bigtim Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 OK fellow forum members I need a little help. I have been recording on and off for several years with a friend in his home studio. It is a very nice system and he can do some really in depth stuff with it. It is not Pro Tools but is Nuendo I believe. Anyways, when we first started recording, we set the mic. right in front of the guitar amps speaker and it went directly into a small interface. My sound was awesome and the whole project turned out great. Since then he has had a major upgrade into his recording system set up and on the recordings I have done with other clients, my guitar plugged in through a guitar pre amp multi effects processor by Boss then into his new upgraded interface and that all worked great for his clients. Now that I am wanting to do some more original stuff of my own, we could not get a good sound just miking the amp like we used to do. So with that said, I see there are some kind of direct boxes that one could use that goes between the amp and speaker cabinet and then it has a jack that you can run to your interface. Do any of you have one and record this way? I have the perfect studio amp but the problem is, it does not have a direct out on the rear of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPS1976 Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 OK fellow forum members I need a little help. I have been recording on and off for several years with a friend in his home studio. It is a very nice system and he can do some really in depth stuff with it. It is not Pro Tools but is Nuendo I believe. Anyways, when we first started recording, we set the mic. right in front of the guitar amps speaker and it went directly into a small interface. My sound was awesome and the whole project turned out great. Since then he has had a major upgrade into his recording system set up and on the recordings I have done with other clients, my guitar plugged in through a guitar pre amp multi effects processor by Boss then into his new upgraded interface and that all worked great for his clients. Now that I am wanting to do some more original stuff of my own, we could not get a good sound just miking the amp like we used to do. So with that said, I see there are some kind of direct boxes that one could use that goes between the amp and speaker cabinet and then it has a jack that you can run to your interface. Do any of you have one and record this way? I have the perfect studio amp but the problem is, it does not have a direct out on the rear of it. have you experimented with different mics and mic placement? if your amp sounds great; you're going to want to capture the sound you hear. a direct out isn't going to do that for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Does your amp have an effects loop? I use a Crate "Axe Box" which can be purchased on eBay for a mere $20, it allows you to plug into the effects loop and listen through headphones or plug into an interface for recording, it has an emulated speaker out. the only drawback is that because it connects to the effects loop it does not react to the EQ or will not have reverb on the signal if your amp has it but should not be a big deal when recording since you can add that stuff on the production side. At $20 it is worth a shot. Another option is the Mesa CabClone which is a pricey option. I almost bought this but the Axe Box was so cheap. The Axe Box allows me to plug my phone in play a backing track and either play through the amp speaker of use my headphones. Just one note, since the Axe Box uses a 9V power source that has a positive barrel tip you may get a ground loop, if that's the case simply use a 9V battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShredAstaire Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 Mic the amp. It always sounds better. I feel like it gives more life to the recording. Mess with mic placement and test until you find the right spot. I like just off center of the speaker and about 3 feet away from the amp. Works for what I do....but play around. If direct in is the only option, i'd just stop playing guitar. LOL! Kidding...Riffster had a good suggestion above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeman Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 Mic the amp. It always sounds better. I feel like it gives more life to the recording. Mess with mic placement and test until you find the right spot. I like just off center of the speaker and about 3 feet away from the amp. Works for what I do....but play around. If direct in is the only option, i'd just stop playing guitar. LOL! Kidding...Riffster had a good suggestion above. I agree, I've never been able to get a sound I love going direct with an amp modeler/plugin. Sometimes a good old fashioned microphone is the best option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glp2012 Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 If you want to go direct without an amp, you have a couple of options: 1) Focusrite Saffire 6 USB - There are other options and I think they quit making this one. You can get a used one pretty cheap. 2) Tech21 Sansamp - Really nice interface and some options to shape your sound. I have the Bass Driver DI and use it frequently. If you want to use an amp, then you can pick up almost any amp with a direct out or USB. Many of the cheap modeling amps allow for direct out. The Fender Mustang series comes to mind. Also, I just bought a Backstar 20W head that allows for direct out. I think they all sound great and allow you to shape your sound with the recording interface. I've used all three of these with great results. As a bass player, you need to get used to the idea of going direct because some people have difficulty mic'ing bass cabinets and getting a good sound. I can provide more specifics if necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtim Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 Thanks for all of the input. Been experimenting with some direct input settings that looks like i may be able to get a good tone without an amp. I really do like the sound of the amplifier itself. I have been searching for a good direct or interface. Most have all high gain settings, it is the clean tones I am really after. I also had a line 6 amp with a usb amp for a while but sold it before I got back into wanting to record my own stuff again. It is no major deal with clients because they are mostly just song writers and they are not all than concerned with tone. I on the other hand am after better tone for my own stuff. In a few days when I get back to the studio, I will update with the results of the new input settings and see how that pans out. I do have an effects loop on the head I would be using. However, the reverb would not come through. I know it can be added later into the mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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