I would like to upgrade my gear for direct recording. What i need is a better sounding and less digital tone.
So i need some advice, for everything from the guitar to the computer, including the audio card.
If you are a happy and experienced guitar player in that field please post your advices with brand names.
Guitar direct recording gear
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leisuremuffin
- Posts: 4721
- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 12:45 am
- Location: New Jersey
Re: Guitar direct recording gear
what kind of budget do you have? what are you currently using?
I use a presonus tubepre v2 as my di for guitar and i'm happy. i bought the thing because i lost a preamp channel on my old motu interface and needed a cheap replacement. I got a open box unit for a hundred bucks, but they go for about $130 usually. I didn't really expect much, but I actually really like it as my guitar di. I am by no means a serious guitarist though, i pretty much just do fake frippertronics and steve hillage whale sound solos.
here's a little looper jam i did a while ago, if you like the way it sounds its a PRS SE245 (the cheap PRS, lol)---> tube-pre --> motu ultralight--->live ---> live's looper and built in effects. Of course it's been converted to mp3, so i don't really know how much you can tell about the sound but here it is anyway.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/o052fkevcpesr ... 012813.mp3
I use a presonus tubepre v2 as my di for guitar and i'm happy. i bought the thing because i lost a preamp channel on my old motu interface and needed a cheap replacement. I got a open box unit for a hundred bucks, but they go for about $130 usually. I didn't really expect much, but I actually really like it as my guitar di. I am by no means a serious guitarist though, i pretty much just do fake frippertronics and steve hillage whale sound solos.
here's a little looper jam i did a while ago, if you like the way it sounds its a PRS SE245 (the cheap PRS, lol)---> tube-pre --> motu ultralight--->live ---> live's looper and built in effects. Of course it's been converted to mp3, so i don't really know how much you can tell about the sound but here it is anyway.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/o052fkevcpesr ... 012813.mp3
TimeableFloat ???S?e?n?d?I?n?f?o
Re: Guitar direct recording gear
@leisuremuffin: your example is very good, even if your guitar is heavily effected. If you have some clean licks would be glad to hear them too.
I'm curious to know why you bought a pre when the Motu already has great preamps. Do you think Motu pre are weak or not good for guitar?
I forgot to say i'm on a Pc and my actual setup is:
electric guitar --> analog pedals --> Digitech Rp155 (as Di/fx) --> Terratec audio card (24 bit/192 Khz) --> Live 9 Suite.
My budget is around 600 $ / 500 euro.
I'm curious to know why you bought a pre when the Motu already has great preamps. Do you think Motu pre are weak or not good for guitar?
I forgot to say i'm on a Pc and my actual setup is:
electric guitar --> analog pedals --> Digitech Rp155 (as Di/fx) --> Terratec audio card (24 bit/192 Khz) --> Live 9 Suite.
My budget is around 600 $ / 500 euro.
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leisuremuffin
- Posts: 4721
- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 12:45 am
- Location: New Jersey
Re: Guitar direct recording gear
Well, I'm not so sure that I'd call the motu pre amps great. They work, and they are pretty transparent, but I don't love them. But at any rate, before I got the ultralight, I had a very old motu828 that lost a preamp, I bought the presonus to replace it. When I got the new ultralight, I found that I preferred the presonus for guitar so I keep using it.
Lol, I don't actually have any less effected examples, that's kind of the only thing I do with guitar. But the beginning of the piece is just a little distortion and using the guitar's volume knob for swells.
Lol, I don't actually have any less effected examples, that's kind of the only thing I do with guitar. But the beginning of the piece is just a little distortion and using the guitar's volume knob for swells.
TimeableFloat ???S?e?n?d?I?n?f?o
Re: Guitar direct recording gear
I'd be interested to know how much processing you're doing through the Digitech (amp modeling or just effects?). Doesn't the Digitech have a USB connection? You can probably run the Digitech direct to your computer and bypass Terratec audio card. Does your Terratec audio card have any preamps or Hi-Z inputs?
I wouldn't be surprised if the Digitech was the source of your problems. I can't say the unit is known to provide good modeling sounds, if you are using it for that. Have you tried any other software modelers like Amplitube, GuitarRig, S-Gear, etc.?
I feel that you can work out a decent sound from most preamps going direct into the computer and then processing through software modelers. My suggestion if your audio card has a Hi-Z instrument input, is to bypass the Digitech and try to run guitar -> analog pedals -> Terratec -> Live 9 w/ software modeling. Can you tell us more about your existing setup?
I wouldn't be surprised if the Digitech was the source of your problems. I can't say the unit is known to provide good modeling sounds, if you are using it for that. Have you tried any other software modelers like Amplitube, GuitarRig, S-Gear, etc.?
I feel that you can work out a decent sound from most preamps going direct into the computer and then processing through software modelers. My suggestion if your audio card has a Hi-Z instrument input, is to bypass the Digitech and try to run guitar -> analog pedals -> Terratec -> Live 9 w/ software modeling. Can you tell us more about your existing setup?
Re: Guitar direct recording gear
@misa: my Terratec has no Hi-z input so i use the Digitech primarly as a stereo Di. I don't want to use its usb audio card because i have some synths connected to the Terratec, not just the guitar. I should try the usb though just to see if the tone improves.
Your preamp suggestion is interesting because it's the weak point of my actual setup; the Digitech is good on some sounds but it's cheap for a solid anywhere tone.
I tried a LOT of amp modeling softwares and i have some decent presets around. My sensation is that i must tweak parameters too much, in other words i would like to have a solid starting tone, and then add to it some effects without going crazy with tweaking.
In the past i used a Behringer Ultra-G 100 Di that was good, but i hate 'only battery' boxes so i sold it; now i miss it because i can't try the easiest setup. Also tried a 2nd hand Tubeman 2 but was noisy, maybe it was a little bit faulty.
If you have a good preamp/Di suggestion i will check it for sure.
Your preamp suggestion is interesting because it's the weak point of my actual setup; the Digitech is good on some sounds but it's cheap for a solid anywhere tone.
I tried a LOT of amp modeling softwares and i have some decent presets around. My sensation is that i must tweak parameters too much, in other words i would like to have a solid starting tone, and then add to it some effects without going crazy with tweaking.
In the past i used a Behringer Ultra-G 100 Di that was good, but i hate 'only battery' boxes so i sold it; now i miss it because i can't try the easiest setup. Also tried a 2nd hand Tubeman 2 but was noisy, maybe it was a little bit faulty.
If you have a good preamp/Di suggestion i will check it for sure.