Unplugging Cab from Amp for Silent Recording

[moff40]

Another solution might be to try a Hughes & Kettner Red Box ($100) or a Behringer GI100 ($50). Both are cabinet simulators that sound similar to a 4x12 with and SM57 on it, and I've heard great results with them both live and on recordings. Both go between the amp and speaker, but neither are "load boxes", so you'll need to keep the speaker attached.

I haven't tried it, but I suspect you might be able to get away with putting one on the preamp out...

The other option might be something like a POD or ElevenRack plugged straight into the R16

 

[BurningSkies]

What I do in my studio, by me.

Take the cab and put it as far away from the drums as practical. mic it like normal. Then cover it all up nice and warm with comforters. Yes a little noise will bleed over the overheads, and any other mics, but so little that a little nice gate/expander will clean it up nicely. Just keep the cab as quiet as you can, while keeping acceptable tone.

You could also record direct and then re-amp. Thats DI'ing the guitars to record. Then sending that clean signal back out to the pre-amp and then mic'ing the cab. Record that new track to replace the clean one. Don't have to worry about tone, only performance. Tone can be found later. You could always use some effect pedals or plugin for recording software if you need a special sound to perform. I use a digitech rp355 or the ampire plugin in studio one. just make sure you get a clean signal to record.

I do something similar if I want a halfway decent low rent demo. I put the guitar amps in another room. I mic them and then box them with acoustic ceiling tiles then cover those. Then I have soft foam over the doorway then the door. My bass goes direct from my preamp. The keys run direct too. Kit is live mic'ed and I put the vocalist as far away from him as possible...with the directions to 'vocalize' as softly as possible into the mic just to cue the band...its a scratch then we'll do vocals and overdubs later. Everyone gets handed a pair of headphones. I have a 8 channel headphone amp as part of my recording setup.

 

[3armdave]

Try a jettenuator designed by soldano
You can use it without having to hook up a cab
It has a direct out with cab and mic sim that supposedly sounds really good
Also a line out if u want to go that route

I bot one last week but cAnt use it with my 300w bass amp bcuz it is rated only for 100w which I didn't know when I bot it
So I would sell mine for about 200$ plus or minus shipping if u want it just pm me (is this allowed?)

Dave

 

[LeoTender]

Thanks but I live in Switzerland so shipping would cost around as much as the device itself.

Putting the amp in another room isn't really an option either because of the location of our rehearsal room. I'm going to try the send out option with the guitarist today and compare it to the miced sound.

In case it is too bad and there is no way of eqing a way out of it i guess we'll just record it direct from the preamp first so we can hear him on our headphones and then he'll have to rerecord it with the miced cab afterwards. That would really not be that much of a big deal. I'll tell you how it went afterwards.

 

[Dave W]

In case it is too bad and there is no way of eqing a way out of it i guess we'll just record it direct from the preamp first so we can hear him on our headphones and then he'll have to rerecord it with the miced cab afterwards. That would really not be that much of a big deal. I'll tell you how it went afterwards.

Depending on the style of music you're playing you made need to add additional tracks of guitar to thicken them up anyways. A single track may not cut it...

 

[LeoTender]

So we just tried it and it works rather brilliantly. it sounds a bit glassy in comparison with the miced signal (Audix i5) but cutting the the highs at 5khz a little really does the trick.

You can hardly tell the difference eyes closed side by side, let alone in the mix.

So thanks for all the kind advice once again.

 

[Jim Carr]

Ha Ha, told you. Glad it worked out!