How do I make better quality of my direct in guitars

[DavidH]

I'm pretty much new to this entire scene but I bought a fast track pro and i'm running Logic 8. When I record my Electric guitar direct in the quality doesn't sound as good as I would've hoped what are some of the "Essential" things I should put on the track. I don't know exactly what "EQ" or "Compressors" are i've been trying my best to do research if anyone can guide me to an article or something to help me come along it'd help me so much. Thanks.

[String7th]

What do you mean by direct?
A lot of people plug directly in and use software (amplitube, Pod farm) to emulate real amps and can get a pretty good sound. Or are you taking line-outs of an amp or something like a digitech pedal?

[garww]

Getting a good signal from a weak MIC and guitar outputs is a problem for all of us : ) Have you ever set-up the pick-ups ??

Sometime you have to pound the pole pieces, but I would never dream of using the factory set-up.

[Audio~Geek]

Read my Audio Effects Explained series of articles.
After that dig into the manual of the effects you want to use.

If you had Logic 9 you'd have MUCH better guitar amps and effects to start with.

The kind of sounds you're going for makes a difference in what you need to do.

Compression (optional)
EQ (required 90% of the time)
Filtering before the amp sim (optional)
Transient shaping (optional)
Separate Cabinet simulation (optional)
time and modulation effects (optional)
Reverb (75% of the time)

[mrblitz]

For beginners, if you just want to experiment in general, and are recording a direct line in: Once you have that recorded; in the effects chain you put a standalone VST like simulanalog JCM900, Green Machine, Poulin Hybrit Fullstack, etc. If you want to go with separate amp head and cabinet emulators, check out the ACME Bar Gig Preampus amp head series. There's a link at the ACME Bar Gig page to the Poulin (LePou) cabinet simulator. If you're using an 'impulse response' (IR) capable cabinet simulator, download a few from the internet and see what sounds the best. If you already have commercial 'VSTs' like Guitar Rig or Amplitude, your mileage may vary. There is a lot of excellent freeware; as listed above. I don't currently have any payware, and use some combination of the freeware listed above. Once you've played with these basics - whether freeware or something you've bought - then start adding to that with what the other posters on this thread are advising. I'm finding that there's a lot of sound to be gotten out of even the weakest little line recording (no direct in box, nothing but the guitar running dry into the Lexicon Lambda). Apparently, if you add in a nice direct box interface (DI), then you take your sound capability to yet another level.

[mrblitz]

For free stuff, I forgot to mention Nick Crowe's offerings, or the Auraplug California Sun amplifier. There's a bunch of freeware out there.

[Strangedogs]

Originally Posted by Audio~Geek

...If you had Logic 9 you'd have MUCH better guitar amps and effects to start with...

Right On! Logic Studio 9 has some of the kewlest Amps and Pedals I've ever used in a DAW. I have literally thousands invested in Amp Sims - ALL the Amplitubes, Guitar Rig 3, Overloud's TH1.1, Nomads Rock Amp Legends, etc. - basically everything except AxeFX and I only have the Demo for Revalver MKIII and these new goodies in Logic 9 makes most of them OBSOLETE! Loads of great Amps that look amazing as well as sound great and the new Pedalboard Designer is a work of GENIUS! My Boss GS-10 Interface has loads of Amps, Cabs, Stomps, etc already built-in also, but I'm having a real ball with Logics new Arsenal of amps. Great Job Apple! I do love Amplitube Fender though - it's priceless.