Amp+DI at the same time?

[NSGUITAR]

How do you guys usually do that?


I've typically just used Pod Farm to monitor for guitars, but I've had a few bands complain about that and wanting to use a real amp during the tracking process. What's the magic piece of equipment used to do this?

 

[B36arin]

You need DI box that has a link output. You plug your guitar into the DI box, which has a jack output as well as an XLR output. You connect the jack to the amp and the XLR to your interface and you're set.

 

[NSGUITAR]

Thanks!

 

[Seth Munson]

Out of curiosity, why would bands care what they track with when you will just reamp it later?

 

[Fbarre]

Probably because digital emulations have a certain amount of latency which you can't hear but you can feel it on some level. @NSGUITAR: Have a look at the little labs red eye tool.

 

[NSGUITAR]

Out of curiosity, why would bands care what they track with when you will just reamp it later?

Fuck've I know!


The only thing I've gotten is "It's not as powerful as a real amp".. Or "That's how we did it at the other studio".

 

[SimonTaddio_Qc]

The feel of playing through an actual good amp/cab is nowhere near where ampsims are, plus there's the latency that is just way too gay.
You guys can praise ampsims as much as you want, it's just not the same thing.
Also, as someone already said, hook the "thru" of your DI to your amp input, it's as simple as that.

 

[Ionei]

Tracking with a real amp feels better.
Also, I can pull pinch harmonics better on a real amp than an amp sim.

 

[AHChris]

If you have a preamp with a great instrument input: get a Hi-Z splitter and split your guitar signal to amp and instrument in. I use this one

 

[pipaguapique]

the country man has that function. it has an alternative amp output.

 

[bryan_kilco]

I do this with my Boss NS-2 pedal, and it seems to work just fine.

Guitar -> NS-2 -> Output to amp, then NS-2 Send -> Interface.

 

[NSGUITAR]

The feel of playing through an actual good amp/cab is nowhere near where ampsims are, plus there's the latency that is just way too gay.
You guys can praise ampsims as much as you want, it's just not the same thing.
Also, as someone already said, hook the "thru" of your DI to your amp input, it's as simple as that.

I agree about it feeling different, but there's no latency through my interface, so that's no excuse.

 

[Mago]

The only thing I've gotten is "It's not as powerful as a real amp".. Or "That's how we did it at the other studio".

Fuckin' Divas.
Maybe they are insecure with their playing and need a big rig to make up some lack of balls^^

for sure ampsims aren't nearly anywere near playing the real deal, but why should you need that for recording? as long as there's no latency you can do your job anyway

 

[guitarguru777]

I do this all the time on my Saffire, I just route the input of the DI guitar out to 2 separate outputs. One goes to the DAW and the other goes to output 10 on my Saffire and then to the amp.

I usually track the mic'd cab as well just incase the tone we got the first time works. So I record the DI and the actual amp at the same time.

Works like a charm.

In fact the project I am working on now we did the same thing using the AxeFX, ran the guitar into the Axe, and then split the signal one to the amp mods and out the XLR in the back and one out the FX loop which was a totally clean DI.

 

[Force666]

Fuckin' Divas.
Maybe they are insecure with their playing and need a big rig to make up some lack of balls^^

for sure ampsims aren't nearly anywere near playing the real deal, but why should you need that for recording? as long as there's no latency you can do your job anyway

Or maybe they just want you to do YOUR job and provide them with whatever they want, since they're paying you.

I can't really see a more important time (recording) that you would want an ideal setup for tracking.

 

[mburton21]

When I record DIs for bands, I always just have my 5150 on the thru of my Radial J48 to give them perspective on what they're playing (effing babies, eh?), over half the time I'm not actually recording the 5150 at that moment. In my situation I always just get a really tightly played DI first and worry about the tone after since to reamp it, I have go to the space I have down the street and take my laptop, profire, etc. to crank the amps good and loud.

If you have any sort of decent DI box there should be a "thru" on it, which I always thought was incredibly straightforward.

 

[Mago]

Or maybe they just want you to do YOUR job and provide them with whatever they want, since they're paying you.

I can't really see a more important time (recording) that you would want an ideal setup for tracking.

I just can't relate why obviously for some people playing through I rig while recording DI's is the ideal recording setup to deal with. Personally for me it doesn't change anything if I play through I real rig while recording.

edit: although upon thinking about it a bit more I think if I had the possibilty to do so I would also hook up the amp for monitoring. Just haven't done it that way for a long time and got used to monitor through other things. scratch my dumb ass diva comment. only problem I still see is that it can get pretty loud because I still like playing through an ampsim more than through an amp at low volume, and tracking with the player sitting in the live room also isn't ideal...and if you place a mic in front of the cab to play in the control room I dunno if that efford is worth the time aka money.

 

[NSGUITAR]

I do this all the time on my Saffire, I just route the input of the DI guitar out to 2 separate outputs. One goes to the DAW and the other goes to output 10 on my Saffire and then to the amp.

I usually track the mic'd cab as well just incase the tone we got the first time works. So I record the DI and the actual amp at the same time.

Works like a charm.

In fact the project I am working on now we did the same thing using the AxeFX, ran the guitar into the Axe, and then split the signal one to the amp mods and out the XLR in the back and one out the FX loop which was a totally clean DI.

It worked! Thanks dude!

 

[[UEAK]Clowd]

lol @ some of the people in this thread

how many of you actually make a living from producing/recording?

I actually think tracking through an ampsim is BETTER because you can hear what's going on with the dude's playing, without some honky-tonk amp blaring in the next room. even if you have a pretty well isolated room it's still loud as fuck.

 

[zackpennington]

I usually track both at the same time and then reamp if I need to, or blend a sim with the mic'd tracks.