Direct Recording Whats best

Posted on Jun 03, 2007 07:01 pm
calvinisright9
Hindu Not Hitler !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Member Since: May 28, 2007

What is better direct recording say from an amp or a pedal or recording the amp with mics?

dbmasters
Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002

Jun 03, 2007 07:37 pm

depends what direct device or amp you have...as well as what instrument. Bass guitar I like direct from the amp head, guitar I will only do direct with an amp modeller like a Line 6 POD or TonePort or something, direct from the head or worse yet, pedals, sounds horrible.

Bleak
A small pie will soon be eaten
Member
Since: Aug 26, 2004

Jun 03, 2007 07:43 pm

I use a modeller too but i think you get a less 'digitized' sound recording using a mic (depending on the modeller of course).

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AKoppenheffer
Member
Since: Jun 02, 2007

Jun 03, 2007 07:44 pm

Well with a lot of this things in recording... "It depends." A lot of people like recording bass guitar direct, either right from the bass or from the bass amplifier. Guitars are more commonly miked, but there are some great amp modeling programs like Guitar Rig and Amp Farm. Personally, I like to mic bass guitar cabs and guitar cabs. I find I can get a better tone from that way. I wouldn't say one method or technique is better than another, it's just the sound you're going for. For bass, sometimes I'll record it direct and mic the cab as well. Then I would mix those two sounds. Reamping is really cool too. Where you record an instrument direct and send the output of your recorded track into an amplifier, mic that up, and play the recorded performance through the amp, while recording it back into your application. You can do that with a lot of things.

Noize2u
Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Jun 03, 2007 08:51 pm

For bass I will always take a direct and a micced signal when possible and mix them together. Although the amp and cab models in the Line 6 gear are now very good as is even without mixing in a micced signal.

For guitar, I like them both and find for myself here that with either my PODxt or the UX-2 I get as good of a sound as I did using a live amp. I haven't used a live amp here in years. But I as well have spent enough time with the Line 6 gear that I now have a well stocked set up of patches that for the most part are indistinguishable from a live rig. The only difference is the fact it takes a little more time to record things like feedback and such which does take running the units through an amplification systm. But with enough work you can get a good modeler to sound very good especially for some of todays high gain sounds.