ORIGINAL: DigiDis
Direct to tape it will sound ok but very cold and thin no matter how much you eq it, especially the clean stuff. It will also kill the tone of your guitar. That has to be one of the biggest drawbacks of direct recording. It turns any expensive guitar into the bobo version.
Ivan
That's just not true. You would be surprised at how much of today's music is recorded DI with a POD. Secondly, I have heard many mic'ed attempts from inexperienced people that sounded much worse than what a POD can deliver. The take home message is this: unless one truly is a master of mic'ing amp cabinets for quality recordings, one may have better results with a DI box like the POD or Tonelab.
As for turning expensive guitars into the bobo versions, that has more to do with the guitarist than anything else.
No, I would not be surprised at how much of todays music is recorded in this manner because look at how much of todays music sounds colder and thinner. If it you are referring to professionally mixed music where the intent is to sound like a real mic'd amp you can make a safe bet that it was recorded with Line 6 Amp farm (Only available in Pro Tools TDM format I think. It is a 600 dollar program) on a full on Pro Tools HD system by a pro producer/engineer. Please don't miss my point. I am talking about one versus the other yes, but they both sound good. Look at Judith by A Perfect Circle. I am pretty sure that guitar was recorded with Line 6 Amp Farm It sounds great, no doubt. If that is the tone you want no problem. Some music calls for a direct colder and harsher sound. Look at early industrial music. It was FILLED with that sound and it rocked! Everyone's idea of tone is subjective, that is what makes it so great. But to my ears, it sounds colder and thinner, and I will stand by that.
Some people get great sounds by mixing the direct signal with a mic'd source. I have heard amazing sounds using that technique. Once again, not against direct, modeled sounds. I use them everyday.
And you do not have to be "master of micing" to get great sounds when it comes to micing an amp. It is just a matter of getting a decent mike (SM 57 works great, 99 dollars, Sennheiser MD421 $350 works better if you have that kind of dough) It does take a little practice and experimenting with EQ which is one of the joys of recording! You might need to be a "master" to get to the Rick Rubin level of making Chad Smiths drums sound tremendous with just 4 mics and a room in a mansion, but for the rest of us we can make solid recordings with some practice and patience.
And as far the expensive guitar part goes, you are right, it is the guitarist as they decide what to play through. But anytime you add processing to the signal chain you take away from the guitar tone. That is not even direct vs mic, when you add stomp boxes and multi effect units thats the price. I think that one reason why so many effects these days are offering true bypass: less noise and signal degradation. I am not preaching against effects, I love em, use em alot.
post edited by ivanh3 - 2007/04/19 10:09:29