How do you record your guitars?

[Metaltyme]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

This brings up a bigger issue to me. Seldom do I listen to music with amazing tones.

For example, yesterday I listened to the 2006 AFI record. I love the album and there is nothing wrong with the engineering but there is nothing I'm going to run off and show my buddies. I already posted how Madonna drums pounded way harder than the AFI drums on that record.

You can see this point over and over and over. Tones change from album to album. You may love the drums on this album and the guitars on that album, but none of that really matters. That's just the extra stuff as long as the production isn't distracting. That extra stuff is like all the junk on the walls at restaurant. I go to a restaraunt to fulfill my raging fatass disease, not to look at crap on the wall. I listen to music because it makes me feel good, not because some asshole want an engineering grammy.

Brandon

Well said Brando!

I go to a restaraunt to fulfill my raging fatass disease

Hahaha...I've actually said this before! Weird!

[Metaltyme]

So far, the results don't reflect at all what I thought they would. Well, it seems only the 'regulars' have participated in the poll, so maybe others might still come by and partake. As of now though, a simple, random sample has not been achieved. I'll still wait in patience.

[gary7rev]

I do all 3. But it usually depends on what i want to get out of the recording or song. I will always mic an amp for a hard rock or metal project before i go the plug in/DI sound. I have had great tone with both. I think i would rather use a Di with a sans amp plugin than a crappy amp. So there are times when i would choose to go with a plugin instead of micing. Luckily most people use my Hughes and Kettner Tri amp so I don't need to mic a sub par amp and try to get a good tone. For clean i use Di track with a plugin. I am lazy and I don't have a low noise clean amp to use so for this is an application I go strait Di. Also i like to do lead stuff through DI when i need a drastically diff sound than my amp has.

[pointbee]

I am new at "pro" recording. Pro meaning I do it for a living or to earn. (not necessarily good) I have tried all possible mic placements on Shure Sm-57 but I can't seem to beat a direct connection with guitar rig or other amp simulator softwares. I must be doing something wrong or maybe its the mic. So ever since, I use guitar software for a great sound

[357mag]

I use a POD X3 with great results. I built my own preset off a Marshall JCM-900 and it works great for practicing and recording. In fact I owned a genuine JCM-900 awhile back and used it at a gig. I sold it instantly and kept my Valvestate instead that's how crappy it sounded.

But my POD X3 delivers great tone. These units are made for practicing and recording. That's where they shine. I don't think fare as well used live.

[alfonso]

I can mic a Suhr Badger 18, a Ceriatone 5e3 or a heavily modded Hot Rod Deluxe, but since when this dsp thing for the Scope platform (which i have and enjoy) called Mojo entered in my options I can't keep from using it. I don't consider any other software option acceptable for my taste.

I enter the Scope Soundcard through an Apogee MiniMe which has Hi-Z inputs too.

With this solution I recorded the whole soundtrack of an internationally produced documentary called Hair India and have been asked more than once how did I get such a good electric guitar sound.

[ryanoliver]

I'm a 4 but would have to say a majority of the time I'm a Guitar Rig 3. My Isocab is getting less and less use these days. I have two techniques that I like to use with this plug. One I call "Kramming", which is sending several layers of guitar into 1 instance of GR3, hard panning and repeating. The other is Treble Boosting, which is putting an EQ before GR3 and boosting ridiculous amounts of high-mids. It gives you a super tight and focused overdrive. GR3 has a treble booster but it doesn't do it for me.

I've recently got into using reverb on my guitars. I'm discovering how much fuller they can be with the right impulse.

I've got a show coming up and I'm gonna use GR3 live. This should be interesting.

[OzStrat]

The bit I like about the sims is being able to swap & change them at any time. Good for formulating and putting down ideas.
I find DI from pedals a step up from the sims, depending on pedals.
Best of all, mic'd amp.

[Taavi]

Guitar --> Sansamp GT2 --> Soundcraft Spirit M4 --> M-audio delta 66

Sometimes I mic my little Fender amp with a 58A but the sound is little too specific, so it doesn't get much use.

[scooterlow]

Well I have been using guitar rig 3 for a while now. Actually most of the time when I record. For a person who has been playing for 20 plus years it is kinda a double axed sword. I love the ease and set up of a plug in. Also I love the tone of my boogie rig and my twin amp. In my simple opinion the plugins are going to work better in a small home studio environment that an amp that needs to be miked and post eqed and all before it hit your DAW. With that being said, if you have the space to have multiple amp setups and several options for recording outboard amps you may get better results or maybe the same???? Its all about yours whole recoding rig at some point. Are you going simple and all through the PC?? Do you regularly run all Live instruments, like drums and bass Guitars with amps and a drum room. Or do you use plugins... and do all virtual Instruments. These things matter because we base our mixes off of how these instruments set in the mix. It can be a joy to mix a band that has been playing together for years and be blown away by there musicianship. I guess what I'm trying to get back to is this. MOST OF THE TIME IS THE PERFORMANCE THAT MAKES THE GUITAR SOUND GOOD. If you have a good ear and play well you can do wonders with minimal gear.

I love the fact that we have options to record all these ways. I'm just not sure you can realistically say that one is better than the other. At least not at this point. There are way to many variables to recognize.