Which method of recording guitar

Which method for recording elec. guitar

  • Mic the amp

    Votes: 41 59.4%

  • Direct with an effects box/cab simulator

    Votes: 19 27.5%

  • Direct using DAW's effects

    Votes: 1 1.4%

  • Guitars are stupid. I like bagpipes.

    Votes: 8 11.6%
  • Total voters
    69
Seanmorse79

Seanmorse79

New member
...mostly just curious. I've done it each way with kinda varied results. I'm usually partial to mic'ing the amp, but I get tired of fighting with the strat single-coil buzz ...maybe it's all those fluorescent lights in my studio space (just kidding) :D
 
The buzz is the problem. Problems are solved by solving the problem itself, not altering the way you record.

So if the buzz keeps bothering you, try to get rid of it. Altering your recording stategy is the last option.

I personally have best results with micing amps, and very rare are satisfied with recording the guitar direct thru a preamp into the recorder. You'll need one hack of a guitar, and only clean sounds in my opinion.
 
I've done it all ways. I record direct when I'm composing because it's easy. When doing keeper tracks I mic an amp. Especially when doing real crunch, heavy guiatr. Nothing ssounds like a guitar in an amp moving a lot of air like a guitar plugged into an amp moving a lot of air.
 
Mayby I should explain a bit.

Micking the amp.
This is the way to go in my opinion for serious recording. A couple of things should be present.
1. A great player (actually goes for all guitar related recordings)
2. A great guitar (no belgium made kawasaki)
3. A good preamp
4. A good cabinet
5. A good mic (SM57 is still one of my favourites)

direct recording
I only use this when we can't get the right warm clean sound from the cabinet. We use a tube preamp run directly into the recorder. The guitar signal can be processed later on with high grade affect like tc etc.

all others
Pods etc are nice, and ok but I would never use them for serious recording. They are A OK for homerecording though. But they just can't compete with A PRS run into tube amps. That's why it's called a simulator. Remeber I'm not a player myself, I record others only. I myself do have a pod, and numerous guitars (together with my gitrfriend) from cheap till very very expensive. But I can't play. I just learned the A and E chord. I do have the privilige to work on an almost daily base with pro-guitarists. That's what my opinion is based on.

I compare it to a leslie. Every modern keyboard has samples that often sound ten times better and cleaner than a real hammond with leslie. No one can argue that......untill you get that Hammond with leslie and start micking it. My fauvorite moment of the day is to start the leslie, and push up those fades in the controlroom......wwwwwhhhhoooooeeeessssshhhhhh.......wwwwwhhhhoooooeeeessssshhhhhh.......wwwwwhhhhoooooeeeessssshhhhhh.......wwwwwhhhhoooooeeeessssshhhhhh.......wwwwwhhhhoooooeeeessssshhhhhh.......wwwwwhhhhoooooeeeessssshhhhhh.......wwwwwhhhhoooooeeeessssshhhhhh.......

Is that a chopper coming in? It sounds dirty, It sounds bad....but I love it.
 
...you have a real Leslie in your studio? (attempting to contain jealousy). Just don't tell me you have a real B3 - I'll have to start not liking you very much :D (j/k)
 
Yes, I have a leslie 910 with a L122s Hammond. only their not mine (yet).

They are in the studio for a recording project. They will be in for several months though. woepie
 
I always record direct via an effects unit, for a good crunchy rhythm I always double up with a slightly different sound, then pan one hard left and the other hard right.

Works for me....

Dave.
 
What I have done in the past when recording to a digital multitrack was to mic an amp but also record a direct track at the same time. This is a "safe" track, and I could use it later to apply amp sims, or reamp.

Since moving to DAW, I have not purchased a multi i/o card yet, so I have mostly been micing. Recording direct the other day, and really liked the sound though. When I get the multi i/0 I will mic (shure 57, and others) and have a direct track, using an old Rocktron Pro Gap and/or direct box. I haven't figured out how to effectively split the guitar signal though. I might try to use a stereo chorus pedal w/ tru bypass and see how that sounds. If not, I guess I will need some kind of splitter like the littlelabs PCP or Radial's Injector. Those are pricy though, but they would give the reamping capability.
 
I used to do the same thing (split the signal and record both) with a delay pedal - I'd set the delay as low as it would go, then nudge it back a hair in the PC to line it back up.

Problem is, I never found a great way of doing anything else with it from there. I've heard about FX software that emulates tube amps that you can send a raw signal to (can't think of any names rite now), but that all seems too crazy for me - so many variables and so artificial. I usually end up just mic'ing the amp.

Of course, the only outboard guitar FX unit I have is a Digitech RP-100 (el-cheap-o), so I'm usually way better off with a mic. I was curious to see if anyone with real gear actually recorded direct.

What were you using the other day when you came up with something you liked (recording direct)?
 
2 different set ups.

The Rocktron ProGap direct out (w/ fixed cab simulator) sounds very very good for very clean or over the top, smashing pumpkins type distortion. In between sounds not so good -- where tube amps are great. It is really like a pre-Pod, Pod. Very quiet too.

I was in a hotel room and all I had was a maxon od, and an art tube mp. I got some good sounds here. Decent overdrive, and overall a little skanky and cutting, which is sometimes a good thing. ;). The clean sound wasn't bad either.

As far as doing something with the direct track, there are plug-ins like amplitube and 2 different ones that come with Sonar, Cakewalk's and Alien Connection's (i think). I've gotten into to these a bit. To me they are effects and have been effective at slightly modifying a sound, or making is very radical. But to me, aren't great at recreating perfect, normal guitar parts.

I also use them more on other parts than guitar parts. Samples, drum beats, vocals. I like them for this alot.

Your other option is reamping. Taking the direct signal out of the computer, sending to an amp and micing it. This let's you use different amps/mics/rooms etc. at any time. You need to match levels though, so you need something like www.reamp.com.
 
I would prefer to mic the amp since I think it gives a much more natural "crunchy" sound than going direct. But alas, the neighbors don't always appreciate that fact, so going direct is more of a necessity than a preference.
 
Once I get a mental idea of what the best sound should be for the song, I then go through a laborious process of a/b'ing each configuration on my RP-100 via mic'd amp into an ART Tube Studio. Once I get the basic sound, I then do a another series of a/b tests, only this time DI into the mic pre, plus I compare it to the first mic'd sample I chose. I repeat this process for every guitar track I decide should be piled on.

Just don't ask me how long this process takes.

Cy
 
My JCM800 and my MKIII Boogie get the 57 on the edge of the cone. Both have Vintage 30's in sealed cabs. One 412 slant for the Marshall and two 212 slants for the Boogie.

My Super Reverb usually get's an omni about 3' in front. Usually a SD condensor but sometimes a dynamic when it's cranked up for a little grit.

Bass goes through the Boogie head. I run from the direct out to the board.

Yes, my neighbors are cool.:D
 
Downside Studio said:
direct recording
I only use this when we can't get the right warm clean sound from the cabinet. We use a tube preamp run directly into the recorder. The guitar signal can be processed later on with high grade affect like tc etc.
Click to expand...

Well, I guess it´ll depend on what kind of sound you´re trying to get...
I don´t think you can get any kind of heavy sounding guitars w/ a PRS into a toob amp going DI to the recorder...

They only way to get heavy, heavy guitars (nu-metal style) w/o a real amp & cab is using the POD (I haven´t tried any other amp simuls)...
 
Seanmorse79 said:
...you have a real Leslie in your studio? (attempting to contain jealousy). Just don't tell me you have a real B3 - I'll have to start not liking you very much :D (j/k)
Click to expand...

Doesnt everybody?
 
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