Direct Input Verses Recording from amp

[bryanshreds]

Hey guys

Just wondering what are your takes as in which is better for recording electric guitar...

DI from Audi Box OR

Shure Sm57 OR

Both just in case =)

Im using a yamaha mw8cx with cubase al4

what are your takes? sorry just wondering what i should do.

Regards,
Bryan

[fortyseven]

Both have their ups and downs. Recording direct is probably cheaper and quicker to setup and with some effort; a pretty decent recording can be made.
Micing an amp will probably cost more and takes a bit of preparation initially but you cant beat the real thing.
I dont think either method is better; just different.

[voltron]

I used to run my Zoom 505 directly into my 4 track and it suprisingly sounded pretty cool. I do find, however that you can't beat a good amp and mic because you get a more dynamic sound that way.

[bryanshreds]

Hey thanks guys...

So it is more depending on what i want right? Because i do have both and was just wondering what the best bet would be.

Thanks again..

Regards,
Bryan

[alienfish]

Because I have a family and I can usually only record after the kids are in bed I go the direct route. I either use a Pocket POD or I have Native Instruments Guitar Combos. I have no complaints on using either. I do like the sound of a miked Marshall amp better, but cranking it is almost never an option.

A good point of reference for how good a direct sound can be, listen to any of the Ayreon CD's. Arjen records direct with the rack mount POD Pro.

Thanks

Bill

[robt25]

I like to use both. Its not that hard to set up the DI, and then it gives me the option for DAW effects. I've used the combination of both DI and amp in the mix to get some really good guitar sounds. And sometimes the DI track has saved me when there was unwanted noise on the amp setup, but a great take.

[brandondrury]

So it is more depending on what i want right? Because i do have both and was just wondering what the best bet would be.

This is a bit scary.

When you sit down to create a song based on your vision, it should be immediately obvious which one the song calls for (or a combination of the two). Recording land is not about the "right" way of doing things. This isn't mechanical engineering and there is no calculus. I find this question to be similar to a painter asking me which color blue the sky should be. We all know a sky can be red, purple, or even green if we really feel like it.

This question gains a bit of weight if you are unhappy with your tones and looking to "improve" them.

Brandon

[alienfish]

Brandon has a very good point. What fits the song?

Case in point: Sometimes I get to play with a nationally ranked violin player. These competitions that he competes in feature him as a solo performer. He is a tremendous player, but, when it comes to playing in a band he overplays and is clueless to what is best for the song.

Do the tones you are looking for come from the direct box or the amp? Only you can really answer that.

Bill

[bryanshreds]

Thanks so much guys. I guess its by playing around and by feel of what suits the song better as brandon has mentioned.

However, reason I am asking to see if people still use mics to record amps because ive heard people that record locally say that they use DIs and mic-ing up the amp gives a more harsh sound....

So hence i have to treat my room more acoustically right?

Sorry im just new to this.. Thanks for the teaching thus far.

Regards,
bryan

[brandondrury]

However, reason I am asking to see if people still use mics to record amps because ive heard people that record locally say that they use DIs and mic-ing up the amp gives a more harsh sound....

The Nazis had a point. They shouldn't have been focusing on Jews and such. They should have been lining up every audio asshole who intentionally confuses people about recording and put a bullet in the back of their head. This makes me so mad.

To clarify, it would take me about 3 seconds to get a harsh guitar sound with an amp and micing. It's easy. A 57 dead center on the cone will do it. Done. Even with a smooth amp like an AC30, you'll still end up with a thin, harsh tone.

The emulators work the same way.

You can get a harsh tone by twisting the knobs to sound harsh, too. It doesn't take an audio genius to figure out how to do that.

If you are asking about the present state of emulators, Def Leopard sold a kazillion records back in 87 or whatever with direct guitars. Boston did too (their 1986 album and on is all direct guitars). As for consumer grade stuff off the shelf, a lot of the emulators are very good.

You can get into the "Does this sound like a real amp?" debate if you want. Those discussions bore me mainly because it's very common (but not always) for me to have to work hard to get a real amp to sound good. It often takes pedals and lots of tweaking to achieve whatever the sound is in my head. Often times I don't achieve it and I move on. I'm talking about using a pretty killer setup (Royer R121, Vintech 1272, Distressor, and Mytek converters). Sometimes it just doesn't happen. Other times it happens extremely well.

Basically, if you are having a "tone" contest and you are good with your guitar rig and engineering, you probably will win with the real setup. If you are "just okay" the emulators will save you hours of trouble and probably sound better. Of course, I can't think of anything more boring than a tone contest. That's not why I make music. Food for thought.

Brandon