So for those of you that record your own music, when it comes to guitar and bass, how do you do it? DI? Mic'd cabinet? I have good instruments, but crappy amps, and I'm getting new ones, but I'm wondering if I should just get better practice amps and a good interface/DI, or good amps and a mic. If it helps, I will be using Reaper, playing mostly heavy music, and it will mainly be a hobby of mine, not something I'm trying to gain fame off of.
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Question for the one man band artists here.
- Thread starter Schooley_m
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Long story short, I've never been on the recording end of things, and I want to get a small home studio running, and recording things quietly, which is why I'm leaning towards DI.
Amp or CabSim DI out to interface to IPad is usually the ticket for me. Even when I'm playing with other people this is usually the setup just more things plugged into the interface. Reliable and virtually outside noise free (I say virtually because one guitarist I know likes to yell loud enough that it bleeds on some of his acoustics).
Though with that being said I often will just use my Jam direct from the bass if I don't want to hassle with everything for quick stuff.
Though with that being said I often will just use my Jam direct from the bass if I don't want to hassle with everything for quick stuff.
So would I be better off getting decent practice amps and a good interface and just using the amp simps for recording?
In my opinion a good sounding amp and some sort of interface is the way to go. The way in which you achieve those two things is personal preference. The thing is to try and buy more amp than you need just in case. To me small practice amps are nice and some people like them. But I use my 1000 watt amps for practice too, the have volume knobs for a reason. Versatility and good tone are where its at for me.
For guitar, I go DI into the interface and use Amplitube as the 'amp'. Yeah it'd be nice to have the real deal amps and mics but I'm not sinking that kind of money into my home recordings that no one will hear.
For bass I also go DI but first run it through whatever preamp pedal I have at the moment (currently Darkglass B7K). That actually works pretty well.
For bass I also go DI but first run it through whatever preamp pedal I have at the moment (currently Darkglass B7K). That actually works pretty well.
DI and a modeller like an Axe FX, or software like Bias, Jamup, Amplitube, Guitar Rig, etc. No need for mics or loud recording sessions.
+1 on on a di and modeling
All of them on PC and Mac have free trial periods
The Golden versions of the amps have been captured in modeling.
Rooms, Mics, Cabinets also captured.
Spend your money on a good interface, reaper and modeling plugins, headphones, and monitors.
Many free modeling plugins, try Voxengo Boogex, very good for free
Guitar amplifier audio plugin (AAX, AU, VST) - Voxengo Boogex - Voxengo
All of them on PC and Mac have free trial periods
The Golden versions of the amps have been captured in modeling.
Rooms, Mics, Cabinets also captured.
Spend your money on a good interface, reaper and modeling plugins, headphones, and monitors.
Many free modeling plugins, try Voxengo Boogex, very good for free
Guitar amplifier audio plugin (AAX, AU, VST) - Voxengo Boogex - Voxengo
I mic everything. It's all about mic placement and EQ. I can get guitar tones out of my crap solid state practice amp you would not believe.
I've done both DI and modelers (Pod Pro XT) and they're fine, but not what I wanted. Though I gotta say, for a one-day quickie recording session, the Markbass DI got me a tone I was perfectly happy having on someone else's project.
I've done both DI and modelers (Pod Pro XT) and they're fine, but not what I wanted. Though I gotta say, for a one-day quickie recording session, the Markbass DI got me a tone I was perfectly happy having on someone else's project.
So far I do bass and guitar direct in. I have a couple of VSTs that sound good for guitar. I could mic them if I wanted to but the direct in method has become the easiest and quietest way to work so I keep doing it that way on those very rare occasions that I actually get in to my studio that I've always dreamed of having but never seem to have the time or the energy to use! 
Thanks to everybody for the input, I was really racking my brain over this! I'm probably going to end up getting a fender rumble for my bass, a fender mustang for my guitar, and I think I was looking at the Scarlet 2i2 for my interface. Opinions?
I have a Mac so I get to use Logic, which I love. (GarageBand is the "lite" version of Logic, FYI.)
I connect my bass and guitars directly, and generally use the built in amp models. Logic 10 features a nice SVT amp simulator.
I connect my bass and guitars directly, and generally use the built in amp models. Logic 10 features a nice SVT amp simulator.
I've been recording all kinds of tracks for over thirty years. Even at the beginning when I had only cheap, odd, DIY toys to play thru, I often recorded with microphones.
I think if you want to sound "industry standard", then direct is probably best.
OTOH, miking even a cheap amp can be fun, interesting and get sounds that would be hard to simulate. For instance, how to simulate acoustic feedback from speaker to strings? You could learn a lot with no more than an SM57.
Otto
I think if you want to sound "industry standard", then direct is probably best.
OTOH, miking even a cheap amp can be fun, interesting and get sounds that would be hard to simulate. For instance, how to simulate acoustic feedback from speaker to strings? You could learn a lot with no more than an SM57.
Otto
By far the most I run all electric instruments such as synth keyboard or organ, guitar or bass through this chain: EHX Black Finger optical tube compressor > B3 with BassPre activated > Behringer Tube Untragain Mic 100 > Input 2 of my Edriol Firewire FA-101 with the HI-Z button engaged.
I then adjust the different stages of the chain according to the instrument I am using and to my likings.
For instruments that can't be amplified I record it through my Supreme TU-97 Tube Condenser Microphone directly into input 1 of my audio interface, but honestly, although I get quite good results with that approach I really need another dedicated mic pre-amp as the pre amp in my sound interface leave something to wish for.
And I mainly use Cubase for recording, but love Logic (unfortunately I accidentally killed my Mac by spilling beer in it, so I'll have to put up with Cubase.)
Also I use Reason for programming instruments I don't have or creating sounds I would not have been able to make otherwise.
Here's a sample, although predominantly electronic I both play bass, guitar and vocals on this track with the setup above:
I then adjust the different stages of the chain according to the instrument I am using and to my likings.
For instruments that can't be amplified I record it through my Supreme TU-97 Tube Condenser Microphone directly into input 1 of my audio interface, but honestly, although I get quite good results with that approach I really need another dedicated mic pre-amp as the pre amp in my sound interface leave something to wish for.
And I mainly use Cubase for recording, but love Logic (unfortunately I accidentally killed my Mac by spilling beer in it, so I'll have to put up with Cubase.)
Also I use Reason for programming instruments I don't have or creating sounds I would not have been able to make otherwise.
Here's a sample, although predominantly electronic I both play bass, guitar and vocals on this track with the setup above:
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FWIW, I record everything direct, with effects. I use a Scarlett 2i4, and am very happy with it.
I've always used DI with amp modeling! A big advantage to DI is that I can change the amp model later without having to re-record. The exception is using my Fractal Axe, which I always record wet (though you do have the option of recording a dry track simultaneously which you could use to re-amp at a later date). A DAW like Logic will already have many amp models in it as well. Why don't you get an interface (which you'll need either way, unless you get something like an Axe which has one built in) first and most amp software will give you free demo periods. Amplitube, SGear, etc.
The Scarlet looks fine for an interface. It has two two channels which should be enough.
The Scarlet looks fine for an interface. It has two two channels which should be enough.
On that note - I'm using GarageBand at the moment, toying with the idea of upgrading to logic. I've got sweet guitar/bass amps and good mics that I'll use for either program, I'm more interested in the quality of the drum midi sounds - are they much/any better in logic?
Ps sorry to the OP for the derail, hopefully it's topical for you too!
The Scarlett is great, I started out like you but having recently played with micing my amps I've found they really are a lot more lively. I've heard great things about the Mustang, and my friend gets a fat clean sound from his rumble.
Logic has a ton of downloadable loops that come with it, and the Drum Machine Designer is super flexible.
