Recording guitars direct: give it to me.

[sad iron]

I got a V-amp too, because it was cheap and I wanted cheap. I was surprised by all the decent reviews I read from users and others. I've used it some and like a lot of what i have gotten from it. For $100 or less you can't get more bang for the buck.

[sparechessroom]

i think all those devices have an ability to get a sound, and i am not one to try to qualify sounds too much as good or bad, but i think the pod sucks thogh it does make sounds, and for the most part i never find myself actually turning the sans amp on over just using it as a di box. my favs are the pearce elctronics preamp. they make one for gtr, and one for bass, or did. i only see them used, for no $ and they are the best thing on the planet... talk about not qualifying sounds... they have a 1/4" and xlr output, 2 channels both with a gain stage to overdrive, a middle channel that uses both with a three way operating level switch, paarametric eq on both channels, a summing buss that has a limiter and a spring reverb in it. it also has fx loops in both channels, and one in the mixer buss. the other way is to take a di box that lets you take a speaker load into ti and record that. when using a tube amp, it is ESSENTIAL that you have this di box linked to a speaker or dummy load or you will burn out the output transformer in the amp. transistor amps do not have this problem. also pluggin right into the preamp is great as well, well i suppose that depends on what preamp you are talking about. something with some real iron in it is what i like.

[dogcow]

The one thing I remember about that rackmount POD was that I had to turn "mic distance" control all the way down. Seemed to me like it just added this horrible flutter-echo, "Just like the the acoustics in your crappy room!"

That POD really saved a poorly time-managed project I was helping out on. I'm the type of guy that would argue tooth and nail about getting up and grabbing an amp and micing it, but if it's between a POD and not having guitar on a few songs, that's a fairly quick choice fo ra lot of people.

It seemed to work best for us on clean settings with a good distortion pedal in front of it. The PC editing interface was a lot more intuitive than the front of the box and saving/loading was super-easy.

In a pinch, I'll use one, but I'll fight hard for doing it the old-fashioned way if logistically realistic (schedule, neighbors, spouse permitting)

[workshed]

I've had some pretty good luck running my Telecaster straight into my Presonus MP20 (w/ burr-brown opamp upgrades, if that matters) instrument input, then using Logic's Guitar Amp plugin to apply just a tad bit of grit. Really chimey shimmering tone when a little reverb is added in for good measure. I also have a Tech21 Trademark 120, which has the sansamp direct out options and has some passable sounds; that is, anything that's not meant to be super high-gain.

Had a Behringer V-Amp, which sounded fantastic when I first got it, but then it got super noisy with my single coils and the recorded sounds just never lived up to how it sounded through headphones.

-Bret

[vvv]

So last night after the kids went to bed, I played two over-the-top distorted rhythm/lead tracks, one an SG into a Hafler T2 pre into an ADA Microcab, the other a MIJ Strat into a US$50 Zoom GM200 into a dbx163X compressor (set at about 8dB reduction), and they sounded very nice indeed. I also used a Tubeworks distortion pedal in places.

When I have the vocals done, I'll come back and post a link, maybe later this week.

A couple key things I found with emulators is to not let the sound get too big, too trebley, or two exaggerated as an emulation.

And it helps to just use one with otherwise live guitars.

If you need two tracks, use two different emulators.

Distortion pedals, tube or not, can help.

Finally, I prefer the analog ones, but then I don't go for digital effects on guitar, just the odd digital chorus.

[vvv]

Aiight, here is "Direct Inject" which was recorded with two emulators and a DI'd guitar and bass as follows:

Bass=P-ART TPS2-dbx163X (tuned to "D")
Gtrz = Drop-"D"
L. Gtr.= MIJ Strat-Tubeworks Driver-Zoom M200-dbx163X
Rt. Gtr.= SG-Tubeworks Driver-Hafler T2-ADA Microcab
Feedback Gtr. = Fernandez Strat/Sustainer-Ebow-VTB1
Drumz = Hand crafted samplez
Vox = AT4040-Meek VC3Q
Tabo-C1000S-VTB1

I think the guitars sound pretty good...

You?

[kdarr]

PSA-1 -> Hughes & Kettner Red Box = not too shabby!

[<|>]

[joel hamilton]

OK, if you're gonna tell me to go buy an amp and mic it, you can just go poop yourself. Because I do indeed have a nice recording amp and would love to mic it all the time. But I record in a noisy environment and 70% of the time don't have that choice...and when I do have a moment of silence, I usually use it for vocals or acoustic guitar.

So what I'd like to know is how you all get good sounding electric guitar tracks while recording direct. Here are the methods I've used and like, but found somewhat lacking.

1) Sansamp PSA-1. Great tones, but the cab sim never did it for me. I sold it after a while, and miss it sometimes. I'm actually thinking about re-buying it.

2) Vox Tonelab. I like the cab sims quite a lot! But it's noisy, and not a good kind of noise...and I'm never satisfied with the mids. Nevertheless, it's my main go-to guitar thingy.

3) Software. I've done a few tracks by playing clean through the Hamptone, then processing in the box, mostly with FreeAmp 2, a terrific software amp/fx suite. Sounds pretty decent but it's not much fun.

4) Zoom G2. A shockingly good pedal for $99. But the amp models are few, the choices narrow, and it's always over at my bandmate's house anyway.

And here are the methods I'm thinking about trying...

1) Sansamp classic. Never tried it. Does it do stuff the PSA-1 doesn't? Is the cab sim good? It doesn't have to be "realistic," just GOOD.

2) PodXT. I've never so much as tried the thing, but I have heard the Pod has gotten quite excellent in the latest version.

If you get good sounds with directly recorded guitars, how do you do it? I should add I have lots of nice effects pedals to put in front of the amp model, so I don't need a solution that has a zillion effects attached to it.

Thanks all
John

I have made entire records using an avalon U5 for the guitars. I would use pedals as needed, and amp farm. Period. I would do a variety of tricks on the way in, and during the mix, and I have had people freak out on the tones on those records, some of them even got really great press that mentioned the tones!!! so funny...

It can work. Really well, in fact. I do, however, find that mixing in just ONE mic'd amp can really "shift the focus" a whole bunch, and have more charater that doesnt just sound generic. But it really only takes one blown out amp to make all the other amp farm tracks sound like a million bucks sometimes!

It is up to the project, but in response to your question, I would say try out the POD, and make it do good things. It is not like the second you get one you have to sound like nickleback or some Numetal band, ya know?

[joel hamilton]

Oh, and BTW... it is amazing what you can do with a LPF.... roll it off lower than your eyes want to let you... like at 4k, then turn it up: wow! Just like a 12" speaker!

[comfortstarr]

Funny, I almost resurrected this thread today. I posted earlier extolling the virtues of the Sansamp GT2. I was playing around with it and my old Pod 2.0 the other night and it seems the Pod made a come back to my ears. The GT2 does something brittle/bright to the tone that I wasn't digging, despite a lot of messing around with it.

I still don't really like the pod that much either--and unfortunately, as a "domestic" musician, I still need to use one of these sorts of devices from time-to-time. I think I may give the zoom thing a try. I don't really care if the amp models are limited. I just want something that sounds okay.

[KennyLusk]

Oh, and BTW... it is amazing what you can do with a LPF.... roll it off lower than your eyes want to let you... like at 4k, then turn it up: wow! Just like a 12" speaker!

FWIW I agree with this trick 1000%. In the past It's helped me squeeze some really great sounding electric guitar tracks (IMO) from a simple Line 6 Guitar Port.