesnt sound good. I spent atleast 2 hours trying to get the right tone for metal and all i had was a Jingle Bell Rock kind of tone. THAT was using the heaviest amp model. And my friend has that metal shop upgrade and the mesa does not sound exactly or even like the over drive of a mesa. Direct just does not give that depth or something, theres something about micing an amp thats unique....

 

[billyshuler]

I like the sansamp gt-2. It's sounds great and it's very simple, 3 knobs, 3 switches and 1 footswitch. Its analog as well, I believe.

 

[travelin travis]

i'm not a big fan of modelers but the pod (XT!) is good at what it does and was intended for. if you can't get a decent metal tone.........anything from Sabbath to Def Tones, you don't know how to use the thing. I like overdrive tones like old marshalls, fenders, etc. and the xt does the most respectful job at that type of stuff than any other modeler box / software that i've tried as well as the metal stuff. it leaves alot to be desired for guitarists that like a dynamic tone with good touch response but it's probably the best bang for the buck direct guitar device available.

my advice, get a real amp or two or three and a couple of decent mics and forget that you ever heard the phrase "direct guitar recording".

 

[AASteveo]

I like the sansamp gt-2. It's sounds great and it's very simple, 3 knobs, 3 switches and 1 footswitch. Its analog as well, I believe.

that pedal looks cool. i likee how easy it is with those nobs. but do you think i could get good metal tones out of it?

 

[Dumby]

Have a PODxt and I hate it, find the settings too noisy and the overall tones too unrealistic - that's just me though, I'm a tone freak after all. I get a much better tone from my Digitech GNX3 and an even better tone from my Boss GT-Pro (same as the GT-8). When it comes to recording though and if budget is no issue then I advise the Mesa Boogie Triaxis. Damn fine DI sound, you simply will not get the same texture of sound from anything else barring a mic'ed up amp or stack.
The benfit of the PODxt is that the editing software for the pc is very user friendly and the cost is quite reasonable... my PODxt just sits in my studio gathering dust though.

I like the GT-8 myself as far as direct recording. I always say it but if you don't have a treated room with high quality mics and you're new at EQ'ing everything...going direct is a great idea. You can see the tone I came up with in my soundclick below. I used all the gear listed below.

 

[daddymac]

I know this is going to get some laughs, but take a look at the new Zoom G2.1u. This thing, in my opinion sounds great. It has some real decent amp modelers and effects and is quiet as can be. It has two different settings for each model, one for going through your amp, and one for recording direct.

It takes a bit to tweak it in, the factory settings were all wrong for my set up, way too hot, but after playing with it a while, you can get just about any sound you want from it.

just my two cents,
hope this helps